Soon Wiley tells the story of two young people romantically involved, and what happens when one discovers the other was keeping many secrets from him after she commits suicide.

The story opens in Seoul with an aimless Min, who gets the terrible and inexplicable news that his girlfriend Yu-jin was found dead in her apartment. Grieving, Min begins asking questions of Yu-jin's roommates to determine what might have caused her to kill herself.

In alternating chapters we get Min's perspective as he asks numerous questions, finding more and more contradictory details about Yu-jin's life, or lives, that she was living, confusing Min deeply about his understanding of her, and of himself.

Min is half Korean, half white, and has been deeply mixed up about his identity and where he belongs, as he feels little affinity for the US, but quickly discovers no acceptance in South Korea, his mother’s birthplace. Min had thought Yu-jin gave him a place to belong, and the more he discovers about her, the more it repudiates all his assumptions about her, and even some about himself.

It’s a complex book, and though this is partially a mystery, Yu-jin's chapters from her childhood to her fateful decision describe the many contradictions and the identities she wore for others, laying the mystery bare to the reader pretty early on. Instead, the author concerns himself more with questions about identity and belonging, and the lies we tell one another, along with crushing parental expectations, all of which make this a moving, melancholy read.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

This was such an interesting and unique story - I loved the globetrotting adventure and how honest the characters felt. The mystery left a bit to be desired but overall I enjoyed the story and think that this is a great story.

A moving story about identity and finding a sense of belonging set in modern day Seoul, Korea. This book starts off strong with Min, a Korean American man, discovering his Korean girlfriend Yu-jin has taken her own life. From there the story alternates from the present and the past as we learn what was going on in Yu-jin's life to cause her to commit suicide.

Beautifully written and very heartfelt. This debut book had me hooked from the start and I couldn't put it down. I instantly was sympathetic to Min as he slowly learns he really didn't know his girlfriend at all. For her part, Yu-jin was a dutiful daughter, trying to please her father in order to be given a small amount of freedom to live her life on campus with her secret girlfriend.

Highly recommended for fans of The last story of Mina Lee or anything by Celeste Ng. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Was happy to include this book in my latest round-up for Zoomer magazine, highlighting spring cultural titles of interest on an AAPI theme (see mini-review at link)

Girlfriend's mysterious death. An influential father. Living in America has its challenges. Going back home in Korea, to find his purpose, not easy. Trying to find what happened to his girlfriend will bring him into spiral of events, a trust issues and involvement of family and their intention.

I enjoyed the story. Well laid out in terms of how its going to end. A quick one sitting read.

Thank you Penguin Random House & Viking publishing for the E-Arc.


3.6/5 stars

⚠️TW: Suicide

I feel like I say this every other week, but I REALLY have to say: this has been one of my top reads this year. I DEVOURED this story. Its equal parts character and plot driven, with thoughtful reflections around multiple challenging themes. An absolutely incredible debut by Soon Wiley.

Min, an Korean American living and working in Seoul, is completely caught off guard when the local police inform him his girlfriend, Yu-jin, has committed suicide. The story runs in two opposite directions - Yu-jin, striving for a metropolitan and independent life, achieving academic success and going to university, and Min, slowly unravelling as he tries to understand what happened to Yu-jin.

The pacing and level of detail was perfection - I felt deep sadness from Min as he struggles with his identity as a Korean-American, feeling "less-than" in any context he exists in, while coming to the realization he didn't ever really know the depths and contours of Yu-jin's inner life. Similarly, the struggles Yu-jin encountered with her own ambitions, sexuality, and the idea of deep shame in Korean culture added an entirely different lens to this story.

This book served as an excellent reminder that you never know what someone is dealing with, in addition to exploring the depths of Korean culture and perception, with two characters who were deeply complicated, compelling and touching. This one will stay with me for a long time!