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ealfving's review against another edition
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Death of parent, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Child death
slaywithsteph's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
There are some people you just can’t love. Even when they smile, they make you want to pull on either side of that smile and rip their mouth off.
Yu-Jin, a troubled young adult dreaming of being independent and making his family proud, wakes up next to the dead body of his mother with no memory of what happened. You’ll follow along with Yu-Jin as he pieces together what happened.
The narrator is rather talkative as he reflects on his life and the death of his mom, but otherwise, it was fun albeit fairly predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Stalking, Blood, Death, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, and Violence
clavishorti's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Drenched in an eerie metallic scent, twenty-six-year-old Yu-Jin awakens to a cryptic phone call from his brother, unraveling a harrowing mystery. A stylish Seoul duplex becomes the haunting backdrop as Yu-Jin discovers his mother’s lifeless body, triggering a desperate three-day quest to uncover the chilling truth about that fateful night. In The Good Son by Jeong You-Jeong, where memories blur and seizures cast shadows, the urgent question echoes: Who can you trust when even yourself is a mystery?
Exploring the pages of Jeong You-Jeong’s The Good Son, I found a captivating blend of psychological thriller and mysterious elements. Despite initially sensing the direction of the narrative, suspicions about certain characters and uncertainties create layers of inner intelligence, inviting deep engagement.
Delving into the English translation by Kim Chi-Young, I felt connected to the clarity of sentences and expressions that flowed seamlessly. The ease of capturing the core of the story allowed me to fully immerse myself without grappling with language barriers. While the narrative at the outset induces a touch of boredom and occasionally falls into wordiness, over time, I found myself captivated and absorbed in the increasingly profound journey of the story.
With this initial gradual pace, I began to wonder if it was intentional to provide a stage for the development of the main character, Yu-Jin. The author’s decision to build the narrative slowly becomes a kind of clever tactic, paving the way for a more in-depth exploration of Yu-Jin’s psychological complexity.
As the plot unfolds, my interest reaches its zenith, creating emotional tension and an irresistible curiosity. One aspect that makes The Good Son shine is how the author successfully presents Yu-Jin’s internal debate with himself. This exposition reveals psychological intricacies in a brilliant manner, drawing the reader into a biting psychological struggle, creating unexpected dimensions of darkness. Thus, as I delve into layer after layer of the story, it’s not just about reading; it’s about feeling the emotional vibrations and inner intelligence permeating through every page.
Despite not encountering truly special elements, the reading journey in The Good Son by Jeong You-Jeong remains satisfying, akin to navigating through corridors of psychological brilliance. Perhaps, with bolder execution, particularly in the context of the psychological thriller genre, this story has the potential to create a more profound impact. An enticing invitation beckoning readers to explore deeper and more challenging psychological layers suggests that the true mystery may not have fully unfolded yet.
Exploring the pages of Jeong You-Jeong’s The Good Son, I found a captivating blend of psychological thriller and mysterious elements. Despite initially sensing the direction of the narrative, suspicions about certain characters and uncertainties create layers of inner intelligence, inviting deep engagement.
Delving into the English translation by Kim Chi-Young, I felt connected to the clarity of sentences and expressions that flowed seamlessly. The ease of capturing the core of the story allowed me to fully immerse myself without grappling with language barriers. While the narrative at the outset induces a touch of boredom and occasionally falls into wordiness, over time, I found myself captivated and absorbed in the increasingly profound journey of the story.
With this initial gradual pace, I began to wonder if it was intentional to provide a stage for the development of the main character, Yu-Jin. The author’s decision to build the narrative slowly becomes a kind of clever tactic, paving the way for a more in-depth exploration of Yu-Jin’s psychological complexity.
As the plot unfolds, my interest reaches its zenith, creating emotional tension and an irresistible curiosity. One aspect that makes The Good Son shine is how the author successfully presents Yu-Jin’s internal debate with himself. This exposition reveals psychological intricacies in a brilliant manner, drawing the reader into a biting psychological struggle, creating unexpected dimensions of darkness. Thus, as I delve into layer after layer of the story, it’s not just about reading; it’s about feeling the emotional vibrations and inner intelligence permeating through every page.
