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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
tm400's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this is my first literary/race themed book of the year & im thoroughly pleased to say the least
based off of the murder of latasha harlins in the early 90s, this book details a fictional story of racially motivated crime and how to come to terms with the repercussions of ones actions. i noticed throughout the book that the racist rhetoric on grace’s part is changed through her use of “yeah xyz is true BUT…” statements — statements that once held racist undertones lightened throughout the book as grace uncovered the whole story.
i took away half of a star because the stories didnt converge until later in the book than i was expecting, but i wouldnt consider that to be a critique on the story itself
i hadnt read a book quite like this one before & im very interested in reading similar novels in the future !
(my copy had 299 pages)
based off of the murder of latasha harlins in the early 90s, this book details a fictional story of racially motivated crime and how to come to terms with the repercussions of ones actions. i noticed throughout the book that the racist rhetoric on grace’s part is changed through her use of “yeah xyz is true BUT…” statements — statements that once held racist undertones lightened throughout the book as grace uncovered the whole story.
i took away half of a star because the stories didnt converge until later in the book than i was expecting, but i wouldnt consider that to be a critique on the story itself
i hadnt read a book quite like this one before & im very interested in reading similar novels in the future !
(my copy had 299 pages)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Death, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
cernst09's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Police brutality, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Gun violence
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
ajlct's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Violence
valcationvibes's review
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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