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243 pages, Paperback
First published March 31, 2017
7,625 people are currently reading
212k people want to read
About the author
Sohn Won-Pyung
12?books1,141?followersAssociated Names:
* Sohn Won-Pyung (English)
* ??? (Korean)
* ソン?ウォンピョン (Japanese)
* ??????????? (Thai)
* Сон Вон Пхён (Russia)
Sohn Won-pyung is a film director, screenwriter, and novelist living in South Korea. She earned a BA in social studies and philosophy at Sogang University and film directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Film Review Award of the 6th Cine21, and the Science Fantasy Writers’ Award for her movie script I Believe in the Moment. She also wrote and directed a number of short films, including Oooh You Make Me Sick and A Two-way Monologue. She made her literary debut in 2017 with this, her first full-length novel, Almond, which won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction, followed by which won the Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Award.
* Sohn Won-Pyung (English)
* ??? (Korean)
* ソン?ウォンピョン (Japanese)
* ??????????? (Thai)
* Сон Вон Пхён (Russia)
Sohn Won-pyung is a film director, screenwriter, and novelist living in South Korea. She earned a BA in social studies and philosophy at Sogang University and film directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Film Review Award of the 6th Cine21, and the Science Fantasy Writers’ Award for her movie script I Believe in the Moment. She also wrote and directed a number of short films, including Oooh You Make Me Sick and A Two-way Monologue. She made her literary debut in 2017 with this, her first full-length novel, Almond, which won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction, followed by which won the Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 25,452 reviews
March 31, 2022
Unabashedly here one week after Yoongi was caught reading this on the In the Soop preview. Sad to say, this book would’ve absolutely slipped under my radar otherwise. This is one of my favorite reads of this year.
Given the idea of nunchi in Korean culture, I personally found this story especially compelling. In a different setting, I don’t think it would have the same impact. And while there’s definitely subtext of commentary on Korean society, overall, I feel like the author was after telling a fresh YA/coming-of-age story, which this certainly is.
It’s a very fast-paced, quick read and left me wanting more. My one complaint is that the ending is a little too perfect, and yet, somehow left so many loose ends? I can forgive it, since all of the characters are absolutely adorable. I just want more!
So yeah, thank you for reading this, Yoongi!
As a side note for any ARMY that are here- I’m slowly working my way through Bangtan related reads, and this is by far one of my faves. If you liked the Notes or Demian for focusing on the importance of friendship as a developing youth, you will likely enjoy this book too.
Given the idea of nunchi in Korean culture, I personally found this story especially compelling. In a different setting, I don’t think it would have the same impact. And while there’s definitely subtext of commentary on Korean society, overall, I feel like the author was after telling a fresh YA/coming-of-age story, which this certainly is.
It’s a very fast-paced, quick read and left me wanting more. My one complaint is that the ending is a little too perfect, and yet, somehow left so many loose ends? I can forgive it, since all of the characters are absolutely adorable. I just want more!
So yeah, thank you for reading this, Yoongi!
As a side note for any ARMY that are here- I’m slowly working my way through Bangtan related reads, and this is by far one of my faves. If you liked the Notes or Demian for focusing on the importance of friendship as a developing youth, you will likely enjoy this book too.
February 27, 2025
Please don’t adapt this book into anything. Just don’t ruin it.
1. Clever writing
2. Awesome translation
3. Tragedy in tragedy in tragedy
4. The story is as undeniable but weird as the cover
5. Trigger warnings for extreme bloody violence, bullying, animal harm (it was traumatising for me to read about it. Any living being cannot be tortured in any way. Period.)
The first half is perfect perfect while the second half seems a bit rushed. Nevertheless the ending has a good closure.
Not a fan of so many things regarding the main or side characters. However, considering how intrigued I was the whole time I am giving this fiction a perfect rating.
The thrill. The pain. The agony. Please suffer.
1. Clever writing
2. Awesome translation
3. Tragedy in tragedy in tragedy
4. The story is as undeniable but weird as the cover
5. Trigger warnings for extreme bloody violence, bullying, animal harm (it was traumatising for me to read about it. Any living being cannot be tortured in any way. Period.)
The first half is perfect perfect while the second half seems a bit rushed. Nevertheless the ending has a good closure.
Not a fan of so many things regarding the main or side characters. However, considering how intrigued I was the whole time I am giving this fiction a perfect rating.
The thrill. The pain. The agony. Please suffer.
August 26, 2020
so we're really just gonna ignore the homoeroticism between gon and yunjae huh
July 26, 2021
Quite melodramatic and with a lot of coincidences. However what especially did not sit well with me is how the neurodiverse main character is supposedly “cured” by friendship, romantic love and a Disney like act of self sacrifice.
… I still truly believe the heart can prevail over the brain
The first three (short, all of them are) chapters of are wild, dark and sucked me in immediately. The narrator, a teenager who recounts growing up through bullying and trauma while dealing with the diagnosis of having small amygdala (the titular almond), reminds me of Oscar from . Emotions are strange to him and his mother and grandma train the boy to interpret other people, while imprinting the mantra: Don’t stand out, that’s all you need to do.
An other proverb that comes back is: Too much honesty hurts others.
as said starts the book of with a proverbial bang, but the plot in the novel is in general much too convenient, with not only a very weird request of a totally unknown to the main person professor, but also his son turning up in the class of the main character. In general I found that part 1 (that is rather documentary but very effectively captures the cruelty of children) didn't flow in a naturally way into the later parts of the book. This while the book in my view takes a lot of too often used tropes in the later three sections, that loosely fit in the Band-of-outcasts-with-more-similarities-than-imagined-á-la-Breakfast-Club theme.
The whole rebellious kid (You’re stupid because you know too much) having a heart of gold when he is finally “seen” in by an outsider is for instance something that I have see much too often. He does have good quotes, like: If I can’t protect myself from being hurt I rather hurt other people. but he is really a bad boy as well, as animal abuse needs to drive home to the reader.
And there is an aloof a girl who is apparently practicing running in a library?
Overall the trope of someone different being a saint to help the rest see the value of normal life, is something I find a bit standard, and then there is the way how the whole book turns into a story of someone “recovering” from a neurological condition due to romantic love.
Quite Disney, and in some kind of way relaying for me that these things can go away as long as someone just tries enough.
All this combined made this for me a 2.5 star read, rounded down.
… I still truly believe the heart can prevail over the brain
The first three (short, all of them are) chapters of are wild, dark and sucked me in immediately. The narrator, a teenager who recounts growing up through bullying and trauma while dealing with the diagnosis of having small amygdala (the titular almond), reminds me of Oscar from . Emotions are strange to him and his mother and grandma train the boy to interpret other people, while imprinting the mantra: Don’t stand out, that’s all you need to do.
An other proverb that comes back is: Too much honesty hurts others.
as said starts the book of with a proverbial bang, but the plot in the novel is in general much too convenient, with not only a very weird request of a totally unknown to the main person professor, but also his son turning up in the class of the main character. In general I found that part 1 (that is rather documentary but very effectively captures the cruelty of children) didn't flow in a naturally way into the later parts of the book. This while the book in my view takes a lot of too often used tropes in the later three sections, that loosely fit in the Band-of-outcasts-with-more-similarities-than-imagined-á-la-Breakfast-Club theme.
The whole rebellious kid (You’re stupid because you know too much) having a heart of gold when he is finally “seen” in by an outsider is for instance something that I have see much too often. He does have good quotes, like: If I can’t protect myself from being hurt I rather hurt other people. but he is really a bad boy as well, as animal abuse needs to drive home to the reader.
And there is an aloof a girl who is apparently practicing running in a library?
Overall the trope of someone different being a saint to help the rest see the value of normal life, is something I find a bit standard, and then there is the way how the whole book turns into a story of someone “recovering” from a neurological condition due to romantic love.
Quite Disney, and in some kind of way relaying for me that these things can go away as long as someone just tries enough.
All this combined made this for me a 2.5 star read, rounded down.
June 16, 2020
I received a copy of this book for free from the publisher (HarperVia).
This book is why I love international books. They’re always so different from what is traditionally published here in America and I find that so refreshing.
In the prologue it states that, “I won’t tell you whether it has a happy ending or a tragic ending…neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic.” I think that perfectly sums up the book. It is sad at times, but there is still hope and happiness. The book toes the the line between both very well and highlights the complexities of life.
This is a very fast book to read since the chapters are so short. I personally loved the short chapters because it kept the book moving at a good pace.
I loved the juxtaposition between the two main characters. Their dynamic was so fascinating. A boy that feels nothing meets a boy who feels too much.
