Almond

Is it wrong for me to say that this is not as hurtful as I had expected? Almond to me is just another Tuesday. I didn't hate it. I have written stronger feelings on other book reviews but with this one, I will say I am glad to have crossed this off my TBR.

Best read after a long time

The blurb definitely does not quite convey what this book is truly about and I feel like it's fun to read even though quite a few things were mentioned but not really explored. It leaves me a little bit confused and frustrated at the end because I don't quite see the point of it all, but in a way it's a bit typical for a YA/coming-of-age novel. However, I had a good time reading this - I liked the characters, the writing and most of all how the story was told.

I really liked this story! The characters voices are diverse and easily distinguishable, the concept is unique and vibrant, and I thought it was well represented. The sudden shift at the end to understanding was disappointing for me - it felt like a forced happy ending, and not realistic. Overall a great read though!

I read this because it was part of a BTS book club I belong to and picked because Yoongi read it during the In the Soop episodes. And I'm really glad it was recommended! What a unique and thoughtful story. I powered through it in two days, and not just because it is quite short. I was completely taken in by Yunjae's story of living life with a rare disorder that leaves him feeling no emotion. Navigating the world obviously becomes quite difficult when you feel no joy, fear, sadness, love and countless other emotions that rule most of our lives. His removal from this though provides a really unique perspective on emotion, friendship and people in general. It holds up a magnifying glass to the nature of emotion and also how it effects people differently and depending on their situations in life. Yunjae's emotionless observations actually lend more to the emotion of the story in a strange twist. How he grows and learns life lessons and even teaches us the reader a lesson or two was quite powerful and I see why this book has been given such high praise. I almost feel it could use a second read to get all the nuances that lead to the conclusion and to pick up all that is being conveyed in Yunjae's journey. Well, well worth a read!

ninguna reseña que haga le va hacer justicia a este libro. lo ame con cada fibra de mí ser

tw: murder, blood, death of loved ones, bullying, animal cruelty, and use of the r-word (idk i'd it's the translations fault but yeah that's a thing)

the rollercoaster of emotions that i felt in those last few chapters whew!!

tw: murder, blood, death of loved ones, bullying, animal cruelty, and use of the r-word (idk i'd it's the translations fault but yeah that's a thing)

the rollercoaster of emotions that i felt in those last few chapters whew!!

It's a revelation! After a month of reading Korean works in translation and just soaking in that feeling of “han” it's nice to get what is essentially a sunny middle-grade read! I mean it is still Korean, people get beaten and there's more than one brutal knife attack, but otherwise it's downright hopeful!

Yunjae has a brain condition called Alexithymia which means he doesn't feel fear or anger. He's not good at reading other's emotions either and has to be taught to fake it by his mom and grandmother. Yunjae's a teenager so you can imagine how his condition is quickly seen by his peers - and he is soon targeted by the bully Gon. But they soon form an unlikely bond, until Dora enters the picture.

Told from Yunjae's perspective, the English translation lends itself well to our emotionless protagonist, opting for a clean translation without the need for literary flourishes. The whole thing is a bit of a fairytale but I can't begrudge this uncharacteristically (for Korea) sunny read.