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Shelter
Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2016)Why should a man care for his parents when they failed to take care of him as a child?
Kyung Cho is a young father burdened by a house he can’t afford. For years, he and his wife, Gillian, have lived beyond their means. Now their debts and bad decisions are catching up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family’s future.
A few miles away, his parents, Jin and Mae, live in the town’s most exclusive neighborhood, surrounded by the material comforts that Kyung desires for his wife and son. Growing up, they gave him every possible advantage—private tutors, expensive hobbies—but they never showed him kindness. Kyung can hardly bear to see them now, much less ask for their help. Yet when an act of violence leaves Jin and Mae unable to live on their own, the dynamic suddenly changes, and he’s compelled to take them in. For the first time in years, the Chos find themselves living under the same roof. Tensions quickly mount as Kyung’s proximity to his parents forces old feelings of guilt and anger to the surface, along with a terrible and persistent question: how can he ever be a good husband, father, and son when he never knew affection as a child?
As Shelter veers swiftly toward its startling conclusion, Jung Yun leads us through dark and violent territory, where, unexpectedly, the Chos discover hope. Shelter is a masterfully crafted debut novel that asks what it means to provide for one's family and, in answer, delivers a story as riveting as it is profound.
Kyung Cho is a young father burdened by a house he can’t afford. For years, he and his wife, Gillian, have lived beyond their means. Now their debts and bad decisions are catching up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family’s future.
A few miles away, his parents, Jin and Mae, live in the town’s most exclusive neighborhood, surrounded by the material comforts that Kyung desires for his wife and son. Growing up, they gave him every possible advantage—private tutors, expensive hobbies—but they never showed him kindness. Kyung can hardly bear to see them now, much less ask for their help. Yet when an act of violence leaves Jin and Mae unable to live on their own, the dynamic suddenly changes, and he’s compelled to take them in. For the first time in years, the Chos find themselves living under the same roof. Tensions quickly mount as Kyung’s proximity to his parents forces old feelings of guilt and anger to the surface, along with a terrible and persistent question: how can he ever be a good husband, father, and son when he never knew affection as a child?
As Shelter veers swiftly toward its startling conclusion, Jung Yun leads us through dark and violent territory, where, unexpectedly, the Chos discover hope. Shelter is a masterfully crafted debut novel that asks what it means to provide for one's family and, in answer, delivers a story as riveting as it is profound.
326 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2016
271 people are currently reading
27.9k people want to read
About the author
Jung Yun
2Ìýbooks514ÌýfollowersJung Yun was born in South Korea, raised in North Dakota, and has lived in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and most recently, Baltimore, Maryland, where she currently resides. Her short fiction has appeared in Tin House, The Best of Tin House: Stories, The Indiana Review, and The Massachusetts Review.
Her second novel, O Beautiful, was published by St. Martin's in 2021. It was named an Editor's Choice by The New York Times and Amazon. Her first novel, Shelter (Picador, 2016), was an Amazon Best Book of the Month selection in two categories (Literature/Fiction and Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense), a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next selection, an Apple iBooks' Best Books of the Month selection, and a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month selection. It was also long-listed for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, a semi-finalist for Good Reads' Best Fiction Book of 2016, and a finalist for the 2016 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program.
Her second novel, O Beautiful, was published by St. Martin's in 2021. It was named an Editor's Choice by The New York Times and Amazon. Her first novel, Shelter (Picador, 2016), was an Amazon Best Book of the Month selection in two categories (Literature/Fiction and Mysteries/Thrillers/Suspense), a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, an Indie Next selection, an Apple iBooks' Best Books of the Month selection, and a Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Best Books of the Month selection. It was also long-listed for the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize, a semi-finalist for Good Reads' Best Fiction Book of 2016, and a finalist for the 2016 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,444 reviews
February 14, 2017
I enjoyed the writing a lot. I thought it was well done, easy to read, and kept my interest.
However . . .
The main character was the most pitiful excuse for a main character I have ever seen. He is a stupid, whiny, inconsiderate, good-for-nothing loser. Even when I thought the author was trying to make me "understand his pain" or "realize he couldn't help it", I just wanted him to sack up, grow a pair, take some responsibility, treat those around him with respect, and stop being a big, whiny baby with no common sense. As you can tell, my feelings are strong here, and they are not good.
Damn! I almost owed the library a new book because I was close to ripping pages out toward the end!
If your thing is characters you love to hate, check this out because the winner of the losers is here!
However . . .
The main character was the most pitiful excuse for a main character I have ever seen. He is a stupid, whiny, inconsiderate, good-for-nothing loser. Even when I thought the author was trying to make me "understand his pain" or "realize he couldn't help it", I just wanted him to sack up, grow a pair, take some responsibility, treat those around him with respect, and stop being a big, whiny baby with no common sense. As you can tell, my feelings are strong here, and they are not good.
Damn! I almost owed the library a new book because I was close to ripping pages out toward the end!
If your thing is characters you love to hate, check this out because the winner of the losers is here!
February 11, 2017
Wow.... Now I understand why "Shelter" was a contender for best fiction of 2016.
Where does one begin to write a review?
Immediately I was pulled in. Within pages we are involved with the struggles a couple is facing.
Kyung Cho is Korean born.... Gillian is Irish, but born in America. They are living in the states with their 4 year old son, Ethan. The couple has financial problems and has invited a realtor over to discuss plans to either sell or rent their house.
Their final plan is to rent their home for a year - and move in with Kyung's parents who own a six-bedroom home -in Marlboro Heights, not too far from where they live now, ..... it's the best neighborhood in town.
Struggles continue to spiral down and down - darker - and darker .....
We first meet Kyung's mother, Mae, traumatized. We get pulled into her urgent need - at first shocking - sad - but unclear of the full story.
One-by one...characters come into focus -- tragedy seems almost a disease at the rate horrific facts unfold.
We soon meet Jin, Mae's husband, and Kyung's father. As we get more background information-- we learn of the tension in the household that Kyung grew up in as a child. As an immigrant from Korea, Jin has succeeded in America. He's an engineering professor with a side business that proved to be financially profitable.
Given Kyung isn't even close on the scale of being considered successful himself fulfilling the American dream - we see this man begin to break down inside him. He's a bitter self-centered man.
When Kyung sees his own father and son enjoying each other --even looking as though they belong together -- are close-- Kyung thinks his father is ruining everything in his life. He has a rage inside him that's so desperate and helpless.
This family faces past and present domestic violence, crime, rage, grief, tribal-struggles, marriage struggles, parenting issues and conflicts, the cost of secrets, physical scars, psychological scars, , spiritual and cultural challenges, and personal self worth.
