In this moving debut novel, Korean American Min has moved from California to South Korea. Never feeling fully American, yet not Korean enough, Min hopes his move will help him find a sense of purpose. While there, Min meets his girlfriend Yu-jin, who by contrast, has her life completely mapped out. Yu-jin is in her final year of university with a promising career in politics on the horizon. When Seoul police inform Min that Yu-jin has died seemingly by suicide, Min is shocked to his core. Not accepting this explanation, Min embarks on a journey to find the truth. Told alternatively between Min’s perspective and Yu-jin’s, secrets begin to unfold and a mystery is unraveled, in a poignant story that emphasizes cultural identity, the power of family, and what it means to belong.

Wow!! I really enjoyed this book. It was such a nice change of pace from the genres I have been reading recently and it felt like a breath of fresh air. As I read, I realized that I can’t recall ever reading a book that takes place in South Korea and it was wonderful to read about the country and the culture. The dual narrative was surprising at at first, mainly because Min’s chapters are written in the third person, whereas Yu-jin’s are in first. But after settling into the rhythm, I found their two perspectives to greatly add to the story and the mystery. If you enjoy dual perspective, an examination of culture, identity, and the choices we make, this is the book for you!

When We Fell Apart, debut novel of Soon Wiley, follows the story of Min and Yu Jin. Min decided to move from America to Seoul to explore his Korean roots, while Yu Jin is currently living in the same city because of her studies. Their families and lives couldn't be more different, but they found comfort and understanding in each other. Until one day Min is informed by the police that Yu Jin has committed suicide. Shocked and confused, he is convinced there's something else going on: someone is hiding something.

When We Fell Apart may sound like a mystery novel revolving around the sudden death of Yu Jin, but as soon as I started reading it, I realized it's so much more than that. This is the story of two characters on their path towards self-discovery and self-realization: I guess that, in a sense, this could be classified as coming-of-age novel. I loved how the POVs of the two main characters, as well as their storylines, perfectly alternate and intertwine, disclosing details to the reader who can slowly find out what happened to Yu Jin before her death. More than a murder mystery, this book is about people: the suffocating love of overprotective parents, the necessity of freedom to choose who to be, the importance of being accepted. The theme of love is beautifully explored: not only the affection for Min, but also a separate queer storyline which is essential to understand Yu Jin's evolution from obedient and silent child to free and growing young woman. It's a beautiful love story, delicate and respectful, and it was heartwarming to see Yu Jin discover her true self thanks to it.

Filled with beautiful and almost poetic descriptions, Wiley takes the reader to the busy and charming streets of Seoul, filled with different cultures and personalities. Overall I found When We Fell Apart very moving and real, beautifully written and heartbreaking at times. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did, but I think it's one of the best debut novel I've ever had the pleasure to read!
Truly a gem.
5 stars.

* I'd like to thank Soon Wiley, Dutton and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for accepting my request for an ARC of #whenwefellapart.

Genre: Literary fiction and Thriller
⭐⭐⭐
The novel revolves around Min an American/Korean guy and his girlfriend Yu-jin. It is being narrated between the present of Min and the past of Yu-jin leading us to the moment of her suicide and what led to it from the moment she finished high school and moved to Seoul for university till she met Min and what follows after.
On the other hand, we see Min struggle to be accepted by society whether it was in the US or Korea and his attempts to unravel the truth about his girlfriend's death and past and whether he has known her at all.
The story is narrated in Yu-jin's first-person and Min's third person and its slow-paced.
It also explores themes of identity, racism, family, diverse culture and traditions.
Overall, the story was good and interesting but not my cup of tea.

This is a story about identity.  Min's mother is Korean and his father is white.  He never felt quite at home growing up in California or in his first job in New York.  So he decides to move to Seoul, hoping that exploring his Korean heritage will give him a greater sense of belonging.  While there, he meets Yu-jin, a successful, ambitious, and happy university student who is dreaming of a bright future -- or so Min thought.

Min cannot believe when the Seoul police let him know that Yu-jin has died by suicide.  Not accepting the police's account, Min sets out to find out what really happened and discovers that Yu-jin's family, friendships, and school life are all much more complicated than he had understood -- and that the Yu-jin he knew was not the real Yu-jin after all.  

