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A review by kaiyakaiyo
Flux by Jinwoo Chong
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
4.75
I liked this! That being said, I think it bit off a LOT to chew, with varied success.
Sea of Tranquility meets Where They Wait meets unpacking generational trauma surrounding being Asian, American, and Asian American. Really compelling premise, but also a lot to process in such a short book. The 80s cop show and the actor fallout story line was a bit…. distracting. I’ll be honest, much of that part could be shaved off and I think this book would’ve been able to make the same point about looking for representation in media, and clinging to what we have even when the actors, creators, etc. aren’t good people.
The estranged family storyline, while poignant in that it points out the multi-generational impacts of Bo being mixed and feeling disconnected from his culture, also felt a bit unnecessary. He just randomly marries a woman who sold him a bag after pining for his ex for half the book? Idk the connection there could’ve been a bit smoother; kinda felt like Min was just there to become the necessary Estranged Korean Wife(tm). She was incredibly flat and existed almost solely as an emotional soundboard for Bo, leading to their divorce I assume.
Overall, 4.75 because I’d be interested to see what this author does in the future; the narrative voice in each timeline was compelling, and I think with a less busy plot Chong could really shine.
Sea of Tranquility meets Where They Wait meets unpacking generational trauma surrounding being Asian, American, and Asian American. Really compelling premise, but also a lot to process in such a short book. The 80s cop show and the actor fallout story line was a bit…. distracting. I’ll be honest, much of that part could be shaved off and I think this book would’ve been able to make the same point about looking for representation in media, and clinging to what we have even when the actors, creators, etc. aren’t good people.
The estranged family storyline, while poignant in that it points out the multi-generational impacts of Bo being mixed and feeling disconnected from his culture, also felt a bit unnecessary. He just randomly marries a woman who sold him a bag after pining for his ex for half the book? Idk the connection there could’ve been a bit smoother; kinda felt like Min was just there to become the necessary Estranged Korean Wife(tm). She was incredibly flat and existed almost solely as an emotional soundboard for Bo, leading to their divorce I assume.
Overall, 4.75 because I’d be interested to see what this author does in the future; the narrative voice in each timeline was compelling, and I think with a less busy plot Chong could really shine.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Death of parent