While this is a very sad story, the natural innate writing is intuitive and beautiful.
The characters are very well developed. The story and relationships are complex... the social issues and racism also complex.
Much to ponder ... but At FIRST....this is simply a page turning gripping - NEED TO KEEP READING- novel.
Where does one begin to write a review?
Immediately I was pulled in. Within pages we are involved with the struggles a couple is facing.
Kyung Cho is Korean born.... Gillian is Irish, but born in America. They are living in the states with their 4 year old son, Ethan. The couple has financial problems and has invited a realtor over to discuss plans to either sell or rent their house.
Their final plan is to rent their home for a year - and move in with Kyung's parents who own a six-bedroom home -in Marlboro Heights, not too far from where they live now, ..... it's the best neighborhood in town.
Struggles continue to spiral down and down - darker - and darker .....
We first meet Kyung's mother, Mae, traumatized. We get pulled into her urgent need - at first shocking - sad - but unclear of the full story.
One-by one...characters come into focus -- tragedy seems almost a disease at the rate horrific facts unfold.
We soon meet Jin, Mae's husband, and Kyung's father. As we get more background information-- we learn of the tension in the household that Kyung grew up in as a child. As an immigrant from Korea, Jin has succeeded in America. He's an engineering professor with a side business that proved to be financially profitable.
Given Kyung isn't even close on the scale of being considered successful himself fulfilling the American dream - we see this man begin to break down inside him. He's a bitter self-centered man.
When Kyung sees his own father and son enjoying each other --even looking as though they belong together -- are close-- Kyung thinks his father is ruining everything in his life. He has a rage inside him that's so desperate and helpless.
This family faces past and present domestic violence, crime, rage, grief, tribal-struggles, marriage struggles, parenting issues and conflicts, the cost of secrets, physical scars, psychological scars, , spiritual and cultural challenges, and personal self worth.
While this is a very sad story, the natural innate writing is intuitive and beautiful.
The characters are very well developed. The story and relationships are complex... the social issues and racism also complex.
Much to ponder ... but At FIRST....this is simply a page turning gripping - NEED TO KEEP READING- novel.
March 28, 2024
Kyung Cho is Korean born but is now living in America with his wife Gillian and their four-year-old son. He’s well educated and works as a tenure-track professor at the local university. But he and his wife have over-stretched themselves, and their financial situation is perilous. They have next to no savings, a sizable mortgage on their neglected house, and a collection of credit cards, all of which are maxed out. On top of this, Kyung is not a happy man. Nothing about his life seems a good fit: he’s got an unsatisfying marriage, a son who he’s struggling to work out how to be a good father to and a career that just doesn’t feel like the one he’d envisaged for himself.
His father is a huge figure in his life. He brought Kyung to America as a young boy to take up a professorship in their new country. He made it big through his ability to register patents for his ideas that now bring in bucket loads of money. He looms large over his son at the university, too, and is probably the primary reason for him being offered a position there in the first place. Kyung’s mother struggled to adapt to America. She didn’t find it easy to learn the new language, and her lack of ability to drive meant she had had limited social contact. She does, however, take pride in their huge house, in the most prestigious neighbourhood � just up the hill from Kyung.
On one fateful day, just as the realtor is sizing up his house, Kyung’s mother comes into view through the window. She is traumatised and naked. From this point, we begin to understand more about Kyung’s relationship with his parents and the collection of behavioural, social, and cultural issues that have combined to largely estrange him from them. But a cataclysmic event has unfolded, and it will force Kyung to confront his relationship with his parents, his wife, his son, and his job.
For the first half of this brilliantly written book, I was fascinated by Kyung’s plight but really more focused on the social upheaval he and his family must have faced in coming to terms with their new life in a foreign land. The character development and background filling detail are really well executed, and I felt that I got to the halfway point knowing the key characters well and pretty much understanding and sympathising with Kyung and Gillian. I wanted things to work out for them. I wanted Kyung to find a way of reconciling his feelings for his parents and of finding a way to re-forge a relationship with them
However, the second half blew me away. The whole thing speeds up, and new factors are introduced. I pretty much gobbled up the rest in one sitting! It’s powerful stuff, and it’s all very well told. There’s loads here about relationships and change and how we deal with difficult situations that crop up in all of our lives (ok, maybe not quite like this one!). But at the heart of it there’s a good story. I enjoyed it immensely.
Note - there are some difficult and graphic scenes here that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they do fit with the context of the story and should, in my view, be seen in that light. My thanks to Macmillan-Picador and NetGalley and Jung Yun for supplying an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
His father is a huge figure in his life. He brought Kyung to America as a young boy to take up a professorship in their new country. He made it big through his ability to register patents for his ideas that now bring in bucket loads of money. He looms large over his son at the university, too, and is probably the primary reason for him being offered a position there in the first place. Kyung’s mother struggled to adapt to America. She didn’t find it easy to learn the new language, and her lack of ability to drive meant she had had limited social contact. She does, however, take pride in their huge house, in the most prestigious neighbourhood � just up the hill from Kyung.
On one fateful day, just as the realtor is sizing up his house, Kyung’s mother comes into view through the window. She is traumatised and naked. From this point, we begin to understand more about Kyung’s relationship with his parents and the collection of behavioural, social, and cultural issues that have combined to largely estrange him from them. But a cataclysmic event has unfolded, and it will force Kyung to confront his relationship with his parents, his wife, his son, and his job.
For the first half of this brilliantly written book, I was fascinated by Kyung’s plight but really more focused on the social upheaval he and his family must have faced in coming to terms with their new life in a foreign land. The character development and background filling detail are really well executed, and I felt that I got to the halfway point knowing the key characters well and pretty much understanding and sympathising with Kyung and Gillian. I wanted things to work out for them. I wanted Kyung to find a way of reconciling his feelings for his parents and of finding a way to re-forge a relationship with them
However, the second half blew me away. The whole thing speeds up, and new factors are introduced. I pretty much gobbled up the rest in one sitting! It’s powerful stuff, and it’s all very well told. There’s loads here about relationships and change and how we deal with difficult situations that crop up in all of our lives (ok, maybe not quite like this one!). But at the heart of it there’s a good story. I enjoyed it immensely.
Note - there are some difficult and graphic scenes here that may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they do fit with the context of the story and should, in my view, be seen in that light. My thanks to Macmillan-Picador and NetGalley and Jung Yun for supplying an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2016
This emotionally draining story deserves the reader's full attention, even though it may cause something to shift inside of you. It is beautifully written, devoid of author manipulation, and it somehow manages to gently deliver a tale that is steeped in pain and suffering. In fact, the suffering itself is so ever present that it could easily be identified as the main character...a living thing that takes on many forms, that grows and spreads, and affects every person in this story. The pain within these pages is honestly delivered and extremely accessible. A remarkable debut focused on those things we work so hard to leave in the past, those things that will not be forgotten. 4.5 stars.
