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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a decent enough murder mystery and I love the setting. Gives me a newfound appreciation of Korean culture and a different aspect that I don't know. However, the writing still needs much improvement. The sentences feels a bit too basic and I feel there should be more revision.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Last month, I lost my Dad. To say it was hard would be understating it. In simple words, the grieving and mourning invited in depression where I was always numb and felt like in a daze. As if this was a fever dream I won't ever wake up from. I tried my hand at everything that makes me feel better. Watching FRIENDS and Tasty videos. Listening to my favorite songs. Trying to dive into writing my book. Reading books. Sleeping. Nothing worked. I was in such a bad funk. I even tried to catch up on all the eARC I had on my NetGalley account but nothing stuck. I felt like being stuck in a quicksilver quagmire. Sinking and sinking and no matter whether I stilled or flayed, I'd drown regardless.
During such times, I received THE RED PALACE in my inbox. Having June as a mutual, I could see people enthusiastically tweeting about receiving the eARC. At first, I dumped the email into my folder for all the eARC emails. But then I DNF another book and couldn't take it anymore. I downloaded TRP and I didn't look back.
June's books being summed up as K-drama style historical fiction would be another understatement. Unlike most historical K-drama, which are almost always a romcom between a commoner girl and a royalty/nobleman, June's books are much, much more. I'm not saying this just because of reading and loving TRP. I read her debut, THE SILENCE OF BONES and I loved that equally as well. Without inserting unnecessary romance plots into her books (which as an asexual, I love about her books), June takes us through the historical events of Korea, all the while building a story with depth and characters with heart. TSoB had no romance, yet it was 1000 times better than all the historical K-drama I've watched and loved. So although I picked up TRP during a reading funk prompted by grieving for a lost one, it turned out to be the exact book I needed.
The core of TRP is about two things; holding on and letting go. Several characters in the book have experienced loss in many forms. Some lost a loved one, some lost a home, some an identity they've worked toward their whole life. Regardless of what they lost, their responses to those losses were different. Some reacted with resorting to vengeance, some gave up, and some recognized whether the thing they've clung to were good for them or not and decided to either pursue or let go. It's easy to hold on. You've held on all your life. It's difficult to let go. Letting go of a loved one or a long cherished dream. It's hard to let go and move on. But to continue life as life should be, you must. And you heal faster when you let go of things you should let go. That's what I took away from June's book. That's what I'm cherishing from TRP.
Thank you, June, for this book that brought me back to life. And thank you, NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
During such times, I received THE RED PALACE in my inbox. Having June as a mutual, I could see people enthusiastically tweeting about receiving the eARC. At first, I dumped the email into my folder for all the eARC emails. But then I DNF another book and couldn't take it anymore. I downloaded TRP and I didn't look back.
June's books being summed up as K-drama style historical fiction would be another understatement. Unlike most historical K-drama, which are almost always a romcom between a commoner girl and a royalty/nobleman, June's books are much, much more. I'm not saying this just because of reading and loving TRP. I read her debut, THE SILENCE OF BONES and I loved that equally as well. Without inserting unnecessary romance plots into her books (which as an asexual, I love about her books), June takes us through the historical events of Korea, all the while building a story with depth and characters with heart. TSoB had no romance, yet it was 1000 times better than all the historical K-drama I've watched and loved. So although I picked up TRP during a reading funk prompted by grieving for a lost one, it turned out to be the exact book I needed.
The core of TRP is about two things; holding on and letting go. Several characters in the book have experienced loss in many forms. Some lost a loved one, some lost a home, some an identity they've worked toward their whole life. Regardless of what they lost, their responses to those losses were different. Some reacted with resorting to vengeance, some gave up, and some recognized whether the thing they've clung to were good for them or not and decided to either pursue or let go. It's easy to hold on. You've held on all your life. It's difficult to let go. Letting go of a loved one or a long cherished dream. It's hard to let go and move on. But to continue life as life should be, you must. And you heal faster when you let go of things you should let go. That's what I took away from June's book. That's what I'm cherishing from TRP.
Thank you, June, for this book that brought me back to life. And thank you, NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends, for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes