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ktindol's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
novelvisits's review against another edition
3.0
Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz (debut)
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Length: 368 pages
Original Review at: http://www.novelvisits.com/everything-belongs-yoojin-wuertz-review/
Single Sentence Summary: Three South Korean university students from very different backgrounds find their lives intersecting in ways that will forever transform them.
Primary Characters: Jisun – The daughter of a very wealthy businessman. Jisun has had a privileged upbringing, but very much wants to be a social activist. Namin – The daughter of poor food cart operators. Namin’s role in her family is to be a great success and rescue them all. Sunam – Son of a controlling middle-class father. Sunam badly wants success, but doesn’t want to work too hard to achieve it.
Synopsis: In 1978, Seoul National University is the most prestigious college in the country. Attending is in itself an advantage, putting students among South Korea’s professional elite. That is exactly what Namin and Sunam want. Namin to pay her family back for all they’ve sacrificed for her education. Sunam simply craves even more wealth and prestige than his father achieved. Jisun, who always lived a life of privilege, is there because it’s required of her, but she’s more concerned with social activism. Jisun and Namin, unlikely friends since middle school, cling to a strained friendship that only grows more complicated when they both become involved with Sunam.
Review: Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz is an impressive debut. It’s historical in nature, and culturally specific, yet feels like a story that could take place almost anywhere and at any time in the last 50 years. The heart of the story is a triangle, not exactly a love triangle, more of a friendship triangle. That’s a theme often resonating in coming-of-age stories and I think Wuertz did it beautifully here. Her placement of her characters in 1978 Seoul provided just the right backdrop for their story. It was a time in that country’s history when change was happening at a rapid rate. Social activism against Park’s harsh regime and the unifying of factory workers were both pieces of history that Jisun’s character brought to light. In all three characters, we saw the social stratification of South Korea at that time, and in Namin we learned just how difficult it was to overcome poverty.
Where Everything Belongs to Us fell down a little for me was in its uneven character development. I think Wuertz did a masterful job with the two women. Jisun was my favorite character because I understood and sympathized with her backstory. This was a girl who lost her mother at a young age and had been raised largely by a housekeeper. Even when not around, her father’s presence was always felt and his control over her life complete. Yet, Jisun wanted a different sort of life and found ways to get it. I admired her. I also admired Namin, but I didn’t really like her. Namin was definitely the character with the most to overcome. Her vision of where she was, where she needed to end up, and how to get there was laser focused. Namin had so many obstacles in her way and yet she always fought on. The filial aspects of her life were harder for me to connect with, but significant to the time and culture.
“Namin at the top of the pyramid with her books and exam scores and degrees, buffered from the worst of her family’s poverty by the expectation that one day her great success would rescue them all. Everyone knew their roles, and Namin for her part did not resent the burden of carrying her family’s future.”
Sunam, unlike the two women, was a mystery to me. There wasn’t enough of a backstory for me to understand him. Why did he crave success? Why was he so lazy about working for it? Why was he one to take the easy route? I never was sure if this was another cultural element or if this was just who the character was. I also think Sunam muddied the story of the relationship between Jisun and Namin. He played a pivotal role, but I think I might have enjoyed Jisun and Namin more without him. The book was written in seven sections and I found I enjoyed most those focused on the two heroines of Everything Belongs to Us. Grade: B-
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Random House
Release Date: February 28, 2017
Length: 368 pages
Original Review at: http://www.novelvisits.com/everything-belongs-yoojin-wuertz-review/
Single Sentence Summary: Three South Korean university students from very different backgrounds find their lives intersecting in ways that will forever transform them.
Primary Characters: Jisun – The daughter of a very wealthy businessman. Jisun has had a privileged upbringing, but very much wants to be a social activist. Namin – The daughter of poor food cart operators. Namin’s role in her family is to be a great success and rescue them all. Sunam – Son of a controlling middle-class father. Sunam badly wants success, but doesn’t want to work too hard to achieve it.
