A review by secrethistory
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

To me, this was a really beautiful but underdeveloped book about what it means to be human, what it means to be a monster, and what loving someone or giving up on them can mean. I kept expecting it to dig a little deeper than it did, but I found it very thoughtful and engaging regardless. The lower rating is mostly due to the ending.
Everything is wrapped up far too neatly. Not only is everyone okay, but our main character doesn’t lose his friend, he can now experience a wide range of emotions (albeit still with challenge and not fully), and his mom wakes up from a coma completely normal. It was the coma for me. It made it feel saccharine. “If you try hard enough and love hard enough, everything will be okay “ did not seem like it should have been a message of this novel. Especially with the role luck plays in the novel.
It was a good book, but could have used more development in both plot and themes. The characters were strong and loveable and their different perspectives brought a lot to the table (though again, I think they could have given more), but I could think of ten better endings. 
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