Shelter

It's been two weeks and I can't stop thinking about this book

the layers of grief, trauma, expectations our main character had to face and deal with as a first child immigrant was heart wrenching and exhaustive. for me it was almost surreal as I witnessed so much of my core trauma reflected in this character. when he was angry I saw myself and when he was subdued and obedient at his parents whims I also saw myself.

I believe anyone can enjoy this book but if you come from a similar background you'll find it may hit a little too close to home.

Damn. This book is full of unspeakable violence (trigger warnings abound). The end happened and wrapped up quickly and deserved more time, but overall very well done. I see why The Reading Women selected it as a previous book of the year.

Holy cow, what a novel. I would never have been able to predict how this story would end, but I loved every minute of this emotional, crazy, heartbreaking ride. Pretty sure this will be one of my favorites of the year.

Actual rating: 3.5 stars, rounded up

This is a dark and twisty family drama that presents as a thriller. Told in the close third person, it follows Kyung Cho in the aftermath of discovering his mother, naked, bruised and bloodied stumbling out from the woods of his backyard. It is the crack that starts the slow collapse after a lifetime of accumulated pressure. Yun is ruthless and mines the tension wrought from economic, generational and cultural differences to create a storm that catches up Kyung. He is one of those insanely frustrating characters that you watch as he destroys every semblance of shelter in his life. He's like a duck gliding upriver, outwardly exhibiting stoic calm but paddling furiously underneath not to be swept downstream. The story is unexpected and defied my expectations going in.