Lastly, there are some lovely descriptions about books in this novel. At one point the main character states, “I felt connected to the smell of old books. The first time I smelled them, it was as if I’d encountered something I already knew” (pg 43). At another point he states, “But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle” (pg 127).
Overall, I found this novel to be beautiful and thought provoking! If you’re looking to try something new and a bit different, pick up this book!
This book is why I love international books. They’re always so different from what is traditionally published here in America and I find that so refreshing.
In the prologue it states that, “I won’t tell you whether it has a happy ending or a tragic ending…neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic.” I think that perfectly sums up the book. It is sad at times, but there is still hope and happiness. The book toes the the line between both very well and highlights the complexities of life.
This is a very fast book to read since the chapters are so short. I personally loved the short chapters because it kept the book moving at a good pace.
I loved the juxtaposition between the two main characters. Their dynamic was so fascinating. A boy that feels nothing meets a boy who feels too much.
Lastly, there are some lovely descriptions about books in this novel. At one point the main character states, “I felt connected to the smell of old books. The first time I smelled them, it was as if I’d encountered something I already knew” (pg 43). At another point he states, “But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle” (pg 127).
Overall, I found this novel to be beautiful and thought provoking! If you’re looking to try something new and a bit different, pick up this book!
January 25, 2025
"Lastly, and I know it sounds like an excuse but neither you nor I nor anyone can ever really know whether a story is happy or tragic"
I never really thought of checking out BTS' book recommendations but thanks to my friend who has been gushing about it and knowing that if it's not for her, I would never come across this book would be such a regret.
Almond follows the story of Yunjae, who was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions. And as the story unfolds, you can see how the author tries to portray this kind of condition to be something that is rarely understood in society and often leads to prejudice and discrimination. Yunjae was often labeled as a "monster" and got outcasted among his friends for his inability to feel anything.
This book showed how children were pre-described by society to meet certain behavior . After all, "human beings are a product of their education." Even so, Yunjae's victimization from his classmates due to his oddness was not the main focus in this book but rather, on his effort to understand the behaviors of the people around him and how neurotypical interactions work.
Like when he notes how easily people were to throw up their hands at the challenge of fixing remote problems, and in turn, cower in fear at the thought of fixing those nearest to them. There is a devastating eloquence in how Yunjae can express the complexities of human behavior and interactions with such simplicity, and through Yunjae’s eyes, the reader is given a different way of looking at the world.
"There are a hundred answers to one question in this world. So it's hard for me to give you a correct answer"
I couldn't see this book to be as impactful if it was taken from a different culture. The commentary on Korean society is what made this book to be compelling for a coming-of-age novel. And it is so ironic how this book was supposed to be about a boy with no emotion, yet was enigmatically emotional. I honestly enjoy this book and it is highly affecting, which is sure to delight readers of every age.
I also enjoy the philosophies and analogies it has to offer, creating a message powerfully delivered. This was the best book I've read in 2021 so far. Thank you Sofea for letting me know about this & thank you Namjoon/Yoongi for letting us know, that such a masterpiece exists.
January 10, 2023
Me encanta leer novelas internacionales porque te das cuenta de lo distintas que pueden ser. Y es que si algo me gustó de este libro, es que el protagonista clínicamente no puede reconocer o expresar emociones. Sin embargo, yo pude vivir miles de ellas a lo largo de estas páginas.
Los mensajes sobre el amor y la ausencia del mismo me parecieron muy profundas. Sin olvidarnos de la reflexión mas importante: Un ni?o que ignora las tragedias ajenas por su falta emociones causará mucho más impacto aún cuando toda la población también está acostumbrada a ignorarlas.
Mi único conflicto con la novela es que hay partes que se van muy rápido y me hubiera gustado que se desarrollaran más (la relación con la abuela, el doctor Shim y Dora) :(
Fuera de eso, disfruté mucho de conocer a Gon y Yunjae ??
Los mensajes sobre el amor y la ausencia del mismo me parecieron muy profundas. Sin olvidarnos de la reflexión mas importante: Un ni?o que ignora las tragedias ajenas por su falta emociones causará mucho más impacto aún cuando toda la población también está acostumbrada a ignorarlas.
Mi único conflicto con la novela es que hay partes que se van muy rápido y me hubiera gustado que se desarrollaran más (la relación con la abuela, el doctor Shim y Dora) :(
Fuera de eso, disfruté mucho de conocer a Gon y Yunjae ??
July 5, 2022
this book is sweet and nice.
i am not sweet or nice.
we were destined not to get along.
not just because of that, but also because i don't like sad/sick kid finds happiness type books. they make me sad at the beginning but they don't make me happy at the end - things always wrap up too neatly, like if deus ex machina involved less cool greek god vengeance, so i'm left thinking about all the real-world sad and suffering children who don't have a random happily ever after following 280ish pages.
which is the type of thought i use books to escape from.
a lose / lose situation.
bottom line: not a bad book! just a very, very not-for-me book.
------------------------
currently-reading updates
poll time! is reading books i don't think i'll like:
a) brave
b) stupid
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
book 7: disorientation
book 8: parade
book 9: if i had your face
book 10: joan is okay
book 11: strange weather in tokyo
book 12: sarong party girls
book 13: the wind-up bird chronicle
book 14: portrait of a thief
book 15: sophie go's lonely hearts club
book 16: chemistry
book 17: heaven
book 18: the atlas six
book 19: the remains of the day
book 20: is everyone hanging out without me? and other concerns
book 21: why not me?
book 22: when the tiger came down the mountain
book 23: the lies we tell
book 24: to paradise
book 25: pachinko
book 26: you are eating an orange. you are naked.
book 27: cursed bunny
book 28: almond
i am not sweet or nice.
we were destined not to get along.
not just because of that, but also because i don't like sad/sick kid finds happiness type books. they make me sad at the beginning but they don't make me happy at the end - things always wrap up too neatly, like if deus ex machina involved less cool greek god vengeance, so i'm left thinking about all the real-world sad and suffering children who don't have a random happily ever after following 280ish pages.
which is the type of thought i use books to escape from.
a lose / lose situation.
bottom line: not a bad book! just a very, very not-for-me book.
------------------------
currently-reading updates
poll time! is reading books i don't think i'll like:
a) brave
b) stupid
------------
reading books by asian authors for aapi month!
book 1: kim jiyoung, born 1982
book 2: siren queen
book 3: the heart principle
book 4: n.p.
book 5: the hole
book 6: set on you
book 7: disorientation
book 8: parade
book 9: if i had your face
book 10: joan is okay
book 11: strange weather in tokyo
book 12: sarong party girls
book 13: the wind-up bird chronicle
book 14: portrait of a thief
book 15: sophie go's lonely hearts club
book 16: chemistry
book 17: heaven
book 18: the atlas six
book 19: the remains of the day
book 20: is everyone hanging out without me? and other concerns
book 21: why not me?
book 22: when the tiger came down the mountain
book 23: the lies we tell
book 24: to paradise
book 25: pachinko
book 26: you are eating an orange. you are naked.
book 27: cursed bunny
book 28: almond
May 10, 2021
Es un libro precioso que casi se convierte en un manifiesto en la importancia de la educación sentimental y emocional, aunque está situado en Corea del Sur, su planteamiento es universal: dos adolescentes que se enfrentan a dos condiciones diferentes, uno no puede sentir porque así lo indica su cerebro y otro siente tanto dolor que le encantaría no sentirlo. Este planteamiento nos recuerda por qué es tan importante analizar la masculinidad, lo peligroso de dejar solos a los adolescentes frente al dolor y sobre todo aprender que es válido ser vulnerable frente a otros, que ser hombre no es un indicador de nada. Almendra es una novela juvenil que apela al amor, al amor que como adultos debemos comprometernos a compartir en esta edad tan delicada, y lo genial de todo esto es que nunca subestima a su lector, no pretende se?alar culpables, desde su objetividad es sensible y directa y nos muestra una tonalidad de personajes que cambian junto al lector. Recomiendo mucho este libro para reflexionar y cuestionarnos cómo admitimos lo que sentimos y cómo educamos a los ni?os y jóvenes en torno al amor, pero sobre todo qué significa ser valiente. Ser un hombre no significa no poder tener miedo, dolor o vulnerabilidad.
September 7, 2023
Such a unique way to explore human emotion!
May 9, 2020
The first two-thirds (basically part 1&2) of this book was easily 5 stars for me but then it unfortunately went a bit downhill.