Synopsis: In 1978, Seoul National University is the most prestigious college in the country. Attending is in itself an advantage, putting students among South Korea’s professional elite. That is exactly what Namin and Sunam want. Namin to pay her family back for all they’ve sacrificed for her education. Sunam simply craves even more wealth and prestige than his father achieved. Jisun, who always lived a life of privilege, is there because it’s required of her, but she’s more concerned with social activism. Jisun and Namin, unlikely friends since middle school, cling to a strained friendship that only grows more complicated when they both become involved with Sunam.
Review: Everything Belongs to Us by Yoojin Grace Wuertz is an impressive debut. It’s historical in nature, and culturally specific, yet feels like a story that could take place almost anywhere and at any time in the last 50 years. The heart of the story is a triangle, not exactly a love triangle, more of a friendship triangle. That’s a theme often resonating in coming-of-age stories and I think Wuertz did it beautifully here. Her placement of her characters in 1978 Seoul provided just the right backdrop for their story. It was a time in that country’s history when change was happening at a rapid rate. Social activism against Park’s harsh regime and the unifying of factory workers were both pieces of history that Jisun’s character brought to light. In all three characters, we saw the social stratification of South Korea at that time, and in Namin we learned just how difficult it was to overcome poverty.
Where Everything Belongs to Us fell down a little for me was in its uneven character development. I think Wuertz did a masterful job with the two women. Jisun was my favorite character because I understood and sympathized with her backstory. This was a girl who lost her mother at a young age and had been raised largely by a housekeeper. Even when not around, her father’s presence was always felt and his control over her life complete. Yet, Jisun wanted a different sort of life and found ways to get it. I admired her. I also admired Namin, but I didn’t really like her. Namin was definitely the character with the most to overcome. Her vision of where she was, where she needed to end up, and how to get there was laser focused. Namin had so many obstacles in her way and yet she always fought on. The filial aspects of her life were harder for me to connect with, but significant to the time and culture.
“Namin at the top of the pyramid with her books and exam scores and degrees, buffered from the worst of her family’s poverty by the expectation that one day her great success would rescue them all. Everyone knew their roles, and Namin for her part did not resent the burden of carrying her family’s future.”
Sunam, unlike the two women, was a mystery to me. There wasn’t enough of a backstory for me to understand him. Why did he crave success? Why was he so lazy about working for it? Why was he one to take the easy route? I never was sure if this was another cultural element or if this was just who the character was. I also think Sunam muddied the story of the relationship between Jisun and Namin. He played a pivotal role, but I think I might have enjoyed Jisun and Namin more without him. The book was written in seven sections and I found I enjoyed most those focused on the two heroines of Everything Belongs to Us. Grade: B-
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for my honest review.
siobhanward's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I wish more had actually happened in this book. The premise was decent and the characters were strong, but things just felt muddled and the plot dragged. I definitely thought (hoped) that the book would be focused on the time period and the social change happening in that era (as seems to be happening in the first chapter), but what I ended up with was a book that was more about drama and romance with some family drama thrown in for good measure. I've kept the rating kind of mid though, since it wasn't a bad book, and there were some really strong parts, it just didn't maintain that for a lot of the book.
mg_in_md_'s review against another edition
4.0
Set in 1978, this debut novel takes place at the elite Seoul National University in South Korea, during the final years of a repressive regime. The story centers around two college-aged women, Jisun and Namin, who are childhood friends despite their different backgrounds and are coming of age in this tumultuous period of time. Jisun, the daughter of powerful tycoon, attempts to eschew her privileged upbringing and become an underground labor activist. Her brilliant childhood friend, Namin, grew up with nothing and is attempting to launch herself and her family out of poverty. The two meet a young man named Sunam is drawn to both women and is attempting to find his place in a cutthroat world under the mentorship of a man named Juno who was ties to an elite club known as The Circle.
Jisun's and Namin's attempts to not be defined by their pasts and their relationships to each other and to Sunam drive the story forward. Knowing virtually nothing about this period of history, I appreciated the historical and societal details that were woven into the story and would've liked to learn more about the political and labor strife. If you are the type of reader who needs to like at least one character, you might find this book difficult. Both women have walls around them that might make it hard for some readers to connect to; however, I felt that those barriers were in line with their backgrounds and were both understandable and believable. I preferred the chapters that focused more on Jisun and Namin and their thoughts over the ones where Sunam had a more prominent role. At times, I felt like it was more his story than theirs and his point-of-view added a layer between me and the other characters. I think that this would make for an interesting book discussion, as there are many themes to explore and analyze.