Despite not encountering truly special elements, the reading journey in The Good Son by Jeong You-Jeong remains satisfying, akin to navigating through corridors of psychological brilliance. Perhaps, with bolder execution, particularly in the context of the psychological thriller genre, this story has the potential to create a more profound impact. An enticing invitation beckoning readers to explore deeper and more challenging psychological layers suggests that the true mystery may not have fully unfolded yet.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Child death
Minor: Car accident
dama_heiko's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Death, and Mental illness
rafacolog's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Child death, Blood, Stalking, and Murder
lp980's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder
incompletesentence's review against another edition
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
electrachet's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
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
3.75
- Gripping & haunting narrative w/ an unreliable narrator, explores themes like mental health and the catastrophic consequences of decisions made
- Follows main character Yu Jin through past and present events, gradually revealing his character and motivations as well as the characters and motivations of the closest people around him (his family)
- Author's focus on human nature's darker aspects is compelling and disturbing
- Plot is slow but the book is very immersive and reads quickly
- I like how the story challenged my initial perceptions of the characters, especially Yu Jin, transforming a seemingly victimized character into a deeply flawed and very dangerous person
- Follows main character Yu Jin through past and present events, gradually revealing his character and motivations as well as the characters and motivations of the closest people around him (his family)
- Author's focus on human nature's darker aspects is compelling and disturbing
- Plot is slow but the book is very immersive and reads quickly
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Mental illness
Minor: Self harm
solitary's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
post-session:
initially rating it a solid three, i bumped it with an extra point five because of the new insights and perspective i got from my fellow readers. also, i realized just during the session how character-centric the book is, despite it being a psychological mystery/thriller. it’s such a unique approach to the usual whodunnit narrative popular in books and films.
pre-session:
jeong yu-jeong threads together memory and murder in this book examining the inner workings of a deranged mind. like what everyone else is saying, this is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit story. yu-jin takes us to different points of place and time as he tries to make sense of what he knows, what he doesn't, and what he's about to.
i felt like a prosecutor listening to yu-jin's story as he attempts to trick the audience and even himself with what really transpired the night before. despite not having any big twists or reveal, the slow unveiling of yu-jin's life from his point of view and from the people around him was enough to keep me seated.
without revealing much, the good son is a study of whether the tendency of our darkest and most vile desires and actions are inherent or brought upon by a series of circumstances that started from childhood to adulthood.
family plays a major part in this narrative, which is an important concept in almost all asian households. yu-jin being twenty-five and still living with his mom is nothing uncommon, yet it dawned on me how confining this must be for him. this, as well as many other factors that resulted in the premise, asks how far can a mother go for his child. and when confronted by a deadly truth, how does she stop?
︴ read for korean cultural center ph's book club
initially rating it a solid three, i bumped it with an extra point five because of the new insights and perspective i got from my fellow readers. also, i realized just during the session how character-centric the book is, despite it being a psychological mystery/thriller. it’s such a unique approach to the usual whodunnit narrative popular in books and films.
pre-session:
jeong yu-jeong threads together memory and murder in this book examining the inner workings of a deranged mind. like what everyone else is saying, this is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit story. yu-jin takes us to different points of place and time as he tries to make sense of what he knows, what he doesn't, and what he's about to.
i felt like a prosecutor listening to yu-jin's story as he attempts to trick the audience and even himself with what really transpired the night before. despite not having any big twists or reveal, the slow unveiling of yu-jin's life from his point of view and from the people around him was enough to keep me seated.
without revealing much, the good son is a study of whether the tendency of our darkest and most vile desires and actions are inherent or brought upon by a series of circumstances that started from childhood to adulthood.
family plays a major part in this narrative, which is an important concept in almost all asian households. yu-jin being twenty-five and still living with his mom is nothing uncommon, yet it dawned on me how confining this must be for him. this, as well as many other factors that resulted in the premise, asks how far can a mother go for his child. and when confronted by a deadly truth, how does she stop?
︴ read for korean cultural center ph's book club
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking and Panic attacks/disorders
rafaquatro's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Its a thriller, a good one who does a lot of reflection about abuse and mother to son relationship, very predictable tho.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Blood, Violence, and Stalking
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Sexual assault