March 4, 2016
3.5 Shelter is one of those words that can hold a different meaning for different people. For me, my shelter is my home, a place of safety, comfort, and even peace now that my children are grown and no, longer living here. But what if your home was not a place of safety? How do you move on? Shelter can even represent a place in your mind, a place where you put those memories, the things that happened so that you can put on a pretend face in public, allowing you to act somewhat normally. Houses and shelters play very important parts in this novel.
The plot, the writing and the pace of this novel moved very fluidly. I found the first part very intense, a horrible crime committed that sets the stage for what follows. Never felt I knew the characters very well, at least not until the end when we get an insight into why this was. I do think this was partly because some of the characters did not even know themselves, but non the less , I often felt at a distance from them.
Secrets, the secrets kept coming and the effects of these secrets. Marriage, abuse, the difficult lives of immigrants, are all themes. But the big question I think is, when do we stop blaming the past for our present? When do we take responsibility for our own actions, our own person?
Quite a thought provoking read.
ARC from Netgalley.
The plot, the writing and the pace of this novel moved very fluidly. I found the first part very intense, a horrible crime committed that sets the stage for what follows. Never felt I knew the characters very well, at least not until the end when we get an insight into why this was. I do think this was partly because some of the characters did not even know themselves, but non the less , I often felt at a distance from them.
Secrets, the secrets kept coming and the effects of these secrets. Marriage, abuse, the difficult lives of immigrants, are all themes. But the big question I think is, when do we stop blaming the past for our present? When do we take responsibility for our own actions, our own person?
Quite a thought provoking read.
ARC from Netgalley.
May 10, 2018
4 STARS
SHELTER is an engrossing book from the very first page to the last. It starts with a horrific crime and continues with the secrets unleashed in it's aftermath. I can't say I actually enjoyed the book, there is a terrifying realism to the story and that story is such a sad and ugly one. SHELTER explores many different themes regarding culture, family duty, domestic violence and immigrant discrimination.
SHELTER is an ambitious combination of books like , , and . If you have read these, you know that the stories are difficult to absorb and you don't necessarily feel great afterwards. But, in the end, they are eye-opening and important. Plus, wouldn't you rather know than not know? I would.
It's easy to stick your head in the sand, but let's don't take the easy path. Realization leads to compassion and understanding. Understanding leads to growth and reading this book is a great place to start.
I couldn't give SHELTER 5 stars, though it is definitely a high 4! The writing was a bit clunky in places and it just doesn't flow like a Celeste Ng novel.
I also listened to the audiobook and while the narrator was not off-putting, he was not particularly skillful either. I preferred my Kindle over the audio.
SHELTER is an engrossing book from the very first page to the last. It starts with a horrific crime and continues with the secrets unleashed in it's aftermath. I can't say I actually enjoyed the book, there is a terrifying realism to the story and that story is such a sad and ugly one. SHELTER explores many different themes regarding culture, family duty, domestic violence and immigrant discrimination.
SHELTER is an ambitious combination of books like , , and . If you have read these, you know that the stories are difficult to absorb and you don't necessarily feel great afterwards. But, in the end, they are eye-opening and important. Plus, wouldn't you rather know than not know? I would.
It's easy to stick your head in the sand, but let's don't take the easy path. Realization leads to compassion and understanding. Understanding leads to growth and reading this book is a great place to start.
I couldn't give SHELTER 5 stars, though it is definitely a high 4! The writing was a bit clunky in places and it just doesn't flow like a Celeste Ng novel.
I also listened to the audiobook and while the narrator was not off-putting, he was not particularly skillful either. I preferred my Kindle over the audio.
February 9, 2017
I think we've all had experiences of finding it easier to review a book we didn't like than a book we really liked. When a novel doesn't work for us, it's usually fairly obvious which parts are malfunctioning. But when a novel is working, there's something almost alchemical about it: All of the parts lock together seamlessly, and it's next to impossible to single out elements particularly worthy of praise.
Shelter drew me in immediately, but why? I could say it's the characters, none of whom were particularly likable but all of whom were definitely human and well-developed and somehow earned my sympathy by the end. I could say it's the writing, intelligent, flawless even, and fully capable of staying out of its own way. I could say it's the plot, which managed to keep me guessing without being implausible. Ultimately it's all of these things, but something else that's impossible to account for. Whenever I started reading this, I didn't want to stop. I was completely absorbed the entire time. The end came neither too soon nor too late but at precise moment when it should have. I marveled the entire time that this was a first novel. It's not a showy book and it may not win any prizes, and I suppose it's possible that other readers may find elements that didn't work for them, but there's no doubt that Shelter really worked for me.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
Shelter drew me in immediately, but why? I could say it's the characters, none of whom were particularly likable but all of whom were definitely human and well-developed and somehow earned my sympathy by the end. I could say it's the writing, intelligent, flawless even, and fully capable of staying out of its own way. I could say it's the plot, which managed to keep me guessing without being implausible. Ultimately it's all of these things, but something else that's impossible to account for. Whenever I started reading this, I didn't want to stop. I was completely absorbed the entire time. The end came neither too soon nor too late but at precise moment when it should have. I marveled the entire time that this was a first novel. It's not a showy book and it may not win any prizes, and I suppose it's possible that other readers may find elements that didn't work for them, but there's no doubt that Shelter really worked for me.
I won this book in a First Reads giveaway here on Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ.
August 31, 2016
I picked up Shelter after reading a few of the reviews here, and I’m so glad I listened to my GR’s friends! What a rare book!
On the surface, Kyung Cho has a pretty good life. Sure he’s deeply in debt and his marriage isn’t perfect, but he has a decent job at a liberal arts college, a nice son, and two parents who clearly want to be closer to him. Yet Kyung is distant from everyone around him. He lives in a constant state of watchfulness and low-level anxiety, never sharing his feelings or experiencing real human connection.
Then his parents are violently attacked, and Kyung is forced to let them stay at his home to recover. Once the family is under one roof, we begin to see how Kyung’s father and mother crippled him in different ways as a child. Over time, it's clear that he can’t really function as a parent, husband, or even an employee.
To say this is a novel about the effects of child abuse would be accurate, but also hopelessly simplistic. It’s about terrible suffering and the things we do to compensate for it. It’s about being the son of Korean immigrants in America and how the two cultures are often in conflict when they live inside the same person. And it’s about obligation—what exactly do we owe our parents and our children?
