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A review by solitary
The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong
dark
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
post-session:
initially rating it a solid three, i bumped it with an extra point five because of the new insights and perspective i got from my fellow readers. also, i realized just during the session how character-centric the book is, despite it being a psychological mystery/thriller. it’s such a unique approach to the usual whodunnit narrative popular in books and films.
pre-session:
jeong yu-jeong threads together memory and murder in this book examining the inner workings of a deranged mind. like what everyone else is saying, this is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit story. yu-jin takes us to different points of place and time as he tries to make sense of what he knows, what he doesn't, and what he's about to.
i felt like a prosecutor listening to yu-jin's story as he attempts to trick the audience and even himself with what really transpired the night before. despite not having any big twists or reveal, the slow unveiling of yu-jin's life from his point of view and from the people around him was enough to keep me seated.
without revealing much, the good son is a study of whether the tendency of our darkest and most vile desires and actions are inherent or brought upon by a series of circumstances that started from childhood to adulthood.
family plays a major part in this narrative, which is an important concept in almost all asian households. yu-jin being twenty-five and still living with his mom is nothing uncommon, yet it dawned on me how confining this must be for him. this, as well as many other factors that resulted in the premise, asks how far can a mother go for his child. and when confronted by a deadly truth, how does she stop?
︴ read for korean cultural center ph's book club
initially rating it a solid three, i bumped it with an extra point five because of the new insights and perspective i got from my fellow readers. also, i realized just during the session how character-centric the book is, despite it being a psychological mystery/thriller. it’s such a unique approach to the usual whodunnit narrative popular in books and films.
pre-session:
jeong yu-jeong threads together memory and murder in this book examining the inner workings of a deranged mind. like what everyone else is saying, this is a whydunnit rather than a whodunnit story. yu-jin takes us to different points of place and time as he tries to make sense of what he knows, what he doesn't, and what he's about to.
i felt like a prosecutor listening to yu-jin's story as he attempts to trick the audience and even himself with what really transpired the night before. despite not having any big twists or reveal, the slow unveiling of yu-jin's life from his point of view and from the people around him was enough to keep me seated.
without revealing much, the good son is a study of whether the tendency of our darkest and most vile desires and actions are inherent or brought upon by a series of circumstances that started from childhood to adulthood.
family plays a major part in this narrative, which is an important concept in almost all asian households. yu-jin being twenty-five and still living with his mom is nothing uncommon, yet it dawned on me how confining this must be for him. this, as well as many other factors that resulted in the premise, asks how far can a mother go for his child. and when confronted by a deadly truth, how does she stop?
︴ read for korean cultural center ph's book club
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Stalking and Panic attacks/disorders