This was a really interesting novel.  It explores several interesting themes -- the illusiveness of identity, especially when one feels they do not belong to a single community; the multiple identies people present to different people in their lives -- and whether any of these identities are an individual's "real" one; how well any of us can know even those we believe we are closest to; and the push and pull of family expectations.  The structure of this story served it well.  It toggles between Min's perspective beginning at the time he learns of Yu-jin's death and Yu-jin's perspective beginning when she was in high school.  As the two perspectives converge in time over the course of the story, the mystery of what happened, and the roles played by the various actors in Yu-jin's life, is unveiled in a way that keeps the reader fully engaged.

Highly recommended!

4.5 rounded up to 5 for goodreads

<b>"Sometimes at night the darkness and silence weighs upon me. Peace frightens me; perhaps I fear it most of all. I feel it is only a facade hiding the face of hell." </b>

I loved this book so much. I have been obsessed with all things Asian culture lately, so when I saw this book was set in Korea, I knew I needed it. This book was told form two POV's -- Min in present day third person, and flashbacks form Yu-Jin in the first person. I loved this style of writing because while Min was in the present day trying to figure out what why Yu-Jin would take her own life, we were getting the back story from Yu-Jin explaining her upbringing-- being an only child, a female, daughter to the minister of defense in Korea-- and how that affected her actions and feelings leading up to her suicide. I loved that Wiley explored a LGBTQ relationship in Korea and how it is not acceptable in Korea.. This explored the conflict between respecting your parents and honoring your family, and being true to yourself and feeling free to be who you really are, which was not easy for Yu-Jin at all.

Everyone in this story-- Min, So Ra, Yu-Jin, Misaki-- all were looking for themselves and trying to discover who they were outside their families and the restrictions of their culture. It was a beautiful story of love, identity and honor.

triggers: emotional abuse, outing, suicide, death, grief

This book started off strong but then fell a little flat for me. I loved the dual narratives and different POV's.

This book is such a completely immersive and absorbing read. You can’t help but be pulled into this story. When We Fell Apart is a mystery, but also a book about self discovery and societal and cultural expectations. How deeply a lack of understanding and acceptance can affect a person’s life, unbeknownst even to those closest to them. Do we genuinely know those we love and care about? Do those we love feel that whoever they are, they are loved in return?

Min our main character is Korean-American trying to find a sense of belonging. He is feeling torn between two worlds and two cultures. Min is living in Seoul trying to reconnect with his Korean heritage. Min has a girlfriend, Yu-jin. When Min is told she has committed suicide, he doesn’t believe it. He is determined to find answers and uncover the truth. Told in both present day and past timelines we get to see and experience things through the eyes of both Min and Yu-jin. The story is very descriptive and gives you such rich detail you can almost physically feel the pressure and stress placed upon Yu-Jin and the need for her to be perfect.

Does Min find the truth and does he find himself? This book is heartbreakingly sad and melancholy too, but also beautifully poignant. This debut by Soon Wiley is such a unique and moving read. 4/5 stars

The writing had moments of true beauty to it. I was vividly transported to Seoul and the other cities discussed. I think both perspectives helped keep me turning the pages to try and find out what the truth really is was. But I had hoped the answers to everything would have been more surprising. I also didn’t feel that the decision to end one’s life was addressed as well as it could have been.

The story slowed a bit at time but overall, it was an interesting read and the location was an added bonus.

I think with two narrators this could be a really good audiobook!

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the gifted advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

I unfortunately stopped reading this book at 48%. I really loved the beginning however I felt like the death happened so quickly and then everything afterwards happened so slowly. I was intrigued up until about 30% then found it repetitive and it didn't hold my attention anymore. I think it definitely has potential and has some very important topics which I haven't read in a book before. I really enjoyed the cultural aspects especially.

Thank you to netgalley for this earc in exchange for an honest review.

Searching for a sense of home, of belonging, is a feeling that I can closely relate to. Being Chinese by ethnicity but living almost my entire life in America, I often wonder which place I truly resonate with, feeling torn between my ancestry and my present day.

