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melliferamel's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
rasunshiny's review
4.0
Jungyun sangat berhasil membangun setiap karakter di buku ini terutama Kyung. Aku sangat paham dengan apa yang dirasakan Kyung beserta trauma yang dihadapinya. Meski begitu perbuatan dia tidak bisa dibenarkan juga.
Do you even understand about yourself? No one's holding you back. No one's trying to make you unhappy, not me or Ethan or even your parents. You can blame us as much as you want, but at certain point, maybe you just have to accept the fact that it's you. It's all the things you can't let go of
Tumbuh besar di keluarga yang mengutamakan pamor membuat Kyung terbiasa menutupi segala kekurangannya. Dia terbiasa menjadi perfectionist. Terutama di depan orang tuanya Kyung tidak ingin terlihat buruk atau sedang dalam kesusahan. Bahkan untuk istri dan anaknya Kyung belum sanggup menunjukkan dirinya tanpa samaran. Dia sudah terbiasa menunjukkan yang terbalik dari luar, walaupun di dalamnya banyak menghadapi masalah dan kekosongan di hati.
It's hard to be happy when you don't know what it's supposed to look like. But I'm telling you things can change
Kasih sayang juga tidak dirasakan Kyung sebagaimana mestinya didapatkan setiap anak. Dengan masa lalu demikianlah Kyung tidak mampu memberikan kasih sayang yang cukup untuk keluarga. Layaknya Kyung berkeluarga hanya berupa status, ia tidak benar-benar berperan sebagai suami maupun ayah. Hal ini berakibat trauma yang dialami Kyung seperti estafet ke anaknya, Ethan. Karena masalah tersebut aku merasa kagum dengan Gillian yang selalu berusaha berdiri di tengah, mendorong Kyung untuk membuka diri, menjaga anaknya dan memperlakukan orang tua Kyung sebaik mungkin.
It disturbs him, the fact that he has no memory of being the father or the son in such a happy moment
Melihat dan merasakan kekerasan menambah rasa pahit dan kebencian yang tertanam dalam diri Kyung. Aku paham sekali dengan perasaan dendam dan sulit memaafkan yang dialami Kyung. Trauma masa kecil tentunya sangat membekas dan begitu sulit dilupakan. Kyung berpikir dengan memafkan dirinya tidak akan merasa lebih baik dan masa kecilnya tidak bisa diputar ulang. Ia seperti terjebak di masa lalu.
Selain masalah keluarga Shelter juga menyinggung isu rasisme yang diterima warga Asia oleh white people. Lagi-lagi penulis berhasil menggambarkan situasi yang sangat nyata dan membuatku ikut miris saat membacanya. Aku juga suka bagaimana situasi disini digambarkan dengan detail, seperti adanya emblem Jesus fish dan stiker peace di bumper mobil. Nyatanya pergi ke gereja tiap minggu tidak membuat ibu Kyung merasakan kedamaian.
Shelter terbagi dalam tiga bagian, dawn, dusk, and night. Menurutku tiga bagian tersebut menggambarkan semua yang dirasakan Kyung. Mulai dari dirinya yang berusaha terlihat baik-baik saja, memberikan 'rumahnya' sebagai tempat tinggal orang tuanya sampai segala apa yang dipendamnya perlahan nampak dengan sangat jelas dan bagaimana akhirnya ia mengatasi itu semua. Aku suka banget, sih, sama endingnya.
Dalam cerita Kyung dibesarkan dengan pola pikir bahwa memiliki rumah adalah hal yang sangat berharga. Namun nyatanya Kyung banyak meninggalkan hutang karena bersikeras memiliki rumah. Shelter yang harusnya menjadi tempat yang aman dan nyaman nyatanya tidak selalu berlaku demikian. Alur cerita memperlihatkan pembaca bagaimana rapuhnya keluarga yang dibangun Kyung maupun orang tuanya. Bagaimana penulis mengupas masa lalu orang tua Kyung juga sangat realistis. Selain itu, berkeluarga juga tidak menjajikan dirimu akan menerima cinta yang cukup.
it's really a good story, i would reccomended this to everyone. Penulis benar-benar berhasil membawa cerita dan memperlihatkan karakter tokoh sampai sedalam-dalamnya.
