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mcrespo's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
4.5
a very catcher in the rye-esque story. its super fast paced, and sohn has a command for tone and characterization. i especially love the use of metaphors with the almonds and the plum candies. i just wanted more almond metaphor in the end to tie it all up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Violence, Murder, and Gore
cami_chai's review
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Ableism, Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Death, Gore, Abandonment, and Bullying
Moderate: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Deadnaming, Violence, and Cursing
Minor: Grief and Animal death
hjb_128's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Animal cruelty, Violence, Ableism, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Bullying, and Murder
dominiq_ec's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book made me cry in the ending pages, and while I don't let myself cry often, it's usually a sign of a pretty good book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Bullying, Death, Blood, Body horror, and Grief
rachjy's review
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Animal death, Ableism, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Cursing, and Torture
siriface's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Death
sakisreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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? No
4.5
Well well well. When I’d seen that RM had read and recommended this book, I knew I had to read it ✨ I found a copy in Busan and picked it up right away!
I was not expecting the level of sadness and violence that came through in this; I will include the content warnings below.
Yunjae was so lovable from the start; lost, yes, but certainly not the nasty names everyone else called him. I also began to develop such a soft spot for Gon too, because he was seriously struggling! 🥲
I cried towards the end of the book. There were angry tears, happy tears and sad tears too 🫠
4.5 out of 5 stars for me ✨ Thank you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Gore, and Violence
sarahemhavens's review against another edition
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
5.0
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: Death, Torture, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Cursing, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic friendship, Murder, Grief, Gore, and Blood
audimka's review
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
I like this book’s perspective on the human brain and its ability to change over time. I also like the very strong closure at the end of the book. However, I found it quite confusing at time, with lack of elaboration on a lot of aspects.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Gore
k80mae's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Do you think I could make others understand me, even though I can’t understand myself?”
Almond tells the story of a boy who cannot understand or process emotions. We follow him from childhood, when he is first diagnosed with having a too-small amygdala, through his teenage years and the tragedies he survives. For a book that is so definitively about a character who cannot process or understand emotions, this book is absolutely teeming with it. The emotions seem to seep off of Yunjae's clinical observations.
What I found most striking about this book, I think, is the craftsmanship of both the author and translator. Sohn and Lee are incredibly masterful in the way that they keep Yunjae's narration devoid of emotion, but he never fails to feel human. It never feels difficult to empathize with him even as he struggles to even understand the concept of empathy. I'm not entirely sure how they managed it so effectively, but it was a joy to experience.
I am sure that there will be many readers who don't find as much to enjoy in this novel, particularly with the ending. For me, despite the questions of realism, I would have been distraught had it ended any other way. In the author's notes, Sohn states that part of the reason she wrote Almond was after asking herself, "If they were my children, could I love them?" After reading that, it is clear to me why I would have been upset had Yunjae and Gon's stories ended differently and why Sohn could not let it end any either way.
This was an absolutely wonderful read for me and I will definitely be hunting down a physical copy so that I can mark up every page!
Almond tells the story of a boy who cannot understand or process emotions. We follow him from childhood, when he is first diagnosed with having a too-small amygdala, through his teenage years and the tragedies he survives. For a book that is so definitively about a character who cannot process or understand emotions, this book is absolutely teeming with it. The emotions seem to seep off of Yunjae's clinical observations.
What I found most striking about this book, I think, is the craftsmanship of both the author and translator. Sohn and Lee are incredibly masterful in the way that they keep Yunjae's narration devoid of emotion, but he never fails to feel human. It never feels difficult to empathize with him even as he struggles to even understand the concept of empathy. I'm not entirely sure how they managed it so effectively, but it was a joy to experience.
I am sure that there will be many readers who don't find as much to enjoy in this novel, particularly with the ending. For me, despite the questions of realism, I would have been distraught had it ended any other way. In the author's notes, Sohn states that part of the reason she wrote Almond was after asking herself, "If they were my children, could I love them?" After reading that, it is clear to me why I would have been upset had Yunjae and Gon's stories ended differently and why Sohn could not let it end any either way.
This was an absolutely wonderful read for me and I will definitely be hunting down a physical copy so that I can mark up every page!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Bullying