I Leave It Up to You is a beautifully crafted story that explore identity and human complexity with subtlety and grace. The writing is lyrical and immersive, pulling you into intimate moments.

This book made me immediately have to go and eat some sushi while reading. I thought this was such an interesting premise and I think it was done well. I do think that I just unfortunately came in with a bit of a chip on my shoulder as a nurse knowing how unlikely of a scenario this was. I could not shake that feeling as well that this man was able to completely wake up with no consequences of being in a coma for 23 months. It was also very heavy on COVID talk, something that I lived through as a nurse and would love to disassociate from. That being said, it was certainly full of heart and I did feel for our main character Jack Jr as he tries to navigate his life suddenly back with his family after waking up from the coma. It was quite sad and forlorn at times. I thought the writing was very well done, I just felt a bit too in my feels for this one when I read it. It's definitely a me thing, so take this review with a grain of salt. I do recommend if you enjoy slice of life books set in the very recently post COVID times. I do have to say I did learn quite a bit about sushi making as well, which is a plus.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

This was okay. I was ready to finish especially because it started to meander but I was also interested enough in the story to want to read to the end.

I also don’t mind modern day references being mentioned as long as the prose is strong enough but that wasn’t the case here. From TikTok to Sean Cody (yes you read that right), I lost count the amount of times I rolled my eyes. The writing isn’t horrible by any means just simple? Maybe that’s the wrong word…

Anyway I still really liked these characters and the premise was interesting. Now I’m hungry for sushi.

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House for the arc.

*I received a copy of this book on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity*

Jack Jr. wakes up to a world he doesn't recognize. He no longer has a nice water-view apartment, the company he worked for has been bought and no longer exists, and nobody will tell him where his finance-- the man he was preparing to spend a life with-- has disappeared to. Suddenly thirty, he's back in his childhood home working at the restaurant he ran away from at eighteen; slicing fish with his father and waking up before dawn to finish the fish run with his (now practically grown) nephew.

This story will resonate with people; it's an examination on second chances, familial love and forgiveness, and the opportunity to re-discover yourself after a new awakening. However, it wasn't for me this time around.

This took me some time to get through but I thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite character was Juno but I loved how they all leaned on one another and supported each other. It felt like a realistic dynamic that I found really interesting. This was like the opposite of the TJR book One True Loves where we see the partner waking up from an accident and trying to put the pieces of his life back together. It was his family that had his back and help him find his way again. This book was sweet and made me think about how people learn to move forward and find their truest self. Great read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

I was in the minority of readership that actually liked the ambitious fever dream of a sci-fi debut that was Jinwoo Chong's Flux. This one, though, is SUCH a departure from Flux, I was pleasantly surprised and moved by the range of his narrative voice. This novel may be the most New Jersey novel I've ever read. Hear me out. We have a Korean-American family running a struggling sushi restaurant, in Fort Lee, which is to Koreans/Japanese as Edison is to Indians. We have deep pandemic repercussions, a prodical son of immigrants coming back home from "the city" to work at the family business, we have DIVORCED Asian parents who are NOT homophobic and NOT pressuring their kids into academic excellence, we have family SECRETS! I mean, if this isn't the story of the quintessential Asian American NJ/NY suburban family, figuring out how to coexist with everyone's agency intact, I don't know what is. There is so much that is so refreshing about this story. As I mentioned, this is a story where literally every character in the family has agency to fail and recover. The narrative isn't trying to commodify identity and making token exceptions for bilingualism and cultural gaps; specifically, the parent characters aren't caricatures of "immigrant parents" and are extremely active characters in the story not defined by simply being parents or Koreans. The protagonist has lost two years to a coma, during which the world was changed by Covid, the life he made for himself by leaving home and going across the river is as lost to him as the fiancee who waited for him to wake until he couldn't wait anymore. What in any other novel with similar themes would be framed as a bleak defeat and return to to square one, is treated as a recalibration and reminder of what we come from, are made of and how to reclaim the most fundamental parts of who we are and makes us happy. This story liberates every cross section of minority identity to make mistakes, have seemingly insurmountable setbacks and heartbreaks, and just be broken and hurt and be taken care of until we're ready to look ahead with fresh new eyes. I cannot tell you what a breath of fresh air it is when in Anerican society, immigrants, children of immigrants, and especially queer children of immigrants are burdened by default with expectations of excellence as the only way to exist. This may be one of the most hopeful books I have read in a while.

