Scan barcode
slowmoving's review against another edition
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
booklywookly's review against another edition
4.0
People believe in a lot of things about you. Enough to make you second guess yourself.
This is a story of three women who happened to have spent a few years in common in the same university. Jina, who “people believe” is a snob, who aspires to study in a uni in Seoul, and who looks down at her mates in contempt. Sujin, who despite being a successful and determined young woman, “people believe” will end up following her mother’s footsteps - the village slut. And Yuri, who “people believe” is a loner, attention seeker, and easy to get inside pants of.
Not all was well between the three of them, and it still isn’t. It’s been eleven years since they left uni, and an incident with one of them has brought them together, to confront each other and their past. And oh, one of the girl is dead.
Rumors, gossips, lies, and misunderstanding play an important role in this book. Since we yo-yo between past and the present, certain sections might read juvenile. But that’s how a young college going mind works and sounds like.
All three, victims of patriarchy, misogyny, gaslighting, sexual violence, gender based societal expectations, bullying, insecurity, and plain ego. Some of them start good. Some of them start repulsive. By the end of it all, you don’t know who to root for? Or if you even should - Who do you root for when all the contestants are prisoners of their own personal hells? There is no clear “good” person or a “bad” person. This is the world where discussing feminism makes men feminists and women feminazi. Where does a victim end and their victim complex begins?
It’s a heartbreaking book. The writing is simple, translation even simpler, and reads very contemporary. The aforementioned juvenile sounding sections definitely keeps it away from any literary award, but do you remember Kim Jiyoung born 1982? Or the more recent Jaded by Ela Lee? Similar topics, similar writing. If you liked those two, Another Person is for you.
I have come to a conclusion that Korean misogyny is right up there with their sunscreens, beauty standards, and boy bands. I prefer sunscreens from that list.
mobyskine's review against another edition
4.0
I was having so much afterthought after finishing each chapter in this book; the central issues were all provoking much and quite depressing as it relates mostly on gender prejudice and psychological trauma (of rape, bullying and suicidal thought) that explored a deep perspective on relationship abuse, of toxic culture as well on morality and resentment. None of the characters were likeable to me but I love how the execution delved poignantly into each of the characters’ stories; of their personal lives, emotional rants, concerns and anxieties.
The plot followed Jina’s life after she decided to go public on her workplace sexual assault case that gets her trapped into a memory from the past due to one malicious comment she received. She returned to her university to find a closure but involved into another series of conflicts after meeting Sujin; a friend turned enemy as well to learn an unexpected news about her ex boyfriend, Donghee and the real truth about Yuri, the girl who has tragically and mysteriously died in an accident not long before Jina left the university.
The multi-layered prose with its alternating perspectives can be hard to grasp at times due to the back and forth timelines but I like how the author engrossingly observed the toxic workplace and campus culture— of victim blaming vs victim complex and the misogynistic issue which were quite harrowingly explored. Love the fairly executed tale as the author managed to emphasize that these problematic and distressing event can inversely encountered by men as well; an alarming ‘another person’ situation that can impacted anyone in any ways.
Both expressive and delicate storytelling which I fancied the most and I like that pinch of mystery with Yuri’s narrative. Bit expected on the revelation part yet I still enjoyed Jina’s way in confronting the truth and how she and Sujin decided for the ending. Do take note on the TWs esp of rape and abuse as few scenes might be triggering to few. A recommendation to fans of Korean literature if you’re into feminism and mental health related read. 4.3 stars to this!
Huge thanks to Pushkin Press for the gifted proof copy!
The plot followed Jina’s life after she decided to go public on her workplace sexual assault case that gets her trapped into a memory from the past due to one malicious comment she received. She returned to her university to find a closure but involved into another series of conflicts after meeting Sujin; a friend turned enemy as well to learn an unexpected news about her ex boyfriend, Donghee and the real truth about Yuri, the girl who has tragically and mysteriously died in an accident not long before Jina left the university.
The multi-layered prose with its alternating perspectives can be hard to grasp at times due to the back and forth timelines but I like how the author engrossingly observed the toxic workplace and campus culture— of victim blaming vs victim complex and the misogynistic issue which were quite harrowingly explored. Love the fairly executed tale as the author managed to emphasize that these problematic and distressing event can inversely encountered by men as well; an alarming ‘another person’ situation that can impacted anyone in any ways.
