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3.56 AVERAGE
3.56 AVERAGE
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was a slow but descriptive and atmospheric read. I could feel myself at the beach in Sokcho and could also feel the loneliness.
I also loved how the author explored themes on loneliness, mother-daughter dynamics, body dismorphia, and the relationship between the MC and food. The one bit when the author describes how the aunt is eating reminded me of The Substance when the guy was eating.😭
I also loved this bit:
"I didn’t want to be his eyes on my world. I wanted to be seen. I wanted him to see me with his own eyes. I wanted him to draw me."
And when the MC talked about how they were still scared about the war.
I didn't like the abrupt ending, though😭
I also loved how the author explored themes on loneliness, mother-daughter dynamics, body dismorphia, and the relationship between the MC and food. The one bit when the author describes how the aunt is eating reminded me of The Substance when the guy was eating.😭
I also loved this bit:
"I didn’t want to be his eyes on my world. I wanted to be seen. I wanted him to see me with his own eyes. I wanted him to draw me."
And when the MC talked about how they were still scared about the war.
I didn't like the abrupt ending, though😭
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- - - - - - - - maybe 3.5 stars - - - - - - - -
I liked this book. That’s a good place to start! By nature of it being set in winter, there’s a coolness to the book that is reflected in the emotions of our protagonist. There is not despair, there is not misery but there is a cool detachment bordering on entrenched depression that shapes the world of the narrator. I felt grounded in her world and this sensation felt intimate with me as I read the story.
However, the unwavering matter of fact writing style was maybe not for me and I felt the short story format detracted from some of the emotional depths of the plot. Without these two things, we might not have been able to experience the coolness mentioned in my aforesaid paragraph. There’s definitely a fine balance in literature and there can be too much of a good thing. Matter of fact writing is no bad thing but too much of it create an imbalance and I think this book demonstrates that.
I liked this book. That’s a good place to start! By nature of it being set in winter, there’s a coolness to the book that is reflected in the emotions of our protagonist. There is not despair, there is not misery but there is a cool detachment bordering on entrenched depression that shapes the world of the narrator. I felt grounded in her world and this sensation felt intimate with me as I read the story.
However, the unwavering matter of fact writing style was maybe not for me and I felt the short story format detracted from some of the emotional depths of the plot. Without these two things, we might not have been able to experience the coolness mentioned in my aforesaid paragraph. There’s definitely a fine balance in literature and there can be too much of a good thing. Matter of fact writing is no bad thing but too much of it create an imbalance and I think this book demonstrates that.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Complicated
challenging
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A great debut novel - short and atmospheric and left me wanting more.
A little bland in places, but more than forgivable.
A little bland in places, but more than forgivable.