This book completely gutted me. It was heartbreaking and horrifying and mesmerizing at once. I didn't want to stop reading but I had to take breaks to let my mind rest and process everything that was happening. The characters were so real. Uncomfortably real. I loved it and I hated it at the same time. The writing was beautiful, the characters expertly created and drawn, and the plot was solid. But the heartbreaking reality of it just floored me. I hated how mad and sad and horrified and uncomfortable it made me feel but at the same time, I loved it. Excellent story.


*Thank you to Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Miracle Creek takes place in a small Virginia town of the same name. Young and Pak Yoo are the owners of an experimental treatment called the Miracle Submarine, which is a pressurized oxygen chamber. Its dives are believed to be therapeutic for autism among other disabilities or conditions.

The Miracle Submarine mysteriously exploded, and two people are killed. This small town is transformed forever.

At first, it’s unclear who the suspect or suspects are. Could it be the mother of one of the patients? Or the Yoos? Both may have probable motives.

The courtroom drama plays out with BIG intrigue and lots of emotion. This aspect of this story was extraordinary and authentic.

The author is a Korean immigrant and former trial lawyer, so that certainly adds to the authenticity of her characterization and subsequent unraveling of the courtroom plot. She is also the mother of a “submarine” patient, so the genuine emotion is firmly there.

Ok, friends, don’t miss this one. If you enjoy emotional reads, this book is for you. If courtroom dramas are your bag, definitely don’t miss this. And everyone else? Well, this one is for you all, too. It’s just too good to pass up! It’s a twisty, dynamite page-turner with smooth writing and a compelling plot. Miracle Creek is an all-around fresh and refreshing read.

I received a complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

Miracle Creek is a family drama, a courtroom drama, a mystery, a whodunit, and a compelling look at the struggles faced by immigrant families - all at once. It’s not confusing or too much - instead, it’s done perfectly.

Young, one of our narrators, is a Korean woman who came to the USA five years previously with her young daughter Mary in tow. Finally, her husband Park was able to join his family, and the trio has moved from Baltimore to the rural DC area town of Miracle Creek. It is here that Park sets up “Miracle Submarine,” his name for a therapeutic compression chamber that happens to look a bit like a submarine. Patients go in and receive pure oxygen that is supposed to help “cure” various things, including autism.

A terrible accident at Miracle Submarine thrusts Young’s family into a court case. The book opens during the proceedings, and through multiple viewpoints and flashbacks we are able to learn about the year of events that led up to this point.

Each voice in the book is distinct and I had no trouble with the point of view changing by chapter. The story is woven together amazingly well and I found it really enjoyable to read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for a chance to read this book! It is available for sale now and is also a Book of The Month Club selection for the month of April.

This book was worth all of the hype! Everyone is loving this book for a reason. It was so excellent. This book is a difficult read, so one should know that going into it. It deals with very difficult issues, but it is done in a way that is not manipulative to the reader - it feels very natural. Highly recommend all around!

a hybrid noir which exploits the classic plot of a legal thriller to make some clever points on acceptance and on what it means to be immigrants, with an interesting parallel between immigrants and children in need of a special care. The plot is too long and somewhat weakish (with little effort you can guess the villain halfway), but the subtext is very smart and deep.

I can easily say from the get go, I've never read a book quite like Miracle Creek! I wasn't sure I would like that the book was set during the trial in the courthouse and with the multiple different point of views each chapter, but I can honestly say I love it in this book! I couldn't imagine it not being in this format with this plot. It's definitely a book that needs a lot of concentrating and processing, just because of how heavy the themes and the book overall is.

Miracle Creek absolutely ripped my heart out, in more than one way. Just when I thought I had figured it out who committed the murder, new evidence was found and then I was back to being at square one with thinking about who lit the fire. The court case was absolutely thrilling and a roller coaster of emotions, evidence, and confessions. However, although majority of the book is set in the court, the book is so much more than just the court case. It honestly had everything.