4 of 5 stars
Do you even understand about yourself? No one's holding you back. No one's trying to make you unhappy, not me or Ethan or even your parents. You can blame us as much as you want, but at certain point, maybe you just have to accept the fact that it's you. It's all the things you can't let go of
Tumbuh besar di keluarga yang mengutamakan pamor membuat Kyung terbiasa menutupi segala kekurangannya. Dia terbiasa menjadi perfectionist. Terutama di depan orang tuanya Kyung tidak ingin terlihat buruk atau sedang dalam kesusahan. Bahkan untuk istri dan anaknya Kyung belum sanggup menunjukkan dirinya tanpa samaran. Dia sudah terbiasa menunjukkan yang terbalik dari luar, walaupun di dalamnya banyak menghadapi masalah dan kekosongan di hati.
It's hard to be happy when you don't know what it's supposed to look like. But I'm telling you things can change
Kasih sayang juga tidak dirasakan Kyung sebagaimana mestinya didapatkan setiap anak. Dengan masa lalu demikianlah Kyung tidak mampu memberikan kasih sayang yang cukup untuk keluarga. Layaknya Kyung berkeluarga hanya berupa status, ia tidak benar-benar berperan sebagai suami maupun ayah. Hal ini berakibat trauma yang dialami Kyung seperti estafet ke anaknya, Ethan. Karena masalah tersebut aku merasa kagum dengan Gillian yang selalu berusaha berdiri di tengah, mendorong Kyung untuk membuka diri, menjaga anaknya dan memperlakukan orang tua Kyung sebaik mungkin.
It disturbs him, the fact that he has no memory of being the father or the son in such a happy moment
Melihat dan merasakan kekerasan menambah rasa pahit dan kebencian yang tertanam dalam diri Kyung. Aku paham sekali dengan perasaan dendam dan sulit memaafkan yang dialami Kyung. Trauma masa kecil tentunya sangat membekas dan begitu sulit dilupakan. Kyung berpikir dengan memafkan dirinya tidak akan merasa lebih baik dan masa kecilnya tidak bisa diputar ulang. Ia seperti terjebak di masa lalu.
Selain masalah keluarga Shelter juga menyinggung isu rasisme yang diterima warga Asia oleh white people. Lagi-lagi penulis berhasil menggambarkan situasi yang sangat nyata dan membuatku ikut miris saat membacanya. Aku juga suka bagaimana situasi disini digambarkan dengan detail, seperti adanya emblem Jesus fish dan stiker peace di bumper mobil. Nyatanya pergi ke gereja tiap minggu tidak membuat ibu Kyung merasakan kedamaian.
Shelter terbagi dalam tiga bagian, dawn, dusk, and night. Menurutku tiga bagian tersebut menggambarkan semua yang dirasakan Kyung. Mulai dari dirinya yang berusaha terlihat baik-baik saja, memberikan 'rumahnya' sebagai tempat tinggal orang tuanya sampai segala apa yang dipendamnya perlahan nampak dengan sangat jelas dan bagaimana akhirnya ia mengatasi itu semua. Aku suka banget, sih, sama endingnya.
Dalam cerita Kyung dibesarkan dengan pola pikir bahwa memiliki rumah adalah hal yang sangat berharga. Namun nyatanya Kyung banyak meninggalkan hutang karena bersikeras memiliki rumah. Shelter yang harusnya menjadi tempat yang aman dan nyaman nyatanya tidak selalu berlaku demikian. Alur cerita memperlihatkan pembaca bagaimana rapuhnya keluarga yang dibangun Kyung maupun orang tuanya. Bagaimana penulis mengupas masa lalu orang tua Kyung juga sangat realistis. Selain itu, berkeluarga juga tidak menjajikan dirimu akan menerima cinta yang cukup.
it's really a good story, i would reccomended this to everyone. Penulis benar-benar berhasil membawa cerita dan memperlihatkan karakter tokoh sampai sedalam-dalamnya.
