I received an Advanced Review Copy of Miracle Creek by Angie Kim from the Publisher Sarah Crichton Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: There is a hyperbaric oxygen treatment center outside of D.C.. One night there is an explosion that is caused by arson and leads to the death of a young autistic boy and a mother of an autistic boy. The book covers the criminal trial, where the boy's mother is on trial but things are not what they seem and so unravels this legal saga.

What I Loved: File this book under 'unputdownable.' You will get lost in this book and you will be up all night trying to piece together what happened that night the chamber grew up. This book also has very important insight into several situations: autism, parenthood, and the immigrant experience. This book is about people who love each other and fight to protect each other, in whatever misguided way. This book is layered and addicting and I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. The book is both plot and character driven which is really unique.

What I didn’t like so much: I honestly cannot think of much that I didn't like this book was addictive the whole time. There were some storylines that were hard to read.

Who Should Read It: People who love legal thrillers. People who love character driven novels. People who love stories about parenthood. People who love great plot. Anyone.

General Summary: A legal thriller with layers that will keep you up at night.

“That was the thing about lies: they demanded commitment.”

This was an absolutely amazing book. There are so many characters, themes, and stories contained within that I hardly know where to start. It feels like it would be a huge injustice to overlook any of the themes, but this book is absolutely full of amazing concepts. It's being marketed for fans of Celeste Ng and while I don't normally like these sorts of comparisons I can confidently say that if you loved either of Celeste Ng's books, you will enjoy Miracle Creek.

First off, the summary. A Korean immigrant family settled in a small Virginia town start an HBOT tank in their yard - that is, a medical chamber that employs hyperbaric oxygen therapy, thought by many to cure all sorts of injuries and maladies. Families in the book are there seeking treatment for infertility, autism, and cerebral palsy. The first point of real interest for me with this is that Kim has personal experience with HBOT, and a lot of the stories that she experienced while in the tank with her son were adapted into characters in the book. (See: https://www.vogue.com/article/angie-kim-hbot-treatment) The instigating event to the drama of the story is when the tank catches fire in an oxygen explosion, and people are hurt.

After getting the events of the fire, we immediately jump ahead a year where someone associated with the HBOT treatments is on trial for the murder of two, and causing injury to many others who were wounded in the explosion. The rest of the book plays out as a courtroom drama, which is not something I thought I would be interested in. However, Kim uses the courtroom as the perfect setting to slowly reveal secrets that change everything about the case - and it is not a spoiler at all to say that literally EVERYONE has been keeping secrets as they relate to the events of that day. This was my favorite part of the book, watching new information come to light as people desperately try to cover up any guilt in the fire and hold tight to their secrets. This keeps us as the reader in constant suspense, as we never really know who is guilty. I will say that I guessed one major twist but there were tons of other things exposed and decisions made that I was definitely not expecting.

The last thing I'll say about this book is that I think it makes a powerful statement about the lives of people who care for those with disability. Several of the major players in this story are young children living with autism and cerebral palsy and their mothers. Perhaps due to her own experience as a caretaker to a child with chronic illness, Kim spends a lot of time examining the lives and feelings of these mothers whose entire lives have been taken over by their child's illness, treatments, and everything that comes along with that. This is not something that I have personally experienced but I felt like I grew in empathy for those in this situation.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sarah Crichton Books, and Angie Kim for the opportunity to read this amazing debut novel - nothing less than 5 stars for this fabulous read!

Young and Pak Yoo run the Miracle Submarine - a pressurized oxygen chamber that patients enter for "dives." This treatment is said to help autistic children, infertility, and a host of other issues. However, an explosion occurs and kills 2 people inside the chamber as well as injures Pak and their daughter, Mary.

The book takes the reader through the trial - one of the mothers of an autistic boy is charged with setting the fire that killed her son as well as another mother. Told in various viewpoints, we see that all of the characters are telling lies - to others and to themselves - as the story unfolds. Figuring out the mystery of who is guilty is just part of this book. These characters will stay in your heart - they are all so very human. Parenting is a big theme, as is cultural differences, integrity and disability. This would be an incredible book club pick because there is so very much to discuss. But the mystery part kept me changing my mind until the end!

Bravo to all involved for this incredible debut - everyone must read this book! And I can only hope for more from this talented author.

This is a novel guaranteed to haunt the reader. It opens the door to the immigrant experience, revealing its pitfalls, deceptions, ambitions, and betrayals. These characters are wonderfully rendered--A poignant, surprising, ambitious novel.

