A review by lauren_miller
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum

hopeful lighthearted reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.25

just as the moniker "healing fiction" would suggest, this book is slow, meandering, and rumative; it's about vibes and lessons, not a real plot. there's a lot to learn about books, or rather bookselling, but also about work-life balance, choosing a vocation, making friends, putting yourself first, depression and anxiety, comparing yourself to others, giving yourself grace, taking a vacation, and finding the places that your heart calls home. and most of it unconscious. the author's note rings true by the end: amongst all the musings and tendrils of wisdom, each character, despite feeling lost or uncertain or anxious, inches forward a step or two. they are always moving forward, even when, to society, it looks like they're standing still.