The Second Chance Convenience Store has the initial appearance of a cozy little story, but it packs a subtle punch. The story is told in a close-third-person point of view that shifts from character to character, with a first-person narration wrapping up the end of the book. The book opens on Mrs. Yeom, a retired schoolteacher who now owns a convenience store. She's not making much money, but she feels good about providing employment to her various employees. When a homeless man living at the train station finds her lost wallet, she winds up hiring him for the open overnight shift.

While Dok-go works overnights at the convenience store, he slowly transforms from a broken-down man with no memory of his past life. As he does, he manages to affect the lives of many people around him. These interactions are presented almost as vignettes, and as we shift from character to character, the timeline resets to when each one first encounters Dok-go. I would have loved to spend more time with each character, but the book is a slice-of-life, not an epic saga. As such, it works nicely as an audiobook, and the narrator, Jennifer Kim, managed a large cast of characters very well.

It’s definitely a little bit a weird book but I liked it! A lot of perspective changes to keep track of but it came together in the end.

I enjoyed this book. It is about second chances, finding out who you are and helping others.

Mrs. Yoem is slowing losing her mind. She loses her wallet at the train station. She receives a call from a stranger who is badly stuttering saying that he has her wallet. When she gets back to the station a group of thugs are trying to steal her wallet from the stranger. He is determined to protect the wallet with everything he has.

This begins a friendship in which the stranger, Dok-go, goes on to change the trajectory of several lives.

Lovely story of second chances. Each character had his own journey and I got to love them all. I did enjoy this one a lot. Good narrator for the material. I was truly captivated. I'm grateful to NetGalley for offering me a copy.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fine book, but it was nothing special. It was a cozy translated read, with a unique premise of an owner of a convenience store meeting a homeless man and giving him a job there. He then helps various customers with their own problems. However, the story felt unsatisfying. We didn't learn anything about this man's past, which was a central mystery to the story.

THE SECOND CHANCE CONVENIENCE STORE by Ho-Yeon Kim is set in present day Seoul, Korea. The audiobook is narrated by Jennifer Kim who uses different "voices" to portray the characters. I found her narration a bit grating initially, but later appreciated her attempts to differentiate between characters.

Perhaps because she is retired, a main character and store owner, Mrs. Yeom, made me think a bit of the feisty Chinese retailer Vera Wong but this Korean woman is not as pushy. The tone of the book is reminiscent of What you are Looking for is in the Library (although that novel is set in Japan); here, various characters appear in each (rather long) chapter and benefit in some way from attention form the convenience store employees. The pace is quite slow and there seems to be a very significant emphasis on drinking corn silk tea instead of alcohol. Ho-Yeon Kim has crafted a gentle book about being a person of principle, reaping what we sow, and caring for each other. Its universal lessons have produced an international best-seller. Although the story feels repetitive, readers may be drawn into the life of Mrs. Yeom and her band of loyal employees, including a formerly homeless man and a student, plus several customers and her wayward son.

3.5 stars overall, rounded up to 4 stars for the audiobook.

This is a tender, quietly powerful story about found family and the ripple effects of kindness. It’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you with its heart—simple on the surface, but layered with meaning.

The timeline jumped around a bit and was occasionally confusing, but honestly? It didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment. At its core, this is a reminder that even the smallest gestures can change the course of a life. A soft, comforting read for when you need a little hope.