Pak, Young and Mary Yoo emigrate from South Korea to live their version of the American Dream. Better opportunities for work and education for their daughter. The choice of Pak and Young (mostly Pak) was not one carried out easily. Their family was split up for years, while Pak remained behind in Korea and his wife Young worked so many hours at a grocery store for her "host" family that she usually slept their. Mary, their daughter, felt forgotten. Her family in separate countries, only seeing her father via Skype. Her mother practically living at work. Not fitting in at school, no longer the bubbly teenager she was before the move. Their dream, not off to a great start.

Things eventually got better for the Yoos. Pak finally made it to America. Together they opened Miracle Submarine from a barn. It was the experimental treatment for a plethora of medical conditions, from autism to infertility. Until the oxygen chamber caught on fire, two patients were left dead and a parent stood trial for murder. Unraveling the who and why though? It's a bit difficult when everyone is hiding something.

The way the plot unfolds, this almost seems like a true story. There are not real huge plot twists that make you say "no one would really do that." Every action feels very authentic. Even if you don't usually read court room dramas (like myself) I would definitely recommend giving this a try.

I couldn’t put this book down after I got about halfway through. Overall I enjoyed this book but while I enjoyed it some of the characters actions I found troubling and they didn’t sit right with me. It gave part of the book a creepy, unsettled feeling. I don’t want to give anything away so I won’t say more than that. This is why I deducted a star. The author does an amazing job of creating a picture with the characters. I took me a little bit to remember who everyone was but once I did each character had a wonderful description that included their history. I like how the book was broken down into dates Nd by different characters point of view. Thanks for sharing this book with me!

Pak Yoo runs a pressurized oxygen chamber out of a barn behind his house. The MIracle Submarine, as they call it, is considered an experimental treatment, used in hopes of curing things such as autism and infertility. One evening, at the end of one of the sessions, something goes horribly wrong. There is an explosion and some of the patients get trapped in the fire. It is discovered that arson was to blame, and they charge one of the parents with murder. As the trial progresses, white lies are uncovered and alibis fall through. Everyone has a motive or a secret to hide.
This book kept me guessing until the end. Every time I thought I knew who set the fire, a new secret would come to light. The first chapter (which covered the explosion in great detail) was hard to read, and a little gruesome. The rest of the book covered the trail, though, and was much more enjoyable. This would be a good fit for fans of Jodi Piccoult and Carla Buckley.

"Han.
There was no English equivalent, no translation. It was an overwhelming sorrow and regret, a grief and yearning so deep it pervades your soul - both with a sprinkling of resilience, of hope."

This is a quote from the arc edition. I hope it is in the published version because it so very well sums up the book. Right at the start the reader knows two people have died and others are permanently physically injured. And those that may not be physically injured are emotionally scarred. The entire book is a train wreck of heartbreak. And while theoretically the book is a mystery about who caused the explosion, it is more about unlayering the massive amounts of lies told and secrets kept, even well before the fire. Is there any way the tragedy could have been avoided or was it destined to happen one way or another? Ms. Kim throws the reader into the messiness of the aftermath as everyone involved tries to reground themselves and face their new reality. A very enjoyable read! My only critique was that witnesses were in the courtroom during other testimonies. This wouldn't happen in a real trial, but I understood the need for purposes of the story.

"A court room drama full of tragedy and personal shortcomings"
 
Miracle Creek is a small town that is home to an experimental medical procedure which exposes patience to 100% oxygen for a set period of time. The Yoo family immigrated in America in search of a better life for their only child, Mary.  They made their lively hood orchestrating these theoretic dives in hopes of providing treatment for a spectrum of patience. The Yoo's were not expecting the terrible explosion of the facility which left two dead and numerous injuries. All fingers point at Elizabeth, the mother of one of the deceased patience. This is her murder trial.
 
This novel dips in and out of multiple perspectives giving the reader insight into the thoughts and feelings of each character, while maintaining the cohesiveness of the story. The pace is lovely and the story easy to follow. The story begins as a mystery but too soon the guilty parties become apparent to the reader. However, this does not take away from the plot nor does it deflate the depth of the characters. The author does an exceptional job at creating the trail atmosphere and staying true to the legal system. I wish that Kim that stuck more towards an big unveiling and given more gusto to certain characters, but all in all this was a very enjoyable read that kept me engaged and wanting more.  I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a well crafted court room drama.

