A poetic and raw exploration of obsession, identity, and belonging. Zhang's prose sings with vulnerability and cultural resonance.

This story is a lot darker and weirder than I expected, and I mean that in a good way. It's told from dual perspectives--it might be more correct to say there are two different, parallel stories each with a protagonist--and both Minnie and Eason are dealing with trauma and confusion but are still really engaging and interesting characters. I really enjoyed both halves of the book and don't mind that it ends unresolved on both counts. The time-jump at the end was a bit abrupt but I did think it worked. Even though I'm middle aged and really far away from going off to college and am also pretty distant from K-pop and its fandoms, I did connect with the way Minnie uses HOURglass as an escape from real life and real feelings. I'd recommend this to most readers, with the caveat that you shouldn't go into it thinking there will be a romance.