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sarai0410 's review for:
Under the Oak Tree, Vol. 1 (Novel)
by Suji Kim
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Hurt x comfort is the superior trope and nobody can tell me otherwise.
I knew going into this that there were going to be some triggering aspects to be aware of, so I can understand why other readers may not look at this novel in a favorable light, especially for the beginning chapters. I do feel however that we get some resolution/understanding of our FMC perspective of actions taken by our MMC; don't get me wrong, this isn't me saying he was in the right, but being a historical fiction reader, there are many aspects of this book that feel similarly to many historical romances that rely on the FMC being naive and 'innocent' in regards to relationships with men, especially sexual aspects.
But moving past those pieces, I just really enjoyed the story. Maxi is a sweet character and I can't help but root for her and her progression towards self-acceptance and healing. The story, while slow moving and more character-focused, built an interesting world that I hope we get to dive more into in the next volume. I'm very hopeful for Riftan and Maxi to being more open to one another, and I'm anxiously waiting for the inevitable miscommunication trope due to Maxi hiding most of her true self and her upbringing from Riftan.
The only downside to the novelization of the comic is the abrupt ending of this volume. It was a little jarring and I felt like we ended mid-chapter. I'm hoping Volume 2 picks up right where we left off and doesn't have much 'recap' at the beginning due to this writing choice. Either way though I'm looking forward to the next installment. And I might need to check out the comic because the art is gorgeous..
I knew going into this that there were going to be some triggering aspects to be aware of, so I can understand why other readers may not look at this novel in a favorable light, especially for the beginning chapters. I do feel however that we get some resolution/understanding of our FMC perspective of actions taken by our MMC; don't get me wrong, this isn't me saying he was in the right, but being a historical fiction reader, there are many aspects of this book that feel similarly to many historical romances that rely on the FMC being naive and 'innocent' in regards to relationships with men, especially sexual aspects.
But moving past those pieces, I just really enjoyed the story. Maxi is a sweet character and I can't help but root for her and her progression towards self-acceptance and healing. The story, while slow moving and more character-focused, built an interesting world that I hope we get to dive more into in the next volume. I'm very hopeful for Riftan and Maxi to being more open to one another, and I'm anxiously waiting for the inevitable miscommunication trope due to Maxi hiding most of her true self and her upbringing from Riftan.
The only downside to the novelization of the comic is the abrupt ending of this volume. It was a little jarring and I felt like we ended mid-chapter. I'm hoping Volume 2 picks up right where we left off and doesn't have much 'recap' at the beginning due to this writing choice. Either way though I'm looking forward to the next installment. And I might need to check out the comic because the art is gorgeous..