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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
This book was amazing. Frustrating at times, but gives powerful insight into the mind of a person unlike the majority of society. Your view of the main character changes dramatically as you progress. Good for people with an interest in forensic psychology. Highly recommend to those who have the stomach for it.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Good Son, Okay Book
This was a fine enough book.
Nothing too special, but I enjoy Korean literature and the unique writing style.
It was okay.
3.0/5
This was a fine enough book.
Nothing too special, but I enjoy Korean literature and the unique writing style.
It was okay.
3.0/5
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
Yu-Jin, twenty five years old, has awoken to find his mother dead at the bottom of a staircase, her neck slit from end to end. Yu-Jin, who is having trouble remembering the night before (he suffers from seizures and is supposed to take his medicine, but lately has put it off), has no idea how his mother ended up dead, and whether he should contact the police, or try to hide her body until he can figure out what to do. As his adoptive brother and his aunt begin to pry and question where Yu-Jin’s mother is, he feels pressure and starts to dig himself into a pit of lies and cover-ups. Just what happened last night, and who is to blame?
Taut and intensifying, You-Jeong Jeong’s The Good Son explores the mysterious death of a mother, and delves deep into her baffled son’s mind. A translation from the novel’s original Korean, The Good Son takes place over a couple of days with Yu-Jin at the helm. As Yu-Jin conducts an investigation into his mother’s death, secrets and clues are revealed to him and the reader concurrently, allowing readers to experience shock and suspense alongside Yu-Jin.
I appreciated The Good Son’s tight timeline and minimal change of setting, with most of the novel taking place in one location over the course of two days. This allowed me to settle into Yu-Jin’s world and focus on him as a character. In this way, the novel is reminiscent of old Hitchcock films, such as Rope or Rear Window - films that do little in change of set, but pack a suspenseful punch.
One thing that was difficult to overcome with this novel was keeping all of the characters’ names straight. The names are rather similar, making me take a second each time I read a name to process who is who. Another annoyance is how easily Yu-Jin slips into flashbacks. There were several times where I got well into a flashback without realizing that the paragraph was about the past, not present day.
On the other hand, I enjoy how Jeong built suspense and intrigue throughout the novel, slowly peeling away layers of Yu-Jin’s personality like an onion. The unreliable narrator is one of my favorite plot devices, and I never knew whether or not I could trust Yu-Jin’s perception of the world. This made for a fast, edge-of-your-seat thriller that I couldn’t put down.
Taut and intensifying, You-Jeong Jeong’s The Good Son explores the mysterious death of a mother, and delves deep into her baffled son’s mind. A translation from the novel’s original Korean, The Good Son takes place over a couple of days with Yu-Jin at the helm. As Yu-Jin conducts an investigation into his mother’s death, secrets and clues are revealed to him and the reader concurrently, allowing readers to experience shock and suspense alongside Yu-Jin.
I appreciated The Good Son’s tight timeline and minimal change of setting, with most of the novel taking place in one location over the course of two days. This allowed me to settle into Yu-Jin’s world and focus on him as a character. In this way, the novel is reminiscent of old Hitchcock films, such as Rope or Rear Window - films that do little in change of set, but pack a suspenseful punch.
One thing that was difficult to overcome with this novel was keeping all of the characters’ names straight. The names are rather similar, making me take a second each time I read a name to process who is who. Another annoyance is how easily Yu-Jin slips into flashbacks. There were several times where I got well into a flashback without realizing that the paragraph was about the past, not present day.
On the other hand, I enjoy how Jeong built suspense and intrigue throughout the novel, slowly peeling away layers of Yu-Jin’s personality like an onion. The unreliable narrator is one of my favorite plot devices, and I never knew whether or not I could trust Yu-Jin’s perception of the world. This made for a fast, edge-of-your-seat thriller that I couldn’t put down.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Solid 3 stars. I just don't rate this book at least a 3.5 because the chapters were too long so at times, it lost my interest and besides that, it also becomes a bit hard to keep up with as we had not much of a break to consolidate our thoughs.
The revenge had imaculate vibes.
The revenge had imaculate vibes.