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4.14 AVERAGE
4.14 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
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
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
i didn't like this book to be honest. it was okay and an easy read but i felt it had no depth to it. maybe this was purposeful because he doesn't have feelings but i wouldn't recommend to anyone.
medium-paced
Credo che questa sia stata la miglior lettura di quest’anno. L’idea di rendere entrambi i personaggi principali dei “mostri” (che poi in coreano non è altro che “cosa strana”) e di permettere che si conoscessero e che si aiutassero e che si dessero l’amore che nessun altro attorno a loro aveva avuto il coraggio di dargli.
L’autrice nella sua nota dice “I bambini desiderano essere amati, ma al contempo sono quelli che danno gran parte dell’amore.” e queste parole mi hanno letteralmente trafitta.
A ogni bambino che non ha ricevuto tutto l’amore di cui necessitava, spero possiamo tutti fiorire in adulti gentili e amorevoli.
L’autrice nella sua nota dice “I bambini desiderano essere amati, ma al contempo sono quelli che danno gran parte dell’amore.” e queste parole mi hanno letteralmente trafitta.
A ogni bambino che non ha ricevuto tutto l’amore di cui necessitava, spero possiamo tutti fiorire in adulti gentili e amorevoli.
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
sad
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
I was gripped from page one. The characters are complex, unique, and so lovable. Despite being voiced by a character who cannot identify and express his emotions, the book is absolutely full of them, in a tender and simple way that makes them even more powerful. Some popular Korean books, especially those about mental health, have fallen a bit flat for me - but not this one. I absolutely loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent
Moderate: Murder, Abandonment
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts
3.5/5 ⭐
It's a pretty quick read, and easy to get through in one or two sittings. I'd recommend it because it feels different compared to anything I've read, but there wasn't anything about it that really wowed me. I still liked it, I just can't see myself coming back to it for a second read.
It's a pretty quick read, and easy to get through in one or two sittings. I'd recommend it because it feels different compared to anything I've read, but there wasn't anything about it that really wowed me. I still liked it, I just can't see myself coming back to it for a second read.
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
I was mostly delighted by the book, but I was kind of unsatisfied by the direction it took at the end. But a quick read and definitely worth my time.
An attempt was made, I will give her that.
On the surface, this is a good story. I liked the concept of it—a young boy unable to experience emotions. The story did not deviate into long, loosely connected tangents like a lot of books would with themes like this. I will say that the last 3rd was very rushed and not all that realistic (or convincing). The power of love solves everything, apparently.
The prose was clear and concise—but too straightforward. It lacked (to me) a certain type of magic and depth. The narration was too removed and distant. Off-putting, in other words. And I understand it’s because of his brain condition, but that’s not really an excuse. Books with themes like this should be more emotional. But it wasn’t. I think that the reason why a lot of people are rating this highly is because it’s supposed to be a sad book. I *almost* fell into that trap myself. This book definitely is an example that just because you as the reader are sad for the character, doesn’t mean that the book itself evokes sadness in your heart. Hopefully that made sense.
Another thing. The characters. They weren’t fleshed-out enough, including Yunjae. They were basically a list of traits and personalities thrown onto a canvas. They were essentially stale and one-dimensional. None of them were really convincing to me as people, which is a shame because they had some interesting backstories. For example, I would’ve really loved to know about Gon’s missing years and the deeper implications between him and his father. I feel like this got glossed over too quickly.
Also, the writing style felt too YA for me personally. Not saying that it’s a bad thing, but I found myself comparing this to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” which (I felt) really succeeded in having a more naive, child-like main character guiding the narration style. To be completely honest, I don’t find the story all that memorable. But if the characters, writing, and psychology were fleshed out more, I would’ve given this a higher rating. Otherwise, it's just a shallow exploration on human psychology and emotions.
Like I said earlier, an attempt was made. Like, slightly over bare minimum. I think that if it hadn't been under 300 pages and fast-paced, I would've either DNFd or gave it 1 or 2 ⭐️ if I'm being honest. The longer pages & pacing would not have been justified. I'm low-key glad I never bought the physical copy. I would've been pissed. But also don't be surprised if I lower it to 2 ⭐️ by the end of the year LOL.
But!!! To leave this review on a good note: I will say, though, that this is a very fast-paced & quick story! If you’re looking for something to drag you from the clutches of The Dreaded Reading Slump, this is it for ya! And it did have some pretty good quotes. There was a nice passage about the differences between reading books and watching movies that really resonated with me.
On the surface, this is a good story. I liked the concept of it—a young boy unable to experience emotions. The story did not deviate into long, loosely connected tangents like a lot of books would with themes like this. I will say that the last 3rd was very rushed and not all that realistic (or convincing). The power of love solves everything, apparently.
The prose was clear and concise—but too straightforward. It lacked (to me) a certain type of magic and depth. The narration was too removed and distant. Off-putting, in other words. And I understand it’s because of his brain condition, but that’s not really an excuse. Books with themes like this should be more emotional. But it wasn’t. I think that the reason why a lot of people are rating this highly is because it’s supposed to be a sad book. I *almost* fell into that trap myself. This book definitely is an example that just because you as the reader are sad for the character, doesn’t mean that the book itself evokes sadness in your heart. Hopefully that made sense.
Another thing. The characters. They weren’t fleshed-out enough, including Yunjae. They were basically a list of traits and personalities thrown onto a canvas. They were essentially stale and one-dimensional. None of them were really convincing to me as people, which is a shame because they had some interesting backstories. For example, I would’ve really loved to know about Gon’s missing years and the deeper implications between him and his father. I feel like this got glossed over too quickly.
Also, the writing style felt too YA for me personally. Not saying that it’s a bad thing, but I found myself comparing this to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” which (I felt) really succeeded in having a more naive, child-like main character guiding the narration style. To be completely honest, I don’t find the story all that memorable. But if the characters, writing, and psychology were fleshed out more, I would’ve given this a higher rating. Otherwise, it's just a shallow exploration on human psychology and emotions.
Like I said earlier, an attempt was made. Like, slightly over bare minimum. I think that if it hadn't been under 300 pages and fast-paced, I would've either DNFd or gave it 1 or 2 ⭐️ if I'm being honest. The longer pages & pacing would not have been justified. I'm low-key glad I never bought the physical copy. I would've been pissed. But also don't be surprised if I lower it to 2 ⭐️ by the end of the year LOL.
But!!! To leave this review on a good note: I will say, though, that this is a very fast-paced & quick story! If you’re looking for something to drag you from the clutches of The Dreaded Reading Slump, this is it for ya! And it did have some pretty good quotes. There was a nice passage about the differences between reading books and watching movies that really resonated with me.