The premise promised the deeper exploration of a very interesting friendship(?) between a boy who couldn't feel anything and one who felt too much. I confess I didn't know what alexithymia was before this novel so I was intrigued to read about Yunjae, but in the end Gon turned out to be my favourite character. Gon, whose troubled childhood made him put up a vicious mask but actually cries over hurting a butterfly. Whose violent facade is actually a cry for help that noone seems to undertsand. Who, in spite of being abandoned, decides to stick by Yunjae's side and tries to help him.
Unfortunately after part two everything starts to feel rushed. We don't get any more of the main characters' peculiar bonding conversations about retro pornstars and chimpanzee laughter which made me care for them and helped me understand their worldviews earlier. Important parts about Gon's past stay a mystery even though Yunjae explicitly states that Gon shared those memories with him. I understand that it is Yunjae's story primarily but that didn't stop the author to write a whole chapter about Dr. Shim or explain Dora's background in great detail.
I mostly just feel unsatisfied. And disappointed because it could have been so much more. The prologue promised a study of two peculiar individuals and their relationship, but halfway through it just gave up and decided to wrap up quickly with a mediocre conclusion. I have to say, I didn't like the ending. The author writes that we can never really know whether a story is happy or tragic which I assume was supposed to justify the sudden turn at the end but after the messy last two parts and the sudden flood of miracles, I closed the book with a sour look on my face.
Some finishing thoughts:
- I'm still not sure what to think of Dora. To some extent, I feel like she was necessary but at the same time, I think her sudden apperance took away too much from the main plot.
- It was interesting to read the translator's note at the end, where she wrote that after reading the Korean text, she wasn't sure whether it was just her interpretation or there really might have been something more than friendship between the main characters. After she discussed it with the author and other translators, I think she conveyed the slight ambiguity really well in English.
Overall, I wanted more. Both in page count and getting to know the main characters and their relationship. I hate giving it only 3 stars when I absolutely adored the beginning but sadly it didn't live up to its full potential.
The premise promised the deeper exploration of a very interesting friendship(?) between a boy who couldn't feel anything and one who felt too much. I confess I didn't know what alexithymia was before this novel so I was intrigued to read about Yunjae, but in the end Gon turned out to be my favourite character. Gon, whose troubled childhood made him put up a vicious mask but actually cries over hurting a butterfly. Whose violent facade is actually a cry for help that noone seems to undertsand. Who, in spite of being abandoned, decides to stick by Yunjae's side and tries to help him.
There is no such person who can't be saved. There are only people who give up on trying to save others.
Unfortunately after part two everything starts to feel rushed. We don't get any more of the main characters' peculiar bonding conversations about retro pornstars and chimpanzee laughter which made me care for them and helped me understand their worldviews earlier. Important parts about Gon's past stay a mystery even though Yunjae explicitly states that Gon shared those memories with him. I understand that it is Yunjae's story primarily but that didn't stop the author to write a whole chapter about Dr. Shim or explain Dora's background in great detail.
This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.
I mostly just feel unsatisfied. And disappointed because it could have been so much more. The prologue promised a study of two peculiar individuals and their relationship, but halfway through it just gave up and decided to wrap up quickly with a mediocre conclusion. I have to say, I didn't like the ending. The author writes that we can never really know whether a story is happy or tragic which I assume was supposed to justify the sudden turn at the end but after the messy last two parts and the sudden flood of miracles, I closed the book with a sour look on my face.
I have almonds inside me.
So do you.
So do everyone you love and those you hate.
No one can feel them.
You just know they are there.
Some finishing thoughts:
- I'm still not sure what to think of Dora. To some extent, I feel like she was necessary but at the same time, I think her sudden apperance took away too much from the main plot.
- It was interesting to read the translator's note at the end, where she wrote that after reading the Korean text, she wasn't sure whether it was just her interpretation or there really might have been something more than friendship between the main characters. After she discussed it with the author and other translators, I think she conveyed the slight ambiguity really well in English.
Overall, I wanted more. Both in page count and getting to know the main characters and their relationship. I hate giving it only 3 stars when I absolutely adored the beginning but sadly it didn't live up to its full potential.
March 10, 2021
Yunjae tiene 16 a?os y aunque se encuentra en ese momento de la adolescencia donde los sentimientos se vuelven más intensos, él no puede sentir nada. Las amígdalas de su cerebro son tan peque?itas como una almendra y esto lo hace incapaz de sentir. Su cuerpo puede sentir frío o calor, y también dolor físico, pero no es capaz de entender sentimientos como el miedo, la felicidad o la tristeza. Desde peque?o su madre le ha ense?ado a fingir estos sentimientos para encajar en la sociedad y que nadie lo rechace por ser diferente. Pese a todo vive en un hogar reconfortante junto a su madre y su abuela, un lugar seguro donde es protegido del mundo exterior.
Pero esto pronto va a cambiar: un día su madre y su abuela serán atacadas por un psicópata y su vida dará un vuelco. Por primera vez se verá obligado a vivir solo, sin ayuda de nadie para entender a los demás. A partir de este momento no le quedará más remedio que acercarse a otros, tratando de comprender estos sentimientos que le son tan ajenos, y para ello empezará a relacionarse con diferentes personas: un compa?ero de clase abusón que esconde a una persona acomplejada; una chica especial que practica atletismo o un amigo de su madre que se gana la vida con una panadería.
Creo que el primer acierto es que esté narrada por Yunjae, con ese toque frío y robótico que transmite perfectamente esa falta de sentimientos. Solo narra los distintos momentos de su vida como si fuera un mero espectador. Sin embargo, sentí que eso va cambiado conforme va avanzando la novela y cada vez se muestra una narración mucho más sentida. O al menos eso he percibido yo. Y tanto es así que ha logrado emocionarme en muchísimas ocasiones.
Siempre empatizo con estas historias donde se nos presenta a una persona que no encaja en la sociedad, que de alguna manera es diferente y eso hace que sea rechazado por esta, casi repudiado. Esos personajes inadaptados, que buscan entender la sociedad que les rodea, pero que nunca son aceptados por ella, siempre consiguen agarrarme y no soltarme hasta el final. Yunjae es un personaje increíble, con un carisma brutal, aún no siendo capaz de sentir.
Otra cosa que me gusta de este tipo de historias y en este libro se refleja a la perfección, es la violencia que desata el miedo al diferente. El no entender algo suele provocar odio, y en esta historia vemos a varios personajes cuyas diferencias despiertan esta violencia en las personas que les rodean. Nadie trata de ayudar o de comprender a estas personas, solo se?alarlas y apartarlas. Brutal la crítica.
En definitiva, "Almendra" me ha parecido un libro contundente, que ha logrado despertar en mi muchos sentimientos bonitos, y que, aun presentándonos una trama dura, tiene ese toque esperanzador que yo siempre valoro en los libros con una carga dramática considerable. En el final no he podido evitar echar unas lagrimillas. Ahora tengo una nueva necesidad, que sigan publicando la obra de Won-Pyung Sohn en castellano. Necesito leer todo lo que publique esta mujer.
Pero esto pronto va a cambiar: un día su madre y su abuela serán atacadas por un psicópata y su vida dará un vuelco. Por primera vez se verá obligado a vivir solo, sin ayuda de nadie para entender a los demás. A partir de este momento no le quedará más remedio que acercarse a otros, tratando de comprender estos sentimientos que le son tan ajenos, y para ello empezará a relacionarse con diferentes personas: un compa?ero de clase abusón que esconde a una persona acomplejada; una chica especial que practica atletismo o un amigo de su madre que se gana la vida con una panadería.
Creo que el primer acierto es que esté narrada por Yunjae, con ese toque frío y robótico que transmite perfectamente esa falta de sentimientos. Solo narra los distintos momentos de su vida como si fuera un mero espectador. Sin embargo, sentí que eso va cambiado conforme va avanzando la novela y cada vez se muestra una narración mucho más sentida. O al menos eso he percibido yo. Y tanto es así que ha logrado emocionarme en muchísimas ocasiones.
Siempre empatizo con estas historias donde se nos presenta a una persona que no encaja en la sociedad, que de alguna manera es diferente y eso hace que sea rechazado por esta, casi repudiado. Esos personajes inadaptados, que buscan entender la sociedad que les rodea, pero que nunca son aceptados por ella, siempre consiguen agarrarme y no soltarme hasta el final. Yunjae es un personaje increíble, con un carisma brutal, aún no siendo capaz de sentir.
Otra cosa que me gusta de este tipo de historias y en este libro se refleja a la perfección, es la violencia que desata el miedo al diferente. El no entender algo suele provocar odio, y en esta historia vemos a varios personajes cuyas diferencias despiertan esta violencia en las personas que les rodean. Nadie trata de ayudar o de comprender a estas personas, solo se?alarlas y apartarlas. Brutal la crítica.
