That's the freshest and most unique idea for a book I have read so far this year. The fates of three Koreans with different backgrounds and ideologies revolve around one Soju Club in Oxford and the personality of the mysterious Dr. Ryu.

The author declared that this book is a metaphor for how the immigrant Koreans wear masks to survive in the new society. I certainly saw that at the end as one large picture. I did notice that the characters grew and changed, becoming more honest with themselves throughout the story. I enjoyed particularly that the author changes the nicknames of the different narrators throughout the story, and I thought this was a clever idea.

Also, the description of Americans was kinda fun to read. The author captured the psychology of the immigrants well, especially the one from North Korea. I was quite amazed that the author compared the Leader to Paul Atreides from "Dune". 

So why did I rate the book only 3 stars? 

1. While the beginning and ending of the book were engaging, the middle section was unfortunately not. The writing felt monotonous, and it was difficult to stay focused on the plot.

2. In my opinion, the author concentrated too much on the characters' actions rather than their emotions. Sometimes there were too many action-focused tedious sentences without providing any clues about the characters' emotional states. That is also the reason, why I felt nothing for them and couldn't empathize with them.

3. The dialogues were occasionally excessively long. I don't think people naturally talk with 3-4 sentences each turn in real life. 

4. Although there weren't many overly explanatory sentences when they did appear, they felt too obvious. For example:

"He likes the sound of jjimdak, but he is not satisfied with her answer. He wants her to try again, think bigger."

"As he walks away and looks back to his smiling mother, he thinks about how he doesn’t particularly want to go to university. He wants to stay with her, in the restaurant."

"Despite Jihoon telling them Junichi doesn’t speak Korean, the old men continue talking in their language. As if it will all somehow get through to him."

Still, it's a good debut and I will certainly be reading the author's next book. Thanks to the publisher, the author and Netgalley for a free arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

I was trying something different and outside my comfort zone when I requested this, and it was a good choice. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the entire story.

I’m not sure if centering the spy thriller aspect was the best choice because this was so much more. It was an insight into the Korean diaspora and the way nationality and exploration of identity intersect. I find the character study almost as or even more interesting than the overarching spy plot. I liked the separation of POVs between “The Northerner”, “The Southerner”, and “The American.”

I’m not sure if it was intentional but the writing did feel disorganized a bit, but at the same time, I feel like it makes it rereadable, there’s sure to be a different hint or clue to find through each read. However, for such a short book, the ending felt bogged down with the circular nature of the subplot resolutions, which ruined the pacing to me. The timeline jumping also felt hard to pinpoint at times, it took me a paragraph or two to realize when I was. Otherwise, this was an interesting debut and I’m looking forward to Jinwoo Park’s next book.

Although I did go into this book with a full expectation of spy/action mixed with Korean migration stories, the level of personal conflict within identity and culture surpassed my expectations. Even though we are experiencing the gritty nature of spy-work, we are really given the time to understand each character and their motivations fully.

I was obsessed with the way he included cultural references, such as specific recipes, dishes and national holidays, without over explaining these. It wasn’t about dumbing anything down or pandering to a non-Korean audience, it trusted readers who don't already know to do the work and learn the deeper meanings on their own.

I cannot wait to see what he writes next!

Soju Club follows a North Korean spy, an immigrant from South Korea, and a first-generation Korean American spy as they collide in Oxford. These three perspectives lead the book to have a hypnotizing rhythm and quick pace. While the first half is spent introducing and building the characters, the second half takes a sharp and exciting turn with edgy writing.

The ending felt a bit predictable but I don’t think that is a weakness. The plot gives space for the characters to question their identity, relations with family, and loyalty alongside a whodunit storyline pushing the narrative. The highlight of this book is those captured experiences of not knowing how one stands with their identity.

Thank you to Dundurn Press and NetGalley for providing a free digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Interesting in that the character exploration was laid out well - the people searching and exploring their identity but there were far too many full stops. The sentences were short and jarring and distracted me from the story. However, I feel that if I tried to read this again I would be able to piece it together better and enjoy it from a different perspective.

A good debut novel, would be better if there were longer sentences.

If you like complex spy thrillers, this is for you. Don't let the length fool you into thinking this will be a quick and easy read. With multiple perspectives, shifting chronology and tautly controlled plot, you need to concentrate!

