Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
An attempt was made, I will give her that.
On the surface, this is a good story. I liked the concept of it—a young boy unable to experience emotions. The story did not deviate into long, loosely connected tangents like a lot of books would with themes like this. I will say that the last 3rd was very rushed and not all that realistic (or convincing). The power of love solves everything, apparently.
The prose was clear and concise—but too straightforward. It lacked (to me) a certain type of magic and depth. The narration was too removed and distant. Off-putting, in other words. And I understand it’s because of his brain condition, but that’s not really an excuse. Books with themes like this should be more emotional. But it wasn’t. I think that the reason why a lot of people are rating this highly is because it’s supposed to be a sad book. I *almost* fell into that trap myself. This book definitely is an example that just because you as the reader are sad for the character, doesn’t mean that the book itself evokes sadness in your heart. Hopefully that made sense.
Another thing. The characters. They weren’t fleshed-out enough, including Yunjae. They were basically a list of traits and personalities thrown onto a canvas. They were essentially stale and one-dimensional. None of them were really convincing to me as people, which is a shame because they had some interesting backstories. For example, I would’ve really loved to know about Gon’s missing years and the deeper implications between him and his father. I feel like this got glossed over too quickly.
Also, the writing style felt too YA for me personally. Not saying that it’s a bad thing, but I found myself comparing this to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” which (I felt) really succeeded in having a more naive, child-like main character guiding the narration style. To be completely honest, I don’t find the story all that memorable. But if the characters, writing, and psychology were fleshed out more, I would’ve given this a higher rating. Otherwise, it's just a shallow exploration on human psychology and emotions.
Like I said earlier, an attempt was made. Like, slightly over bare minimum. I think that if it hadn't been under 300 pages and fast-paced, I would've either DNFd or gave it 1 or 2 ⭐️ if I'm being honest. The longer pages & pacing would not have been justified. I'm low-key glad I never bought the physical copy. I would've been pissed. But also don't be surprised if I lower it to 2 ⭐️ by the end of the year LOL.
But!!! To leave this review on a good note: I will say, though, that this is a very fast-paced & quick story! If you’re looking for something to drag you from the clutches of The Dreaded Reading Slump, this is it for ya! And it did have some pretty good quotes. There was a nice passage about the differences between reading books and watching movies that really resonated with me.
On the surface, this is a good story. I liked the concept of it—a young boy unable to experience emotions. The story did not deviate into long, loosely connected tangents like a lot of books would with themes like this. I will say that the last 3rd was very rushed and not all that realistic (or convincing). The power of love solves everything, apparently.
The prose was clear and concise—but too straightforward. It lacked (to me) a certain type of magic and depth. The narration was too removed and distant. Off-putting, in other words. And I understand it’s because of his brain condition, but that’s not really an excuse. Books with themes like this should be more emotional. But it wasn’t. I think that the reason why a lot of people are rating this highly is because it’s supposed to be a sad book. I *almost* fell into that trap myself. This book definitely is an example that just because you as the reader are sad for the character, doesn’t mean that the book itself evokes sadness in your heart. Hopefully that made sense.
Another thing. The characters. They weren’t fleshed-out enough, including Yunjae. They were basically a list of traits and personalities thrown onto a canvas. They were essentially stale and one-dimensional. None of them were really convincing to me as people, which is a shame because they had some interesting backstories. For example, I would’ve really loved to know about Gon’s missing years and the deeper implications between him and his father. I feel like this got glossed over too quickly.
Also, the writing style felt too YA for me personally. Not saying that it’s a bad thing, but I found myself comparing this to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” which (I felt) really succeeded in having a more naive, child-like main character guiding the narration style. To be completely honest, I don’t find the story all that memorable. But if the characters, writing, and psychology were fleshed out more, I would’ve given this a higher rating. Otherwise, it's just a shallow exploration on human psychology and emotions.
Like I said earlier, an attempt was made. Like, slightly over bare minimum. I think that if it hadn't been under 300 pages and fast-paced, I would've either DNFd or gave it 1 or 2 ⭐️ if I'm being honest. The longer pages & pacing would not have been justified. I'm low-key glad I never bought the physical copy. I would've been pissed. But also don't be surprised if I lower it to 2 ⭐️ by the end of the year LOL.
But!!! To leave this review on a good note: I will say, though, that this is a very fast-paced & quick story! If you’re looking for something to drag you from the clutches of The Dreaded Reading Slump, this is it for ya! And it did have some pretty good quotes. There was a nice passage about the differences between reading books and watching movies that really resonated with me.
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.25 stars
I quite liked it, especially the short chapters, I just wish a few things were done a little bit differently, and if some scenes were explored more.
I quite liked it, especially the short chapters, I just wish a few things were done a little bit differently, and if some scenes were explored more.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-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
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Siempre empatizo con estas historias donde hay una persona que no encaja en la sociedad, que es diferente y eso hace que sea rechazado (porque quizás I can relate) pero creo que eso es lo de menos en este libro.
Me logró despertar sentimientos bonitos y el viaje de ver como el protagonista empieza a sentir cosas a lo largo del libro es muy bonito.
Me logró despertar sentimientos bonitos y el viaje de ver como el protagonista empieza a sentir cosas a lo largo del libro es muy bonito.
Excellent thoughtful read to help you get out of a reading rut!
Lots to think about with empathy, language, and the translation of a character's interiority to the page and then across languages.
Lots to think about with empathy, language, and the translation of a character's interiority to the page and then across languages.