With themes on grief, longing, and second chances, this book will tug at your heartstrings, shed a tear, and laugh unexpectedly. I gravitate toward books with complicated family dynamics, and the author depicts this Korean American family with finesse. Make sure you read when you're already full or else you will become absolutely ravenous at the descriptions of sushi and Korean food.

A bit of a slow start but after about the quarter way mark, I was hooked. I loved the family group dynamic, the one-on-one relationships, and even the romance (despite the unethical mess of it). This was both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. Also - I immediately need some high-quality sushi.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC copy.

You want a slice of life? Here's a slice of life for you. Jack Jr. has just woken up from a two year coma and has to face the reality that he had been avoiding since he was a teenager--more specifically, his family.

This was a fast read thanks to the engaging narrative that always seemed to capture the tone of the moment so well. Kudos to the author for being able to convey the emotion within the narrative, while also having a delicate touch with the dialogue and structuring.


The setting of the lives and culture of a low/middle-class Asian family really keep the story moving, as Jack Jr. navigates his way through their relationships and differences. I enjoyed the rest of the characters immensely and wanted to continue to learn more about them and cheer for them throughout the book.

The pacing of the book was nice and succinct, though I think there are moments where it feels like some things are brushed over too quickly. Perhaps the weakest part was Jack Jr. himself. He's a wry narrator with attitude and quips, but it feels like we don't get a lot of substance or insight from him other than the occasional wise observation. I felt like we were missing out on highlighting the contrast of his ideologies and lifestyle choices with his family's, which is at its core one of the catalysts of his personality.

Nonetheless, a book I really enjoyed. Would recommend for those who are interested in a fun slice of life novel with some family drama and touching moments.

JJ wakes up from a two-year coma in a world that has changed drastically. He has to learn to re-navigate a post-Covid world where relationships and everyday life as he knew them are something completely different.

This book has been sitting on my shelf for a while and I regret not reading it sooner! And, it’s a queer story with a sweet/happy ending for all characters and features a Korean family with plenty of mentions of kimchi-jjigae so of course I ended up loving it! I enjoyed JJ and his nephew Juno’s characters. The writer nailed the dialogue for me and at times I was laughing out loud. I loved the interwoven familial stories and how it’s not just a story about one guy waking up from a coma but the entire family and its undertakings, and how everyone is affected.

JJ’s dad owns a Japanese/Korean sushi restaurant and no spoilers here, eventually JJ works there with him. A detail that really sealed the deal for me was the book’s title. I wondered the entire book what the title meant/referenced and it wasn’t until the end when I pieced things together did I get it.

8/10

I picked up this book by mistake.
It turns out I read Jinwoo’s first book, “Flux” and didn’t like it. In fact, I don’t think I even understand it. I don’t even remember the story of that book as much as the feeling that I wanted it to end.

So I didn’t have high hopes for this one.
But I read it anyway. And hot damn, I’m glad I did.

It’s like Jinwoo all of the sudden decided to write a story that is easy to follow and has characters you care about.

It’s a pretty good premise too.

Jack Jr was in a coma for 23 months. It started in 2019 and he woke up in the middle of COVID. He had lost his job, his apartment and the love of his life. He had been estranged from his family for ten years and now, lost and disoriented, being back with his family was his only choice.

The struggles and turmoil from losing your life and returning to it, weaved over the fabric of complex family dynamics, have made this into a really great read.

It’s heartwarming, insightful, and a compelling look at what life can be like when you get a second chance to do it all over again.

Great book.
Consider me a fan.

#netgalley #ileaveituptoyou

i found this funny and warm and lovely, and it also made me really hungry. there are very many characters and problems and interpersonal dynamics in this book, but i didn't mind. i enjoyed all the time i spent with all of them.

