Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - When We Fell Apart

Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley

9 reviews

rhi_'s review against another edition

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dark reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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rhii_reading's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I really loved how the book evolved from a potential murder mystery to a deeply personal story of isolation and lonliness: all the characters are putting on façades, all for different tragic reasons.

I thought that the split chapters between Yu-jin and Min worked really well to sustain the tension. They served to highligh how little Min actually knew Yu-jin, which I think really deepens the tragedy of her death.

Based on the blurb, I assumed that this would be a reflective but fairly conventional exploration of mixed identity and belonging but I was really surprised by the nuance of the ending.

It manages to balance Min’s struggle for identity with the prejudice that has been prevalent throughout the book - his decision to return the US after everything he has been through is a really satisfying one.

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l_lilly_05's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

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bek_p87's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I did not expect for this book to impact my emotions the way it did. Min and Yu-jin's interweaved narratives - as one searches for the truth behind the other's death, which is slowly revealed through two different perspectives - portray stark differences between the Korean American and Korean experiences. The pressures each felt were related but very different, and even though I am neither, I could relate to parts of each of their struggles, especially Yu-jin's.

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devikapha's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

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caraali's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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estherb's review against another edition

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emotional reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

When we fell apart is a beautifully written novel depicting cultural differences and what it’s like to be stuck in the middle of two different worlds.

When Min is told of his girlfriend Yu-Jin’s death he can’t believe that she would have committed suicide. She was such a vibrant woman with her whole life ahead of her; she just wouldn’t have taken it away.

With a controlling father and two roommates - one aloof and one hiding something, Yu-Jin’s life was more complicated than Min had been led to believe.

What is the truth? Will he ever uncover what actually happened ?

We learn quite early on that the relationship between Yu-Jin and So-ra is not as platonic as we are led to believe, and due to Korea’s views on same sex relationships and how it can affect your social standing, the women choose to hide it - hence the emergence of Yu-Jin’s relationship with Min.

This is dealt with delicately - as someone who lives in a society where homosexuality is largely accepted (some people still don’t) it’s strange to think that a county (or city like Seoul which is largely metropolitan) still has these archaic views on the LGBTQ+ community.

Showing stark differences between the two cultures, Yu-Jin has to acknowledge the decisions that she make, So-ra makes and the decisions of her family. Unfortunately they don’t necessarily lead to a happy ending.

(I have to add I have not researched this - these are the opinions I have formed from reading the novel )

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thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a stunning debut! Told from dual perspectives, the story alternates between Min's story, as he deals with the aftermath of Yu-jin's death and tries to determine if she actually committed suicide or if something more sinister happened, and Yu-jin's story, as she grows up an only child to a powerful government-official father and all the expectations that come with that, leading up to her eventual death.

I really liked the writing style of this one. There's a lot of room for reflection and the main characters are given space to breathe and grow and be complex. There are a few surprises, but while there is a mystery aspect, it's definitely more literary fiction, with the slower pace and character-driven plot. I really liked Min and Yu-jin and the journey that they both go on.

I do wish we'd gotten to spend a bit more time with some of the side characters, particularly Misaki and Detective Park, as I thought they also had interesting stories. I kinda wished we'd gotten some Misaki POV chapters.

We know from the beginning that Yu-jin is dead, and while this book isn't a sob fest, it's definitely a sad story, so don't read if you're not in the right mindset. There are several mentions and discussions of suicide. It's worth reading though, especially for all the reflections on identity and self-reflection and family and culture.

Thanks so much to Dutton Books for sending me this ARC!

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bookdragon217's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

"To not know what's going on inside someone else's head. Trust me. I see alot. Sometimes it's the people who seem perfectly fine that are going through hell on the inside. Somehow they're the best at hiding it."

When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley was stunning debut. It was a gorgeously written story about identity, agency, family and social restrictions, markers of otherness, self discovery and the masks people wear to deal with it all. Wiley depicts Seoul, Korea through the eyes of each character and you are introduced to how each sees Seoul as the metaphor a d actualization of who they want to become. This novel also touches on the ideas of safety, intimacy and the ways people hide within themselves as well as in relation to others.

The story is told from the POV's of Min, a biracial American and Yu-jin, his girlfriend who dies by suicide. Each one is trying to find and connect to their authentic selves under the strict constraints of Korean society. Min doesn't accept Yu-jin's suicide and as the story unravels the pieces of the puzzle unravel and discovers all the buried secrets that were laying beneath the surface.

I am left reflecting on:
🇰🇷 how familial expectations can be suffocating when they reflect oppressive national views rooted in history
🇰🇷 the ways that women bear burdens invisible to others
🇰🇷 how biracial people have to constantly straddle the in between
🇰🇷 the masks people have to wear to be accepted
🇰🇷 the ways that one's personhood is measured against otherness
🇰🇷 how suicide leaves a void with those left behind
🇰🇷 how you never truly know someone else's breaking point
🇰🇷 how pervasive homophobia still is globally
🇰🇷 how the arts are an expression of ones identity and desires
🇰🇷 how secrets slowly chip away at you and create shame
🇰🇷 shame vs. desire vs. family

Thanks to @duttonbooks for the gifted copy. If you are looking for a compelling, propulsion read for AAPI & Mental Health Month, I highly recommend this one as a buddy read. You will want to talk to someone about this story because there is so much to unpack. Wiley is author I will definitely read in the future.

#WhenWeFellApart #SoonWiley #Korea #books

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