"O Beautiful", by Jung Yun is a literary fiction novel that tells a relevant story of contemporary America. It was an infuriating read, rather than a pleasurable one for me, but an overall important story. The plot follows Elinor Hansen, a half Korean - half white woman, who returns to her childhood state of North Dakota, to write an article about how the oil boom affected life in the town of Bakken. The book covers a wide range of themes, like misogyny, overt and covert racism, strained family relations, and personal issues with identity and belonging.

I am happy that I read this book. It portrayed a reality in contemporary America that I, luckily, very seldom come across, but that I, nonetheless, am very aware exists. The opening chapter had my skin crawling in a way that a literary fiction has not managed to before. For the most part of the book I was in a state of infuriation mixed with disbelief that took me back to a time when a car rear-ended my car at a stop light, while my husband was driving. While the police officers and paramedics were assessing the situation, a pick-up truck slowed down traffic, and a guy in his early twenties pulled himself out through the window mid-drive to yell out, “This is what happens when you let a woman drive!!!” No one except for me was phased, and everyone went about their business like usual. This book is full of these men, from the one shouting mid-driving, to the passers byes and police officers that didn’t think twice about it. The book is filled with ingrained misogyny and racism that is sadly accepted and tolerated by many. Jung Yun wrote it all masterfully. I am very interested in reading more by her.

The audiobook narration, performed by Catherine Ho, was very engaging. The narrator used a lot of passion in her voice, and it felt like the feelings of anger bottling up and bursting in Elinor were mirrored very well in the narrator’s voice. I would recommend this book, both for the story and the narration, to fans of literary fiction and social issues stories. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for access to the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars rounded for having a lot of food for thought

This is the story Elinor Hanson, an Asian-American, former model to returns near her hometown of Bakken, North Dakota to write about the oil boom in her town.

The book starts with a scene of Elinor on the airplane and her seat mate bothering her with questions and intrusions and builds from there to something quite disturbing and it pretty much doesn't let up. She finds that her hometown is almost unrecognizable and is overrun by men.

There are so many issues tackled by this story that it's almost too numerous to list, especially considering it's a reasonably small book. Racism, sexism, misogyny, elitism, classism and so much more. Elinor's discomfort is so palpable and well represented that one cannot help but feel unease and tension the entire book.

Even though it was tough to read this book and feel that discomfort the whole time, there was a lot to think about in this bool, the irony, the prose and the overall tone were well executed.

with gratitude to Macmillan Audio and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Starting with the irony of the title, O Beautiful immediately draws you into the story of a troubled landscape being literally blasted apart from within.

This is a review of the audiobook that I received from Net Galley.

This is contemporary fiction told from the point of view from an Asian American woman in her forties about race, class, and gender in the oil boom of North Dakota. Over the course of about 10 days she is interviewing locals for an article for a major publication. She has grown up in the area and has experienced discrimination in ND since childhood. Her experiences upon returning highlight the struggles of women, indigenous people, and outsiders coming for jobs.

I though the story was beautifully told, very thought provoking, and would make for an excellent book club pick. The narrator also provided a wonderful voice.

While I didn't totally connect with the plot line or characters, the audiobook format of O Beautiful was really well done. Jung Yun's writing is beautifully detailed and came across even more so through the narration.

The premise of this novel seemed quite intriguing but unfortunately the execution of the storyline just didn't quite work for me. I found my myself wishing the characters were a bit more layered and more loose ends were tied up. 3/5

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted review copy.

Was able to listen to an early release thanks to NetGalley in exchange for my honest review
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and it didn’t disappoint!
The dynamic strong yet realistic main character was relatable and raw
Elinor on a path of self discovery and healing ends up back in North Dakota amidst the oil boom for a journalism assignment. In the process the story weaves in complex and powerful themes; sexual assault, finding yourself and reinventing yourself, racism, oil boom/fracking
Elinor was so well developed as a character. Had so much depth. You couldn’t help but want her to find what she was looking for in this world

A fresh and compelling story with unexpected twists and turns! The story started a little slow/uncomfortable for me, but I was still intrigued. It quickly picked up and I was finding time wherever I could to fit in a little bit more to find out what would happen next.