This book tells the story of Min and Yu-Jin, both of Korean ethnicity but with disparate upbringings, one in a small town in South Korea and the other as an American. Both are searching for their identity, trying out different cities and experiences to figure out where they truly belong.

When Yu-Jin allegedly commits suicide, Min is not convinced that is the reality of what happened. We go back in time before they meet and learn more about each of their stories and the culmination of events that lead to the death of Yu-Jin. Yu-Jin's perspective tells her story leading up to her death, while Min's perspective stays in the present day, after Yu-Jin is gone.

The writing is evocative and gives the reader an inside look at the city of Seoul as experienced by the younger generation. The story is fresh and I had no idea what to expect, but I very much wanted to find out. The portrayal of filial duty and the extreme actions it can provoke was enthralling. The book emphasizes the problematic nature of ownership over your children, the harsh stigma against non-conformity, and the lengths to which reputations are preserved.

When We Fell Apart is a captivating and moving story about Yu-jin, who is just about to graduate from university and her boyfriend, Min - a young Korean-American. The novel begins when, a day after their last meeting, Min is informed by the Seoul police that Yu-jin is dead. Heartbroken, he vows to solve his girlfriend’s mysterious death, and his search for answers is interwoven with Yu-jin narrating her past and the events that led to her demise.

This novel is definitely a slow-paced one, and despite the mystery element, I wouldn’t call it tense - the death of Yu-jin was the central point, but her life before and Min’s actions after were the main focus. I loved the way this book approached the themes of acceptance, trying to find oneself and the difficult family dynamics. I was pleasantly surprised by how much of the novel was dedicated to a queer storyline - I didn’t see anything about that in the blurb, but it’s a theme that continues throughout the entire narrative. It’s a truly beautiful reflection on identity and the difficult coming-of-age years that have the main character torn between selfhood and family expectations. I was also fascinated by the struggles Min experienced about him being bi-racial and trying to understand his culture, and I found these parts of the book very thought-provoking.

TLDR: When We Fell Apart is a deep and personal story about the past and the present, and what it means to be an outsider trying to belong.

Thank you Penguin Dutton for another engaging and diverse read; When We Fell Apart is an impressive novel in many ways and I appreciate the chance to review it. At the heart is a persistent love story wrapped in a mystery. The vivid writing and context add depth to the story and I appreciate the chance to read a cross cultural mystery. I think this would be an excellent fit for many book clubs as it crosses many interests: mystery, culture, diversity, and literary fiction.

3 strengths
1. I love examination of identity and this novel captures effectively, as far as I know, experiences with bias and prejudice. The sense of otherness that Min experiences is one I often hear immigrant and multiracial students talk about, not feeling here or there, being "too Asian" or "too American/not Asian enough".

2. Detailed writing, at times the writing was bit dense/too much in terms of exposition, but the writing really took me into places and into feelings. writing that evokes connection is always powerful.

3. I liked the blending of love and mystery, this was well done and made the mystery work really effectively for me. I am a thriller/mystery/procedural fan and it was nice to read a different approach to a mystery.

This is a mesmerizing dual narrative that pulls the reader in from page one. I particularly enjoyed getting multiple perspectives as we try to unravel what happened. The setting is evocative and well-rendered. Seoul is almost a character in and of itself. Wiley handles past and present with an assured hand and the plot, while not fast-moving, is most certainly compelling. Likewise, the ending is not tied up with a bow, but it feels genuine and well-earned. Recommended for fans of literary fiction.

I absolutely loved the fact that this book was written in a dual narrative. This book does an amazing job of going between past and present in order to tell the amazing story of story about Korean American Min and his Korean girlfriend Yu-jin, who’s is believed to have committed suicide. Slowly Min learns more and more about f Yu-jin. and why she may have killed herself. I think that this book did a great job to focus on more than just the death of his GF. This book was easy to devour. You might have difficulty with switching between first and third person POV (this would probably make for a good audiobook).

