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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Earlier this year I read [b:The Story of Hong Gildong|25810328|The Story of Hong Gildong (Penguin Classics)|Unknown|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1445792183l/25810328._SY75_.jpg|45666333] and Silence of Bones was a good companion to that, in that both stories had a character who was a son, but not the son of the first or favored wife, and therefore could not be recognized in Korean society; these less-favored sons each took a completely different path in his own book though. Coincidentally, both books also featured a story of the birth of someone extraordinary, but the outcomes of these two characters were completely different.
I enjoyed learning about the damos, the female police investigators, and I wish we had seen Seol helping with some other cases before being flung straightaway into this bizarre murder mystery.
I am terrible at following the threads of suspicion and evidence, and I'm notorious for forgetting about the alibis and red herrings, so mystery isn't really my preferred genre, but I enjoyed the setting and the characters so much that I like to leave a good rating anyway.
I enjoyed learning about the damos, the female police investigators, and I wish we had seen Seol helping with some other cases before being flung straightaway into this bizarre murder mystery.
I am terrible at following the threads of suspicion and evidence, and I'm notorious for forgetting about the alibis and red herrings, so mystery isn't really my preferred genre, but I enjoyed the setting and the characters so much that I like to leave a good rating anyway.
4.5 stars I loved this and I read it all in one day, which I wasn't expecting to do. This hooked me in from the start and I did not want to put it down. The pacing is great, never felt like it dragged on. The plot was interesting and I really enjoyed the history that was woven into the story, which is saying something cause I'm not a huge history person but it was interesting learning about the conflict & tensions between the different factions & religious groups in Korea at that time (1800s). The mystery in here was really interesting and seeing how all of that unfolded was great. Overall, I thought this was really well written and a very strong debut.
Content Warnings: Physical and verbal abuse, mention of suicide, animal deaths/injury, sexism/misogyny, religious conflicts/persecution
Content Warnings: Physical and verbal abuse, mention of suicide, animal deaths/injury, sexism/misogyny, religious conflicts/persecution
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
Just finished "The Silence of Bones" by June Hur, and I'm landing on a casual 2.5/5 stars for this one. Gotta be real with you, the first 100-150 pages were a struggle.
But hey, if you power through that snooze-fest, the second half is a whole different ball game. Suddenly, you're knee-deep in a murder mystery, and the guessing game begins. There are some decent plot twists that keep things entertaining, and you're genuinely trying to piece together who the killer is.
Now, here's the kicker—I felt the ending was a bit lackluster. After all the anticipation, it fell a tad flat for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It just takes some endurance to get to the good stuff. If you're into historical mysteries and can weather a slow start, it might be worth the read.
But hey, if you power through that snooze-fest, the second half is a whole different ball game. Suddenly, you're knee-deep in a murder mystery, and the guessing game begins. There are some decent plot twists that keep things entertaining, and you're genuinely trying to piece together who the killer is.
Now, here's the kicker—I felt the ending was a bit lackluster. After all the anticipation, it fell a tad flat for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad book. It just takes some endurance to get to the good stuff. If you're into historical mysteries and can weather a slow start, it might be worth the read.
"Evil comes from the unfulfilled need for significance."
Actual rating: 4.5/5⭐
WOW!
I have been dying to get a copy of this book for months now because there aren't any available in PH but now that I'm done reading it, I am so glad that the time I've waited for the preorder to arrive has been worth it.
I liked this book. The world of 1800s Joseon was very rich with culture and history that I learned a lot from this book. From the disputes between rooting out catholics and the different eastern teachings made it feel so real.
The murder mystery made my brain hurt. And the reason why I didn't make the rating to 5 stars was because I wasn't sure what the main focus of the book was. There was just a lot going on for me: from the investigation case, to the politics, family, and the perspective of a damo - or an indentured servant - in this book. In a way, one of the themes overlapped with one another so I wasn't really sure what the theme of the book was because if it was just about the life and limits of an indentured servant, Seol would've been executed a long time ago since she was pretty gutsy and reckless even if she were a mere damo.
Another was the symbolism and references to various myths which have been clues in the investigation. I thought that there was just too many stories and lore that were used that made the investigation a bit too simple or convenient. Like having a name with this meaning, and a story that webt like this. I just don't find it very realistic. A murderer can simply choose a name and not abide by its meaning.
However, I enjoyed this book. I didn't see the plot twists coming and I would recommend this book especially for kdrama fans and those that want to enjoy a historical fiction murder mystery that takes place in asia.
"Sometimes betrayal is the deepest expression of love."
Actual rating: 4.5/5⭐
WOW!
I have been dying to get a copy of this book for months now because there aren't any available in PH but now that I'm done reading it, I am so glad that the time I've waited for the preorder to arrive has been worth it.
I liked this book. The world of 1800s Joseon was very rich with culture and history that I learned a lot from this book. From the disputes between rooting out catholics and the different eastern teachings made it feel so real.
The murder mystery made my brain hurt. And the reason why I didn't make the rating to 5 stars was because I wasn't sure what the main focus of the book was. There was just a lot going on for me: from the investigation case, to the politics, family, and the perspective of a damo - or an indentured servant - in this book. In a way, one of the themes overlapped with one another so I wasn't really sure what the theme of the book was because if it was just about the life and limits of an indentured servant, Seol would've been executed a long time ago since she was pretty gutsy and reckless even if she were a mere damo.
Another was the symbolism and references to various myths which have been clues in the investigation. I thought that there was just too many stories and lore that were used that made the investigation a bit too simple or convenient. Like having a name with this meaning, and a story that webt like this. I just don't find it very realistic. A murderer can simply choose a name and not abide by its meaning.
However, I enjoyed this book. I didn't see the plot twists coming and I would recommend this book especially for kdrama fans and those that want to enjoy a historical fiction murder mystery that takes place in asia.
"Sometimes betrayal is the deepest expression of love."
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
No romance, very nice. Reminded me of a Korean drama! A little confusing, though. 3.5 stars:)
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
Holy moly. The Silence of Bones is a great listen or a page-turner. This book is about the murders of Catholics and a young girl whose past and present events link to the murders.
I really enjoyed this. The historical setting was unfamiliar to me, but it was written in an accessible way.