I can easily say there was not one character I loved or hated more than others. However, all the characters are wonderfully written and completely different in their own way. They all had their own views and opinions on what happened that night, but they were also carrying their own secrets about that night a year ago.

The writing is so freaking wonderful and beautiful, and SO descriptive! Kim hit the nail on the head throughout the book and I spent majority of the book being in awe of the writing, with this being Angie Kim's debut book!

I can't wait to get my hands on Angie Kim's future work, because she's got me hooked for her next book after this wonderful masterpiece!

Thank you very much to Farrar, Straus & Giroux for providing me with a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Recommended if you like court room drama or crime fiction. The author does a good job of creating a web of possibilities to keep you wondering how it will all turn out. Well crafted and a bit of a slow burn.

This well-written book was fascinating with believable characters and a complex story. There were so many topics covered from child abuse to sexual assault to immigrants to autism. It seems so many topics would make the story confusing but they really didn't. The pace of the story was good as we heard from different viewpoints.

Above all among the topics was the mystery of exactly what happened the day of the fire. Who was responsible? The author teased us time and time again with clues only to disprove them just when it seemed the mystery was solved.

The ending comes nicely together and is believable - not tied up with a pretty bow, but something that seems feasible.

I found the book to be compelling and relevant.

This was a very enjoyable read! Great story and very engrossing. Everything came together very nicely at the end. Looking forward to reading more by this author!

"Miracle Creek" is beyond expectations, this book is a fabulous debut!

At first, when I read the synopsis, I had no idea that this novel would be so good! The hype is completely real!

This courtroom drama is so complex - taking place in a small town of Miracle Creek (Virginia), it follows the trial of Elizabeth, whose son was killed inexplicably after the Miracle Submarine (a pressurized oxygen chamber that treat patients with issues like autism or infertility) mysteriously explodes. The plot is full of drama - there are layers of lies, secrets and events that you want to unpeel which make this book unputdownable. In addition, the multiple points of view give you different perspectives of the puzzle and allow you to get the whole picture in the ending. I praise the author for creating this authentic plot with lots of twists and turns through an amazing writing.

The characters are fully developed - I loved that the author introduced the Korean immigrants in this novel. While I didn't particularly prefer one to another, each character was crucial to the story.
With a balance of moments that will make you get invested and also move you heart, "Miracle Creek" is an incredible debut that you don't want to pass up!

This novel is centered around a trial about a fire at a hyperbaric oxygen chamber treatment facility used in large part for treatment of children with autism and other issues, operated by a Korean immigrant family, describing both what happens at the trial, and, from the perspectives of a number of characters, what else is going on in their lives both during the trial and in flashbacks to before the incident. So, it's part courtroom drama/mystery, part literary character novel. Kind of like Jodi Picoult at her best, so definitely recommended to fans of her work, among others. All the characters have secrets of their own, so there is a lot of suspense, and there are many different thought-provoking aspects to the book as well - it would make a great book club book.

Miracle Creek is the debut novel by Angie Kim that is a literary courtroom drama about a Korean immigrant family and a young, single mother who is accused of murdering her autistic son. This book is first a courtroom drama and second a murder mystery that also examines topics such as immigration, parenthood, grief, disability, and caregiving. It’s really hard to describe this story without giving too much detail, but I will say I enjoyed the courtroom drama and trying to figure out who actually murdered the two characters that died in a horrific “accident”.

This book was a lot to process. There are some very serious subject matters discussed including child abuse, immigration, and sexual assault. It definitely is a book that makes you think and doesn’t give anything away until the end.

I liked how it was told from multiple perspectives of the victims and other people involved. The author developed the characters well and made you want the best for all of them. I did not see the ending coming, but once I read it, it made perfect sense to me. I had a hard time rating this though because everyone loved it in the reviews I read, but I found it a bit dry and draining at times. Maybe that was how it was supposed to make you feel though. I would recommend this if you like courtroom dramas and mysteries.