The writing in Shelter is unadorned, almost like a police report, and this adds to the feel of Kyung’s detachment. Yet it’s intensely, addictively, readable, so much so that I pretty much did nothing else but immerse myself in it for two days.
I subtracted a star for some melodramatic business at the end that didn’t seem organic to the plot, but other than that, this is a truly excellent novel.
On the surface, Kyung Cho has a pretty good life. Sure he’s deeply in debt and his marriage isn’t perfect, but he has a decent job at a liberal arts college, a nice son, and two parents who clearly want to be closer to him. Yet Kyung is distant from everyone around him. He lives in a constant state of watchfulness and low-level anxiety, never sharing his feelings or experiencing real human connection.
Then his parents are violently attacked, and Kyung is forced to let them stay at his home to recover. Once the family is under one roof, we begin to see how Kyung’s father and mother crippled him in different ways as a child. Over time, it's clear that he can’t really function as a parent, husband, or even an employee.
To say this is a novel about the effects of child abuse would be accurate, but also hopelessly simplistic. It’s about terrible suffering and the things we do to compensate for it. It’s about being the son of Korean immigrants in America and how the two cultures are often in conflict when they live inside the same person. And it’s about obligation—what exactly do we owe our parents and our children?
The writing in Shelter is unadorned, almost like a police report, and this adds to the feel of Kyung’s detachment. Yet it’s intensely, addictively, readable, so much so that I pretty much did nothing else but immerse myself in it for two days.
I subtracted a star for some melodramatic business at the end that didn’t seem organic to the plot, but other than that, this is a truly excellent novel.
April 14, 2016
SHELTER by Jung Yun is a novel that emotionally leaves the reader reeling. It’s an emotional family drama hidden in a crime suspense novel. Author Yun brilliantly writes her characters to the point that the reader is invested in their lives.
The novel begins with 36 year-old Kyung Cho attempting to ready his home for sale. He and his wife, Gillian, have been living beyond their means and are stuck in suffocating debt. From the start of the novel, the reader feels the darkness of Kyung’s life, his disappointment with his station in life. The reader feels his distain when he corrects his realtor who suggests he’s Chinese: No, he’s Korean. The reader gleans that there’s more to Kyung’s unhappiness than his financial follies.
Kyung’s parents are victims of a horrific home invasion, which brings Kyung’s troubles into focus. After the crime, Kyung insists that his parents live with his family while his parents physically mend. At this point the reader learns of the domestic violence Kyung lived through growing up. Having his parents live with him forces Kyung to face the impact of his childhood to his current life.
Author Yun exposes domestic violence and the emotional rubble that requires mending. This is a great book club read, for I grew exasperated with Kyung. He’s a 36-year-old man who still harbors grudges and anger over his childhood. He became a man with a chip on his shoulder: an anger that he never worked through. To add to this, Kyung’s parents are immigrants from Korea and raised him with traditional Korean values. Kyung is first generation Korean-American and thus saw how American children were raised. Kyung’s anger at his parents for not showing him affection and love similar to the American dream families rages in his soul. Instead of working through those issues, as his wife begs him to do, he becomes a self-sabotaging train wreck.
While Kyung is personally imploding, Yun writes a stunning end to the novel. To even suggest how she ties everything together would be a crime to future readers. As I wrote at the beginning, the reader becomes so invested in the characters and the outcome of this fine novel, that I found the ending to be amazing. It’s a must read. It’s not a frivolous read; it’s not a happy book. It’s an amazing story.
The novel begins with 36 year-old Kyung Cho attempting to ready his home for sale. He and his wife, Gillian, have been living beyond their means and are stuck in suffocating debt. From the start of the novel, the reader feels the darkness of Kyung’s life, his disappointment with his station in life. The reader feels his distain when he corrects his realtor who suggests he’s Chinese: No, he’s Korean. The reader gleans that there’s more to Kyung’s unhappiness than his financial follies.
Kyung’s parents are victims of a horrific home invasion, which brings Kyung’s troubles into focus. After the crime, Kyung insists that his parents live with his family while his parents physically mend. At this point the reader learns of the domestic violence Kyung lived through growing up. Having his parents live with him forces Kyung to face the impact of his childhood to his current life.
Author Yun exposes domestic violence and the emotional rubble that requires mending. This is a great book club read, for I grew exasperated with Kyung. He’s a 36-year-old man who still harbors grudges and anger over his childhood. He became a man with a chip on his shoulder: an anger that he never worked through. To add to this, Kyung’s parents are immigrants from Korea and raised him with traditional Korean values. Kyung is first generation Korean-American and thus saw how American children were raised. Kyung’s anger at his parents for not showing him affection and love similar to the American dream families rages in his soul. Instead of working through those issues, as his wife begs him to do, he becomes a self-sabotaging train wreck.
While Kyung is personally imploding, Yun writes a stunning end to the novel. To even suggest how she ties everything together would be a crime to future readers. As I wrote at the beginning, the reader becomes so invested in the characters and the outcome of this fine novel, that I found the ending to be amazing. It’s a must read. It’s not a frivolous read; it’s not a happy book. It’s an amazing story.
May 6, 2020
I know I'm like 4 years behind the trend on this one, but holy cow, this book is so good. Watch my full review:
February 15, 2017
Kyung Cho, a Korean born American is married to an Gillian an Irish-American. He has a doctorate in biology and teaches at a university. But they struggle to make ends meet, with enough debts to have him declared bankrupt.
Gillian's father, Connie, is a cop, and Kyung's parents are affluent first generation immigrants to America. Gillian grew up with limited resources to succeed, while Kyung was priviliged.
When a tragedy strikes, Kyung's parents is forced to move in with them and soon a drama enfolds which leads to bitterness and emotional warfare. Kyung has difficulty in forgetting the past, and struggles to be the father to his own little boy, that he always wanted to be. He cannot be kind, if he did not know kindness himself as a kid. He cannot love if he wasn't loved himself.
Through a chain of events, Kyung finally is forced to face his own truths and understand his parents who never shared their own troubles and suffering with anyone. Kyung will find out the hard way what family and love is all about. The events leading up to the final crescendo forced Kyung to finally open up, become connected to the people around him and trust them enough to help him get over his past.
It is a powerful novel, steeped in emotional chaos, with each character being confronted with their own mistakes when the tragedy turns into disaster. It is so well written, with so much compassion and insight. Through a journey of dark events, understanding and hope triumphs, for those who were able to survive.
It's an unsettling, but excellent read.
Gillian's father, Connie, is a cop, and Kyung's parents are affluent first generation immigrants to America. Gillian grew up with limited resources to succeed, while Kyung was priviliged.
