Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail
Thank goodness for the University of Denver's Action Book Club, because were it not for them having chosen this title, it is probably one I wouldn't have picked up, and my life would be worse off for it. This is a book with no easy answers, with difficult conversations and even more difficult feelings, nuanced and tense and absolutely vital. This is a book I will be recommending for a long time.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
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
I really struggled with this book, and I'm sorry to say I had to give up at 51 %. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters or the story. I hate to give up on a book but this one just wasn't for me
Based on real events (past and 100% reflective of how these events repeat themselves), Cha paints a portrait of real characters and their complex emotions and behaviors on both sides of an unjust system.
This one was on the way to 5 stars for me the whole way through until the end. I felt the need for a little more of a resolution - it felt rushed and not quite finished to me. Still, this was an importantly unflattering confrontation of anti-Blackness in the Asian community that I hadn't seen explored in this way. I was hoping for a deeper dive into both the main and a few of the side characters but I appreciated the nuance Steph Cha included in telling their stories as well as the intense and complicated feelings it brought up for me to process. Also, I listened to the audiobook version of this which helped bring the stories and characters to life for me. The book was written in the third person, which felt a little awkward for some parts, but the narrators for the two perspectives (Greta Jung and Glenn Davis) did a great job in creating a compelling and immersive experience. 4.5/5
I want to preface this by saying I’m as left as they come, and I didn’t like it. I mention this because a disturbing amount of the 1 star reviews say they “don’t like the politics” or “don’t like that everything is about race.”
.... Which is ironic considering that is the point of the book.
The author had good intentions, and I could see how, in theory, this storyline could be good. However, the author did not successfully portray the story. The characters were very surface level, and not enough time was invested in showing their relationships. We knew that mother and daughter didn’t get along, but it’s because it was directly said multiple times- not because it was shown through their interactions.
That isn’t my only issue. The dialogue was super stiff and unrealistic, and the whole book felt like one large stereotype. I am not saying that stereotypical families can’t be done, but the characters in “Your House Will Pay” just weren’t dynamic.
.... Which is ironic considering that is the point of the book.
The author had good intentions, and I could see how, in theory, this storyline could be good. However, the author did not successfully portray the story. The characters were very surface level, and not enough time was invested in showing their relationships. We knew that mother and daughter didn’t get along, but it’s because it was directly said multiple times- not because it was shown through their interactions.
That isn’t my only issue. The dialogue was super stiff and unrealistic, and the whole book felt like one large stereotype. I am not saying that stereotypical families can’t be done, but the characters in “Your House Will Pay” just weren’t dynamic.
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Steph Cha explores the racial tensions between Black and Korean communities in 1990s LA.
The Matthews family endures a terrible tragedy around the same time that Rodney King was beaten by police. Fast forward to 2019 and the reader sees the lasting toll of Ava's murder. Meanwhile, her murderer vanished into thin air, getting to become a new woman and not deal with the consequences of her actions.
Grace Park works as a pharmacist beside her parents. She wants to do her own thing, but is afraid to leave her family because her sister was ostracized by them in the past. But Grace doesn't know the whole story. Only when something happens to mother does Grace find out the truth.
Based off real events, Cha renders her characters with nuance.
While I enjoyed this book, I'm having trouble finding reviews by Black readers. I could see that there may be some aspects that may invoke criticism of the portrayal of the Matthews family.
The Matthews family endures a terrible tragedy around the same time that Rodney King was beaten by police. Fast forward to 2019 and the reader sees the lasting toll of Ava's murder. Meanwhile, her murderer vanished into thin air, getting to become a new woman and not deal with the consequences of her actions.
Grace Park works as a pharmacist beside her parents. She wants to do her own thing, but is afraid to leave her family because her sister was ostracized by them in the past. But Grace doesn't know the whole story. Only when something happens to mother does Grace find out the truth.
Based off real events, Cha renders her characters with nuance.
While I enjoyed this book, I'm having trouble finding reviews by Black readers. I could see that there may be some aspects that may invoke criticism of the portrayal of the Matthews family.
Grace Park lives a quiet existence, working at her parent's predominantly Korean pharmacy in the Valley. The LA Riots of the early 90s are not even a blip on her radar. Also a LA refugee of sorts, Shawn Matthews lives nearby but with a cousin in jail and a record of his own, lives a world apart.
This novel is based on the 1991 murder of Latasha Harlins, a young black girl who was shot by a Korean shop owner 13 days after the beating of Rodney King. The store owner received 5 years probation and a small fine. Over the next week, Koreatown was almost completely destroyed.
Your House Will Pay asks what comes next. And not just what comes in the months after, but years later. How do these historic events and emotionally charged memories change lives over 20 years later? Can we break free of the bonds of history?
Cha does a masterful job of setting the stage. This book is about LA just as much as it is about the characters inhabiting the city limits and beyond. The characters are also flawed and sympathetic and the themes of race, history, family, and privilege were thoughtfully woven into the story. I read this for book club and was glad to have the opportunity to discuss this novel after reading it. Cha has also written a hard-boiled noir mystery series set in LA that I'm putting on my to-read list.
This novel is based on the 1991 murder of Latasha Harlins, a young black girl who was shot by a Korean shop owner 13 days after the beating of Rodney King. The store owner received 5 years probation and a small fine. Over the next week, Koreatown was almost completely destroyed.
Your House Will Pay asks what comes next. And not just what comes in the months after, but years later. How do these historic events and emotionally charged memories change lives over 20 years later? Can we break free of the bonds of history?
Cha does a masterful job of setting the stage. This book is about LA just as much as it is about the characters inhabiting the city limits and beyond. The characters are also flawed and sympathetic and the themes of race, history, family, and privilege were thoughtfully woven into the story. I read this for book club and was glad to have the opportunity to discuss this novel after reading it. Cha has also written a hard-boiled noir mystery series set in LA that I'm putting on my to-read list.