3.5 stars! thx netgalley for the arc!! i loved the cover and the title and then found out the author is a tiktoker!

this book was a fun exploration of the korean diaspora in the format of a whodunnit, following a north korean, a south korean, and a korean american as their journeys intersect in a restaurant called Soju Club in Oxford.

it overall was a quick engaging read, with quick POV changes and multiple timelines. i enjoyed getting to know some of the characters (jihoon was my fav) but the book felt a little too short and a lot of characters storylines felt like they were cut short (which maybe was the point). the mystery/thriller also wasn’t that exciting for me & the plot twist was pretty predictable. i fear i may forget the plot in a couple months. nonetheless the writing was still good so im intrigued to see what Park writes next!

I first want to thank the publisher and Net Galley for the free advanced copy. I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I was expecting Korean mystery but this book is so much more than that! Korean mystery meets cultural identity and belonging. This book follows Yohan, Jihoon and Yunah who are undercover spies playing cat and mouse with each other. The author chose to use their spy names some times and their real names at other points. I found this to be a bit confusing and hard to follow, but I was able to keep up using context clues. I really enjoyed each character but I think they could have been a bit more developed. Switching from present to past really helped build the characters but I was left craving a bit more from each character. This is a pretty short book so I think it could have been a bit longer and fleshed out. Without giving away spoilers, I will say I loved the ending.

A letter from the author at the beginning of the book explained that he modeled the characters after him and his experiences trying to assimilate. I definitely agree that was a main theme throughout the book. For being a debut, I think it’s really strong and if he comes out with more in the future, I will definitely be reading them.

I absolutely loved this. An excellent look into identity all wrapped up as a pseudo-spy novel that deals with how immigrants interact and make relationships with each other. National identity is explored in an engaging and exciting way, opening up an avenue for intense conversation that other readers may not have been privy to.

i've been following the author for a while on tiktok/instagram for his great book reccomendations and i was thrilled to be able to read his debut novel thanks to netgalley

in oxford soju club we follow a couple of spies, some south korean, some north korean, and korean american. oh and a korean restaurant owner. the only one in town.

as they all spy on each other, trying to get through governement-manifactured identities, the reader slowly unravels who each character really is deep down. we get a glimpse of their past, their family situation, and how it has led them to now.

all of this between motorcycle chases, killings, and drinks/food at the oxford soju club, where most of the characters meet at some point during the story.

i had tears in my eyes a couple of times at the end of the novel. even if we don't spend a lot of time with the characters you really get attached to them. i also really enjoyed the found family aspect.

i liked that north korea was really involved in the story, i wasn't expecting it when starting the book.

great debut novel!

Oh my gosh, this book. A mystery and a spy thriller about cultural heritage and humanity. Tense and page-turning and filled with character intricacies, I felt myself in love with the character dynamics Jinwoo Park has created in this book.

I really enjoyed the simple, clear writing style of this one! I enjoyed getting to know the characters, their backgrounds, and how they navigated struggles in life and with their identities.

As a fan of Jinwoo Park's online content, I was highly anticipating his debut novel and it absolutely did not disappoint. This works brilliantly as both a spy thriller and an exploration of identity. It's perfectly paced with tension that builds to a satisfying conclusion, deftly handling all of the moving pieces, secrets and reveals in a way that felt natural and engaging. While the characters are in part a representation of the different masks Korean immigrants wear, they also feel like fully realized people with believable motivations, complex relationships and loyalties, and moments of introspection and growth. As the story is told through multiple POVs and timelines and slowly reveals more about the characters backstories and connections, I found myself becoming quite attached to several of them. Its obvious Park has spent some time in Oxford as he makes both the city and the eponymous fictional restaurant the Soju Club come to life. This novel both presents you with a fast-paced engaging story and leaves you with important questions to contemplate. I'll be thinking about this one for a while!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me early access to this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

OXFORD SOJU CLUB is a mystery whodunit with Korean identities at the forefront. Only about 200 pages but it was filled to the brim with backstories and a whole banchan of diaspora, cultural heritage, longing for home—longing for self.

From the first page, I was sucked in by a very unique storytelling structure. Each chapter was told from the viewpoints of the Northerner, the Southerner, and the American, along with the past and the presence weaving in and out of the story. It’s amazing how Park managed to thread every Korean identity in such a compact book. I can’t say if it manages to erase any division between the countries and our histories, but I do think it succeeds in boiling down to how similar we all are as human.