When a tragedy strikes, Kyung's parents is forced to move in with them and soon a drama enfolds which leads to bitterness and emotional warfare. Kyung has difficulty in forgetting the past, and struggles to be the father to his own little boy, that he always wanted to be. He cannot be kind, if he did not know kindness himself as a kid. He cannot love if he wasn't loved himself.
Through a chain of events, Kyung finally is forced to face his own truths and understand his parents who never shared their own troubles and suffering with anyone. Kyung will find out the hard way what family and love is all about. The events leading up to the final crescendo forced Kyung to finally open up, become connected to the people around him and trust them enough to help him get over his past.
It is a powerful novel, steeped in emotional chaos, with each character being confronted with their own mistakes when the tragedy turns into disaster. It is so well written, with so much compassion and insight. Through a journey of dark events, understanding and hope triumphs, for those who were able to survive.
It's an unsettling, but excellent read.
May 11, 2016
A startling and visceral debut, Shelter will resonate with anyone who has felt the pain of family trauma. The story focuses on Kyung Cho, a young father who finds himself deep in debt. Though he has a good job at the local university, he and his wife have spent way above their means, placing them and their young son in a precarious position. Kyung refuses to ask for help from his parents, Mae and Jin, who live just a few miles away in a wealthy neighborhood. In his childhood, they treated Kyung with coldness and cruelty, so he owes them nothing now. But when a horrifying act of violence forces Mae and Jin to live with Kyung and his family, the Chos must confront the collective trauma they thought they had left behind.
Jung Yun does a fantastic job writing about pain. Pain resides in every page of this book: the pain Kyung experienced as a child and how it still affects him, the pain of the brutal trauma his parents just went through in their luxury home, the pain of fighting and clawing to make it in the United States as an Asian American. Yun examines her characters' suffering with depth and complexity, never sensationalizing their struggles even when they get grotesque. She imbues Kyung, his parents, and all the other characters with complexity, drawing us in to better understand their backgrounds and motivations.
I most loved how Yun gives us jagged visions of hope throughout the book. Shelter contains no easy solutions; the pain inflicted by and to the Cho family goes way too deep for any type of quick fix. Still, Yun raises ideas that we can use to better our own lives - questions about what it means to parent and to love, about how we can tackle racism and other issues of social justice instead of letting them tackle us. She gives us a lot to ponder about the Cho family and their circumstances even after the novel's conclusion.
As a second generation Asian American and as someone who has faced his own traumas, I felt that Shelter spoke to me and my upbringing in an authentic way, despite some of the dissimilarities between my life and those of the characters. I cannot wait to see what Jung Yun writes next, and I would recommend Shelter to fans of family drama, realistic fiction, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.
Jung Yun does a fantastic job writing about pain. Pain resides in every page of this book: the pain Kyung experienced as a child and how it still affects him, the pain of the brutal trauma his parents just went through in their luxury home, the pain of fighting and clawing to make it in the United States as an Asian American. Yun examines her characters' suffering with depth and complexity, never sensationalizing their struggles even when they get grotesque. She imbues Kyung, his parents, and all the other characters with complexity, drawing us in to better understand their backgrounds and motivations.
I most loved how Yun gives us jagged visions of hope throughout the book. Shelter contains no easy solutions; the pain inflicted by and to the Cho family goes way too deep for any type of quick fix. Still, Yun raises ideas that we can use to better our own lives - questions about what it means to parent and to love, about how we can tackle racism and other issues of social justice instead of letting them tackle us. She gives us a lot to ponder about the Cho family and their circumstances even after the novel's conclusion.
As a second generation Asian American and as someone who has faced his own traumas, I felt that Shelter spoke to me and my upbringing in an authentic way, despite some of the dissimilarities between my life and those of the characters. I cannot wait to see what Jung Yun writes next, and I would recommend Shelter to fans of family drama, realistic fiction, and Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng.
February 7, 2017
****4.5 Stars **** Great story! Review to follow (I hope)
October 20, 2024
People have been saying I should read this book for months and months and I'm not sure why I didn't prioritize it earlier. I guess my general impression was that it was a nice little book and I should get around to it. Someone really should have told me to run not walk to this book. And I wish I had because HOLY COW this is a book.
Technically I've labeled this as a crime novel because it is in many ways about a crime and its aftermath. But mostly this is a book about the ways families keep secrets from one another, especially the deeper secrets they keep from one another when there are shameful secrets they all share.
Kyung's life isn't in the best place. He's in a rut where he's checked off all the boxes, married with a child and a job, but is stifled by anxiety. But it's at least a consistent existence until it's disrupted by his parents. Kyung witnessed his father hit his mother, who in turn hit Kyung, and while he's tried hard to run away from that knowledge and those secrets, he is completely defined by them and cannot shake them off.
When his parents are the victims of a terrible crime, he can no longer ignore them but instead finds himself with them under one roof again. Kyung's long buried anger and shame can't be ignored either. The tension rises slowly but surely, it's not a fun book to read, it's a book gripped with anxiety and shame, but it's absolutely addictive.
Yun's writing is amazing. These characters feel so fully realized and so complex, that it's not surprising when layer upon layer is revealed. Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year, a truly impressive novel.
2024 reread: I wanted to come back to this ever since I read Yun's second novel, which I loved so much. Coming back to this it's funny how I forgot how intense it is. Incredibly intense. I can really see how her two novels are taking very different themes but exploring them in such carefully and perfectly plotted ways. She is one of the best. This novel is looking at generational trauma in ways we weren't really talking about yet in 2016. It also isn't afraid to have a deeply unlikable protagonist and make the most of it. There is a lot she's able to do here that works because Kyung is so awful and because you're not always rooting for him.
Technically I've labeled this as a crime novel because it is in many ways about a crime and its aftermath. But mostly this is a book about the ways families keep secrets from one another, especially the deeper secrets they keep from one another when there are shameful secrets they all share.
Kyung's life isn't in the best place. He's in a rut where he's checked off all the boxes, married with a child and a job, but is stifled by anxiety. But it's at least a consistent existence until it's disrupted by his parents. Kyung witnessed his father hit his mother, who in turn hit Kyung, and while he's tried hard to run away from that knowledge and those secrets, he is completely defined by them and cannot shake them off.
When his parents are the victims of a terrible crime, he can no longer ignore them but instead finds himself with them under one roof again. Kyung's long buried anger and shame can't be ignored either. The tension rises slowly but surely, it's not a fun book to read, it's a book gripped with anxiety and shame, but it's absolutely addictive.
Yun's writing is amazing. These characters feel so fully realized and so complex, that it's not surprising when layer upon layer is revealed. Absolutely one of my favorite books of the year, a truly impressive novel.
