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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
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:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book made me appreciate an extremely delayed flight.
This is a stunning portrayal of a very real issue in today’s America and it captures the emotional resonance of racist violence in a harrowing and undeniably stark way. Fictionalising a true event - the murder of a fifteen year old black girl in the early nineties - this is a careful yet haunting piece of work and will likely stay with me for some time to come. With a fully realised cast of characters, this is a tale told from two opposite perspectives on what can only be called a violent tragedy.
On the one hand you follow Shawn, brother to the murdered girl. On the other you follow the daughter of the murderer, someone who had no idea her mother was capable of such a heinous act until it all comes out following the second shooting. Grace is witness to the horror as her mother is shot in broad daylight outside the pharmacy that they have worked for so long and truths long buried are forced to the surface. The two families are hammered together once more in the wake of this new shocking violent act and old tensions are brought to the fore.
Cha expertly weaves these two narratives together, managing to capture the atmosphere and the tensions of two different timelines perfectly. In a world where black boys are shot for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, there is raw anger here but there is also compassion, understanding and forgiveness. This is a novel that captures both the minutiae and the whole; focussing on family and yet in the same breath offering a portrait of the political and overall landscape. And it does it beautifully.
I was left breathless at some of the moments captured here; the sheer raw emotion and brutal unveiling of injustice is notable. I unravelled the real culprit well before the novel offered this information, but that didn’t mar my engagement with the tale that came out. It’s a stunning offering and one that will both challenge and engage.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced reader copy of this novel.
On the one hand you follow Shawn, brother to the murdered girl. On the other you follow the daughter of the murderer, someone who had no idea her mother was capable of such a heinous act until it all comes out following the second shooting. Grace is witness to the horror as her mother is shot in broad daylight outside the pharmacy that they have worked for so long and truths long buried are forced to the surface. The two families are hammered together once more in the wake of this new shocking violent act and old tensions are brought to the fore.
Cha expertly weaves these two narratives together, managing to capture the atmosphere and the tensions of two different timelines perfectly. In a world where black boys are shot for simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time, there is raw anger here but there is also compassion, understanding and forgiveness. This is a novel that captures both the minutiae and the whole; focussing on family and yet in the same breath offering a portrait of the political and overall landscape. And it does it beautifully.
I was left breathless at some of the moments captured here; the sheer raw emotion and brutal unveiling of injustice is notable. I unravelled the real culprit well before the novel offered this information, but that didn’t mar my engagement with the tale that came out. It’s a stunning offering and one that will both challenge and engage.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advanced reader copy of this novel.
Based on a 1991 shooting in L.A. this book created family and characters to fill in both sides of victim and perpetrator. I cannot believe she wrote this 5 years ago, as it felt like she would have had to experience this last year (2020) in the United States... Prescient and observant.
4.5 but rounding up to 5. This was an emotional and suspenseful novel. The writing was good—I felt like it was in the family’s homes with them. A lot of based on actual events, some parts felt contrived though, my only reason for knocking off half a star.
Overall a really timely book about the damage caused by racism and fear and how we all live with it.
Overall a really timely book about the damage caused by racism and fear and how we all live with it.
My 12th read for the 2020 Tournament of Books (ToB) (and while it was something I never attempted, could this be the first year I get to all the ToB books?) and one of the tournament books I knew the least about going in. From a personal age standpoint (#old), it was a bit discouraging the Los Angeles race riots/Rodney King are now considered "historical fiction" as it's something I actively remember … as a adult! … this novel about the tragic connection between an African American and Korean family during that time and in today's still troubled times was still very illuminating/enlightening. Cha does a great job of portraying both sides and the many shades of grey when it comes to justice and morality.
Where I am conflicted is that it is a bit *too* conveniently intertwined which lead to some predictably as to the outcome. Likewise (and trying to keep this spoiler-free as possible) I just had a hard time believing one character was totally in the dark re: an aspect of their family history in this current age of information overload - but again, "the reveal" does serve to provide a dramatic plot point. From a snooty point of view, many ToB books are very (very!) Literary (not the capital L!) and this one is not, but again extremely competent and compelling prose from Cha - so not a criticism, just an observation.
Bit torn rating-wise, so will waffle with a 3.5 stars and a Goodreads round-down to 3 stars as very slightly leaned "liked it" vs. "really liked it" - but a quick good read (ha!) and as usual with ToB an interesting read. Glad I got it.