Jack Jr. is like a modern day Rip Van Winkle, awakening from a two year coma to find everything in his world different from how he left it.
While initially thinking he's lost everything great in his former life, JJ begins to realize that his awakening has given him the chance to rebuild his relationship with his estranged family, and reconsider the legacy he turned his back on a decade ago.
The author's writing style was a nice balance of kinda funny and lighthearted, while also deftly maneuvering around touchy family dynamics and other heavyish issues.
Thanks to #netgalley and #ballantinebooks for this #arc of #ileaveituptoyou by #jinwoochong in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

"I Leave It Up to You," a family drama by Jinwoo Chong, is a pandemic novel with a new twist. Here, a gay man who had distanced himself from his Korean immigrant family wakes up from a two-year coma to find his old life is gone. His fiancé has moved on. His job as a copywriter and apartment in Manhattan? Gone. The reader is along for the ride as Jack Jr. struggles to figure out why everyone's wearing masks and what's going on with the sushi restaurant his family runs in Fort Lee, N.J. Will he find a way to rebuild his independent life or will he slide back into the one he left behind in a rebellious huff in his late teens? Jack Jr. makes a sympathetic main character, one who's open about his flaws and uncertainties as well as his wounded heart. I could see the story as the basis for a TV series, especially given Chong's evocative writing about the restaurant and the work that goes into stocking it with trips to the fish market.

Endearing, funny and irreverent, a story of forgiveness and redemption and sushi. I really loved the blunt and honest human emotion here with all the foibles of life and love. A really great read and a perfect execution by the narrator!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

I decided not to finish this. There was nothing wrong with the writing itself, just that I was interested to know what was going on with where he found himself, but it was stretching out the same moment for so long without revealing any details, I realized I didn't care enough for why in proportion to the pacing.

A good read with layers of potent character development and creation. The setting was a vivid landscape that catered to the authenticity of the story.

Thanks Ballantine Books for approving my first ever Netgalley copy! (This review was first posted on Goodreads on April 21,2025)

Estranged from his family Jack jr. a Korean American man wakes up from a coma after 2 years to find they are all he has left. Though at the forefront of his mind, is Ren: his longterm partner who’s noticeably absent. Getting used to all these changes while trying to regain his strength, the main character must reckon with the reasons why he left home in the first place 10 to 12 years prior.

Written in pensive prose which conjure up the image of someone trying to find their way through a confusing world filled with double meanings and the tension that exists between different languages and cultures, the writing mirrors Jack jr.’s process of relearning how to live life while wide awake. This was one of the strongest aspects of the book. The characters’ philosophical musings on life frame the novel and are frequently revisited throughout. There is a cyclical nature to the narrative that I found comforting.

Another cozy aspect of the book is the relationship that begins to bloom as the main character finds his footing in life. While their relationship felt warm, their make out scenes were spicy enough to clear my sinuses. This is definitely the book American society needs to survive our current epidemic of loneliness. Honestly I would have liked more steamy scenes between these two lovers, but considering it’s a book primarily focused on familial ties I wasn’t too upset with what I got. However, if Jinwoo Chong ever decided to write smut, I’d be the first to request that book on Netgalley.

The author is also a master at writing platonic relationships. The way that he balances the family’s issues with their love for each other felt authentic. Each family member felt like their own person. Though my favorite has to be the protagonist’s nephew Juno. The development of their relationship is one of the sweetest things I’ve read in awhile.

This genuine characterization was enhanced by the setting. Set against the back drop of his family’s failing Japanese inspired sushi restaurant, trying to recover a year after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the family is in a place that is at once beloved yet contentious. The building of tensions along with all the beautiful descriptions of food made this book a truly delicious read.

Though I did feel that the resolutions, while satisfying felt rushed. Furthermore, Chong’s slow meditative style of writing could have been enhanced by breaking the book into smaller chapters. This way the audience could get the illusion that the pacing was slightly faster. Although, I did ultimately appreciate that every chapter seemed to end with a bang.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review. I Leave it Up to You is a really unique story about Jack Jr., who suddenly awakes out of an almost two year coma with no memory of how he got there and is taken back to his family's house to live and work even though he had left them a decade earlier. He now finds himself back working in his father's sushi restaurant trying to piece together what happened to his old life and what his new life should be.

This is such a refreshingly honest and beautiful book about how to move on and how to grow after an immense trauma. The writing here is simple but effective in showing how Jack comes to cope with his new reality and make do with where he is now. The book is light on plot but really is a character development piece and an insight into multi-generational and dysfunctional/reunited families. As a foodie, it also made me crave sushi very badly. This beautifully written and such a unique gem of a find that I can not wait to recommend to everyone.