A review by merries
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

emotional reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book had me in a chokehold for a while; each of the characters have their own struggles in South Korean society, and watching these women develop in a world shaped by beauty was interesting and intriguing. I do think the synopsis is a little misleading, especially in the case of Ara. Most of the time, I would not say she goes to “violent extremes” in her love with an idol. I do think also that Wonna is probably forgotten about around the halfway mark but then has more of a role towards the end. Personally, my favourite story was that of Kyuri’s: the complications of her clients at the room salon, and how her work shapes her life are really interesting aspects of the novel. I will say that, understandably with her job, she is very blunt and sometimes graphic in her NSFW descriptions, so if that is something you don’t like to read about this probably isn’t the book for you. Regardless, I loved watching these women develop and grow in South Korean society. The writing was also seamless and I felt each character had their own voice throughout. 
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