Thank you NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars for me. Once you pick this book up, you will be sucked in so don't expect to put it down easily! This was a page turner and it starts before Chapter 1 with the introduction. I may have literally exclaimed, "WOW" with eyes wide open. And so the journey begins and doesn't end until the very end. It is a mystery, a courtroom drama and unraveling of secrets, all in one! I don't always love courtroom scenes but this one captivated me. The fact that this is a debut novel is so impressive and exciting because I can't wait to read more by Angie Kim!! I love how she wrote about things she has personal knowledge about (she's a lawyer and has experience with hyperbaric oxygen therapy). That intimate knowledge definitely shows in her storytelling. I went into this story knowing only the cover blurb and I think that's the best way to delve in. HIGHLY recommend!!

DNF 40%
I couldn't get into this one at all. The story just didn't have any stakes for me. Neither did the characters. I know that seems crazy when you know the subject matter, but it's too technical without enough heart. I also have no interest in discovering the culprit, which is the other reason for giving up. I found most of the characters to be stereotypes rather than relatable people I'd care to root for. No biggie, though. Readers will like it. It's got that police procedural feel.

A cleverly told story using a courtroom setting to expose the arsonist and murderer who set a miracle submarine on fire. Nothing or no one is as they seem in this portrayal of parenting, marriage, disabled kids and consequences.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

The backdraft of a boom immediately sucks readers into Angie Kim's dazzling debut, Miracle Creek. In rural Virginia, Korean immigrants Pak and Young Yoo live with their teen daughter, Mary, striving for success. Their business, Miracle Submarine, uses a hyperbaric oxygen chamber where patients undergo atmospheric pressure therapy to help with problems such as spectrum disorders, brain injuries and infertility.

Pak, a certified technician, always runs the chamber. Then one night he asks his wife to lie and leaves her alone at the controls, resulting in a compellingly layered and tragic answer to Pak's simple question "What could go wrong?" A disastrous confluence of circumstances, mistakes, emotional burdens and shame culminates in an explosion that kills two patients and injures others, including Pak and Mary.

A year later, through the murder trial of Elizabeth Ward, who stands accused of targeting her own son, who was being treated for autism, Kim masterfully unwinds the events leading up to the blast, intentionally caused by a fire. With an inordinately large pool of potential suspects in addition to Elizabeth, the various pressures that work on those associated with the Yoos and their patients paint a complicated picture that Kim mines to extraordinary effect. Protesters threaten the Miracle Submarine business, a potential insurance payout is suspicious, and marital and infertility issues raise red flags.

Kim's writing is stunning in its depth and compassion. The light she shines on the difficulties of parenting a child with special needs and the immigrant experience in the U.S. is unflinching and multi-faceted, evidence that the pressures of life can go almost unnoticed until they detonate in an instant.

STREET SENSE: A beautiful character study wrapped in a compelling mystery and court drama, Angie Kim's debut has it all. Stunning.

A FAVORITE PASSAGE: Standing over the simmering pot, stirring in the curd paste and watching the water turn a rich brown, Young had to laugh at how contented she felt, at the fact that this was the happiest she could remember feeling in America. Objectively, this was the lowest point of her American—no, entire—life..Young should’ve been in despair, so weighed down by the bleakness of her situation, by others’ pity, that she could barely stand. And yet, here she was. Enjoying the feel of the wooden spoon in her hand, the simple motion of stirring sliced onion into the current of the liquid, breathing in the tangy vapors wafting up and warming her face...She and Pak had laughed together today—when was the last time they’d done that? It was as if being deprived of joy for so long had made her oversensitive to it, so that even a sliver of pleasure—the everyday kind she expected and therefore didn’t notice when life was normal—now left her in the kind of celebratory state she associated with milestones such as engagements and graduations.