En definitiva, "Almendra" me ha parecido un libro contundente, que ha logrado despertar en mi muchos sentimientos bonitos, y que, aun presentándonos una trama dura, tiene ese toque esperanzador que yo siempre valoro en los libros con una carga dramática considerable. En el final no he podido evitar echar unas lagrimillas. Ahora tengo una nueva necesidad, que sigan publicando la obra de Won-Pyung Sohn en castellano. Necesito leer todo lo que publique esta mujer.
June 18, 2020
Even though I know book blurbs can't always be trusted, I'm a sucker for ones that compare said book to . I just can't help it. I loved that book. So if another one is compared to it, I'm gonna take my chances.
I take that blurb writer's word for it even though I doubt they even read the book half the time.
Sometimes it pays off. Others.... myeh.??
The protagonist of Curious Incident.... was a teen on the Autism spectrum. The protagonist of Almond is a teen with Alexithymia, a disorder caused by smaller than normal amygdalae, an almond-shaped mass of grey matter that's responsible for the perception of many emotions.
I'll be honest: Another reason I had to read this is because I saw the word "amygdala" in a review of it.
"Amygdala" is one of my favourite words. I love how it looks and love how it sounds. For the longest time, when I saw it in books, I pronounced it "Am-ig-DAL-YUH. That doesn't sound very nice and I didn't like the word. But when I heard the proper way, "Uh-MIG-da-lah".... it just set off oodles and scads of feel good hormones
Yeh, I know, I know.? Weird.
So anyway, I decided to read Almond because it was likened to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and because I got a nerdy brain orgasm seeing the word amygdala.??
Yeh.... not exactly proof that a book is gonna be good.?
But, that was my reasoning and so I read the book.
And..... it's not bad, but it's also not good.?
Yunjae is a teen diagnosed with?Alexithymia because his amygdalae (woohoo!) are smaller than normal. As a result, he is unable to feel many common emotions like love and fear and anger.?
Near the beginning of the book, his mother and grandmother are brutally attacked in front of him and even then, he is unable to feel anything. As you might imagine, this draws derision from other kids in his school.
Yunjae narrates the book, showing us the world through his eyes, describing what it's like to not have feelings and how he tries to understand those who do.
This could have been really good but it just didn't make much sense. The characters were not believable. For instance, the adults around him open up and tell him every little thing, as though he's their therapist.? Another thing that didn't make sense is that his mother asked a friend to take care of Yunjae in the event she is ever unable to, but never told him anything about Yunjae's condition. Ooooo-kaaaaaaay. She wouldn't have, like, I don't know, said 'Hey, before you agree, I need to tell you that this kid has special needs that you'll need to know about and understand'?
I don't know, I'm not a mother so what do I know? All I can tell you is that if someone's gonna take care of my cat, they are gonna hear all about her needs and wants and quirks beforehand.
Much of the dialogue was awkward as well, possibly due to it being a translation.
It must be difficult to write a character without feelings, and the author didn't always succeed. Yunjae does feel things all along, otherwise some of his observations would have been different.
The last part of the book is unbelievable as well. Too cutesy and neat of an ending. It didn't make sense and I didn't buy it.??
Nope, not buying it at all.?
Maybe others will like this more than I did. A big turn-off for me is that it reads like a young adult novel and I rarely like young adult writing. Perhaps I could have looked past the other things and enjoyed it more if it wasn't for that.
2.5 stars. I'll round it up because, hey..... amygdala!
I take that blurb writer's word for it even though I doubt they even read the book half the time.
Sometimes it pays off. Others.... myeh.??
The protagonist of Curious Incident.... was a teen on the Autism spectrum. The protagonist of Almond is a teen with Alexithymia, a disorder caused by smaller than normal amygdalae, an almond-shaped mass of grey matter that's responsible for the perception of many emotions.
I'll be honest: Another reason I had to read this is because I saw the word "amygdala" in a review of it.
"Amygdala" is one of my favourite words. I love how it looks and love how it sounds. For the longest time, when I saw it in books, I pronounced it "Am-ig-DAL-YUH. That doesn't sound very nice and I didn't like the word. But when I heard the proper way, "Uh-MIG-da-lah".... it just set off oodles and scads of feel good hormones
Yeh, I know, I know.? Weird.
So anyway, I decided to read Almond because it was likened to The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and because I got a nerdy brain orgasm seeing the word amygdala.??
Yeh.... not exactly proof that a book is gonna be good.?
But, that was my reasoning and so I read the book.
And..... it's not bad, but it's also not good.?
Yunjae is a teen diagnosed with?Alexithymia because his amygdalae (woohoo!) are smaller than normal. As a result, he is unable to feel many common emotions like love and fear and anger.?
Near the beginning of the book, his mother and grandmother are brutally attacked in front of him and even then, he is unable to feel anything. As you might imagine, this draws derision from other kids in his school.
Yunjae narrates the book, showing us the world through his eyes, describing what it's like to not have feelings and how he tries to understand those who do.
This could have been really good but it just didn't make much sense. The characters were not believable. For instance, the adults around him open up and tell him every little thing, as though he's their therapist.? Another thing that didn't make sense is that his mother asked a friend to take care of Yunjae in the event she is ever unable to, but never told him anything about Yunjae's condition. Ooooo-kaaaaaaay. She wouldn't have, like, I don't know, said 'Hey, before you agree, I need to tell you that this kid has special needs that you'll need to know about and understand'?
I don't know, I'm not a mother so what do I know? All I can tell you is that if someone's gonna take care of my cat, they are gonna hear all about her needs and wants and quirks beforehand.
Much of the dialogue was awkward as well, possibly due to it being a translation.
It must be difficult to write a character without feelings, and the author didn't always succeed. Yunjae does feel things all along, otherwise some of his observations would have been different.
The last part of the book is unbelievable as well. Too cutesy and neat of an ending. It didn't make sense and I didn't buy it.??
Nope, not buying it at all.?
Maybe others will like this more than I did. A big turn-off for me is that it reads like a young adult novel and I rarely like young adult writing. Perhaps I could have looked past the other things and enjoyed it more if it wasn't for that.
2.5 stars. I'll round it up because, hey..... amygdala!
April 9, 2022
The plot: Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He doesn't really feel happiness, at least not in a strong way, but he is content living with his mother and grandmother… until an incident that leaves his grandmother dead and his mother in a coma. Dealing with the aftermath of this, he tries to cope without anyone to help him make through life faking what he's "supposed" to feel.
This gif sums up the entire novel for me:
It really was so close. I loved getting inside this character's head. I loved seeing his attempts at getting to know others. The friendship he starts to form and how he interacts is quite clever. It was a four, possibly five star read. Really this is a book that's ruined by the last twenty pages.
Warning: Major spoilers.
Had the book ended a few pages earlier or had a different ending this would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read. As things stand sections one through three are still great, but the ending lowered it to a generous 2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3.
This gif sums up the entire novel for me:
It really was so close. I loved getting inside this character's head. I loved seeing his attempts at getting to know others. The friendship he starts to form and how he interacts is quite clever. It was a four, possibly five star read. Really this is a book that's ruined by the last twenty pages.
Warning: Major spoilers.
Had the book ended a few pages earlier or had a different ending this would have been a 4 or 4.5 star read. As things stand sections one through three are still great, but the ending lowered it to a generous 2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3.
November 3, 2022
I learned and discovered some new experiences in this book, especially about human emotions.
I don't know how to describe this novel but a very emotional story to tell.
Discover psychology and human thinking here.
I don't know how to describe this novel but a very emotional story to tell.
Discover psychology and human thinking here.
July 6, 2022
Para ser una historia sobre un personaje que no puede sentir, experimente todas las emociones posibles. Que gran libro.
March 17, 2022
i love books that move you deeply and all but now i’m sad, emotionally wrecked and will probably be on the verge of tears for the rest of the day, thank you ??? ?
November 2, 2021
Ksi??ko, jeste? pi?kna.
Wywo?ujesz emocje i odczucia, o których tak cz?sto zapominamy - wspó?czucie, wzruszenie, trosk?. To by?o mi potrzebne.
Wywo?ujesz emocje i odczucia, o których tak cz?sto zapominamy - wspó?czucie, wzruszenie, trosk?. To by?o mi potrzebne.
May 24, 2020
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The amygdalae are two almond-shaped nodes in the brain responsible for the processing of emotion, most notably fear. ALMOND is a book about a young Korean boy with underdeveloped amygdalae, leading to a condition called "alexithymia," which is a brain disorder in which a person can't really identify with or even experience emotions in a normal way (their own or others). As a psychology major, we talked briefly about alexithymia but never in any concrete detail. I was surprised by how similarly it was portrayed to someone who might have autism or a nonverbal learning disability, as Sohn's struggle with empathy is something that I have seen in people with the two aforementioned conditions, but the difference is that he doesn't really feel anything either-- at all. Which makes me wonder if maybe the reason I didn't learn more about alexithymia when I was in college 10+ years ago was because there simply wasn't that much literature about the disorder in the first place.