Every chapter in this amazing debut will change your mind about who is the person who set the fire which killed Kitt and Henry. Every chapter. Told in alternating third person perspectives, it's the story of the Yoo family and their hyperbaric oxygen chamber, which they use off label to treat autism and, in Matt's case, male infidelity. An explosion upends everyone's lives - those of the Yoos, Matt, Elizabeth, Teresa, and the rest. Each narrator is more unreliable than the next and there are so so many lies. You honestly don't know who to trust here. Kim has created some indelible images- what Matt saw with Henry and then the impact on Matt's hands come to mind in particular. The subject matter is tough but the writing sings through. It's a taut, tense read that keeps you guessing. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This deserves the praise it has received- it's a true page turner. I'm looking forward to Kim's next.

WOW!!! Add Miracle Creek to your NOT TO BE MISSED list now; I mean right now – go on, do it now, I’ll wait… This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, no, I take that back – it’s one of the best books I’ve read. Period. It deserves every one of my five stars and more.

In Miracle Creek, Angie Kim has written an extraordinary contemporary novel/courtroom drama/suspense/character-driven book. It’s a book you won’t be able to forget easily.

I won’t repeat the details given in the book description, other than to say strangers are brought together by hope for a miracle cure (via a hyperbaric oxygen chamber) for a wide range of conditions and face unexpected horror and tragedy instead when the chamber explodes with six people inside it. While telling this fascinating story, Kim covers a wide range of topics including immigrants trying to make a place for themselves, the availability and cost of medical care, societal prejudices, the rawness of being a care-giver to a special needs child and the toll it takes, relationships of all kinds, and moral and legal ethics. Each subject is handled very well.

This book grabbed me on page one and held me spell-bound throughout. I love how deep and fully-developed each character is, how very real and relatable Kim makes each of them, showing their good traits and flaws, and their secrets. I love that the reader gets to know the back story of every character.

The courtroom drama of the trial is extremely compelling. Just when you are convinced you know who is responsible for the incident, something is brought up that turns your head in a different direction altogether. You will find that happening again and again. It turns out that there are several of the characters with viable motives to destroy the chamber.

I love watching how the characters internally process information as it is presented to them, and how they deal with their moral dilemmas.

I love that I was surprised by the ending. That’s hard to do, but I love it when an author carries it off!

In truth, I love everything about this book. This author is now definitely on my watch list. I’ll read everything she writes.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and Sarah Crichton Books for allowing me to read an ARC of Miracle Creek in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

"But that was the way life worked. Every human being was the result of a million different factors mixing together... Good things and bad-every friendship and romance formed, every accident, every illness-resulted from the conspiracy of hundreds of little things, in and of themselves inconsequential."

Oh boy. Where do I begin? It's quite possible that this book means so much to me because it's my unicorn-the perfect fit for this reader-and that may make my review a bit biased, so please keep that in mind as you delve into my thoughts below. Miracle Creek is a novel so precisely tailored to my wants and needs as a reader, I was left pondering just how the author crawled into my brain and extracted such specific thoughts and needs before placing them in her tale. Full disclosure-I almost missed this book, and likely wouldn't have picked it up if it hadn't been for Emily May's recommendation. I was worried it would be too difficult for me to read, but I'm glad I tossed those notions aside, because feeling this wide spectrum of emotion was a needed exercise in facing some of my own issues and embarking on a journey of healing and acceptance.

Please know going in that this is not an easy read. It is disturbing at times, but in a natural way and not done for shock value. Miracle Creek is an emotional rollercoaster, and I cannot imagine you, reader, not being moved by this story if you are indeed a human being. There are some timely topics discussed that are difficult to read, but Ms. Kim has touched on these in such a delicate, respectful, and honorable way that it takes some of the sting away and replaces it with a softer approach. I really don't want to discuss the plot in deep detail here, as this is a literary courtroom novel and you'll want to find out all the juicy details on your own, but this is just as much a profound study on grief and the ripple effects of a few rash choices that spiral out of control.

"It was ironic-of all the parents of their patients, Elizabeth had been the most disheveled, and yet she'd had by far the most manageable child. Henry, her only child, had been a well-mannered boy who, unlike many other patients, could walk, talk, was toilet-trained, and didn't have tantrums. During orientation, when the mother of twins with autism and epilepsy asked Elizabeth, "Sorry, but what's Henry here for? He seems so normal," she'd frowned as if offended. She recited a list-OCD, ADHD, sensory and autism spectrum disorders, anxiety-then said how hard it was, spending all her days researching experimental treatments. She seemed to have no clue how she sounded complaining while surrounded by kids with wheelchairs and feeding tubes."

