Take a photo of a barcode or cover
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have never been abandoned by anyone. Even though my brain was a mess, what kept my soul whole was the warmth of the hands holding mine on both sides.
A book about a boy who does not have the ability to feel anything, and what that means for how he moves through the world (*spoiler alert* it's a challenge)
Yunjae is a character that, ironically, is hard to empathize with, but once you spend more time in his head, you really start rooting for him. Gon, similarly, is very difficult to love, but it's fun to see how he and Yunjae smooth out each other's rough edges while simultaneously somehow bringing out the worst in each other (btw, I totally read this as
Anyway, it was really fun to read this knowing how much it inspired Min Yoongi to write Amygdala (as Agust D), and that connection gave an extra special meaning to both the song and the book. Thanks Suga and RM for the book rec
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Violence, Death of parent
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Blood, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My heart was broken, my gut was wrenched, and ironically I will be buying this so that I can read it when I need TO FEEL something.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
What really took this book over line and made it 5⭐️’s was the author & translator’s note at the end. The story was great but hearing how the story came to be added a lot for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death
Moderate: Bullying, Medical content
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
I liked the idea better than the execution by far. Many people with this condition have already explained how the narrative and the portrayal of Yunjae feel ableist and ignorant at many points, so I won't add anything because they did a much better job and it's not my place. It's true however, that the final chapters' message rubbed me the wrong way, as it seemed to suggest that someone with that condition was not human and only through love they can be considered human. He is described as a heartless monster too. I found that very disrespectful.
Furthermore, although the idea of using such polar opposites (Yunjae-Goni) to make them more complex and have some development, was interesting, Goni was such an unlikeable character, who fell flat and underdeveloped. The social critique was interesting in some points, thou, like calling out how some people who are considered compassionate and empathic, can look at someone else's pain or tragedy and not be moved, since it's not their own.
Many other plot points just were completely unrealistic and jarring in contrast with the overall narrative (which attempted to be realistic). Such is the climax of the novel, the way the teacher introduces Yunjae to the other students, and the lack of depth/research in the descriptions of the condition.
Furthermore, although the idea of using such polar opposites (Yunjae-Goni) to make them more complex and have some development, was interesting, Goni was such an unlikeable character, who fell flat and underdeveloped. The social critique was interesting in some points, thou, like calling out how some people who are considered compassionate and empathic, can look at someone else's pain or tragedy and not be moved, since it's not their own.
Many other plot points just were completely unrealistic and jarring in contrast with the overall narrative (which attempted to be realistic). Such is the climax of the novel, the way the teacher introduces Yunjae to the other students, and the lack of depth/research in the descriptions of the condition.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic friendship
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Bullying, Blood
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I came here because it was free on KU and I stayed because I saw that Yoongi read it during In the Soop. I thought the writing itself and the style was really spectacular. This book was short, and the chapters were short, which I liked. I enjoyed the writing and the characters, and I liked reading the book. However, I thought the ending was wrapped up too nicely and illogical.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Blood, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Abandonment
Minor: Gun violence