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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
3.5
Someone said this was a Korean gossip girl and I fully agree lol
Someone said this was a Korean gossip girl and I fully agree lol
dark
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed the look at Korean culture, particularly in terms of female beauty standards, that this book gave. It doesn't focus on just one experience but rather shows various perspectives which I thought was great. I learned a lot and felt a lot while reading this. In a lot of ways this could have been a five star read but the writing just didn't quite do it for me. This author is originally a journalist and sometimes the writing style felt a bit removed from the emotions of the story in the way that a lot of news stories often do.
dark
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.75 stars
"I have always thought of hope as a natural folly of youth that should be discarded as soon as possible."
I support women rights, and I support women wrongs (to an extent). Character driven (the characters were the plot), very eye opening, and very disturbing, the fact that this is a reality Korean women are living every day. The writing was really easy to get into, I was sucked in from the first chapter, and the characters were extremely realistic, and quite well done (my favorite was Kyuri). Overall, a very eye opening read, it will definitely stay with me.
"I have always thought of hope as a natural folly of youth that should be discarded as soon as possible."
I support women rights, and I support women wrongs (to an extent). Character driven (the characters were the plot), very eye opening, and very disturbing, the fact that this is a reality Korean women are living every day. The writing was really easy to get into, I was sucked in from the first chapter, and the characters were extremely realistic, and quite well done (my favorite was Kyuri). Overall, a very eye opening read, it will definitely stay with me.
Super engrossing story of female friendship and the social issues facing women in Korea. The story is fueled by interpersonal drama (which I love), but not in a tacky "reality TV" kind of way. Rather, it explores these issues though honest, balanced portrayals of women. Seeing all of their good and ugly qualities together on full display made for a refreshing, realistic narration. Usually there's at least one weak link in stories with POV switches, but every character in "If I Had Your Face" had a unique perspective and voice. If you asked me to pick a favorite, I don't think I'd be able to.
This story was really eye-opening, and while I wish the ending felt a little more "complete," I still think it was a really strong debut for Frances Cha. I'd love to read more of her stuff in the future.
This story was really eye-opening, and while I wish the ending felt a little more "complete," I still think it was a really strong debut for Frances Cha. I'd love to read more of her stuff in the future.
I liked it. I liked each individual character and their stories told in their own unique voices. I liked the setting and description of life in the Big City of Seoul. I have been watching K-dramas for a few years now and it felt familiar with its descriptions of foods, the nightlife and other cultural nuances of the country. Life in the Big City is fast paced and gritty almost grimy and the description of the high life of the rich was glossy. It was quite poignant especially when each character looked back at their lives in the past and their hopes for the future. A good read.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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
3.5/5
Addictive read , i finished it within 3 days. I've always been extremely interested in topics surrounding Korean culture in terms of beauty standards, gender norms and social hierarchies so everything in this book just screamed that I had to read it. I loved how the author touched on the topics and I devoured it with extreme interests.
I think my main issue is that the book feels incomplete and that the entire point of the book is to talk about the korean societal issues rather than going in depth on the characters. Which is honestly a bit of a shame because I liked the characters a lot. A lot of the characters have this defining arc and then it just moves to a close silently and underwhelmingly when I feel like the story could've done a lot more. Wonna in particularly barely gets any chapters dedicated to her and we don't even see the fight that caused her husband to move out. Ara's arc also seems lackluster ... the image of her idol is broken and we don't get to see any of the thought process as she grapples with the reality of the situation. For someone who was so obssessed it's pretty crazy that she just lets go so easily.
Addictive read , i finished it within 3 days. I've always been extremely interested in topics surrounding Korean culture in terms of beauty standards, gender norms and social hierarchies so everything in this book just screamed that I had to read it. I loved how the author touched on the topics and I devoured it with extreme interests.
I think my main issue is that the book feels incomplete and that the entire point of the book is to talk about the korean societal issues rather than going in depth on the characters. Which is honestly a bit of a shame because I liked the characters a lot. A lot of the characters have this defining arc and then it just moves to a close silently and underwhelmingly when I feel like the story could've done a lot more. Wonna in particularly barely gets any chapters dedicated to her and we don't even see the fight that caused her husband to move out. Ara's arc also seems lackluster ... the image of her idol is broken and we don't get to see any of the thought process as she grapples with the reality of the situation. For someone who was so obssessed it's pretty crazy that she just lets go so easily.