Obviously, as a psychology major, I was super-psyched (ha!) to receive a copy of this book from the publisher. It's also a translated work from Korea, which makes it an excellent choice for celebrating AAPI heritage month. Interestingly, I heard another reviewer saying that in Korea it's marketed to a young adult audience, but in the United States, it's been rebranded as an adult title. I can see why. This book is very dark. The teenage character sees his mother and grandmother bludgeoned and stabbed before him, killing his grandmother and putting his mother into the hospital. After their respective death and incapacitation, he is put into the care of a well-meaning neighbor, who lets him continue to live alone and run his mother's bookstore while he goes to school and tries to have some semblance of a normal life.
Given that the hero, Yunjae, has so much difficulty with empathy and relating to others, he often attracts negative attention. One day, this attention comes from a juvenile delinquent named Gon, who has a whole bunch of his own problems, one of which brings him into the sphere of Yunjae in the first place. As you learn more about them, their bond becomes one of contrasts: Yunjae is a "good boy" who feels nothing at all; Gon is a "bad boy" who feels far too much. Yunjae has no empathy and could do terrible things without remorse but doesn't. Gon, on the other hand, lashes out at everyone, even as it tears him up inside. It becomes a curious and fascinating study about societal norms and morality-- especially in the last act of the book, when Yunjae makes another friend named Dora.
ALMOND is such a stark and powerful book, written in spare prose and with surprising depth of emotion. I loved the neurodivergent hero and his quest to just try to live his life, despite his disability. I liked the subtleties of his development, and how the people around him helped him relate to himself and those around him in various ways (whether deliberately or inadvertently). I still feel like this could (and should) be read and enjoyed by a young adult audience, but again, it does have some dark content, like the aforementioned crime scene, and a scene involving graphic animal cruelty (a butterfly) that was quite hard to read and made me pretty sad.
I would say that this would appeal to people who liked WONDER and CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHTTIME, as it has the same elements of a boy developing agency and independence on his journey to life despite being picked on for something he can't control.
Thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review!??
4 to 4.5 stars
December 15, 2024
??? ..????? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ?????? ?????? ?? ????? ???? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ??? 13 ???...
???? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????????? (??????????) ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ???...
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???? ??????? ???? ??? ? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ????????? ???? ...
????? ?????..???? ??? ? ???? ? ???????? ???? ???..
??????? ?.?
"?? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????.."
???? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????????? (??????????) ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ???...
?? ??????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?????? ???? ??????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ???????? ???? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????...
??????? ?????? ???..??????? ??????...???? ?????? ?? ??????? ??????? ? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ?? ????? ??? ????? ????? ????..
???? ??????? ???? ??? ? ??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ?? ??????? ????? ???? ? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ??? ???? ??? ? ????? ?????? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ????? ????????? ???? ...
????? ?????..???? ??? ? ???? ? ???????? ???? ???..
??????? ?.?
"?? ???? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ??????? ????? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???????.."
March 28, 2023
?No os pasa que leéis un libro y pensáis: "Ojalá habérmelo leído cuando era adolescente"? Almendra es ESE libro para mí.
Llevo un tiempo debatiéndome entre las 4 y las 5 estrellas, así que lo dejaré [en mi cabeza, porque goodreads...] en 4'5. Me ha encantado casi absolutamente todo. El estilo narrativo es simple y directo, como Yunjae. Y pese a ser un personaje con el que, en un principio, no podría empatizar nunca por mi personalidad, me he sentido muy cerca de él en cada una de las palabras. Vas de la mano con el protagonista mientras te guía por su peque?a (y dura, vista desde fuera) vida, pero no es excesivamente dramático. No busca eso para nada, sino que busca la simpleza de alguien con alexitima, de alguien que es incapaz sentir. Y ha sido precioso.
No puedo evitar poner una pega estúpida: el libro tiene cuatro partes y la cuarta, excepto el final absoluto, me ha parecido demasiado irreal e inverosímil para ser una novela tan realista como es Almendra. Pero eso mismo me pasó con El curioso incidente del perro a medianoche (libro que, por cierto, tiene un aire a este), y me encantó igual.
Sé que no me lee nadie por aquí, pero os pido que le deis una oportunidad. Vais a reír, llorar y cuestionaros vuestros propios sentimientos. O eso es al menos lo que me ha hecho sentir Yunjae.
------
Gracias por los likes! Podéis ver una rese?a más extensa y con spoilers con mi amiga Lara en mi
Llevo un tiempo debatiéndome entre las 4 y las 5 estrellas, así que lo dejaré [en mi cabeza, porque goodreads...] en 4'5. Me ha encantado casi absolutamente todo. El estilo narrativo es simple y directo, como Yunjae. Y pese a ser un personaje con el que, en un principio, no podría empatizar nunca por mi personalidad, me he sentido muy cerca de él en cada una de las palabras. Vas de la mano con el protagonista mientras te guía por su peque?a (y dura, vista desde fuera) vida, pero no es excesivamente dramático. No busca eso para nada, sino que busca la simpleza de alguien con alexitima, de alguien que es incapaz sentir. Y ha sido precioso.
No puedo evitar poner una pega estúpida: el libro tiene cuatro partes y la cuarta, excepto el final absoluto, me ha parecido demasiado irreal e inverosímil para ser una novela tan realista como es Almendra. Pero eso mismo me pasó con El curioso incidente del perro a medianoche (libro que, por cierto, tiene un aire a este), y me encantó igual.
Sé que no me lee nadie por aquí, pero os pido que le deis una oportunidad. Vais a reír, llorar y cuestionaros vuestros propios sentimientos. O eso es al menos lo que me ha hecho sentir Yunjae.
------
Gracias por los likes! Podéis ver una rese?a más extensa y con spoilers con mi amiga Lara en mi
February 18, 2025
" ( ????????? )
?? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ?? ??????? ?????? ?? ??????????? ????? ?????? ???????? ???? ????? ??????? ????? ??????? ??????? ??????? ?? ??? ?????? ? ???? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??????? ? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ??? ??????? ??????? ??? ??? ? ??? ????? ?????? ????? ????? ??? ??????? ????? ???? ?????? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ????? ????? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ".
?
??????? ?? ?? ???????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??? ?? ????? ? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ??? ?? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ???? ???? ??? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ??????? ???????? ???????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ????? .
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- ???? ???? ????? ? ?????? ?? ?????? ???????? ? ?????? ?????? !."
?? ??? ??????? " ??? ??? " ??? ?? ??? ???????? ?? ?? ???? ?????? ??????? ??? ????? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? . ?? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ????? ????? ??????? ???????? ???? ??????? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? . ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ????? ???? ????? ???? ???? ??? ????? ?? ????? ????? ?? ?? ????? ??? ??????? ???? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ????? .. ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? .
" ?? ???? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ??? ???????? ???? ??????? ????? ??????? ?? ?????? " ????? " ? " ??????? " ???? ???? ??????? ??? ???? "
??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???? ????? ?? ????? ?? ?? ??? ??? ..
?? ??? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ????? ?????? ????? ???? ? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ? ??? ????? ???? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?
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??????? ????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ?? ????? ????? ???? ?????? ?????? ??????? ???? ???? . ????? ??? ??? ??? ?????? ????? ????? .
?? / ? / ????
February 6, 2025
Book of the year 2024
This book has a lot of hype around it. And I'm here to confirm that this book is underrated.
I didn't really know ehat to expect and I was worried that it'd be an overrated but book.
But this is just great. I'd go as to say that this is the Book of the year.
It was smooth, full of emotions and facts.
I enjoyed it and it captivated me from the very first line.
The fact that he wasn't able to feel or understand feelings,yet he was able to trigger all waves of emotions in you.
As someone who had some difficulties in understanding some of human emotions, this book felt so close to the heart.
Kudos to the writer.
This is a true masterpiece.
This book has a lot of hype around it. And I'm here to confirm that this book is underrated.
I didn't really know ehat to expect and I was worried that it'd be an overrated but book.
But this is just great. I'd go as to say that this is the Book of the year.
It was smooth, full of emotions and facts.
I enjoyed it and it captivated me from the very first line.
The fact that he wasn't able to feel or understand feelings,yet he was able to trigger all waves of emotions in you.
As someone who had some difficulties in understanding some of human emotions, this book felt so close to the heart.
Kudos to the writer.
This is a true masterpiece.
June 22, 2022
I’m on ! =)
”This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.”
