A review by m4rtt4
Concerning My Daughter by Kim Hye-Jin

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

3.5

My grandma should read this.

This book really evoked emotions in me, so much so that I had to rate it 'challenging' because the main character's stubborn homophobia really irked me at times. The story is sad, yet very realistic, and it feels so surreal that this kind of (institutional) discrimination is rather mild when compared globally, as homosexuality is already legal in South Korea.

I think the narrative of a homophobic mother was a great idea, as it forces the reader to step in her shoes — not that it made me understand her, but I couldn't dismiss her feelings either as she wasn't just a one-dimensional hater. It also showed how some people deem themselves as good people: despite the mother actively helping the sick and elderly, she couldn't give her own daughter the same treatment just because she was a lesbian.
Spoiler I still wanted her to have more character development than just going from disgust to tolerance — she still couldn't quite accept the situation in the end, but it does go well with the sad reality, though...
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