COVER NERD SAYS: In an abnormal twist, I read about this book before I ever saw the cover, so I was intrigued and knew I wanted to read it before getting a gander at it. Which means my normal cover "Spidey senses" couldn't do their thing. If I try to be objective about the cover without my love for the book bleeding in, I would say I dig the cover image but am distracted by the font. In some ways, the image/font are a good mix of the character/mystery elements found inside, but I think a different font might have made this a stronger cover.

Genre: Suspense , fiction

Synopsis: The Yoo family run an experimental medical oxygen chamber; a device that was used to treat people diagnosed with autism, infertility, cerebral palsy among others. When the device ( The Miracle Submarine) explodes killing two people and injured others starts a trial that changes the life of everyone. The life of all the people involved and the story behind each other .

Review: A different story, a different scenario ( than usual) written with an interesting plot and interesting characters. The topic of the bio racial marriage, different cultures are taken, families that have left their country on origin in search of a better life, their experience and their suffering. The theme of infertility, marriage, autism and the struggle of parents to give their children a better life. The love between parents and children in different ways and different situations and what they are willing to sacrifice. Real deep themes, and with lots of intensity. I love the way that the author explore all of them. Very well for the author who for me achieved its purpose. Excellent title, excellent plot, excellent characters, excellent lessons and a gorgeous cover. My opinions are humble and only mine.

I confess, the cover caught my eye. Then I saw the blurb that said “A thrilling debut novel for fans of Liane Moriarty and Celeste Ng.” That did it, I was hooked. And once I started reading, I was all in. Now I want to suggest it for a book club, but how to describe it? Is it a courtroom drama? Legal thriller? Story about immigrant families? Families with special needs children? Caregiver burnout? It’s all of the above, so it’s hard to know where to start the description.

The story starts with ”The Incident,” told from the point of view of Young Yoo, a Korean immigrant who left Seoul in search of better opportunities for her daughter Mary. They live in Miracle Creek, Virginia, which “…didn’t look like a place where miracles took place, unless you counted the miracle of people living there for years without going insane from boredom.” The second section tells the story of the trial of Elizabeth Ward, who was charged with murder as a result of “the incident.” It is presented in chapters told from the points of view of Elizabeth, Young, her daughter Mary Yoo, Matt Thompson, and Teresa Santiago.

The night of the ”incident,” Elizabeth dropped her son Henry off for an HBOT treatment at the facility owned by Young and her husband Pak. Although she generally stayed with Henry during his treatment (which took place in a pressurized oxygen chamber that resembled a submarine), that evening she went off to drink wine and smoke cigarettes nearby. Two people (including Henry) died and several others were injured by an explosion caused by the same brand of cigarettes as those Elizabeth was smoking, and she was vilified by many as the evidence was gathered.

After reading this book, I did some research on HBOT. In my ignorance I had thought that it was a. fictional treatment…but I learned that it is an oxygen treatment purportedly able to treat a wide variety of health issues, including autism, which was Henry’s diagnosis. As his full-time caregiver, Elizabeth was suffering from burnout, but it isn’t clear if it was severe enough for her to murder her son.

There is a lot going on in this book in addition to the legal drama. The struggle by Young and Pak was particularly relevant today, with the ongoing immigration debate in the U.S. Young and Pak started their wellness clinic in Miracle Creek, and found themselves struggling with the language, the dismissal of their HBOT treatments as silly “Eastern medicine”, and with being separated when Young and Mary came to the United States without Pak. It was wrenching to read of the struggle of immigrants such as Pak, a smart and eloquent man in his native Korean, who suffers the indignity of appearing unintelligent on the witness stand with his broken, accented English: “Pak Yoo was a different person in English than in Korean. In a way, he supposed, it was inevitable for immigrants to become child versions of themselves, stripped of their verbal fluency and, with it, a layer of their competence and maturity.”

All the characters seem to want the best for their families, but they beat themselves up in various ways trying to achieve it. Elizabeth was driven to the edge by being the mother and primary caregiver for her autistic son, Young worked such incredibly long hours that she became a stranger to her daughter, and Pak was a “goose father” (he stayed behind in Korea for several years and made an annual migratory visit to see his wife and daughter).

