You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.9 AVERAGE
3.9 AVERAGE
challenging
reflective
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
Maybe I am Casey Han.
emotional
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:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I miss these characters already
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Though I enjoyed exploring the Korean-American experience (or a subset of it) through Min Jin Lee's prose, I'm not sure the "community novel" is for me. The book ultimately felt too long and diluted the further I read. As more and more offshoots were introduced, I found myself less invested in each character. Perhaps this would have sat better with me as a series of short stories?
Really more like 3.5 stars because the first half of the book dragged for me, but it picked up once you got to know and love the characters and their struggles. Enjoyable and admirable in its sweeping cast of characters, each of whom are given rich and interesting lives, but if you’re going to pick up one Min Jin Lee, I think I prefer Pachinko.
3,5?
Not as good as Pachinko, and too long.
But i do love her writing!
Not as good as Pachinko, and too long.
But i do love her writing!
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-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
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Min Jin Lee explored the complexities of humanity in each character in this book. I enjoyed the way every character’s life intertwined and influenced each other in both uplifting and challenging ways. Good people with bad tendencies or bad people with good tendencies, I found the moral grayness in which she wrote to be extremely human. She was able to capture very real feelings on each end of the spectrum — resentment, grief, and hate along with freedom, resilience, and love.
I am especially impressed with how well Min Jin Lee balances the American and Asian-American experience in Casey. I usually have a hard time reading about these second-generation characters as I find them leaning too much one way and as a result they don’t feel real. But Casey, and many others in this book, feel like they could come to life with how real their hardships, dreams, and desires are written.
I am especially impressed with how well Min Jin Lee balances the American and Asian-American experience in Casey. I usually have a hard time reading about these second-generation characters as I find them leaning too much one way and as a result they don’t feel real. But Casey, and many others in this book, feel like they could come to life with how real their hardships, dreams, and desires are written.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Infidelity