Reviews

Wow wow wow wow - this book I really feel deserves 5 stars. The characters were all well formed, the narrative believable, and the ending is so painfully realistic that it’s sobering. I really enjoyed the dual narrative and the varying timescales.

I don’t want to share spoilers but I will just say that Min and Yu-Jin’s characterisations are well crafted. As a woman, I resonated with Yu-Jin and the pressures she faced. I could understand her rigidity and tunnel vision, and her performative nature made sense to me. However, Min’s struggle over a dual identity resonated with me most - not belonging to either ‘side’ fully, because you’re still one half ‘something else’. Being half Turkish in Britain was a challenge growing up, as I was completely detached from my Turkish heritage, yet simultaneously targeted by British people for my Turkish maiden name and being labelled as ‘other’ because of it. I felt alienated from both sides, so this is something I massively appreciated from Min’s narrative.

As a criticism, I didn’t massively understand the ending for So-ra. It just didn’t quite add up or make sense for me. I also really hate reading ‘committed suicide’ - ‘died by suicide’ is the preferred term. But I’ll admit that this terminology is what is probably used in South Korea, so it’s okay.

beryllina's review against another edition

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inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

hope4644's review against another edition

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challenging inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.25

sarahmchale's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

This book is told in alternating chapters by a couple, and the narration reveals how little they knew each other. Quite sad but very well-written and fun to read.

Content Warnings

tsholanang's review against another edition

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challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

shamelessbibliophile41's review against another edition

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4.0

Beautifully written and deeply sad book about the interconnected stories of a young Korean woman and a Korean-American man living in Seoul, and the aftermath and events leading up to the young woman’s untimely death. Has a lot to say about feeling like an other and the demands of family and culture. Well worth reading.

amandalydon's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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