“Still, we’d both gone somewhere in search of something. We’d both had an inkling, a terrible hunch refusing to wane, that the answers to our confusion, the explanation for our displacement, lay out there somewhere in the city, among the wailing sirens and endless bustle. Didn’t we hope that if we listened close enough, if we looked hard enough, we’d find the clue we’d been looking for all along?”

There are many characters searching for answers in this atmospheric cross-cultural mystery set in Seoul, South Korea. Min, a Korean-American working in Seoul, has been told his girlfriend has died by suicide, which is unexpected and alarming. Yu-jin had been on a rigorous path to success (orchestrated by her domineering father) and Min’s subsequent search for the truth is a complex and dangerous one. The balance between conforming to cultural norms, and embracing a modern independence is positioned on a delicate framework of secrets and creates tension throughout the pages.
I enjoyed the character of Seoul itself, but this reader found the novel hard to get through due to tragedy contained in each and every relationship. Yu-jin’s father, and by extension Yu-Jin herself, strategically use everyone in their orbit and leave devastation in their wake.

Thank you Net Galley and Dutton Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! What a powerful and moving book! We follow Min, who is a Korean-American who moved to Seoul to learn more about his heritage, and Yu-Jin, who is the daughter of a powerful Korean military individual. The story alternates between the present day and the past. The present day includes Min trying to figure out what happened to Yu-Jin and how she died, while the past focuses on Yu-Jin’s past and the journey that she went on to find her true self. This is my first book by Wiley and I loved the writing style and tone. It really makes you want to keep turning the pages so you can understand what really happened to Yu-Jin, while also learning about the Korean culture. I absolutely adored this book and the journey it takes you on as the reader.

This review will be posted to my Instagram blog (read_betweenthecovers) in the near future!

When We Fell Apart is a book that will stick with you long after you finish reading it. It is incredibly powerful, moving, and an interesting look into Korean culture.

The story follows Min, a Korean-American who grew up in California and moves to Seoul to learn more about his Korean heritage, and Yu-Jin, the daughter of a powerful Korean military member. The story bounces between the present day with Min searching for answers about Yu-Jin's death, and the back story of Yu Jin's upbringing and her quest to find herself. The book opened my eyes to the pressure that is put on children in Korean culture when it comes to school and becoming successful. Yu Jin wants to please her parents but also become her own person.

While the circumstances of the book are sad, the book has plenty of uplifting parts and it's a beautifully written work. I couldn't put it down.

Highly recommend.
4.5/5 stars

Thank you Dutton and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"When We Fell Apart" is Soon Wiley's debut novel, and is a thought-provoking piece that looks into the realities of life as a South Korean woman. The story is told from two perspectives: In the present, Min, a biracial Korean-American who's moved to Seoul for work, attempts to come to terms with the sudden death of his girlfriend Yujin, and has to grapple with the fact that it was deemed a suicide. Yujin, in the past, retells the events of her high school and college life. As the novel continues, these two timelines slowly converge into one, and we learn from both storylines what ultimately happened in Yujin's passing.

There's a number of weighty issues that Wiley highlights in these pages, and we get to see how the various influences from family and friends impacted Yujin, as each thought of her in a way that worked best for them. The parental expectations placed on her to study hard, attend a good school, and enter the corporate ladder; the barriers against her own expression and desires that she had; her own repressions against her sexuality - Piece by piece, Min is able to unravel the truth behind his girlfriend, a person he thought he knew very well, and the circumstances that led to her eventual death. While this is not a joyful read, it is a much-needed questioning on familial expectations, personal identity, sexuality, race, and societal status.

I found Wiley's prose to flow smoothly, and appreciated the difference in style in tone between Min and Yujin's chapters. The whole setup of the novel was almost like a mystery, so I couldn't help but want to get to the end to understand what really happened to Yujin, and the truth of her situation.

This was a gripping read, both a mystery and a love story, The mystery aspect pulls you in, but as you read you care more and more about the characters, even though they are flawed. The insights into modern Korean culture also makes this book stand out.

I included this in the April edition of Apartment Therapy's monthly new book roundup.

“When We Fell Apart” by Soon Wiley: A man’s investigation into the death of his girlfriend leads him down a path of self-discovery into his own bi-cultural identity.

https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-book-april-2022-37058891