A review by pagesfromhome
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I have to note that this book is INCREDIBLE, but it contains a lot of triggering content that could be really difficult to work through, so make a note of the content warnings before diving in!

Ultimately, Cha does a masterful job of bringing you through the lives of 5 Korean women as they work through what they crave for their lives. Through the voices of 4 different narrators (the 5th character, Sujin, while important to the story is not given her own chapters), you build up their history together to better understand who they are, where they come from, and how they're carving out a place in this world. By the end, you're rooting for all of them to get everything they've ever hoped for.

What I really loved was how real the whole story felt. I found myself completely lost in these characters' lives and simply wanting to be out to dinner with them. I can't speak to how realistic it is about Korean culture given that I'm a novice in that education, but it felt like you were watching friends live their lives...even if you didn't always love the choices they made.

All in all, I'd highly recommend it if you're looking for a piece of realistic literary fiction that focuses on the power of relationships and fate in your life, but again, be wary of the content warnings.
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