2024 reread: I wanted to come back to this ever since I read Yun's second novel, which I loved so much. Coming back to this it's funny how I forgot how intense it is. Incredibly intense. I can really see how her two novels are taking very different themes but exploring them in such carefully and perfectly plotted ways. She is one of the best. This novel is looking at generational trauma in ways we weren't really talking about yet in 2016. It also isn't afraid to have a deeply unlikable protagonist and make the most of it. There is a lot she's able to do here that works because Kyung is so awful and because you're not always rooting for him.
October 24, 2018
I bought this book when it first came out and forgot to re-read the synopsis before diving in just now so I wasn't wholly prepared for the darkness that laid within the pages. This is a family drama that deals with the ugly side of family and society.
While I felt for Kyung and the things he went through as a child, I despised him as an adult. I know our childhood shapes us (we all have a trait that grew from a childhood event that we wish we could change), but he used this as an excuse to not take responsibility for any of his actions.
This book has no silver-lining, no happy ending, and no real answers. It just lays bare a fictional family and all of their dysfunction and allows you the reader to make your own opinions and conclusions.
While I felt for Kyung and the things he went through as a child, I despised him as an adult. I know our childhood shapes us (we all have a trait that grew from a childhood event that we wish we could change), but he used this as an excuse to not take responsibility for any of his actions.
This book has no silver-lining, no happy ending, and no real answers. It just lays bare a fictional family and all of their dysfunction and allows you the reader to make your own opinions and conclusions.
March 29, 2021
A random act of criminal violence to an older Korean American couple quickly reveals cracks in the larger family system - financial and emotional, violence and secrets - I remember when this first came out and everyone insisted it was unputdownable and I have to agree! It's been sitting in my Audible library for a while.
One theme that interested me is looking at how people build community, who is there for you when bad things happen? Who are you beholden to? Whose feelings come first? Do you overlook past grievances when family is in crisis?
The Korean immigrant community is definitely an important force in this book, as well as how different generations of that community experience America.
One theme that interested me is looking at how people build community, who is there for you when bad things happen? Who are you beholden to? Whose feelings come first? Do you overlook past grievances when family is in crisis?
The Korean immigrant community is definitely an important force in this book, as well as how different generations of that community experience America.
June 17, 2022
A gripping, propulsive novel about a family in crisis. Although Kyung is a frustrating, self-destructive character, I still rooted for him to get his s**t together. The suburban setting, juxtaposed with violence and family strife, was pitch perfect.
November 5, 2018
INTENSE!
"Shelter" is one hell of a debut by Jun Yun. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. Yun's writing is so vivid. You can see and feel everything that is happening within the story/plot. Never a dull or awkward moment. I don't think I got distracted once while reading this book, which is rare for me because I get distracted very easily (I can't help it, I'm a Gemini). Her characters are intriguing, complex, and deeply-flawed. The Cho family is the most toxic family I've read in a long time. You can feel the tension, resentment, and deep-seated anger on every page. I don't want to ruin the plot but "Shelter" might be upsetting to some who have experienced physical/verbal abuse, rape, and/or home invasions. This book exceeded my expectations. Wow. I can't stop thinking about it. The ending was just...HEARTRBREAKING. Ugh. I'll definitely be reading more Jun Yun in the future. Hot damn, she can write!
"Shelter" is one hell of a debut by Jun Yun. I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. Yun's writing is so vivid. You can see and feel everything that is happening within the story/plot. Never a dull or awkward moment. I don't think I got distracted once while reading this book, which is rare for me because I get distracted very easily (I can't help it, I'm a Gemini). Her characters are intriguing, complex, and deeply-flawed. The Cho family is the most toxic family I've read in a long time. You can feel the tension, resentment, and deep-seated anger on every page. I don't want to ruin the plot but "Shelter" might be upsetting to some who have experienced physical/verbal abuse, rape, and/or home invasions. This book exceeded my expectations. Wow. I can't stop thinking about it. The ending was just...HEARTRBREAKING. Ugh. I'll definitely be reading more Jun Yun in the future. Hot damn, she can write!
August 1, 2016
Terrific read! I've been thinking about this one for a week and still struggle with articulation ... my notebook is full of fitful starts only to be scrapped and re-written ... over and over and over... sure sign for me of a wonderfully deep, thought provoking story.
This weekend perhaps ....
July 31, 2016 ... I struggled mightily to find the words for this one. Here it is:
4.5 STARS
Wow what a fabulous read! Poignant but smooth, textured with jagged edges, all at the same time. Nearly a full two weeks after finishing this book, its resonation has been incessant yet I’ve struggled to come up with the prose to adequately describe this wonderful story. Perhaps the ceaseless reverberation in and of itself is commensurate praise for this evocative exploration of relationships on so many levels, pummeled and buffeted by the deeply held emotions of physical and psychological abuse.
Have you ever nicked yourself with a razor sharp knife while preparing a meal, so engrossed in the process that at first you don’t even feel the wound? Between the mental focus of multitasking in the kitchen and the precision of the blade, it isn’t until you see the drops of blood and wonder what the heck is going on! You discover the blood source and suddenly your brain goes into overdrive, piecing things together and � reacting!
I found Yug’s writing to be like that. Her style is smooth and comforting, smooth as silk and easy as a lazy summer afternoon as she led me unknowingly but very willingly into a maelstrom of sharp, angry and at times hateful emotions released after festering for decades. Piecing together the bursts of back story with the blunt force of current events had my mind screaming with reaction � in a profound and compelling way!
The story centers on the life of 36 year old Kyung Cho and his relationship with his parents Jin and Mae. Kyung’s parents emigrated from Korea to the United States back in the 1970s and Jin is a very successful professor, amassing considerable wealth through patents from his work at the university. While the affluence and success at the university has provided physical comforts for the Chos, the emotional pain of the blatant, ceaseless racism Jin endured when he first joined the university faculty and his uncertainties and regrets about his marriage created a hostile environment of abuse that cascaded from spouse to spouse to son. Only the physical presence of Kyung as he grew from child to teenager ended the cycle of violence and abuse. That was eighteen years ago, eighteen years of slow, simmering rage.
Kyung met Gillian McFadden during grad school. Married for five years, with their young son Ethan, life has been hard. Between heavy school debts and an upside-down mortgage that is fathoms underwater, Kyung is under constant financial and emotional stress despite his decent salary as a biology professor. Kyung’s mistakes have been many with no relief in sight. Hopelessness, regret and despair are the chips that sit on his shoulders. Despite the constant struggle to just get by, he refuses to reach out to his parents who live in the affluent section of town just a short distance from their home.
