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A review by burnedoutbookdragon
What We Kept to Ourselves by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If you liked Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere", you'll enjoy this book.
Genre: literary fiction, mystery
Rating: 5⭐
Diversity: all the things
Method: hardback
WHAT I LIKED & DISLIKED ABOUT IT:
Although this isn't a slow read, I took my time with it. There were so many quotable lines and moments in which I wanted to sit with. This was so beautifully written. The characters, who are fictional, are actual people who walk amongst us. Their stories we may never know unless we are so inclined to show a moment of kindness and empathy.
There are so many themes explored in this book and I won't name them all. The biggest theme is how secrets and lack of connection hurt us all. What happens if we're truly vunerable and share all of ourselves? The other themes are best revealed and explored as you read along. This book felt like a love letter to the city of L.A., immigrant life, the diversity of the city, and the human experience are the same, even if we're experiencing it differently.
The author artfully weaves all of this into a suspenseful story of a mysterious death, a missing person, and how it affects an Asian-American family.
RECOMMENDATION:
This book is great if you love a suspense novel that explores what it means to keep secrets and keep parts of ourselves hidden from the world and those we love.
Genre: literary fiction, mystery
Rating: 5⭐
Diversity: all the things
Method: hardback
WHAT I LIKED & DISLIKED ABOUT IT:
Although this isn't a slow read, I took my time with it. There were so many quotable lines and moments in which I wanted to sit with. This was so beautifully written. The characters, who are fictional, are actual people who walk amongst us. Their stories we may never know unless we are so inclined to show a moment of kindness and empathy.
There are so many themes explored in this book and I won't name them all. The biggest theme is how secrets and lack of connection hurt us all. What happens if we're truly vunerable and share all of ourselves? The other themes are best revealed and explored as you read along. This book felt like a love letter to the city of L.A., immigrant life, the diversity of the city, and the human experience are the same, even if we're experiencing it differently.
The author artfully weaves all of this into a suspenseful story of a mysterious death, a missing person, and how it affects an Asian-American family.
RECOMMENDATION:
This book is great if you love a suspense novel that explores what it means to keep secrets and keep parts of ourselves hidden from the world and those we love.