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A review by verybooksessed
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
5.0
this is the story of yunjae, who was born with Alexithymia, a brain condition that places a barrier between him and his emotions. he is unable to identify certain emotions and expressing them is arduous. we follow yunjae on a confusing yet beautiful journey of navigating complex human emotions and relationships in a society that seems to constantly discriminate and silence people until they behave as expected, as conditioned.
what made this book gripping is the author successfully painting a clear picture to us, the readers, of how yunjae attempts to interpret complex emotions and actions with such simplicity and indifference, in comparison to how neurotypical individuals do so.
yunjae is treated like an outcast amongst his community, a boy who is incapable of possessing a heart or soul due to his inability to understand or show emotion.
while the novel is mainly a commentary on korean society, some aspects can still be relatable in other societies that encompass similar behaviors of prejudice.
i would label almond as impactful in terms of the message that it delivers, and it is a powerful book for all ages as well.
what made this book gripping is the author successfully painting a clear picture to us, the readers, of how yunjae attempts to interpret complex emotions and actions with such simplicity and indifference, in comparison to how neurotypical individuals do so.
yunjae is treated like an outcast amongst his community, a boy who is incapable of possessing a heart or soul due to his inability to understand or show emotion.
while the novel is mainly a commentary on korean society, some aspects can still be relatable in other societies that encompass similar behaviors of prejudice.
i would label almond as impactful in terms of the message that it delivers, and it is a powerful book for all ages as well.