Captivating thriller. I’m surprised i read the book within two days - I would’ve expected to get bored of a ‘daily blog’ type science thriller book but it was pretty entertaining. Not a whole lot of takeaways from the book though.
I would've never expected a coming of age story about fifth graders to be filled with so many truths about the joys and hardships of living - of friendships, character, love, and loss. That it's more meaningful to be someone who ‘carries up hearts' than to be “cool.” Adults need reminding of this often, too.
Sometimes the translation felt off...but I enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. As the book describes the layers of gender inequality built into Korean culture by narrating Kim Jiyoung's life, it so accurately illustrates the questions (and micro/macro aggressions) many women face. The book definitely opened my eyes to small grievances that went unnoticed in my life - things I just accepted “were the way they were” - but wished I hadn't. Wouldn't say the book is inspiring; it almost felt defeatist.
The more I think about it though, maybe thr ‘defeatist' tone is what the author intended. It evokes a sense of ‘things need to change.'
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