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5aru's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse, War, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Miscarriage
hey_evelina's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Grief, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Alcohol, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
ka_cam's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A peculiar book weaving together folklore, physics, psychology, and more. Major themes of trauma, immigration (side story on international adoption), racial and gender identity and oppression, mental illness, faith, and work in the sciences woven into a tale of mothers and daughters. I felt the many different threads could have been better woven together and the 3rd quarter of the book dragged on unnecessarily, in part due to the sometimes overly self conscious writing. All in all an interesting but not mind blowing read 4 stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: War
neenzreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Magical realism at its finest. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Family, mental health and Korean immigration in the US and Europe are explored through the perspective of experimental physicist Elsa Park.
I loved how the author wasn't afraid to weave in various fields of study throughout the story. Physics, Korean & Norse literature are often used to draw comparisons to Elsa's current state of mind. As Elsa travels across the globe (Antarctica, Sweden and California), she realizes she can't run from her past and the past of her family. She must face *her* reality. Juxtaposed with the disturbing relevance of racism globally, Elsa's journey to find peace is turbulent and complicated.
Elsa'a brash sense of humor and physics expertise make her a fascinating character. Character development is so strong in this story, and the ending is beautifully done. I can't recommend this book enough.
TW: physical/verbal abuse, mental illness, racism, suicidal thoughts
Family, mental health and Korean immigration in the US and Europe are explored through the perspective of experimental physicist Elsa Park.
I loved how the author wasn't afraid to weave in various fields of study throughout the story. Physics, Korean & Norse literature are often used to draw comparisons to Elsa's current state of mind. As Elsa travels across the globe (Antarctica, Sweden and California), she realizes she can't run from her past and the past of her family. She must face *her* reality. Juxtaposed with the disturbing relevance of racism globally, Elsa's journey to find peace is turbulent and complicated.
Elsa'a brash sense of humor and physics expertise make her a fascinating character. Character development is so strong in this story, and the ending is beautifully done. I can't recommend this book enough.
TW: physical/verbal abuse, mental illness, racism, suicidal thoughts
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Suicidal thoughts
nini23's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Folklorn is a complex intricately constructed story of a Korean American family, author Angela Hur Mi Young calls it her 'true literary/spiritual debut.' I can definitely appreciate the rich overlays, whorls and interlocking elements of Korean folktales, intergenerational trauma, diaspora alienation, mental health, ghosts that Ms Hur has crafted with such detail and skill. Thanks to Erewhon and Netgalley for kindly providing an eARC, apologies for the lateness of the review. While I'm normally a fairly speedy reader, I found it overwhelming to read all in one go. Barbs, hurts and trauma make it a heart-wrenching read.
Elsa Park is a postdoc experimental physicist studying the 'ghost particles' neutrinos invisible to the naked eye and measurable only by their effects post collision. When we encounter her, she's just finished a cool research stint in Antarctica and returning to Sweden. Recently, Elsa has started 'seeing'/hallucinating another invisible ghost from her childhood, a Korean girl dressed in white with a long braid tied with a red ribbon. This childhood imaginary friend is her cryptic guide to the fatalistic Korean folktales that her mother passed on to her, do they prophesize the fate of the Korean women in the family or give a clue to the mysterious 'other girl' that her mother gave birth to in Korea years ago? The Park family members have a difficult relationship. Elsa's father was in the Korean civil war; scarred by that, his father's polygamy and racism in the United States, took it out by physically abusing his wife and son. Elsa's mother had a wooden chest of hanboks that she never wore and has been in a comatose state since Elsa's teen years. Elsa's brother Chris was supposed to be the golden son but suffered from epilepsy and depression, he seems resentful at being under Mr Park's thumb at their autobody business in California and of Elsa's freedom. Then there are the family ghosts, her maternal grandmother and aunt who died during the war, her paternal aunts who were lost in the wartime pandemonium. Are the Korean women doomed to be sacrificed and martyred just like in the folktales and mythology?
The metaphysical elements that make up Folklorn result in a potent mix. The disorienting snow white blindness of Antarctica, the shocking violence that the Parks experienced in the United States, the fairytale fable stone settings of a remote Swedish island, the displacement and alienation that Korean transnational adoptees feel, the surreal appearances of this ghostly Korean girl, the palimpsest Korean folklore, the universal scientific mystery of the neutrinos and anti-neutrinos - in the hands of a less skilled writer, it would all have gone haywire but in Ms Hur's capable hands, it all came together into a satisfying brilliant well-rounded work. Normally, a POC woman in advanced STEM academia plus folklore and mythology would be catnip to me anyway but Folklorn exceeded my expectations.
