A review by whatannikareads
Shoko's Smile by Choi Eunyoung

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective 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? No

4.75

I truly think this may be my favorite short story collection of all time. The stories all felt purposeful in their inclusion and placement. I felt like it spoke to my soul as an existential twenty something year old and has empathized with my experiences in love, friendship, family, and being an asian woman in society. I think it speaks deeply both to those who understand women’s places in Korean society and in general can be applicable to other cultures.

My only qualm is not fully understanding the reasoning behind the way some stories ended or panned out, especially Michaela was hard for me to piece together. But I literally devoured every piece of this book, including the translator’s note—which includes very important info about the Sewol Ferry Disaster—and the author’s note, which felt like it was addressed to my younger self.

I don’t gravitate to short story collections at all but this one proved me wrong! I’m so glad I took a chance on this one. 
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