A review by sleepingsaha
Exhibit: A Novel by R.O. Kwon

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

Not for me. Kwon has an eye for captivating images and I was intrigued by the relationships (of all kinds) in this novel. I think it’s taking on a lot, though — from questions about why Lidija is taking a break to Jin’s professional struggles to Jin’s relationships with Lidija and Philip to the ghost story that’s supposedly being told to Jin (whose mechanism is never fully explored, which I was irked by). I think all of these were individually interesting but were not quite interpolated. As a result, the book felt disjointed and I found the ending to be rushed. Also, kind of a side note, but I found the branding of the book as a, like, sexy summer read to be somewhat at odds with how heavy the contents can be and the overall seriousness of the book’s tone.