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judithdcollins's review against another edition
4.0
SHELTER by Jung Yun is an emotional domestic suspense debut of an immigrant family—seeking shelter from life’s messiness- childhood, finances, violence, parents, and marriage. Stunning front cover of a family crumbling-destruction.
What goes on behind closed doors?
Korean American Kyung Cho, a 36-yr. old professor of biology at a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and his American wife, Gillian--their life is unbalanced. He is bitter-having issues with his own young son, an unfulfilled career, and a troubled marriage.
They have lived off credit cards, and have looked into selling the house; however, due to the economy, it is not worth it. Their family finances are unraveling and he and his wife, Gillian are forced to rent out their home and move in with his parents. Things have spiraled out of control. From pain and loneliness, from past to present—from shame, disapproval to anger.
Painting a realistic picture of how most Americans live beyond their means. The fallout of abuse. Hidden family secrets. From poor decisions, which have caught up with this family.
The author ties in two generations--Jin and Mae, the parents –who appear to have all the comforts anyone would desire on the exterior. His parents are very wealthy. However, even though they provided for him, they were distant. They provided the material possessions; however, not the emotional. A perfectionist. Hidden family secrets. Heartbreaking.
When the unspeakable happens, an act of violence--roles are reversed. They have to take care of the parents. Old hurts and pent up anger surface. The relationship between a child and parent. His parents were not so perfect. There was abuse. His parent’s relationship was not of love.
An untangling of lies. A tragedy. Can a man start over? A safe place in the middle. Forgiveness? A powerful inter-generational debut. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Raymond Lee for an emotional and insightful look into complex family dynamics--even though at times felt a little long and drawn out.
An example of our American post-financial crisis. Sensitive, brutally honest, haunting, and gripping—crossing between a suburban psychological suspense, contemporary, mystery, domestic, family drama and a complex crime saga.
JDCMustReadBooks
What goes on behind closed doors?
Korean American Kyung Cho, a 36-yr. old professor of biology at a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and his American wife, Gillian--their life is unbalanced. He is bitter-having issues with his own young son, an unfulfilled career, and a troubled marriage.
They have lived off credit cards, and have looked into selling the house; however, due to the economy, it is not worth it. Their family finances are unraveling and he and his wife, Gillian are forced to rent out their home and move in with his parents. Things have spiraled out of control. From pain and loneliness, from past to present—from shame, disapproval to anger.
Painting a realistic picture of how most Americans live beyond their means. The fallout of abuse. Hidden family secrets. From poor decisions, which have caught up with this family.
The author ties in two generations--Jin and Mae, the parents –who appear to have all the comforts anyone would desire on the exterior. His parents are very wealthy. However, even though they provided for him, they were distant. They provided the material possessions; however, not the emotional. A perfectionist. Hidden family secrets. Heartbreaking.
When the unspeakable happens, an act of violence--roles are reversed. They have to take care of the parents. Old hurts and pent up anger surface. The relationship between a child and parent. His parents were not so perfect. There was abuse. His parent’s relationship was not of love.
An untangling of lies. A tragedy. Can a man start over? A safe place in the middle. Forgiveness? A powerful inter-generational debut. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Raymond Lee for an emotional and insightful look into complex family dynamics--even though at times felt a little long and drawn out.
An example of our American post-financial crisis. Sensitive, brutally honest, haunting, and gripping—crossing between a suburban psychological suspense, contemporary, mystery, domestic, family drama and a complex crime saga.
JDCMustReadBooks
bmpicc's review against another edition
3.0
Darker and more depressing than expected. Interesting story. I did find myself bored at times. There also wasn't much that was "redeeming" or "hopeful" about most characters... or their story lines.
barbaraskalberg's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
It's rare for me to like a book when I don't like the main character.
It's rare for me to like a book when I don't like the main character.
asurges's review against another edition
4.0
I've never been one of those people who gets turned off by a book if the main character is unlikeable, but this novel challenged that assumption.
Kyung is the Americanized son of a Korean couple: in the past, his father beat Kyung's mother, and Kyung is distant from his own wife and son and is incredibly unlikeable. In fact, he's so unlikeable I wanted to applaud the author for being able to stick with him.
However. This book is beautifully written and carefully constructed. Jung Yun is a talented writer who makes her characters accessible and real, and she gave me so much to think about. Not only does she include themes of immigration, but she also includes themes of the past never disappearing, the theme of pushing away our pasts, and family history.
If you are looking for a thoughtful, well-written book about the experience of being an immigrant decades later, this is a novel well worth reading.
Kyung is the Americanized son of a Korean couple: in the past, his father beat Kyung's mother, and Kyung is distant from his own wife and son and is incredibly unlikeable. In fact, he's so unlikeable I wanted to applaud the author for being able to stick with him.
However. This book is beautifully written and carefully constructed. Jung Yun is a talented writer who makes her characters accessible and real, and she gave me so much to think about. Not only does she include themes of immigration, but she also includes themes of the past never disappearing, the theme of pushing away our pasts, and family history.
If you are looking for a thoughtful, well-written book about the experience of being an immigrant decades later, this is a novel well worth reading.
msmullaney's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
sujuv's review against another edition
4.0
Dark, devastating, riveting, moving and surprising. Even though the ending gives the reader something to hold onto, it's certainly not a book that cares about redeeming its characters or even creating catharsis. It will stick with me.
johndiconsiglio's review against another edition
3.0
A Korean American thinks he's put his parent's disappointments behind him. Then a jolting violent act forces them to move in with him, his Boston Irish wife & their young son. This is a book in serious need of a road map; it veers off into spousal abuse, suicide & the collapsing housing market. But the author is undeniably skilled at playing out a scene until the tension overwhelms. (Full disclosure: I interviewed her & she was charming.) The characters’ voices ring true & make unlikely plot threads feel plausible. Best when exploring the burden one generation weighs on the next.
dsbressette's review against another edition
4.0
This was a tough read, but I had a hard time stepping away from it. The only complaint I have is that the ending seemed a bit abrupt to me. (4.5/5 stars)