Toward the end, it’s less about finding who the murder was, but it’s about what’s next. The more we find out about the past, the clearer we see the future.

My favourite quote in this book: “You’re finally feeling it, the weight of being your own self.”

Hmm, this was a tough one. While a short and fast-paced story, I did not care for the back and forth through time for various characters. I enjoyed seeing a glimpse of people trying to find who they are in unfamiliar territory while struggling with holding on or letting go of their ethnic identities. Besides that, I found myself not connecting to the story throughout and found I had to keep forcing myself to push through to the end. I do think the ending wrapped things up well. I’m interested in reading other works from this author even if the Oxford Soju Club wasn’t for me.

This book was super interesting, and I was surprised at how much I liked it.

The setting of this book was beautifully described. You really feel like you're there in Oxford alongside our characters.

The character development through the book was clearly well thought out. All the characters go through a really great journey and I loved learning about everyone.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me early access to this ARC!!

Well this was a pleasant experience! This would make a great dip into translated fiction for any reader but particularly the people who love crime, mystery and most importantly Oxford! The Oxford setting was so well researched and so great! The story could have been longer but it’s better that us as readers are left wanting more than anything else! A great one sitting read too

This was a wonderful novel! The characters all had compelling stories that intertwine as the novel goes on. An amazing exploration of identity and self- I highly recommend it!

“There are people who plan for the future, and there are people who plan for the present,” he recalls Dr. Ryu telling him. “Those who plan for the future rely on assumptions. They expect that there will be a tomorrow, a kind of tomorrow that fits into their projected narrative. It’s why the powerful are obsessed with planning for the future. Only power can guarantee things. For us, however, we must plan in the present. We’re not so lucky with our resources. We have to assume that we’ll have nothing in the future.”

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to gain early access to this novel!

Oxford Soju Club is a soon to be released spy thriller which delves into the lives of three key characters. Each character is facing their own demons and trying to keep their secrets and true identities under wraps, all while trying to be the one who comes out alive.
Jinwoo Park’s use of varying timelines when telling the characters’ stories was often clever as it kept me guessing, however, there were times where the jumping of timelines came across as confusing.

Overall, this story possessed in-depth character development and several exciting, and often heartbreaking, twists and turns.

Book Review: Soju Club by Jinwoo Park

Publisher: Simon & Schuster
(I received a free digital copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.)

Jinwoo Park’s Soju Club is a fast-paced, high-stakes thriller that kept me hooked from start to finish—well, almost. This is exactly the kind of book I love: sharp writing, a gripping plot, and characters who feel real. It’s got everything—spies, secrets, shifting alliances, and a deeper story about identity and belonging.

What Works

The setup is fantastic. Yohan, a North Korean operative, is trying to uncover the truth about his mentor’s death. Yunah, a Korean American CIA agent, is desperate to save her failing investigation. And Jihoon, the owner of Oxford’s only Korean restaurant, just wants a fresh start. Their lives collide in a way that feels completely natural yet impossible to predict.

Park keeps the tension high while giving the characters emotional depth. This isn’t just a spy novel—it’s a story about people trying to find their place in the world. That balance between action and character is what makes this such a standout read.

I have no doubt Soju Club is going to be made into a movie. It’s too cinematic not to be. I can already picture the tense conversations, the double-crosses, the atmospheric shots of Oxford’s streets. I’d love to see how a director brings this to life, but until then, the book itself delivers everything I want in a thriller.

Where It Falls Short

For the first 75% of the book, the pacing is razor-sharp. The stakes keep escalating, the character dynamics stay fresh, and the twists come at just the right moments. But in the final stretch, the energy shifts. Instead of the tightly controlled tension that made the earlier chapters so engaging, the plot starts to drag, weighed down by drawn-out resolutions and a sense that the story is circling rather than driving forward.

It’s not that the ending is bad—Park knows how to wrap up a narrative—but compared to the electric buildup, the conclusion lacks that same urgency. The last act feels like it’s moving through the motions, ensuring every plot thread is neatly tied rather than delivering the same heart-pounding suspense that made the first three-quarters so gripping.

That said, the novel still stands out as one of the strongest spy thrillers I’ve read in a while. The depth of the characters, the layered storytelling, and the overall execution make Soju Club absolutely worth reading. Park is a writer to watch, and I’ll be eager to see what he does next.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing a digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.