Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
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
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Finished at my desk while working …
I liked some characters but I didn’t like some others oh well
I liked some characters but I didn’t like some others oh well
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
An absolutely enthralling novel of the struggles of Korean women from multiple facets and possible sides of life. I legitimately could not put it down.
“Rich people are fascinated by happiness,” she said. “It’s something they find maddening.”
This book is exactly my thing in that we see these characters, these stunning women, in the mundane quiet moments of their existence as their lives unfold like a flower to explore. They’re not all likable, all of them have vices: materialism, jealousy, insecurity, classism, comparison, abuse, and so on. But these aspects served to make them feel more real and showcased the burdens women can feel for merely existing within a society that upholds the men first.
I feel like it’s quite common to have an idealized image of what life is like elsewhere, as someone else, without being aware of a gritty reality. I’d not put much thought into what it is like for Korean women growing up in South Korea - now I feel the image is more clear. While many of the themes may be expected, I didn’t have as much experience which made it a great read for me.
All the women in this novel also come to realize their idealizations of what they expected in life may not actually be what’s best for them. They are let down, and hurt, and cast aside with little care, and while they may have initially viewed each other harshly, there’s no one else to come home to and those are the people you become close to. It’s solidarity between them that made me happy for them. I don’t want to go into much detail specifically here because I want everyone to experience this as I did!
I want to lament on the writing style of this novel for a moment: it was stunning. I thought with so many points of view I would lose track, but Kyuri, Ara, Wonna, and Miho all had such unique voices in how they thought and acted that it was never an issue. Add in the stellar lines Cha composed and I was hooked and concerned for all of them. I am so looking forward to her next projects with the caliber this set!
I just... I think this book is fantastic. It’s hard to articulate it because I’m not Korean, I can’t attest to its accuracy, but I’m appreciating an Own Voices novel for showing this to me. It won’t be for many people, due to the woman-to-woman comparisons, the character driven nature, or content warnings (child abuse, violence, misogyny, mentions of suicide, mentions of rape), but if you’re interested I highly recommend it.
In the end, if we always are preoccupied with the greener grass others have, we will miss the lovely aspects of our own ponds and capabilities. And that’s always a good reminder to receive!
“Rich people are fascinated by happiness,” she said. “It’s something they find maddening.”
This book is exactly my thing in that we see these characters, these stunning women, in the mundane quiet moments of their existence as their lives unfold like a flower to explore. They’re not all likable, all of them have vices: materialism, jealousy, insecurity, classism, comparison, abuse, and so on. But these aspects served to make them feel more real and showcased the burdens women can feel for merely existing within a society that upholds the men first.
I feel like it’s quite common to have an idealized image of what life is like elsewhere, as someone else, without being aware of a gritty reality. I’d not put much thought into what it is like for Korean women growing up in South Korea - now I feel the image is more clear. While many of the themes may be expected, I didn’t have as much experience which made it a great read for me.
All the women in this novel also come to realize their idealizations of what they expected in life may not actually be what’s best for them. They are let down, and hurt, and cast aside with little care, and while they may have initially viewed each other harshly, there’s no one else to come home to and those are the people you become close to. It’s solidarity between them that made me happy for them. I don’t want to go into much detail specifically here because I want everyone to experience this as I did!
I want to lament on the writing style of this novel for a moment: it was stunning. I thought with so many points of view I would lose track, but Kyuri, Ara, Wonna, and Miho all had such unique voices in how they thought and acted that it was never an issue. Add in the stellar lines Cha composed and I was hooked and concerned for all of them. I am so looking forward to her next projects with the caliber this set!
I just... I think this book is fantastic. It’s hard to articulate it because I’m not Korean, I can’t attest to its accuracy, but I’m appreciating an Own Voices novel for showing this to me. It won’t be for many people, due to the woman-to-woman comparisons, the character driven nature, or content warnings (child abuse, violence, misogyny, mentions of suicide, mentions of rape), but if you’re interested I highly recommend it.
In the end, if we always are preoccupied with the greener grass others have, we will miss the lovely aspects of our own ponds and capabilities. And that’s always a good reminder to receive!
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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 really love books written by women about women and for women, and this one is exactly it. five stories (even though one of the girls didn't get a single chapter of her own), five different young women with their own struggles, dreams and lives. somehow they still come together in the end, finding connection and support in each outher. friendship is actually the answer to everything. one thing i didn't really get is the constant talking about plastic surgeries, but maybe it's because for me it's not as common. still it's a beautiful story.
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book leaves you with an understanding of seeing past superficiality and to true friendships and connection. While all of these girls are wrapped up in the own lives and real struggles, they come together and form true connections and it’s obvious that these girls really know and love each other. I wish there was more book. I would’ve love to see more of these girls stories play out especially Miho. I wish me and all of my girlfriends lived in the same apartment building lol
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
