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eengland's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mg_in_md_'s review
4.0
I won an Advanced Reader's Edition of this stunning debut novel set against the backdrop of the Korean War and the early years of modern South Korea. The story takes place between 1951 and 1967, following three primary characters: the beautiful and spirited Haemi, her childhood friend and star-crossed true love Kyunghwan, and his older and wealthier cousin, Jisoo. This emotionally charged saga tackles a number of complex themes--war, family, and forbidden love--and would make for an excellent discussion. It is beautiful, riveting, and deeply moving.
When the novel opens, Haemi's family has been displaced by the communist-backed army and finds itself in a refugee camp along the coast where her friendship with Kyunghwan is rekindled. Although Haemi wishes to be more than friends, Kyunghwan is more focused on finishing school. Despite this fact, he is jealous when Jisoo begins courting Haemi, but feels that he cannot compete with his older, wealthier cousin and pushes Haemi in Jisoo's direction. The love triangle is complicated to say the least, and the tensions amongst the three are evident from the first page to the last.
Each chapter presents an alternating perspective as the story unfolds. Most of the chapters are written primarily from the perspectives of one of the three main characters, but a few of the secondary characters, such as Haemi's ailing brother Hyunki, offer their viewpoints as well. All of the characters felt three dimensional and fully developed.
While the story progresses in time, a few of the chapters deal with the same event but offer a different character's vantage point. I felt this was an effective story-telling technique and each character's voice and perspective were clear. The emotions of each character were palpable and made for an incredibly moving story.
I greatly appreciated the historical details showing South Korea's transformation after the war that were woven into the plot in a natural, believable way. The decisions that the characters made were in line not only with their personalities but also the point in time in which they were made. This is not an easy story with a fairy tale ending. However, it is a beautifully told tale about a period of time that remains relevant to today's world events.
Many thanks to Goodreads FirstReads and William Morrow for an early opportunity to read this excellent debut!
In addition, I decided to use this as my pick for the 2018 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "a book set in a country that fascinates you."
When the novel opens, Haemi's family has been displaced by the communist-backed army and finds itself in a refugee camp along the coast where her friendship with Kyunghwan is rekindled. Although Haemi wishes to be more than friends, Kyunghwan is more focused on finishing school. Despite this fact, he is jealous when Jisoo begins courting Haemi, but feels that he cannot compete with his older, wealthier cousin and pushes Haemi in Jisoo's direction. The love triangle is complicated to say the least, and the tensions amongst the three are evident from the first page to the last.
Each chapter presents an alternating perspective as the story unfolds. Most of the chapters are written primarily from the perspectives of one of the three main characters, but a few of the secondary characters, such as Haemi's ailing brother Hyunki, offer their viewpoints as well. All of the characters felt three dimensional and fully developed.
While the story progresses in time, a few of the chapters deal with the same event but offer a different character's vantage point. I felt this was an effective story-telling technique and each character's voice and perspective were clear. The emotions of each character were palpable and made for an incredibly moving story.
I greatly appreciated the historical details showing South Korea's transformation after the war that were woven into the plot in a natural, believable way. The decisions that the characters made were in line not only with their personalities but also the point in time in which they were made. This is not an easy story with a fairy tale ending. However, it is a beautifully told tale about a period of time that remains relevant to today's world events.
Many thanks to Goodreads FirstReads and William Morrow for an early opportunity to read this excellent debut!
In addition, I decided to use this as my pick for the 2018 PopSugar Ultimate Reading Challenge prompt "a book set in a country that fascinates you."
ionz_12's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rebwenhall's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wonderreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
eweidl's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
rseykora's review
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
veravilla's review against another edition
4.0
Well, that ending was as sad and heartbreaking as I expected but still did not hope for. The “an immersive heartbreaking story” line was definitely true. I would have actually cried multiple times but I read a majority of the book in a cafe so that was the only reason I didn’t. It was well written & I read through it fast, so that was good. Nonetheless I always clung onto the hope of a happy ending for Haemi. With Kyunghwan…
sboedecker1024's review against another edition
5.0
I downloaded this book after seeing it on a AAPI booklist for the month of May, so had very little knowledge of what it was about. With no expectations I dove right in and was captivated after only a few chapters. Honestly, this one brought up Pachinko feelings as you follow Haemi's love triangle through the ages. Friendship, love, war, post-partum depression (?), death and childbearing love are all intertwined beautifully as we jump from the narration of what character to the next.
This was a great read and I cannot wait for more from Hana Kim.
This was a great read and I cannot wait for more from Hana Kim.