Both expressive and delicate storytelling which I fancied the most and I like that pinch of mystery with Yuri’s narrative. Bit expected on the revelation part yet I still enjoyed Jina’s way in confronting the truth and how she and Sujin decided for the ending. Do take note on the TWs esp of rape and abuse as few scenes might be triggering to few. A recommendation to fans of Korean literature if you’re into feminism and mental health related read. 4.3 stars to this!
Huge thanks to Pushkin Press for the gifted proof copy!
heyfarahey's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
booksamongstfriends's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. I was so excited to read this book. I love translated stories and books, so I was sure that this book was going to shine, especially based on its topic, which is one that I always love seeing explored to spread awareness and information. Given that this perspective came from those living in South Korea, I had high hopes. Unfortunately, this book disappointed me. I don't know if it’s because of the translation or just the editing, but the stories and the multi-perspective POVs just did not land. I often found myself wondering if the events were from the past or happening currently, which made the story feel extremely disjointed and hard to follow. It felt like we were getting two or three different stories at the same time.
The book is meant to explore the main character’s assault against her coworker and boyfriend, but suddenly shifts to looking into the past about another student's death and the experiences of other coworkers at the school. This made it really hard for me to stay engaged. I stopped at about 60%. I think the topic, narrative, and theme of this book are worth exploring and reading. I wish I could just give it five stars for taking on the discussion of assault, harassment, workplace misogyny, and more, but the delivery just did not land for me.
I want to believe that maybe a physical print copy has a better structure or layout of how the chapters read, but some chapters just blur into the others, adding to the confusion. Unfortunately, this book did not feel like the best representation of these important topics because it came off very messy in its reading. I do hope to see more from this author, maybe with better editing or someone to ensure that what is being said is translated in a way that is clear and readable. I do not doubt that this book will still get high ratings just because of the important topics it discusses, and again, I think that it should. But for me, it was very hard to connect with the book outside of my own connection to the topic.
Additionally, the book felt very passive in its fictional recounting of events. There were times where the different occurrences with other women seemed contradictory to the message I thought the book was originally about. I think this book might have been better if it had focused solely on women’s POVs or had a clearer layout or timeline of these instances and events. The inclusion of the male POV added another layer of confusion. I still think anyone should read this book and form their own opinions. While it may have been confusing for me, it might be easier to grasp and hold onto for others.
The book is meant to explore the main character’s assault against her coworker and boyfriend, but suddenly shifts to looking into the past about another student's death and the experiences of other coworkers at the school. This made it really hard for me to stay engaged. I stopped at about 60%. I think the topic, narrative, and theme of this book are worth exploring and reading. I wish I could just give it five stars for taking on the discussion of assault, harassment, workplace misogyny, and more, but the delivery just did not land for me.
I want to believe that maybe a physical print copy has a better structure or layout of how the chapters read, but some chapters just blur into the others, adding to the confusion. Unfortunately, this book did not feel like the best representation of these important topics because it came off very messy in its reading. I do hope to see more from this author, maybe with better editing or someone to ensure that what is being said is translated in a way that is clear and readable. I do not doubt that this book will still get high ratings just because of the important topics it discusses, and again, I think that it should. But for me, it was very hard to connect with the book outside of my own connection to the topic.
Additionally, the book felt very passive in its fictional recounting of events. There were times where the different occurrences with other women seemed contradictory to the message I thought the book was originally about. I think this book might have been better if it had focused solely on women’s POVs or had a clearer layout or timeline of these instances and events. The inclusion of the male POV added another layer of confusion. I still think anyone should read this book and form their own opinions. While it may have been confusing for me, it might be easier to grasp and hold onto for others.
slui02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
kristy_k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
There’s no question this is a searing and timely novel, however maybe it was the translation but the writing felt disjointed and stilted and was hard to follow. It’s largely internal dialogue and a whole lot of telling the audience, not showing. I was not sure how the beginning of the novel linked to the end, as the beginning storyline sort of disappeared unresolved halfway through the book.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.
rifkautami's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
mestarling's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0