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challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Yet another banger. I wish I had known earlier that there are so many great Korean authors, and I hope others won't make the same mistake as me and wait so long to explore Korean literature. I can easily see this becoming a modern classic, and it will be completely justified. Almond is a flawless exploration of disability in society, and a character study of a boy unable to feel emotions. This book had me gasping, tearing up and giggling.. highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship
Minor: Gun violence
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Abandonment
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
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:
Yes
Only 0.25 docked because some loose ends weren't tied. I don't mind that, but I think it may have further enhanced the story to at least reach a reunion between the two friends, even if it was just wordless, just a smile seeing each other again. I think Gon seeing Yunjae smile would've itself been incredibly significant. It was significant for Yunjae to cry and laugh in front of his mom. But we knew Gon for longer and Gon had a bigger (narrated) impact on Yunjae, so he deserved to see Yunjae's change just as much as his mother did (in the context of the story).
I appreciated that the ending was happier than reality. Sometimes we need that. A book that is heavily dosed with reality but that still gives us a proper happy ending instead of just a small glimmer of hope at the end.
I'm hopeful Gon changes. He's been shown too soft to really turn out poorly. And Dora isn't going anywhere. She'll stay in touch because she wants to stay in touch.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder
emotional
hopeful
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: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
The fact that the author feels the need to "fix" their MC by getting rid of the disability is fucking ableist and y'all know it.
Otherwise, it was not even good. Did not like the writing, the book is supposed to be carried by its characters but the characters are bland. Like I was so neutral reading this, it could have been a 2.5 but the end is so ableist that'll be a 1.5.
Otherwise, it was not even good. Did not like the writing, the book is supposed to be carried by its characters but the characters are bland. Like I was so neutral reading this, it could have been a 2.5 but the end is so ableist that'll be a 1.5.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death of parent
Moderate: Grief
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am absolutely blown away by this book. This book floats around all over Bookstagram and I am so grateful for that because it deserves not only popularity, but to be digested and appreciated by many.
Almond is a story of true identity, the core of people, friendship, family, and love. It is an incredibly unique look at human emotions, through the eyes of a boy who “can feel nothing.” Both Won-Pyung Sohn and translator Sandy Joosun Lee capture Yunjae’s emotional constrictions while letting him soar with more understanding and care than most people capable. Almond faces the human condition with grace, tackling not only the question of inherent good vs inherent evil, but also whether a story is happy or tragic.
I was not expecting this book to steam roll over me and my emotions, but I am truly enthralled by this book. The characters, the writing, the story, the translation - this book is a masterpiece. I already wish I could read it for the first time again. I wish I could teach myself a whole new language just to read this in it’s original text 😭(Please make sure you go in blind and don’t spoil this book for yourself and please please read this!!!!😭)
Almond is a story of true identity, the core of people, friendship, family, and love. It is an incredibly unique look at human emotions, through the eyes of a boy who “can feel nothing.” Both Won-Pyung Sohn and translator Sandy Joosun Lee capture Yunjae’s emotional constrictions while letting him soar with more understanding and care than most people capable. Almond faces the human condition with grace, tackling not only the question of inherent good vs inherent evil, but also whether a story is happy or tragic.
I was not expecting this book to steam roll over me and my emotions, but I am truly enthralled by this book. The characters, the writing, the story, the translation - this book is a masterpiece. I already wish I could read it for the first time again. I wish I could teach myself a whole new language just to read this in it’s original text 😭(Please make sure you go in blind and don’t spoil this book for yourself and please please read this!!!!😭)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
emotional
hopeful
slow-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: Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
Beautifully written. This was exactly like I expected it was but it also suprised me a lot. The end was such a plottwist, in a very good way.
From now on this is an entirely different story. Completely new and unpredictable.
That is just one of the quotes which I loved, just like the unique cover and topic of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Murder
Moderate: Physical abuse
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