As I learned after I finished the book, Angie Kim has personal experience with HBOT. Knowing she had used it to treat her son gave more impact to her writing lines such as “Having a special-needs child didn’t just change you; it transmuted you, transported you to a parallel world with an altered gravitational axis.”

No spoilers, but it is fascinating and entertaining on several levels. Angie Kim can WRITE! Five stars, and thanks to Farrar, Straus & Giroux/ Sarah Crichton and NetGalley for providing a copy in exchange for this honest review.

It must be said that the cover of this book is absolutely stunning and is what initially caught my attention. While I came for the cover, I stuck around for Kim’s beautiful writing that held me captive from the opening lines:

"My husband asked me to lie. Not a big lie. He probably didn’t even consider it a lie, and neither did I, at first. It was such a small thing, what he wanted."

I sat down to read a chapter or two before bed, and before I knew it, a few hours had gone by. I have read a number of court room dramas, but never have I felt so much like I was part of the jury–slowly hearing the story as it is revealed bit by bit. With each witness called to the stand, new information came to light, information that completely shifted my ideas about what may have happened, and changed my perspective about the facts that had previously been presented. Kim is an absolute genius and this book is a masterpiece. A courtroom drama it definitely is, but it’s also a thoughtfully plotted mystery and character study that expertly portrays the lengths parents will go to to protect their children.

Kim’s background in law is put to exquisite use in the courtroom scenes that are tense and taut with emotion and I was utterly transported–it was as if I was in the courtroom, holding my breath along with Young, Pak, and Matthew, as more and more of this story unfolded. The characters are flawed and heart breaking and so dynamic they could walk right off the pages. With Elizabeth, Kim has created one of the most realistic portrayals of the complicated nature of what it truly means to be a parent that I’ve ever read. Her entire storyline cracked my heart wide open and left me raw for days after. I typically stay far away from stories that deal with violence towards children. Miracle Creek grapples with some very heavy topics, and at times I found it hard to read, but I’m grateful that I picked it up despite the heaviness.

It’s probably obvious at this point, but I highly recommend Miracle Creek and will not hesitate to read every single book Kim writes in the future. Pick it up if you enjoy gut wrenching stories about parenthood, legal thrillers and whodunit mysteries. Pick it up if you are a fan of Celeste Ng. Pick it up if you just want to be swept up in some really phenomenal storytelling. Just pick it up and read it! Thank you thank you thank you to Sarah Crichton Books for the advanced review copy in exchange for my honest review!

How far are you willing to go for your child? That is the heart of the question of this terrific debut novel. It opens with s court case where a mother of a child on the spectrum stands accused of setting a fire that caused a fatal explosion. Her son one of those that died, but another mother was also killed. A hyperbaric chamber, called the submarine, offering parents the hope that the pure oxygen atmosphere will help their mentally challenged children. Also, involved is a man whose wife has convinced him this may also improve his low sperm count. The Yoos, Korean immigrants, are the family that run this chamber.

There are many different versions of this story we come to hear as we wade through a maze of lies, incomplete stories and half truths. All have a piece of thread to unravelling what really happened that day. All have a reason to not disclose all they know. There is plenty of in your face realism within as we hear the frustration of raising children who are less than perfect, but does this frustration lead to murder? As one of the characters in the novel exclaims, We all have thoughts that shame us." So true, parenting is a frustrating job, healthy chlld or not. As the different threads, stories coalesce, we begin to piece together the truth. All the little pieces, separate incidents lead to a final outcome.

Everyone holds a piece of the puzzle in their hands, " 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." A book that shows how one action, effects another and another, and terrifically rendered. A well done debut novel, one that will hold the readers interest as they try to figure out who did what and why. How little actions, turn into big ones until there is a point of no return. Expecting good things from this young author.

ARC from Netgalley.