It’s been ages I buddy read “础濒尘辞苍诲” with my friend Katja but I really wanted to write a review about the book. Unfortunately my life got in the way and I neither read as much as I wanted to nor did I manage to write reviews about the books I finished. I’m going to rectify that now though and after I wrote this review there will follow a couple of other reviews as well. So watch out for them. It’s about time I write them down. ;-) This said, let’s head right back to the actual review and speak about “础濒尘辞苍诲”.
”Granny, why do people call me weird?”
Her lips loosened.
“Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different, eigoo, my adorable little monster.”
Granny hugged me so tight my ribs hurt. She always called me a monster. To her, that wasn’t a bad thing.
I wanted to read this book for a while and when my dear friend Katja asked me to read it together for the #Koreadathon I immediately said yes. We picked it for the “read a book recommended by a Korean celebrity” prompt and the fact that RM as well as SUGA of BTS read it and enjoyed it was enough reason to go for it as well. I trust my boys taste in books and I’m really glad I decided to go for “础濒尘辞苍诲” because it was an intriguing read and very thought-provoking. The plot of the book is easily described: It’s about a boy named Yunjae who was born with a brain condition named alexithymia which basically means that he can’t feel emotions. The part of his brain that is responsible for our feelings (and formed like an almond, hence the book title) isn’t fully developed and that causes him to have troubles to understand human emotions. Our MCs mother and his grandmother tried their best to teach him how to cope with his lack of emotions but then one day tragedy hits and Yunjae is left to fend for himself.
”People sometimes say how cool it’d be to be fearless, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. Fear is an instinctive defense mechanism necessary for survival. Not knowing fear doesn’t mean that you’re brave; it means you’re stupid enough to stay standing on the road when a car is charging towards you.”
I had so many thoughts when I read this book and a lot of them had to do with the way Yunjae was raised. I know his mother and grandmother only had the best intentions and wanted him to blend in with everyone, but I think to some extent their constant efforts made it even more difficult for him to deal with his condition. Emotions are something you can’t learn because human feelings are very complex and some people will cry because they are happy while others will laugh even though they are sad. You might be able to explain the general reasons behind behaviour like crying but every person is an individual and we all react differently when we’re overwhelmed by our feelings. The fine nuances of emotions... well they are something you can’t learn. So even though I understood where Yunjae’s mother was coming from I still didn’t agree with her methods. It felt like Yunjae was under a lot of pressure to learn “the proper reactions” and I kinda felt sorry for him.
”Dr. Shim was right – being ordinary was the trickiest path. Everyone thinks “ordinary” is easy and all, but how many of them would actually fit into the so-called smooth road the word implied?”
Well, and then his grandma died and his mother was out of the picture as well, leaving him to fight through all the troubles on his own. Okay, almost all on his own because Dr. Shim was amazing and I loved that he helped him out! Honestly, bless his soul because he just accepted Yunjae the way he was and tried to help him as best as he could. <3 But Dr. Shim isn’t the only one that helped him to find his way and Gon as well as Dora had an impact on the MCs character development.
”Dora. Dora was exactly the polar opposite of Gon. If Gon tried to teach me pain, guilt and agony, Dora taught me flowers and scents, breezes and dreams.”
I loved the way this was put, because it sums up their different personalities and essence so well. With Dora Yunjae discovered the soft feelings of first love and attraction and with Gon he learned about true friendship and hardships. Some might say Gon was a catalyst and I’m inclined to agree with that, but I also think that Dora’s appearance was at least as vital to Yunjae’s development as Gon’s. Both played a very important part in the MCs life and contributed to his experiences.
”About what?”
“About destiny and time.”
“What a surprise to hear those words from you.”
“Sheesh, did you know that even when you say the simplest things, you sound like a dick?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Now you know.”
“Yes, thanks.”
I really loved the bluntness between Gon and Yunjae! They took each other the way they were and they didn’t try to pretend to be someone else when they were in each other’s company. I think this might have actually been the main reason their friendship could bloom and evolve because the way they met definitely wasn’t the best start. (And that’s an understatement right there.) I’m not going to spoil anything here though. ;-) Despite being unable to feel emotions the same way other people do Yunjae was quite a wise person sometimes and could look through people’s disguises with surprising ease. I suppose you could also say that because of his disability to feel emotions he was probably more perceptive than others?
”She said families walk hand in hand. Granny would hold my other hand. I have never been abandoned by anyone. Even though my brain was a mess, what kept my soul whole was the warmth of the hands holding mine on both sides.”
I’m pretty sure it was due to this that he was able to see who Gon truly was. The way Yunjae described Gon was simple yet beautiful and I guess this is also how I would describe Won-Pyung Sohn’s writing style: Beautiful simplicity with many layers. The author never beats about the bush or hides information. It’s all there and you get exactly what you read which was a very refreshing approach and even though the conversations between the characters are pretty unexcited, they still have some sort of beauty to them. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the writing style so much but I did. =)
”I said, shut the fuck up.”
“You are not that kind of person.”
“Fuck,” he shouted, half crying. A nail on the wall must’ve pricked my leg, because it was bleeding. Gon saw and started weeping like a child. Yes, this was who he was. The kind of person who tears up at a drop of blood, who feels pain for other’s pain.
As for the ending of the book: I liked it but it almost felt too smooth? I don’t know if I’d have done anything differently but I’ve to admit that I still don’t know how I feel about it. I thought a lot about my final reaction to Yunjae’s story but all I can come up with is that the ending felt too convenient. Still, I really enjoyed “础濒尘辞苍诲” and I can recommend reading it if you want to go for something different and thought-provoking. I still think about the book and in my book this is always a good thing. ;-)
_____________________________
I really enjoyed this one and it definitely made me think a lot about people and their emotions. Yunjae was an interesting MC and I really liked how he tried to understand the people around him. The way certain scenes and characters were described was very intriguing and to see everything through Yunjae’s eyes gave this a unique perspective.
Full RTC as soon as I managed to put my thoughts into words. *lol*
Also if you’re interested about my participation in the Koreadathon you can watch the video on my channel: !
______________________________
I’m already very curious about this book and I’ll actually buddy read it with my dear BookTube friend Katja!
We’re taking part in this year’s #Koreadathon which is hosted by and ! It’s the first time I’m actually taking part in a readathon so I’m very excited. XD
Plus I’m a huge fan of BTS and I can easily connect this with a book! Because if you know BTS and watched their show “In the Soop” you’ll know that RM as well as SUGA read “础濒尘辞苍诲” during the show. ;-) So this is the perfect choice for “read a book recommended by a Korean celebrity”!
I have no idea how many of the challenges I’ll be able to check on my list but it will be fun to try. ;-)
Did you ever take part in a readathon? Do you plan on joining the koreadathon?!
Talk to me and let me know! ;-)
”This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.”
It’s been ages I buddy read “础濒尘辞苍诲” with my friend Katja but I really wanted to write a review about the book. Unfortunately my life got in the way and I neither read as much as I wanted to nor did I manage to write reviews about the books I finished. I’m going to rectify that now though and after I wrote this review there will follow a couple of other reviews as well. So watch out for them. It’s about time I write them down. ;-) This said, let’s head right back to the actual review and speak about “础濒尘辞苍诲”.
”Granny, why do people call me weird?”
Her lips loosened.
“Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different, eigoo, my adorable little monster.”
Granny hugged me so tight my ribs hurt. She always called me a monster. To her, that wasn’t a bad thing.
I wanted to read this book for a while and when my dear friend Katja asked me to read it together for the #Koreadathon I immediately said yes. We picked it for the “read a book recommended by a Korean celebrity” prompt and the fact that RM as well as SUGA of BTS read it and enjoyed it was enough reason to go for it as well. I trust my boys taste in books and I’m really glad I decided to go for “础濒尘辞苍诲” because it was an intriguing read and very thought-provoking. The plot of the book is easily described: It’s about a boy named Yunjae who was born with a brain condition named alexithymia which basically means that he can’t feel emotions. The part of his brain that is responsible for our feelings (and formed like an almond, hence the book title) isn’t fully developed and that causes him to have troubles to understand human emotions. Our MCs mother and his grandmother tried their best to teach him how to cope with his lack of emotions but then one day tragedy hits and Yunjae is left to fend for himself.
”People sometimes say how cool it’d be to be fearless, but they don’t know what they’re talking about. Fear is an instinctive defense mechanism necessary for survival. Not knowing fear doesn’t mean that you’re brave; it means you’re stupid enough to stay standing on the road when a car is charging towards you.”