And, cue the sobbing once again. This won't likely be a popular opinion, and for those of you who have already read the book, I hope you don't think less of me, but I related to Elizabeth so much and felt a deep sorrow well up inside of me for who she could have been, and for how her story played out. You see, I have been almost precisely in her shoes. My 6 year old daughter was diagnosed with autism spectrum and sensory disorders, OCD, and generalized anxiety at the age of 3. The doctors have been preparing us for years for the likelihood of an ADHD diagnosis in a few years, as it goes hand in hand with her particular side of the spectrum. She has asthma, moderate stomach issues, and I'll be damned if I haven't spent years of my life trying to find ways to alleviate those symptoms for her. Please do not misunderstand, the idea behind this book and my own thoughts are not to "cure" autism; the point here is that the pressurized dives were a means of treatment of unwanted symptoms, not unlike any other form of therapy.

I'm ashamed to admit that, in the darkest of days, I have thought and spoken things into the empty void that I would never truly mean, but fortunately for me, I have a strong, loving, and caring support system that holds me together when I cannot hold myself up. I wanted to dip into this book, reach out, and hold Elizabeth. I wanted to comfort her and tell her that her child's needs were valid, even when other parents told her that her child was too "normal" and undeserving of receiving the therapies. I wanted her to know that it was ok to have those dark moments, because we are all human. But this was also a beautiful wake-up call, reminding me to live in the moment and appreciate all that my beautiful McKenna brings to our family. It was an endearing and heart-wrenching reminder that, if I ever lost our joy baby, that my life would essentially cease to exist. I could never survive if that bright light was extinguished from my life, and it hit me like a ton of bricks at how desperately we need to live each day to the fullest, and how grateful and privileged I am to be entrusted as a care giver to this incredibly gifted, loving, and special child.

I could go on and on about this book, but I won't. Between the setting, although containing a fictional town in Virginia was set geographically within miles of my home, the deep, relatable characters, and a riveting plot that kept me glued from beginning to end, I cannot recommend Miracle Creek highly enough. I'm going ahead and calling it now-this will be THE debut novel of 2019, and I'm not just saying that because it was tailored so perfectly to my every whim. Do yourself a favor and pick this one up the moment you can get your hands on it. If you're a BOTM member, make this your April selection!

Courtroom drama? I'm in! What a fantastic book!

Pak, Young and Mary Yoo, immigrants from Korea, open a wellness clinic called the "Miracle Submarine", a Hyperbaric oxygen therapy chamber, believed to cure a variety of health issues, autism, infertility, etc.
Elizabeth, the mother of Henry, an 8 year old boy with autism, is on trial for setting fire to the oxygen chamber causing the death of two people, including Henry, and injuring 4 others. Mary is left in a coma, while Pak is left paralyzed and in a wheelchair after trying to rescue his patients. Accident or murder ?

The trial and courtroom scenes along with the attorneys battling it out made for an entertaining read. I loved Shannon! It is now a year after the tragedy and the trial has begun. As you hear from the different characters, secrets are slowly revealed. Everyone seems to have a different story to tell and secrets they would rather keep hidden!

A great book! 5 stars! I would love to read more by this author!

Thank you so much to Farrar, Straus, Giroux and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book, greatly appreciated! 5 stars!

Wow, what an amazing book! I'm not a big fan of courtroom drama but I could not put this book down. It was absolute stunning perfection in every way. My heart is just overflowing with emotions. Kim's writing is hauntingly beautiful. She created flawed, realistic characters and family relationships that were far from perfect. So many twists that you have no idea how it is going to end. It personally made me think about my own parenting style. If you can make it through this one without shedding a tear, hats off to you.

I definitely recommend this book to all and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for a copy of Angie Kim's "Miracle Creek" in exchange of an honest review.

I initially thought the courtroom literary thriller type plot sounded intriguing. Young and Pak Yoo run an experimental submarine called The Miracle Submarine and one day, after leaving Young in charge of the session, Pak disappears and the submarine explodes with people in it. Was this intentional? If so, who would have the motive to do this and why? While I was interested in finding out these questions, the narration of the story, from various points of view came across as mostly a whole lot of telling. Each person told the story of their pasts, how they came to be in the Miracle Submarine program etc. While there was an underlying question of who's telling the truth, I found the structure boring, the courtroom scenes underwhelming, and overall just couldn't connect with any of the characters. This one wasn't for me.