I used this for the 2017 BookRiot Read Harder Challenge category "Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color."
Jisun's and Namin's attempts to not be defined by their pasts and their relationships to each other and to Sunam drive the story forward. Knowing virtually nothing about this period of history, I appreciated the historical and societal details that were woven into the story and would've liked to learn more about the political and labor strife. If you are the type of reader who needs to like at least one character, you might find this book difficult. Both women have walls around them that might make it hard for some readers to connect to; however, I felt that those barriers were in line with their backgrounds and were both understandable and believable. I preferred the chapters that focused more on Jisun and Namin and their thoughts over the ones where Sunam had a more prominent role. At times, I felt like it was more his story than theirs and his point-of-view added a layer between me and the other characters. I think that this would make for an interesting book discussion, as there are many themes to explore and analyze.
I used this for the 2017 BookRiot Read Harder Challenge category "Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color."
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Fascinating look at social status in Seoul as it plays out among a small group of college students in the late 1970s, amid labor protests and the student movement. Namin is the daughter of parents who own a food cart, the first in her neighborhood to be accepted to the top university. Jisun is her longtime friend from school, a superwealthy heiress who's expected to follow her father into business. And Sunam is a young man at the university from a comfortable middle class family. He's trying to gain access to an elite university club, undergoing various hazing tasks. Solid read.
karenleagermain's review against another edition
5.0
Thank You to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced copy of Yoojin Grace Wuertz's novel, Everything Belongs to Us, in exchange for an honest review.
PLOT - Set in Seoul, South Korea during the late 70's, Everything Belongs to Us, is the story of two childhood friends from vastly different economic backgrounds. Jisun, the daughter of a successful business tycoon, is from a privileged family, and lives in a secluded mountainside mansion. Namin lives in a poor village, in a small house without running water, and her parents own a food truck, working sixteen hour days. The girls meet when Namin's impressive test scores admit her to an elite middle school.
Fast forward to college, both women are attending South Korea's most prestigious university. Namin's goal is to become a doctor and her family puts all of their money and energy towards her success, seeing her as their ticket out of their hard life. Jisun's father would like to groom her to take over his company, but she would rather disavow her wealthy upbringing. Instead, Jisun becomes involved in an activist movement, risking not only embarrassment to her family, but jail. A series of circumstances sets a course that will show each woman, that their situations are tenuous and that desire isn't always enough.
LIKE- Wow. Just wow. Everything Belongs to Us is a dazzling debut novel that gripped me from the start and didn't let go. I absolutely could not put it down, and as a consequence, I stayed up far past my bedtime to finish reading it. Wuertz's strong voice, combined with sympathetic characters and a intriguing plot, kept me glued.
What surprised me the most, was how current the story felt. Admittedly, I know very little about Korea's history during the 1970's. However, with the exception of the factory protests (which for all I know could also be happening now), I kept forgetting that this story was set decades ago. I think it's because the idea of college students focusing on power, social climbing and ambition, transcends decades or cultures. The idea of a lower-class family putting all of their dreams towards their child who could raise their status, is something that still happens; same as a child from a wealthy family who might want to test out a different life from the one in which she was raised. These are themes that transcend.
Power is a key theme of Everything Belongs to Us. The most gut-wrenching use of this theme, comes from Namin, when she learns that her younger brother, who has cerebral-palsy, has been sent away from Seoul, to live with their grandparents in the county. The problem is, the family is ashamed, and does not speak of Namin's younger brother. She fears that he is dead, until as teenagers, Jisun suggests that Namin make a surprise trip to the countryside, to see if her brother is still alive. He is alive and knowing that her elderly grandparents will not be able to care for him much longer, Namin feels an even stronger pressure to finish school, and have a job where she will have the resources to help him. There is a beautiful scene where she takes him in his wheelchair to the river and as they cool their feet in the water, they dream of the fantasy home that they will one day have. Namin dreams of being wealthy, but not so much for herself, but for the power that it would give her to provide for her family. It's a desperate and non-negotiable need for her.