I had so many thoughts when I read this book and a lot of them had to do with the way Yunjae was raised. I know his mother and grandmother only had the best intentions and wanted him to blend in with everyone, but I think to some extent their constant efforts made it even more difficult for him to deal with his condition. Emotions are something you can’t learn because human feelings are very complex and some people will cry because they are happy while others will laugh even though they are sad. You might be able to explain the general reasons behind behaviour like crying but every person is an individual and we all react differently when we’re overwhelmed by our feelings. The fine nuances of emotions... well they are something you can’t learn. So even though I understood where Yunjae’s mother was coming from I still didn’t agree with her methods. It felt like Yunjae was under a lot of pressure to learn “the proper reactions” and I kinda felt sorry for him.
”Dr. Shim was right – being ordinary was the trickiest path. Everyone thinks “ordinary” is easy and all, but how many of them would actually fit into the so-called smooth road the word implied?”
Well, and then his grandma died and his mother was out of the picture as well, leaving him to fight through all the troubles on his own. Okay, almost all on his own because Dr. Shim was amazing and I loved that he helped him out! Honestly, bless his soul because he just accepted Yunjae the way he was and tried to help him as best as he could. <3 But Dr. Shim isn’t the only one that helped him to find his way and Gon as well as Dora had an impact on the MCs character development.
”Dora. Dora was exactly the polar opposite of Gon. If Gon tried to teach me pain, guilt and agony, Dora taught me flowers and scents, breezes and dreams.”
I loved the way this was put, because it sums up their different personalities and essence so well. With Dora Yunjae discovered the soft feelings of first love and attraction and with Gon he learned about true friendship and hardships. Some might say Gon was a catalyst and I’m inclined to agree with that, but I also think that Dora’s appearance was at least as vital to Yunjae’s development as Gon’s. Both played a very important part in the MCs life and contributed to his experiences.
”About what?”
“About destiny and time.”
“What a surprise to hear those words from you.”
“Sheesh, did you know that even when you say the simplest things, you sound like a dick?”
“I didn’t know that.”
“Now you know.”
“Yes, thanks.”
I really loved the bluntness between Gon and Yunjae! They took each other the way they were and they didn’t try to pretend to be someone else when they were in each other’s company. I think this might have actually been the main reason their friendship could bloom and evolve because the way they met definitely wasn’t the best start. (And that’s an understatement right there.) I’m not going to spoil anything here though. ;-) Despite being unable to feel emotions the same way other people do Yunjae was quite a wise person sometimes and could look through people’s disguises with surprising ease. I suppose you could also say that because of his disability to feel emotions he was probably more perceptive than others?
”She said families walk hand in hand. Granny would hold my other hand. I have never been abandoned by anyone. Even though my brain was a mess, what kept my soul whole was the warmth of the hands holding mine on both sides.”
I’m pretty sure it was due to this that he was able to see who Gon truly was. The way Yunjae described Gon was simple yet beautiful and I guess this is also how I would describe Won-Pyung Sohn’s writing style: Beautiful simplicity with many layers. The author never beats about the bush or hides information. It’s all there and you get exactly what you read which was a very refreshing approach and even though the conversations between the characters are pretty unexcited, they still have some sort of beauty to them. I didn’t think I’d enjoy the writing style so much but I did. =)
”I said, shut the fuck up.”
“You are not that kind of person.”
“Fuck,” he shouted, half crying. A nail on the wall must’ve pricked my leg, because it was bleeding. Gon saw and started weeping like a child. Yes, this was who he was. The kind of person who tears up at a drop of blood, who feels pain for other’s pain.
As for the ending of the book: I liked it but it almost felt too smooth? I don’t know if I’d have done anything differently but I’ve to admit that I still don’t know how I feel about it. I thought a lot about my final reaction to Yunjae’s story but all I can come up with is that the ending felt too convenient. Still, I really enjoyed “础濒尘辞苍诲” and I can recommend reading it if you want to go for something different and thought-provoking. I still think about the book and in my book this is always a good thing. ;-)
_____________________________
I really enjoyed this one and it definitely made me think a lot about people and their emotions. Yunjae was an interesting MC and I really liked how he tried to understand the people around him. The way certain scenes and characters were described was very intriguing and to see everything through Yunjae’s eyes gave this a unique perspective.
Full RTC as soon as I managed to put my thoughts into words. *lol*
Also if you’re interested about my participation in the Koreadathon you can watch the video on my channel: !
______________________________
I’m already very curious about this book and I’ll actually buddy read it with my dear BookTube friend Katja!
We’re taking part in this year’s #Koreadathon which is hosted by and ! It’s the first time I’m actually taking part in a readathon so I’m very excited. XD
Plus I’m a huge fan of BTS and I can easily connect this with a book! Because if you know BTS and watched their show “In the Soop” you’ll know that RM as well as SUGA read “础濒尘辞苍诲” during the show. ;-) So this is the perfect choice for “read a book recommended by a Korean celebrity”!
I have no idea how many of the challenges I’ll be able to check on my list but it will be fun to try. ;-)
Did you ever take part in a readathon? Do you plan on joining the koreadathon?!
Talk to me and let me know! ;-)
September 27, 2023
5 stars
A book about a boy who can’t feel emotions yet made me feel so much.
Yunjae was born with a condition that made him unable to feel emotions. We follow him through his journey of him asking questions and his curiosity about human nature and emotions. We follow his character growth that was so fascinating, heartbreaking at times, heart warming at others, and so beautiful.
Gon was the complete opposite. He was an overflowing bottle of emotions. It was equally fascinating. I loved seeing how those two were so different yet compliment each other. They were the polar opposite. I truly loved their “friendship”
I loved this book. It’s totally “my type”. It was perfect. Such a thought provoking beautiful story that made me feel so much. I’d probably be reading it again soon. Also, I couldn’t tell exactly why, but I teared up a little in the end.
A book about a boy who can’t feel emotions yet made me feel so much.
There is no such person who can’t be saved. There are only people who give up on trying to save others.
Yunjae was born with a condition that made him unable to feel emotions. We follow him through his journey of him asking questions and his curiosity about human nature and emotions. We follow his character growth that was so fascinating, heartbreaking at times, heart warming at others, and so beautiful.
People said there was no way to understand Gon. I didn’t agree with them. It’s just nobody ever tried to see through him.
Gon was the complete opposite. He was an overflowing bottle of emotions. It was equally fascinating. I loved seeing how those two were so different yet compliment each other. They were the polar opposite. I truly loved their “friendship”
A bookstore is a place densely populated with tens of thousands of authors, dead or living, residing side by side. But books are quite. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and throughly, just enough at a time for me to handle.
I loved this book. It’s totally “my type”. It was perfect. Such a thought provoking beautiful story that made me feel so much. I’d probably be reading it again soon. Also, I couldn’t tell exactly why, but I teared up a little in the end.
I do not know how this story will unfold. As I said neither you nor I nor anyone can ever know whether a story is happy or tragic. It may be impossible to categorize a story so neatly in the first place. Life takes on various flavors as it flows.
July 21, 2022
Me ha gustado una historia interesante que se basa en una enfermedad real.
La verdad es que el libro se lee muy rápido debido a lo cortitos que son los capítulos y sin darte cuenta ya has leído un buen trecho.
?ltimamente he leído varios libros ubicados en Corea o bien sus autoras son de dicho país y me estoy llevando agradables sorpresas, esta ha sido una mas.
Sinopsis: Almendra es una historia sobre crecer, descubrirse a uno mismo y aceptar que la ayuda no siempre viene por donde la esperamos.
Yunjae tiene dieciséis a?os, está en la edad de las emociones desbordadas, el amor y la rabia. Pero las amígdalas de su cerebro son peque?as, más peque?as que una almendra y, como consecuencia, Yunjae es incapaz de sentir nada.
Educado por su madre y su abuela, aprende a identificar las emociones de los demás y a fingir estados de ánimo para no destacar en un mundo que pronto lo tachará de extra?o. ?Si tu interlocutor llora, tú entrecierra los ojos, baja la cabeza y dale una suave palmada en la espalda?, le dice su madre. Así construye una aparente normalidad que se hace trizas el día en que un psicópata ataca a ambas mujeres en la calle. Desde entonces, Yunjae debe aprender a vivir solo, sin deseo de derramar una lágrima, sin tristeza ni miedo ni felicidad.
A Yunjae le tienden la mano personas improbables: un antiguo amigo de su madre, una chica capaz de romper certezas e incluso un abusón con más afinidad de la esperada. Los tres quebrarán la soledad del protagonista de Almendra.
Una novela breve y lacerante en la que solo la empatía puede llevar a la esperanza.
8/10
La verdad es que el libro se lee muy rápido debido a lo cortitos que son los capítulos y sin darte cuenta ya has leído un buen trecho.