The violence and sexual assaults during the home invasion of the residence of Mae and Jin Cho force the families together under the same roof. Deeply held anger and frustration and long ago buried secrets, coupled with the culture clash of the homeland Korean values of Mae and Jin and the American values of Kyung’s family, unleash some explosively powerful emotions that result in tragic, unintended consequences.
The story is tragic but profound, exploring emotions that in some shape or form many of us experience in our relationships with our parents, relationships that change over time with age and perspective. There is violence without graphic details. There is love without condition. There is forgiveness that is tender and true. This is a book I’ll purchase for my personal collection and read over and over again.
Shelter is a sparkling literary gem. I highly recommend it!
This weekend perhaps ....
July 31, 2016 ... I struggled mightily to find the words for this one. Here it is:
4.5 STARS
Wow what a fabulous read! Poignant but smooth, textured with jagged edges, all at the same time. Nearly a full two weeks after finishing this book, its resonation has been incessant yet I’ve struggled to come up with the prose to adequately describe this wonderful story. Perhaps the ceaseless reverberation in and of itself is commensurate praise for this evocative exploration of relationships on so many levels, pummeled and buffeted by the deeply held emotions of physical and psychological abuse.
Have you ever nicked yourself with a razor sharp knife while preparing a meal, so engrossed in the process that at first you don’t even feel the wound? Between the mental focus of multitasking in the kitchen and the precision of the blade, it isn’t until you see the drops of blood and wonder what the heck is going on! You discover the blood source and suddenly your brain goes into overdrive, piecing things together and � reacting!
I found Yug’s writing to be like that. Her style is smooth and comforting, smooth as silk and easy as a lazy summer afternoon as she led me unknowingly but very willingly into a maelstrom of sharp, angry and at times hateful emotions released after festering for decades. Piecing together the bursts of back story with the blunt force of current events had my mind screaming with reaction � in a profound and compelling way!
The story centers on the life of 36 year old Kyung Cho and his relationship with his parents Jin and Mae. Kyung’s parents emigrated from Korea to the United States back in the 1970s and Jin is a very successful professor, amassing considerable wealth through patents from his work at the university. While the affluence and success at the university has provided physical comforts for the Chos, the emotional pain of the blatant, ceaseless racism Jin endured when he first joined the university faculty and his uncertainties and regrets about his marriage created a hostile environment of abuse that cascaded from spouse to spouse to son. Only the physical presence of Kyung as he grew from child to teenager ended the cycle of violence and abuse. That was eighteen years ago, eighteen years of slow, simmering rage.
Kyung met Gillian McFadden during grad school. Married for five years, with their young son Ethan, life has been hard. Between heavy school debts and an upside-down mortgage that is fathoms underwater, Kyung is under constant financial and emotional stress despite his decent salary as a biology professor. Kyung’s mistakes have been many with no relief in sight. Hopelessness, regret and despair are the chips that sit on his shoulders. Despite the constant struggle to just get by, he refuses to reach out to his parents who live in the affluent section of town just a short distance from their home.
The violence and sexual assaults during the home invasion of the residence of Mae and Jin Cho force the families together under the same roof. Deeply held anger and frustration and long ago buried secrets, coupled with the culture clash of the homeland Korean values of Mae and Jin and the American values of Kyung’s family, unleash some explosively powerful emotions that result in tragic, unintended consequences.
The story is tragic but profound, exploring emotions that in some shape or form many of us experience in our relationships with our parents, relationships that change over time with age and perspective. There is violence without graphic details. There is love without condition. There is forgiveness that is tender and true. This is a book I’ll purchase for my personal collection and read over and over again.
Shelter is a sparkling literary gem. I highly recommend it!
Read
May 11, 2016Exceptional Debut � A 2016 Favorite
An expression of thanks is extended to Edelweiss and Picador Publishing and the Author, Jung Yun for providing Shelter in e-galley format for my review.
For a little over two days I was wrapped up in the world of Kyung and his family. Rather than reading quickly and turning the pages rapidly Shelter is the kind of book I like to slow it down and contemplate the story. Just what is happening here? Who are these people and what baggage have they brought to this place in time that makes them who they are today?
Let me back up a bit. A brief summary finds Kyung Cho and his wife, Gillian, in over their heads financially. Things are so bad that they are facing the reality that their home must be sold. As the realtor, Gertie, delivers the stark news that the sale of their house may not bail them out, she becomes mesmerized by something in their backyard. All three can’t believe their eyes. It’s a woman, a naked woman at that, and the real shocker is that it appears to be Kyung’s mother, Mae. On reaching her, she is bruised, and dirty and is begging for help. Determining just what happened is just part of the story.
Some reviewers will choose to tell you a great deal more than I will. Know that this is a story of a very dysfunctional family and it is haunting. Kyung and his family immigrated from Korea to America when he was a young boy. The author, Jung Yun is quick to point out that Koreans are not the sum of her characters but I feel culture definitely plays a role in who these characters are, how they live and their interrelationships in family. However, they need not be Korean for this familial hierarchy to exist. They could be any first or second-generation family bringing their cultural mores to America and adapting to life here. This will all make sense when you read the book.
Shelter is a story immersed with secrets, guilt, duty, abuse, love and hate and explores how all of these define Kyung and his family and the meaning of home. Shelter has the desperate tone of another favorite book of mine, The House of Sand and Fog, and may appeal to those who found that book a compelling read.
Shelter is a stunning, intricately woven, debut. It begs reflection and discussion.
To hear an in depth interview with the author
An expression of thanks is extended to Edelweiss and Picador Publishing and the Author, Jung Yun for providing Shelter in e-galley format for my review.
For a little over two days I was wrapped up in the world of Kyung and his family. Rather than reading quickly and turning the pages rapidly Shelter is the kind of book I like to slow it down and contemplate the story. Just what is happening here? Who are these people and what baggage have they brought to this place in time that makes them who they are today?
Let me back up a bit. A brief summary finds Kyung Cho and his wife, Gillian, in over their heads financially. Things are so bad that they are facing the reality that their home must be sold. As the realtor, Gertie, delivers the stark news that the sale of their house may not bail them out, she becomes mesmerized by something in their backyard. All three can’t believe their eyes. It’s a woman, a naked woman at that, and the real shocker is that it appears to be Kyung’s mother, Mae. On reaching her, she is bruised, and dirty and is begging for help. Determining just what happened is just part of the story.
