Well hello there. I am well beyond in my reading goal AND with my reviews AND missed my chance to bingo (insert dramatic sigh). But I’m going to keep on truckin’ for my own personal benefit with my bingo board (because it’s fun!) and will chalk it up to the nightmare that is 2020 collateral damage. ONWARD! (I’m not tagging the reviews, just including what my Belated Bingo category was in the title).
This book is in the Book Club category for me because a friend of mine read it for her small friend group book club and that is why I knew anything about it. And SO GLAD THAT I DID.
I find myself more often thinking a book is too long rather than too short, but this book? I wish it was 11,000 more pages. But of course, “leave them wanting more” is a good adage to shoot for as an author, so props to Cha for writing what is a gripping debut novel.
Set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, this is the story of four young women trying to find success and happiness as they navigate through social hierarchies, beauty standards, and their own emotional baggage. Loosely connected as residents of the same apartment building (and some of the women in the same friend group or as roommates) Cha jumps deftly back and forth from each of their perspectives as we learn more about their hopes, fears, and insecurities. It is so SO well done, you are equally happy to hear from each person, with very even storytelling. She also jump back and forth from past to present as they look back at events in their lives, in such a way to reveal interesting surprises about each person.
I’m pretty sure I read it in a few days, it was a hard one to put down! Definitely going on my list of books to recommend!