4.5 stars

Wow, what a story! This book surprised me in so many ways, which is something I didn’t expect going into it after reading the summary. On the surface, this looked like a typical mystery / thriller but with a unique premise – a hyperbaric oxygen therapy procedure gone horribly wrong and subsequently a young single mother gets put on trial for murder – yet a few chapters in, it became apparent that there was nothing “typical” about this story. In fact, I had a hard time categorizing this book, as it’s one of those stories that starts off with a crime committed – in this case, a fire that was set, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries – but as the facts about the case are debated in court and each character gets to tell their side of the story from their perspective, the narrative evolves into much more than just an exercise in determining guilt or innocence in order to solve a case. Rather, the story becomes a deeper exploration of various issues and experiences that many of us deal with in real life: the complexities of relationships, the obligations involved with marriage and parenthood, the bonds of family, morality and ethics as it pertains to how one deals with incurable medical conditions, etc. – throw into that mix a truly resonant immigrant story, one that gets to the heart of the Asian immigrant experience in terms of culture, acceptance, identity, and the effect this experience can have on those who live it every day. There was a lot of depth to the story as well as to the characters, all of whom I felt that I could relate to and connect with in one way or another, despite coming from a completely different background and, with a few of the characters, not sharing any experiences in common.

This was a book that I found very hard to put down, to the point that I very nearly finished it in one sitting except for the fact that I needed to sleep for a few hours in order for my brain to properly function so I reluctantly had to finish reading in 2 sittings instead. It still amazes me that this is the author Angie Kim’s debut novel, as this was so well-written and the individual threads of the story were woven together so seamlessly, there’s no doubt in my mind about her talent as a writer. I’m typically not a fan of books where courtroom dramas are front and center, as I tend to find them too drawn out and confusing, but this one was very well done, with a perfect balance of twists and turns as the trial went on with the cleverly placed backstories that kept me constantly second-guessing each character’s involvement leading up to the incident. The ending was surprising and not anything at all like what I expected, yet made perfect sense with the way the story played out.

In interviews and articles, the author talks about her family’s own experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, which she incorporated into the narrative alongside additional research that gave the story an altogether authentic feel. At times, I felt like I was reading about a real-life court case involving real-life people — a criminal case written so convincingly, I had to remind myself time and again that this was a work of fiction. The realistic nature of the story compelled me to immediately go online after I finished the book so I could find out more about the author and also get some additional background on what I had read.

This is a book you want to go into knowing as little as possible and just let the story take you where it leads. With that in mind, I don’t want to say too much more other than give yourself sufficient time to read this one because once you pick it up, you most likely won’t want to put it down!

Received ARC from Sarah Crichton Books (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux) via NetGalley

Well-paced novel that centers around a crime but isn't crime fiction. (Also is not yet another Gone Girl imitation!) Wonderful use of rotating points of view and a very rich exploration of family dynamics.

This is definitely perfectly described as a literary, legal drama. This book took me a little longer than normal to get into, only because I am a criminal attorney and sometimes reading about what I do in my job was exhaustinggg. However, that aside, this book was completely beautiful and engaging. It gave me Little Fires Everywhere vibes in how we got to see so many glimpses into the lives of the people surrounding this trial and tragedy; also in how the book really made you think in terms of "what would I do in this situation" and "what is the right thing to do." Overall, a strong and thought provoking book!!

“Miracle Submarine” is a smart, perceptive, highly addictive courtroom procedural that offers much more than the customary plot of the whodunnit novel. At its center is a Korean immigrant family struggling to make its American dream come true in a small Virginia town by marketing a pressurized oxygen chamber – the Miracle Submarine – to people desperate for a cure of a variety of medical issues. Most are parents of autistic children, and one of them is accused of murdering her 8-year-old son and another mother by causing an explosion at the experimental facility.
The novel deftly seesaws between the trial and the experiences of the main characters, exploring issues of race, immigration, disability, marriage, family, and even smoking as drivers in the evolving mystery. It offers particularly compelling insights into the challenges faced by the mothers of autistic and disabled children, who are not always the heroines society presumes them to be.
The overarching theme is how complicated lies are to maintain – big lies, little lies, lies about relationships, money, identity, and yes, even smoking. But staying silent is just as bad, as becomes clear when all the pieces fall into place. It is the silence that destroys friendships and families and becomes a cancer eating away at the central character’s soul.
Angie Kim is a gorgeous writer, and her background as a Korean immigrant, trial lawyer, and parent elucidates this taut page-turner. She takes her place in the literary crime genre right alongside Celeste Ng and Kate Atkinson.
Thank you Sarah Crichton Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review the ERC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! It excels on several levels. First and foremost, as a courtroom drama. This was probably my favorite part. I loved the drama. And many times, as the reader, you didn't know what the person testifying was going to say until they said it. Kim did a great job revealing just enough to the reader throughout the story to let you know what's going on and keep you interested, but yet she withheld enough that time and time again there were surprising revelations. That's a hard line to walk but she managed it! Kim also did a great job with character development. There are many key characters in this story and I feel like she did an excellent job at fleshing them out - giving them depth and making them feel real. Really well done!