4 of 5 stars
bugtickle's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
malenahaarhaus's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
thisisstephenbetts's review
3.0
Strangely frustrating book. The main theme is of a 2nd generation immigrant dealing with distant, strict and traditional parents, but there are a lot of trauma and crises to push those themes to breaking point. The main character is dislikable and somewhat annoying, but I was able to have some sympathy due to the difficulty of his upbringing. I thought the tension and frustration felt when a strict parent becomes an indulgent and doting grandparent was interesting and well described. But unfortunately some of the characterizations and dialogue were just so badly done. A few, slightly spoilerish, examples (all paraphrased) — the wife of the protagonist, training to be a councillor (with a course book on her lap) responds to a difficult statement of the protagonist's feelings with "how can you say that? That's terrible". Maybe counseling isn't her calling. A policeman, seconds after the family discover the theorised suicide of one character the night after an argument with another says to the family "it's not entirely his fault". Also, in that possible suicide another character was deliberately killed — and no-one in the book seems bothered in the slightest that this person was apparently murdered. It's basically not mentioned. Things like that were really jarring, and for me totally undermined an interesting book.
judithdcollins's review
4.0
SHELTER by Jung Yun is an emotional domestic suspense debut of an immigrant family—seeking shelter from life’s messiness- childhood, finances, violence, parents, and marriage. Stunning front cover of a family crumbling-destruction.
What goes on behind closed doors?
Korean American Kyung Cho, a 36-yr. old professor of biology at a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and his American wife, Gillian--their life is unbalanced. He is bitter-having issues with his own young son, an unfulfilled career, and a troubled marriage.
They have lived off credit cards, and have looked into selling the house; however, due to the economy, it is not worth it. Their family finances are unraveling and he and his wife, Gillian are forced to rent out their home and move in with his parents. Things have spiraled out of control. From pain and loneliness, from past to present—from shame, disapproval to anger.
Painting a realistic picture of how most Americans live beyond their means. The fallout of abuse. Hidden family secrets. From poor decisions, which have caught up with this family.
The author ties in two generations--Jin and Mae, the parents –who appear to have all the comforts anyone would desire on the exterior. His parents are very wealthy. However, even though they provided for him, they were distant. They provided the material possessions; however, not the emotional. A perfectionist. Hidden family secrets. Heartbreaking.
When the unspeakable happens, an act of violence--roles are reversed. They have to take care of the parents. Old hurts and pent up anger surface. The relationship between a child and parent. His parents were not so perfect. There was abuse. His parent’s relationship was not of love.
An untangling of lies. A tragedy. Can a man start over? A safe place in the middle. Forgiveness? A powerful inter-generational debut. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Raymond Lee for an emotional and insightful look into complex family dynamics--even though at times felt a little long and drawn out.
An example of our American post-financial crisis. Sensitive, brutally honest, haunting, and gripping—crossing between a suburban psychological suspense, contemporary, mystery, domestic, family drama and a complex crime saga.
JDCMustReadBooks
What goes on behind closed doors?
Korean American Kyung Cho, a 36-yr. old professor of biology at a liberal arts college in Massachusetts, and his American wife, Gillian--their life is unbalanced. He is bitter-having issues with his own young son, an unfulfilled career, and a troubled marriage.
They have lived off credit cards, and have looked into selling the house; however, due to the economy, it is not worth it. Their family finances are unraveling and he and his wife, Gillian are forced to rent out their home and move in with his parents. Things have spiraled out of control. From pain and loneliness, from past to present—from shame, disapproval to anger.
Painting a realistic picture of how most Americans live beyond their means. The fallout of abuse. Hidden family secrets. From poor decisions, which have caught up with this family.
The author ties in two generations--Jin and Mae, the parents –who appear to have all the comforts anyone would desire on the exterior. His parents are very wealthy. However, even though they provided for him, they were distant. They provided the material possessions; however, not the emotional. A perfectionist. Hidden family secrets. Heartbreaking.
When the unspeakable happens, an act of violence--roles are reversed. They have to take care of the parents. Old hurts and pent up anger surface. The relationship between a child and parent. His parents were not so perfect. There was abuse. His parent’s relationship was not of love.
An untangling of lies. A tragedy. Can a man start over? A safe place in the middle. Forgiveness? A powerful inter-generational debut. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Raymond Lee for an emotional and insightful look into complex family dynamics--even though at times felt a little long and drawn out.
An example of our American post-financial crisis. Sensitive, brutally honest, haunting, and gripping—crossing between a suburban psychological suspense, contemporary, mystery, domestic, family drama and a complex crime saga.
JDCMustReadBooks
bmpicc's review
3.0
Darker and more depressing than expected. Interesting story. I did find myself bored at times. There also wasn't much that was "redeeming" or "hopeful" about most characters... or their story lines.