In college, the girls meet Sunam, a boy from a middle-class background, who like the girls, is trying to find his place in the world. Sunam becomes Namin's boyfriend, but their relationship declines when she becomes too busy with school and family obligations. Jisun, who is broken-hearted over an American missionary, turns her attentions to Sunam, beginning an affair with Namin's boyfriend. Unbeknownst to both girls, Sunam is harboring a secret that would destroy both of his relationships. Wuertz's plot is full of moral dilemmas and impossible situations. It's suspenseful and kept me guessing until the very end.
DISLIKE- Not a single thing. Everything Belongs to Us is a fabulous debut.
RECOMMEND- Yes! Everything Belongs to Us is set in the 1970's, but is fresh and modern. Wuertz is a masterful storyteller and I can't wait to read her follow-up to this magnificent debut. Also, be sure to check out her author website, where she shares pictures of her family, who were inspiration for the characters in Everything Belongs to Us.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
PLOT - Set in Seoul, South Korea during the late 70's, Everything Belongs to Us, is the story of two childhood friends from vastly different economic backgrounds. Jisun, the daughter of a successful business tycoon, is from a privileged family, and lives in a secluded mountainside mansion. Namin lives in a poor village, in a small house without running water, and her parents own a food truck, working sixteen hour days. The girls meet when Namin's impressive test scores admit her to an elite middle school.
Fast forward to college, both women are attending South Korea's most prestigious university. Namin's goal is to become a doctor and her family puts all of their money and energy towards her success, seeing her as their ticket out of their hard life. Jisun's father would like to groom her to take over his company, but she would rather disavow her wealthy upbringing. Instead, Jisun becomes involved in an activist movement, risking not only embarrassment to her family, but jail. A series of circumstances sets a course that will show each woman, that their situations are tenuous and that desire isn't always enough.
LIKE- Wow. Just wow. Everything Belongs to Us is a dazzling debut novel that gripped me from the start and didn't let go. I absolutely could not put it down, and as a consequence, I stayed up far past my bedtime to finish reading it. Wuertz's strong voice, combined with sympathetic characters and a intriguing plot, kept me glued.
What surprised me the most, was how current the story felt. Admittedly, I know very little about Korea's history during the 1970's. However, with the exception of the factory protests (which for all I know could also be happening now), I kept forgetting that this story was set decades ago. I think it's because the idea of college students focusing on power, social climbing and ambition, transcends decades or cultures. The idea of a lower-class family putting all of their dreams towards their child who could raise their status, is something that still happens; same as a child from a wealthy family who might want to test out a different life from the one in which she was raised. These are themes that transcend.
Power is a key theme of Everything Belongs to Us. The most gut-wrenching use of this theme, comes from Namin, when she learns that her younger brother, who has cerebral-palsy, has been sent away from Seoul, to live with their grandparents in the county. The problem is, the family is ashamed, and does not speak of Namin's younger brother. She fears that he is dead, until as teenagers, Jisun suggests that Namin make a surprise trip to the countryside, to see if her brother is still alive. He is alive and knowing that her elderly grandparents will not be able to care for him much longer, Namin feels an even stronger pressure to finish school, and have a job where she will have the resources to help him. There is a beautiful scene where she takes him in his wheelchair to the river and as they cool their feet in the water, they dream of the fantasy home that they will one day have. Namin dreams of being wealthy, but not so much for herself, but for the power that it would give her to provide for her family. It's a desperate and non-negotiable need for her.
In college, the girls meet Sunam, a boy from a middle-class background, who like the girls, is trying to find his place in the world. Sunam becomes Namin's boyfriend, but their relationship declines when she becomes too busy with school and family obligations. Jisun, who is broken-hearted over an American missionary, turns her attentions to Sunam, beginning an affair with Namin's boyfriend. Unbeknownst to both girls, Sunam is harboring a secret that would destroy both of his relationships. Wuertz's plot is full of moral dilemmas and impossible situations. It's suspenseful and kept me guessing until the very end.
DISLIKE- Not a single thing. Everything Belongs to Us is a fabulous debut.
