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A review by melcanread
Almond by Won-pyung Sohn
challenging
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I don't know if I have the words for this...
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends, but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and contented life. But everything changes when a shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own.
Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation until a troubled teenager, Gon, arrives at his school. The two form a surprising bond and when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a hero of his own story.
I had heard great things about this book which is why I decided to give it a go. I don't usually pick up contemporaries, but as this is part of my 2023 challenge to read more Korean authors, I decided fhat this should be one of the books I should try. And honestly, I think it's one of my favourite books of this year thus far, if not ever.
The only problem that I had with it was that the ending seemed very Disney fantasy. Everything was tied up with a neat little bow and given to you as a gift of happiness, so to speak. A sugar coated ending. The fact that his mother was able to recover from such a violent attack seems unrealistic though not impossible. And while this was an ending that I loved and was happy for Yunjae to have, I also feel like it was a little bit far-fetched. Like pixie dust had been sprinkled and suddenly his mother was alive and well and back to her usual teary self.
But from the very start of this book I was in awe of the sheer beauty of the writing. So many passages of this book had been highlighted from me just because I thought they were so poignant or so beautiful or just wonderful to read. While it was very slow to begin with it quickly became something that I was very much obsessed with... I read this in one sitting.
From the way his mother was described as being caring but also pathetic, to his grandmother being hard and unfeeling in the way the old people tend to be; yet she seemed to have cared the most about him, to the way that his condition was explained and we got to see his experience living with it. We were able to look at the world through neurodivergent eyes in a way that we don't often get to. Even with all the drama of the end of the book it was still really nice to see someone who isn't typical who isn't typical who isn't able minded in the same way that the rest of the world is live a wonderful and normal life. Of course we got to read about how his condition affected him, and while he had a somewhat normal life it wasn't normal to the same degree as his peers, but it was still a life worth living, it was still a life that he enjoyed but he enjoyed to the best of his ability.
It was a beautifully written book that made me feel things that I haven't felt in a while. And I highly recommend it for anybody who feels like a good cry.
Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends, but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and contented life. But everything changes when a shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own.
Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation until a troubled teenager, Gon, arrives at his school. The two form a surprising bond and when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a hero of his own story.
I had heard great things about this book which is why I decided to give it a go. I don't usually pick up contemporaries, but as this is part of my 2023 challenge to read more Korean authors, I decided fhat this should be one of the books I should try. And honestly, I think it's one of my favourite books of this year thus far, if not ever.
The only problem that I had with it was that the ending seemed very Disney fantasy. Everything was tied up with a neat little bow and given to you as a gift of happiness, so to speak. A sugar coated ending. The fact that his mother was able to recover from such a violent attack seems unrealistic though not impossible. And while this was an ending that I loved and was happy for Yunjae to have, I also feel like it was a little bit far-fetched. Like pixie dust had been sprinkled and suddenly his mother was alive and well and back to her usual teary self.
But from the very start of this book I was in awe of the sheer beauty of the writing. So many passages of this book had been highlighted from me just because I thought they were so poignant or so beautiful or just wonderful to read. While it was very slow to begin with it quickly became something that I was very much obsessed with... I read this in one sitting.
From the way his mother was described as being caring but also pathetic, to his grandmother being hard and unfeeling in the way the old people tend to be; yet she seemed to have cared the most about him, to the way that his condition was explained and we got to see his experience living with it. We were able to look at the world through neurodivergent eyes in a way that we don't often get to. Even with all the drama of the end of the book it was still really nice to see someone who isn't typical who isn't typical who isn't able minded in the same way that the rest of the world is live a wonderful and normal life. Of course we got to read about how his condition affected him, and while he had a somewhat normal life it wasn't normal to the same degree as his peers, but it was still a life worth living, it was still a life that he enjoyed but he enjoyed to the best of his ability.
It was a beautifully written book that made me feel things that I haven't felt in a while. And I highly recommend it for anybody who feels like a good cry.