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thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
your house will pay is a tense novel that delves into racism and the loaded history of the LA riots. what i admire most abt this book is how cha charts the charged, weighted, complex emotions of her characters, the tangled emotional webs on both sides: a black man perpetually on edge + the loaded legacy of his family's victimhood, and a daughter grappling w/ the sudden knowledge of her murderess mother. it's all very layered and complex, yet cha depicts it all masterfully, straddling the grey area not only by writing in two distinct narrative voices but also making the reader empathize and understanding of most of the characters' plight in spite of their dislike.
another thing i enjoy is reading abt the characters' thought processes, particularly shawn. he's been thru more than most, and seeing him realize that playing by the rules is a losing game - but having to do it anyway - is a just condemnation of the rigged and racist establishment and system occupied w/ keeping their power. and while the personal fully illustrates the systemic problem, the story also explores larger systemic issues as well, showing the reader the complexity of it all. i also think cha does a very good job of establishing a sense of place in both the 90s and present day, depicting a los angeles thats alive in both its grit and humdrum.
overall, this is a somber book realistic in its depiction of the setting and systemic issues, and one fascinating for its character study.
another thing i enjoy is reading abt the characters' thought processes, particularly shawn. he's been thru more than most, and seeing him realize that playing by the rules is a losing game - but having to do it anyway - is a just condemnation of the rigged and racist establishment and system occupied w/ keeping their power. and while the personal fully illustrates the systemic problem, the story also explores larger systemic issues as well, showing the reader the complexity of it all. i also think cha does a very good job of establishing a sense of place in both the 90s and present day, depicting a los angeles thats alive in both its grit and humdrum.
overall, this is a somber book realistic in its depiction of the setting and systemic issues, and one fascinating for its character study.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Racial slurs, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Minor: Medical content, Stalking, and Infidelity
miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
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? Yes
5.0
Really interesting choice of narratives, made you feel torn between but not at all torn
‘How devastating to return from the verge of death and be disappointed.’
‘How devastating to return from the verge of death and be disappointed.’
‘But he couldn't stomach it anymore. Not since he was a child, getting his head rubbed by every kindhearted motherfucker who warmed his soul from a safe distance at the bonfire of Shawn's
tragedy. He was forever a black child who'd been publicly wronged, and so he was an altar for the well-meaning pilgrims, who wanted his grace in exchange for their patronage. At least Ava got to die before they made a production out of the great tragedy of her life.’
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Alcohol, Gun violence, Death, Racism, Grief, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Hate crime, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Racial slurs, and Violence
debimorton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
3.5
Shawn, Ava, Ray, Darryl, Aunt Sheila. Jung-Ja Han (Yvonne), Grace, Miriam. Los Angeles. Black, Korean.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
jackelz's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is based on the death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at the hands of a Korean-American store owner, Soon Ja Du, in 1991.
Du accused Latasha of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice, and their verbal altercation escalated into a physical one. Then the woman grabbed a gun and fired, killing the girl. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered that Latasha had the money for the juice in her hand — $2. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but served no jail time.
I’ve read about the protests in LA following the beating of Rodney King, and I’ve read books that mention the tension between Koreans and African-Americans, but I never knew why, and I’m thankful this book opened my eyes to that.
➞ During the riots of 1992, 2,280 Korean American-owned stores had been looted, burned or damaged, amounting to about $400 million in losses.
Your House Will Pay is set in the summer of 2019, after yet another police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
I love how the story was formatted, and that the book touches on both sides of the story. As the background story slowly unfolds, we are constantly learning more about the characters and how these events have shaped their lives. The narrative will have you questioning your familial relationships, your biases, and the Justice system.
This story will stick with me for a long time. Thank you Kristin Lee for recommending this one!
Du accused Latasha of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice, and their verbal altercation escalated into a physical one. Then the woman grabbed a gun and fired, killing the girl. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered that Latasha had the money for the juice in her hand — $2. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but served no jail time.
I’ve read about the protests in LA following the beating of Rodney King, and I’ve read books that mention the tension between Koreans and African-Americans, but I never knew why, and I’m thankful this book opened my eyes to that.
➞ During the riots of 1992, 2,280 Korean American-owned stores had been looted, burned or damaged, amounting to about $400 million in losses.
Your House Will Pay is set in the summer of 2019, after yet another police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
I love how the story was formatted, and that the book touches on both sides of the story. As the background story slowly unfolds, we are constantly learning more about the characters and how these events have shaped their lives. The narrative will have you questioning your familial relationships, your biases, and the Justice system.
This story will stick with me for a long time. Thank you Kristin Lee for recommending this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kutub_qahwa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow, what a book! Such an emotional journey, parts of it were so hard to read, and parts that I sped through. The author does an amazing job capturing such different lives and perspectives. There are so many feelings this book bring out. 10/10 recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Cursing, Car accident, Xenophobia, Violence, Racial slurs, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, Gun violence, Grief, Child death, and Murder
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty
internationalreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
valcationvibes's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This was a surprising read for me in a great way. I had never heard of this book till it was the chosen book for the February #APIDABuddyRead and honestly, I was blown away by this story. This novel is based on the true story of Latasha Harlins, an African American teenager, who was shot and killed by a Korean American convenience shop owner in Los Angeles in the year 1991.
This novel tells the story from the alternating viewpoints of Grace Park and Shawn Matthews. Grace is a Korean American who works in a Pharmacy run by her family. In her attempt to uncover reasons why her sister is estranged from her family, Grace discovers a secret that her family has been keeping from her throughout her entire life. Shawn has finally settled into a stable life, working in the day as a mover and coming home to a loving family and a young daughter. He feels like he is finally getting his life in order after a chaotic childhood filled with gangs and crimes before something attempts to upend his life and bring up the traumatic past again.
This book explores anti-blackness in the Asian community and it led to an awakening in me to examine my own privilege. It forced me to assess my intrinsic biases and how my actions actually contribute to nuances of racism. Am I pausing and checking myself before speaking or doing stuff? Am I using my privilege to bring light to the issues and racism faced in this country? These thoughts become glaringly essential when I think about how this story is so relevant even in today’s climate, 20 years after this incident. We should be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough?
Okay y’all, I’m shouting this next part so that you guys can hear it loud and clear. “Underrated book alert! More of you all need to grab this book!”
CW:Racism, Gun Violence, Riots, Death
This novel tells the story from the alternating viewpoints of Grace Park and Shawn Matthews. Grace is a Korean American who works in a Pharmacy run by her family. In her attempt to uncover reasons why her sister is estranged from her family, Grace discovers a secret that her family has been keeping from her throughout her entire life. Shawn has finally settled into a stable life, working in the day as a mover and coming home to a loving family and a young daughter. He feels like he is finally getting his life in order after a chaotic childhood filled with gangs and crimes before something attempts to upend his life and bring up the traumatic past again.
This book explores anti-blackness in the Asian community and it led to an awakening in me to examine my own privilege. It forced me to assess my intrinsic biases and how my actions actually contribute to nuances of racism. Am I pausing and checking myself before speaking or doing stuff? Am I using my privilege to bring light to the issues and racism faced in this country? These thoughts become glaringly essential when I think about how this story is so relevant even in today’s climate, 20 years after this incident. We should be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough?
Okay y’all, I’m shouting this next part so that you guys can hear it loud and clear. “Underrated book alert! More of you all need to grab this book!”
CW:Racism, Gun Violence, Riots, Death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, and Racism
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