Reviews

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

afi_whatafireads's review

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emotional 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

4.5

You know when you've read something so bloody good that when you've reached the final page, you felt like going back to the first page to start all over again. And love in the big city is all that and more. It gives a feeling of loss, hope, love and life, going through its harsh and unprovoked realities - in the way that is a story told from the perspectives of youths in its rawest form.

Raw. That's what I would say with this book, and it still leaves a lingering feeling even after finishing it.

(Disclaimers: This book handles topics on the narrator going through HIV. If this is not your cup of tea, its okay to skip this :) )


'Because, whatever it was or wasn't, you were you."


A story that I felt was mundane. Its in the beauty of the raw form of humans - in the times of youth that were confusing, in the times of vulnerability and the dynamics of Asian parenting, and its on life. In the most messiest forms - its life.
Reading this, does remind me a lot with Sally Rooney's books. The straightforward and almost nonchalant tone, whilst capturing the essence of emotions of the characters in the storytelling - its definitely a similarity between the two. And I like how mundane it is, and how very queer it is.

The book is divided into four big parts - in which we go through with the narrator, the stages of his life. And we get on adult friendships, mother-son complex relationships, caretaker , and most of all, the daily lives of a man in a city, living through his life. I like how straightforward the writing is, and how its both funny and sad at the same time. I could laugh at one page and cry at the very next so that's how much of an emotional coaster ride this book had gotten me. Its truly an experience on its own.

Out of all the things from the book, what I felt was in how raw everything is. Humans are messy. They make mistakes. They will fail and fall. But they will also form meaningful relationships that will stay. Love that is irreplaceable but may not be yours to keep. But its mostly on the exploration of self- and how we grow from all of the things we went through in life. And the hardships in having a condition that could never really go away. Mistakes , failures and heartbreaks, but also happiness and strength.

By means, this book is not perfect, but its a depiction that is true to life. And what the author said in his notes had what made this book for me one of those I will remember for a very long time.


"I know all too well how this emotion called love, how the word itself, can crumble into nothing, but all I can do is tightly grip this tiny bit of warmth and embrace it with all my might. Just so I can live on as myself. Just so I can live this life as myself and myself alone."


4.5🌟 for this one.

soapyjoseph's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

3.5

I wish the whole book was just about Jaehee and Young’s friendship!!

leiturasdalaura's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

litteraturisten's review against another edition

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4.0

Loved it! Such a beautiful and personal book about relatable love and relationships.

fangfang's review against another edition

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sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

luchev's review

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dark funny reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

onebaddielotsbooks's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

cyrenee's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated

5.0

nlwz_s's review against another edition

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4.0

Shoutout to Jaehee who has “no endurance”, “[bumbles] through life’s most important decisions” and is “nothing if not personable” <3.

• • •

This story is funny and witty and clearly written for the modern twenty-something. It is highly engaging for the most part and incredibly well-written in every structural, tonal, and lingual sense of the word. The plot, on the other hand, could’ve used a lot more of Jaehee and a lot less of that activist-partner!

tttooossshhhaaa's review

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emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0