Reviews with content warning for Pregnancy - My Brilliant Life

This piece of literature is just as delicate as its characters and their story. My Brilliant Life depicts the life of Areum and his stream of consciousness as he faces adolescence while he appears to grow older than his peers, his parents, and his elderly friend. What I appreciate more in this narrative is the depth with which Ae-ran Kim tries to also share the story of the main protagonist's parents as they embark on a new territory as parents at such a young age—the struggle, tension, guilt, anticipation, and the unconditional love and indescribable feeling they felt as they saw the birth of a new life, not to mention all the sacrifices that comes for loving someone.

I find the story, especially the first parts of the novel, very endearing. As the story flows, we get to witness a lot more of Areum's train of thought and his love for books as his companion. Despite the knowledge he gains from books, the people around him, and his surroundings, we still see him face some hurdles in forming genuine relationships. Truly, this portrayal of different dynamics from the perspective of a boy whose mind is just as vibrant and active as his age is supposed to be is juxtaposed with his frail body.

Overall, this novel presents a great balance of drama, comedy, and the mundane. It has its lessons, and as for me, I'd say it hit me in the right spot enough to feel a connection among them, remember and honor what I had missed and appreciate what I have.

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thesapphiccelticbookworm's review

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challenging emotional reflective 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? No

4.5

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chrisljm's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I found the writing (possibly the translation) to be a bit clunky, but I still found it to be a beautiful yet melancholic story.

My Brilliant Life starts off with Daesu and Mira learning that they’re going to be parents at the age of 16. That’s a difficult situation to be in no matter your age but when you’re still a child yourself…. I liked that those difficult parts weren’t the only thing we got to see though. We also got to see the parents’ growing attachment and curiosity about their baby which I found really sweet. What I really appreciated about the beginning though was that it was told through the baby, Areum‘s, point-of-view, which was done really well. However, they soon learn that Areum has a rare disorder that causes him to age rapidly, and this is what the main focus of the book is on. Despite the sad nature of the story, it still had its sweet moments, especially the end. The last chapter was especially sad, especially bittersweet, and the last line was the perfect ending sentence.

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butyougotmysoul's review against another edition

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challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

Wow. This book surprised me in a lot of different ways. I certainly did not expect to tear up at the end because up to that point I hadn’t felt much for the Areum. It truly was most compelling in the very last pages.

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