A review by saoreads
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The story was easy to follow as it provided a background of the character's childhood to adulthood, which brought up instances that were relatable and to the notion of being a woman. While I was reading, it was really interesting and informative as the plot could flow in the same way as how manuscripts in K-dramas work from home, middle, and high school settings to college, job life, and marriage. The novel itself included statistics and references on the gender gap and dynamics when it came to the treatment of men and women. The experiences are so real that they tug at the heart. Now in the 21st century, it continues to happen. It also spoke of Korean culture when it came to senior-junior relationships at work and superstitions when it came to pregnancy, some of which I picked up from watching films. Ending the book brought about issues within society in general about women, marriage, maternity, child birth, and childcare, the aftereffects of giving up plenty of things, which makes you more aware not only of others but of yourself. It irked me how it also ended up misogynistically, whether that was intentional or not.
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