RECOMMEND- Yes! Everything Belongs to Us is set in the 1970's, but is fresh and modern. Wuertz is a masterful storyteller and I can't wait to read her follow-up to this magnificent debut. Also, be sure to check out her author website, where she shares pictures of her family, who were inspiration for the characters in Everything Belongs to Us.
Like my review? Check out my blog!
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Excellently written debut novel about three students in 1970s South Korea. Namin, Jisun, and Sunam are all very different characters, with differing motivations - and up until the very end you're never quite sure who is the "main" character. They're all also extremely unlikeable at times which makes them particularly fascinating. I wasn't especially tickled with how Wuertz decided to use an epilogue to end her book, which knocked off a star for me, but overall I really liked it.
Thanks to Random House for the review copy.
Thanks to Random House for the review copy.
constantreader471's review against another edition
4.0
This is book of historical fiction, taking place during the 70s in South Korea. The country is run by a dictatorship. There are four principal characters, all college students:
Sunam--a charming man who becomes involved with two women
Jisun--spoiled daughter of a rich man
Namin--daughter of a poor family
Juno--mentor to Sunam
There are worker demonstrations/strikes, awkward/failed romances and an illegitimate child of an American soldier and a Korean woman. While I enjoyed reading this book, it dragged in spots.
Two quotes: "She felt the years of loneliness and private struggle evaporate off her chest, weightless as a cloud."
"Sometimes the arguments rose and fell around her like the crackle of a large bonfire, jagged and lulling."
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ebook.
Sunam--a charming man who becomes involved with two women
Jisun--spoiled daughter of a rich man
Namin--daughter of a poor family
Juno--mentor to Sunam
There are worker demonstrations/strikes, awkward/failed romances and an illegitimate child of an American soldier and a Korean woman. While I enjoyed reading this book, it dragged in spots.
Two quotes: "She felt the years of loneliness and private struggle evaporate off her chest, weightless as a cloud."
"Sometimes the arguments rose and fell around her like the crackle of a large bonfire, jagged and lulling."
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Thanks to NetGalley for sending me this ebook.
gracepelican's review against another edition
5.0
This is a coming of age story about friendships, desire, and betrayal, set against the backdrop of student life and political upheaval in South Korea in the 1970s. Namin, raised in poverty and striving to succeed, has a complicated friendship with Jisun, the rebellious daughter of a billionaire who wants to distance herself from her family’s money. Class inequality underlies every part of their sometimes toxic, sometimes genuine friendship. Namin starts dating Sunam, a young man from a middle class background who’s trying to get his way into an elite university circle. He’s drawn to her ambition and simultaneously intimidated, which is how he ends up in a relationship with Jisun.
The way this book dissects the impact of class on friendships and romantic relationships was insightful and felt very real. The writing kinda reminds me of Sally Rooney but is very grounded in its South Korean political and economic context. The characters were compelling and believable and I liked the pacing.
The way this book dissects the impact of class on friendships and romantic relationships was insightful and felt very real. The writing kinda reminds me of Sally Rooney but is very grounded in its South Korean political and economic context. The characters were compelling and believable and I liked the pacing.
steadygiant's review against another edition
3.0
I love the structure. The book glides from present to past and each character is always in a different place. The epilogue is haunting.
I don't care for Sunam. "Ambitious" and "charming" wouldn't be how I describe him. He's a Nick Carraway character, boring and listless and only useful for providing a third person perspective to Jisun and Namin's relationship. His relationship with Jisun was the least believable I've read. But I didn't put down the book so the drama was compelling.
I keep thinking about this book. I'll give it that. Pachinko didn't stick with me the way this book is sticking with me, even though some chapters I had to hate read and force myself through.
I don't care for Sunam. "Ambitious" and "charming" wouldn't be how I describe him. He's a Nick Carraway character, boring and listless and only useful for providing a third person perspective to Jisun and Namin's relationship. His relationship with Jisun was the least believable I've read. But I didn't put down the book so the drama was compelling.
I keep thinking about this book. I'll give it that. Pachinko didn't stick with me the way this book is sticking with me, even though some chapters I had to hate read and force myself through.