A compelling story about a writer given an assignment to write about insiders and outsiders and a small South Dakota town taken over by oil drilling companies. The author does a great job of sharing the imagery and drawing you in and getting you invested in the story. The tale has a little romance, gender issues, social issues and a look at big oil. It has some elements of a mystery or a thriller. It's worth the read!

Very grateful to Netgalley for granting my request for this book. It covers a lot of difficult topics, but it handles them all extremely well and with a balance I found incredible. Nothing felt slighted and nothing felt like it overwhelmed the other things. It was just everything, so many things affecting middle America, all seen through the eyes of someone who was born and raised there, got out, and came back. The fact that the author shares at least some of the lead character's backstory (raised in North Dakota, lived in New York) definitely helped the story feel authentic and lived-in. Just a fantastic book.

In a deceptively simple narrative, Jung Yun encapsulates the present complexities facing our country at this moment in time and the land, people and practices that have shaped how we got here. Yun's gift is a story so human and so personal that it evokes a perfect slice of the ever-shifting recipe of American pie.

Elinor Hanson was a highly relatable main character--a woman who grew up as an outsider in her largely homogenous community of North Dakota. The child of a Korean immigrant and a military vet, Hanson never quite felt at home in the place from whence she was born. Attempting to restart her life as a journalist after a somewhat successful modeling career, Elinor is returning to her hometown to report on the oil boom and its effect on the local community and environment. As she makes her way through interviews and interactions with her former community members, Elinor finds she can no longer escape her demons--abuse; abandonment; sexual assault; racism; family tension...all of which bubble up as the ground begins to shake.

The question at the center of this novel seems to be, "Will she speak up and how will she make this story, this life, her own?"

Read on, and perhaps you will find out...

**I read and listened to this book and I thought Catherine Ho was an excellent narrator--very engaging and just the right amount of emotive/theatrical for my tastes!**

Publication Date: Nov 9, 2021

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, & Macmillan Audio for the ARCs in exchange for an unbiased review.

I went into this one really not knowing what to expect. Contemporary fiction, yes please! It was dark, depressing, and kind of slow. All which can work, but I'm not sure it worked for me. In the end the story wasn't really worth it, or I didn't really get it, I guess there just wasnt enough story for me to be interested. It touched on gender, race, and politics, all which are very now topics, and maybe it was just too real and didn't stray away from my life as much as I would like a story to.

Think The Odyssey meets The Grapes of Wrath in a modern era: Oh, Eleanor. You likable, despisable, indifferent, complicated character. First, let me start by saying I adored this book, and as such, became emotionally invested in the main character, Eleanor. Throughout the story, I found her relatable (desperately wanting sleep, a chance to do meaningful work, the trappings of just being a woman in this world), despisable (please try to have a relationship with your sister, don't smoke in the hotel, you are so destructive), and complicated (you are yearning for a life that hasn't been dealt to you, desperately needing to sort through this baggage while having to interact with the world in a fundamentally different way than I will ever experience). I was initially drawn to the story, being a Midwesterner myself, the oil boom in ND was very big news here. What I was unprepared for was the story of Eleanor herself and her journey to self-discovery along the way, She's messy. She has a history. She continually makes questionable decisions that the reader eventually understands the motivation behind. Bottom line? Read this one. You won't regret it.

O Beautiful is a unique, character-driven story set in North Dakota. It's mostly about the events that take place when people flock to the state to make money off of the oil industry. How does this affect the town of Bakken and the people who grew up there? Newly minted journalist Elinor Hanson arrives from New York to cover the story. Only she has her own tale of how she grew up there, as a Korean American, and comes back to face her past. And she has to figure out which story she wants to tell.

The audiobook was very well done and moves along nicely. I think it is just a lot to deal with in one story... racism, poverty, sexual abuse, infidelity, alcoholism, environmentalism, and much, more.

Special thanks to Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to the story via the NetGalley app.