Some reviewers will choose to tell you a great deal more than I will. Know that this is a story of a very dysfunctional family and it is haunting. Kyung and his family immigrated from Korea to America when he was a young boy. The author, Jung Yun is quick to point out that Koreans are not the sum of her characters but I feel culture definitely plays a role in who these characters are, how they live and their interrelationships in family. However, they need not be Korean for this familial hierarchy to exist. They could be any first or second-generation family bringing their cultural mores to America and adapting to life here. This will all make sense when you read the book.
Shelter is a story immersed with secrets, guilt, duty, abuse, love and hate and explores how all of these define Kyung and his family and the meaning of home. Shelter has the desperate tone of another favorite book of mine, The House of Sand and Fog, and may appeal to those who found that book a compelling read.
Shelter is a stunning, intricately woven, debut. It begs reflection and discussion.
To hear an in depth interview with the author
February 24, 2017
I really liked this book. I can't even really explain why I liked it so much. Yes it's about a dysfunctional family who are dealing with the ramifications of a crime, a crime that shakes the foundation of the Cho family to the core. Besides that Kyung is dealing with financial woes, I think anyone dealing with family pressures or have found themselves facing financial difficulties could really feel the pain this family is going through. It's all the little things that crop up that I could really connect with, I love the fact it's not over wordy or fancy it's just a story that tells it as it is. Raw, real and truthful. The heartbreaking honesty of how the family interact is the real winner here. What complicates matters is that Kyung feels duty bound due to his Korean background, traditional values that honour the parents and this becomes a sore point for Kyung as he feels he has been mistreated and misunderstood throughout his entire life, his relationship with his parents is strained and perfunctory and he is constantly at war with himself feeling like he wants to break free but also feeling forced to uphold traditional ideals. The book is devastating but also a lesson in not speaking up within a family. How dangerous it is, how all the hidden kept emotions and feelings can really pull families apart. How aware he is about raising his own son in the same manner that he was raised in and how it's a constant battle to rectify this and change as a man, a father, a husband for the better. Having said that I'm not sure I can say I really liked Kyung as a character at all, but I felt I understood him better after hearing his full story. It's the simmering anger and the detached way he views life that makes for a compelling read and I loved it even though it's so damn sad.
June 20, 2016
Upgrading this book to 4.5-5 stars. I think about this every day and it has changed the way I reflect about my choices as an Asian-American. Jung Yun is brilliant.
August 11, 2017
Rating: 3.25* of five, rounded down
I voted for this in the 2016 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ choice awards because it was the most interesting novel I'd read among the choices. It wasn't an easy read. I disliked everyone except Ethan Cho, the four-year-old, and given time I'm sure I'd've disliked him too.
What price family? I didn't have a close or happy family. My own parents weren't like the Chos, they were chaotic rather than cruel and cold. But what made the book interesting for me is the way Kyung tries to stop the vicious cycle of chill and distance, and fails again and again. His wife is just as guilty of emotional dysfunction as he is.
When this screwed-up couple is, in simple human decency, required to house the traumatized parents after their luxurious and hollow world cracks wide open, the fun truly begins. Think the set-up's dark? Wait until the parents move in!
The ending is a raggedy-looking bow tied on the fanny of the story which I didn't for one second believe came from any strand in the story itself. I'd still suggest reading it.
I voted for this in the 2016 Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ choice awards because it was the most interesting novel I'd read among the choices. It wasn't an easy read. I disliked everyone except Ethan Cho, the four-year-old, and given time I'm sure I'd've disliked him too.
What price family? I didn't have a close or happy family. My own parents weren't like the Chos, they were chaotic rather than cruel and cold. But what made the book interesting for me is the way Kyung tries to stop the vicious cycle of chill and distance, and fails again and again. His wife is just as guilty of emotional dysfunction as he is.
When this screwed-up couple is, in simple human decency, required to house the traumatized parents after their luxurious and hollow world cracks wide open, the fun truly begins. Think the set-up's dark? Wait until the parents move in!
The ending is a raggedy-looking bow tied on the fanny of the story which I didn't for one second believe came from any strand in the story itself. I'd still suggest reading it.
February 26, 2016
This was entertaining, suspenseful and in parts relatable to my own situation, but as a whole it was just ok. The writing was too simple for my taste and the cheesy dialogue at times felt like a soap opera. But the real problem was the ending: It was implausible, cringe-worthy and even somewhat insulting.
2.5 rounded up.
**I received this book from the publisher through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaways program.
2.5 rounded up.
**I received this book from the publisher through the Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ Giveaways program.
December 9, 2020
A Korean-American family faces up to violence past and present in this strong debut. There is a sense here of a familial curse, of being doomed to repeat one’s parents� mistakes. “I never really had a chance, did I?� Kyung asks rhetorically at one point. Finances and relationships just keep going from bad to worse, as the novel’s tripartite structure suggests: “Dawn� cedes to “Dusk,� which descends into “Night.� You wonder just how terrible things can get � will this really reach the Thomas Hardy levels of tragedy it seems to portend? � until, in the incredible last 10 pages, Yun pulls back from violence and offers the hope of redemption. I did wonder if there were a few too many secondary characters here. However, the context of Korean-American manners (a culture of honor and shame) makes a perfect setting. I would recommend this to fans of David Vann and Richard Ford.
October 9, 2017
Wow. The cover of this book quotes a review that mentions Shelter as "domestic drama at its best" & I couldn't agree more. While I knew the premise of the book before starting it, the story was still a bit darker than I was expecting. It also had a plot twist I was not expecting.
Kyung, the main character, is a father drowning in debt, trying to keep his family afloat and together, and deal with unresolved feelings toward his parents, which come to light in the aftermath of an incident that takes place in their neighborhood. Kyung made some poor choices so I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for him throughout the whole story, which was sad, dramatic, tragic and dark, but despite all of these elements (or because of the way they were portrayed) I really enjoyed Shelter.
Kyung, the main character, is a father drowning in debt, trying to keep his family afloat and together, and deal with unresolved feelings toward his parents, which come to light in the aftermath of an incident that takes place in their neighborhood. Kyung made some poor choices so I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for him throughout the whole story, which was sad, dramatic, tragic and dark, but despite all of these elements (or because of the way they were portrayed) I really enjoyed Shelter.
May 10, 2017
I was so totally immersed in this novel, the characters and the setting and even the story felt so real. This is a debut by this author so I can't wait to read her next book.
February 25, 2017
Wow, this really has the potential to be my book of the year. This is a brutal portrait of middle America, and the devastating and wide reaching impacts of the economic downturn. But it is also a novel about family, about the tensions in our relationships with our parents and how we hurt each other. It was immensely and compulsively readable
August 19, 2016
Damn! That book hit so close to home. It will stay with me for a long time.
April 13, 2017
Geez this was a sad book. I kept waiting for something good to happen but no. I would recommend it though.
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