Scan barcode
A review by sisa_moyo
My Brilliant Life by Kim Ae-ran
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
From the perspective of Areum, a boy diagnosed with a rare disorder that causes rapid aging. We delve into Areum's life at 16 years old, the age at which his parents had him, as he shares his thoughts, experiences, fears given the isolation caused by his condition.
The story centers of familial relations through Areum's bond with his parents and explores themes of friendship, acceptance and the search for meaning in the face of difficulty. A key question throughout the book asks what is it to be an adult, how does it 'feel' to be young or to age and these are explored from Areum's perspective.
Kim manages to fuse laugh out loud humour even in profound scenes with nuggets of wisdom, and explores bonds that go beyond age e.g. through Areum's relationship with his aging neighbour which I really liked and wish we maybe got more of.
l thought the book was pretty well paced and while we were in Areum's perspective, we got to know the other characters around him as well, and there were actually quite a few shocking storylines. But then again that might be because I listened to the audiobook.
The story builds up nicely to the end, and while the humour makes it so that youre not in tears initially, I let out a shocked gasp at the ending.
The story centers of familial relations through Areum's bond with his parents and explores themes of friendship, acceptance and the search for meaning in the face of difficulty. A key question throughout the book asks what is it to be an adult, how does it 'feel' to be young or to age and these are explored from Areum's perspective.
Kim manages to fuse laugh out loud humour even in profound scenes with nuggets of wisdom, and explores bonds that go beyond age e.g. through Areum's relationship with his aging neighbour which I really liked and wish we maybe got more of.
l thought the book was pretty well paced and while we were in Areum's perspective, we got to know the other characters around him as well, and there were actually quite a few shocking storylines. But then again that might be because I listened to the audiobook.
The story builds up nicely to the end, and while the humour makes it so that youre not in tears initially, I let out a shocked gasp at the ending.