Highly recommend.
Elsa Park is a postdoc experimental physicist studying the 'ghost particles' neutrinos invisible to the naked eye and measurable only by their effects post collision. When we encounter her, she's just finished a cool research stint in Antarctica and returning to Sweden. Recently, Elsa has started 'seeing'/hallucinating another invisible ghost from her childhood, a Korean girl dressed in white with a long braid tied with a red ribbon. This childhood imaginary friend is her cryptic guide to the fatalistic Korean folktales that her mother passed on to her, do they prophesize the fate of the Korean women in the family or give a clue to the mysterious 'other girl' that her mother gave birth to in Korea years ago? The Park family members have a difficult relationship. Elsa's father was in the Korean civil war; scarred by that, his father's polygamy and racism in the United States, took it out by physically abusing his wife and son. Elsa's mother had a wooden chest of hanboks that she never wore and has been in a comatose state since Elsa's teen years. Elsa's brother Chris was supposed to be the golden son but suffered from epilepsy and depression, he seems resentful at being under Mr Park's thumb at their autobody business in California and of Elsa's freedom. Then there are the family ghosts, her maternal grandmother and aunt who died during the war, her paternal aunts who were lost in the wartime pandemonium. Are the Korean women doomed to be sacrificed and martyred just like in the folktales and mythology?
The metaphysical elements that make up Folklorn result in a potent mix. The disorienting snow white blindness of Antarctica, the shocking violence that the Parks experienced in the United States, the fairytale fable stone settings of a remote Swedish island, the displacement and alienation that Korean transnational adoptees feel, the surreal appearances of this ghostly Korean girl, the palimpsest Korean folklore, the universal scientific mystery of the neutrinos and anti-neutrinos - in the hands of a less skilled writer, it would all have gone haywire but in Ms Hur's capable hands, it all came together into a satisfying brilliant well-rounded work. Normally, a POC woman in advanced STEM academia plus folklore and mythology would be catnip to me anyway but Folklorn exceeded my expectations.
Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Abortion and War
voidboi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Diving deep into Korean folklore, particle physics, intercultural adoption and immigration, and the merging of reality, mental illness, and the supernatural, Folklorn follows Elsa Park as she confronts her family's history, her identity, and most importantly, her complex relationship with her mother. The story manages to feel deeply true, connecting to the experience of questioning your world and yearning to understand your place in it, while still making the reader question what is real.
Elsa begins in Antarctica, where a childhood imaginary friend/hallucination/spirit of her mysterious lost sister begins to visit her again, and Elsa hears news that brings her mother back into her life and her mind. Elsa is smart, abrasive, and somewhat neurotic, and the characters closest to her (her brother, father, and Oskar in particular) push each other into difficult and satisfying places, resulting in a rich emotional and relational environment which Elsa tries her best to support and escape in equal measure. The plot progresses mostly slowly, but erratically, as Elsa moves in the grey areas between logic, conjecture, and paranoia.
I loved this book. It aches with love, and fear, and anger. It longs for meaning in the unknowable, and rages against the fates prescribed to us by our cultures, families, and biologies. While there are mostly dissimilarities between my relationship with my mom and Elsa's with hers, I found that it captured the feeling ofposthumously grappling with the entirety of your mother's humanness, everything she wants you to be, and everything that can't be between you. In the end, this story won't be for everyone, but it is raw and beautiful and weird, and I'm glad I read it.
Elsa begins in Antarctica, where a childhood imaginary friend/hallucination/
I loved this book. It aches with love, and fear, and anger. It longs for meaning in the unknowable, and rages against the fates prescribed to us by our cultures, families, and biologies. While there are mostly dissimilarities between my relationship with my mom and Elsa's with hers, I found that it captured the feeling of
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, and Xenophobia
Minor: Child abuse and Sexual content
kylieqrada's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
3.5 ⭐s. I AM NOT SMART ENOUGH FOR THIS BOOK. Let's just get that out of the way up front. I genuinely didn't understand large chunks of this novel, even after reading them multiple times. However, something about it made me keep reading, and I ended up really enjoying the whole experience. I *think* I understand how everything wrapped up, but TBH I don't really care either way. I just loved being immersed in this topsy-turvy world of Korean folklore, mental illness, family drama, and generational trauma. Also, the bird got hit by a car and I totally called it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
hamohero's review against another edition
Not my cup of tea. Don't really care for the characters or romance. Narrator would go on tangents and there were dialogues that made me go "Who talks like this?"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Violence, and Xenophobia
reviewsandreadathons's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Child death, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse
theliteraryhooker's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My full review can be found on Sci-Fi & Scary.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death