Hello Book Clubbers!
Well it was certainly an evening of lively discussion. Some might say heated discussions but that was entirely due to the sauna like conditions in the spa area 🥵🥵
On the whole we were united in our views on the two books. In the case of Yellowface, whilst agreeing it was an easy read it didn't sit well with us as readers because the main character was so remarkably unlikeable. The book did highlight very clearly the cut throat world of publishing, the dangers of social media and the racism keenly felt by the Chinese community and in turn their views that a white non Chinese writer could not possibly accurately portray their culture. It scored just over 6.
When We Fell Apart was better received. The writer's device of using alternate chapters for the 'voice' of the main characters was clever and the truth of Yu-Jin's death is revealed by unpeeling the layers of her life. These layers reveal the intransigent nature of her life led in South Korea. Apparently with everything to live for her life as the daughter of a government minister is both suffocating and ultimately without hope. Through Min we gain an insight of how an American Korean is trying to find his cultural place in the world. Unlike Yellowface we cared for the characters and felt the sadness of their situation and found the insights into modern Korea very interesting. We scored this one 7.5
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