?ltimamente he leído varios libros ubicados en Corea o bien sus autoras son de dicho país y me estoy llevando agradables sorpresas, esta ha sido una mas.
Sinopsis: Almendra es una historia sobre crecer, descubrirse a uno mismo y aceptar que la ayuda no siempre viene por donde la esperamos.
Yunjae tiene dieciséis a?os, está en la edad de las emociones desbordadas, el amor y la rabia. Pero las amígdalas de su cerebro son peque?as, más peque?as que una almendra y, como consecuencia, Yunjae es incapaz de sentir nada.
Educado por su madre y su abuela, aprende a identificar las emociones de los demás y a fingir estados de ánimo para no destacar en un mundo que pronto lo tachará de extra?o. ?Si tu interlocutor llora, tú entrecierra los ojos, baja la cabeza y dale una suave palmada en la espalda?, le dice su madre. Así construye una aparente normalidad que se hace trizas el día en que un psicópata ataca a ambas mujeres en la calle. Desde entonces, Yunjae debe aprender a vivir solo, sin deseo de derramar una lágrima, sin tristeza ni miedo ni felicidad.
A Yunjae le tienden la mano personas improbables: un antiguo amigo de su madre, una chica capaz de romper certezas e incluso un abusón con más afinidad de la esperada. Los tres quebrarán la soledad del protagonista de Almendra.
Una novela breve y lacerante en la que solo la empatía puede llevar a la esperanza.
8/10
April 18, 2023
Simplesmente espetacular.
May 20, 2024
“Luck plays a huge part in all the unfairness of the world. Even more than you’d expect.”
Well this was so beautiful. It was very fast and easy to read. The chapters were super short, every single one of them left you with a question and emotions. You just wanted to know what happened next. The book is divided into 4 parts. Every part is a new stage of Yunjae life. It’s a very touching story about friendship and compassion and second chances. I enjoyed it so much ??
“Too much honesty hurts others”
characters
“People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying there’s nothing they could do, yet they didn’t stand up for one happening nearby either because they’re too terrified. Most people could feel but didn’t act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real.I didn’t want to live like that.”
Yunjae he was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel any emotions or empathy like fear, anger, sadness, happiness… etc.
He was such an interesting character. he had that innocence of young boy, but also had the innocence of someone who’s not attuned to their emotions which for me made his pov more unique and interesting, especially as we see him grow and change through the book. the way he was questioning and trying to understand the human behavior/ emotions was so fascinating. There were some questions that i had no idea how to answer them. I loved his character development through the book. It was really beautiful ??
“Granny, why do people call me weird?”
“Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different, eigoo, my adorable little monster.”
Yunjae mother was a character i don’t really know my feelings about. She did love and care for him, but what bothered me is the way she forced him to fake emotions just so he can look normal I understand why she did that i really do but i wanted her to just accept him as he is first you know.
Granny was one of the best character in this book. She didn’t care what other people said about yunjae she loved him nonetheless. ??
Both of them helped Yunjae grow up with good values and be a good hearted person who can differentiate what is right and what is wrong?
“people said there was no way to understand Gon. I didn’t agree with them. It’s just that nobody ever tried to see through him”
I can’t say i like or love him but I sympathize with him. He was a bag filled with emotions that he did not want to feel. He wanted to be like yunjae so much. He was a victim of the circumstances since he was a boy he suffered a-lot only yunjae could see the good person hidden beneath all the anger.
quotes
“Anything will lose its meaning if you repeat it often enough,” she said. “At first you feel you are getting the hang of it, but then as time goes by, you feel like the meaning’s changing and becoming tarnished. Then, finally, it gets lost. Completely fades to white.”
“But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle.”
“What does love mean?” Mom asked mischievously.
“To discover beauty.”
Well this was so beautiful. It was very fast and easy to read. The chapters were super short, every single one of them left you with a question and emotions. You just wanted to know what happened next. The book is divided into 4 parts. Every part is a new stage of Yunjae life. It’s a very touching story about friendship and compassion and second chances. I enjoyed it so much ??
“Too much honesty hurts others”
characters
“People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying there’s nothing they could do, yet they didn’t stand up for one happening nearby either because they’re too terrified. Most people could feel but didn’t act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real.I didn’t want to live like that.”
Yunjae he was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel any emotions or empathy like fear, anger, sadness, happiness… etc.
He was such an interesting character. he had that innocence of young boy, but also had the innocence of someone who’s not attuned to their emotions which for me made his pov more unique and interesting, especially as we see him grow and change through the book. the way he was questioning and trying to understand the human behavior/ emotions was so fascinating. There were some questions that i had no idea how to answer them. I loved his character development through the book. It was really beautiful ??
“Granny, why do people call me weird?”
“Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different, eigoo, my adorable little monster.”
Yunjae mother was a character i don’t really know my feelings about. She did love and care for him, but what bothered me is the way she forced him to fake emotions just so he can look normal I understand why she did that i really do but i wanted her to just accept him as he is first you know.
Granny was one of the best character in this book. She didn’t care what other people said about yunjae she loved him nonetheless. ??
Both of them helped Yunjae grow up with good values and be a good hearted person who can differentiate what is right and what is wrong?
“people said there was no way to understand Gon. I didn’t agree with them. It’s just that nobody ever tried to see through him”
I can’t say i like or love him but I sympathize with him. He was a bag filled with emotions that he did not want to feel. He wanted to be like yunjae so much. He was a victim of the circumstances since he was a boy he suffered a-lot only yunjae could see the good person hidden beneath all the anger.
quotes
“Anything will lose its meaning if you repeat it often enough,” she said. “At first you feel you are getting the hang of it, but then as time goes by, you feel like the meaning’s changing and becoming tarnished. Then, finally, it gets lost. Completely fades to white.”
“But books are quiet. They remain dead silent until somebody flips open a page. Only then do they spill out their stories, calmly and thoroughly, just enough at a time for me to handle.”
“What does love mean?” Mom asked mischievously.
“To discover beauty.”
Read
June 25, 2024—— no rating.
??? Mood of the book: AMYGDALA by Agust D
fun fact, that song written by a BTS member is rumored to be inspired by this precise book.
I don't even know where to start with this review, first of all, I don't think I will ever know what score to give it, so for now, as of June 25, 2024, it remains without a score.
The book is about Yunjae, a boy who has been diagnosed with Alexithymia, a brain condition that makes it difficult to feel anger, fear, or other emotions. This condition affects a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is shaped like an almond, hence the title.
The book follows his life, going through different situations that we all face, but from his point of view they FEEL different.
I don't think I should go into more detail.
Finally, add that this is not the best book in the world, it is not a light or addictive read, it does not have the best pacing or the best plot, but it does have great lesson about a non so mainstream brain condition and reality, and for that reason alone, I totally recommend it.
'This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.'
'Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different'
'Luck plays a huge part in all the unfairness of the world. Even more than you’d expect.'
'Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I’d never met and lives I’d never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn’t experienced could all be found in those volumes.'
'Without meaning to, I stabbed a dagger into Mom’s heart every day.'
'But son, being ordinary is the hardest thing to achieve'
??? ??? ??????:
25/06/24: I think I need time to process this to give it a proper rating
23/06/24: Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi recommended this, so I’m reading ?
' People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying there’s nothing they could do, yet they didn’t stand up for one happening nearby either because they’re too terrified. Most people could feel but didn’t act. They said they sympathized, but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real. I didn’t want to live like that.'
??? Mood of the book: AMYGDALA by Agust D
fun fact, that song written by a BTS member is rumored to be inspired by this precise book.
??ˋ ★ ?ˊ? ??????? ???????? ?ˋ ★ ?ˊ?
I don't even know where to start with this review, first of all, I don't think I will ever know what score to give it, so for now, as of June 25, 2024, it remains without a score.
The book is about Yunjae, a boy who has been diagnosed with Alexithymia, a brain condition that makes it difficult to feel anger, fear, or other emotions. This condition affects a part of the brain called the amygdala, which is shaped like an almond, hence the title.
The book follows his life, going through different situations that we all face, but from his point of view they FEEL different.
I don't think I should go into more detail.
Finally, add that this is not the best book in the world, it is not a light or addictive read, it does not have the best pacing or the best plot, but it does have great lesson about a non so mainstream brain condition and reality, and for that reason alone, I totally recommend it.
??ˋ ★ ?ˊ? ???? ???????ˋ ★ ?ˊ?
'This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.'
'Maybe it’s because you’re special. People just can’t stand it when something is different'
'Luck plays a huge part in all the unfairness of the world. Even more than you’d expect.'
'Books took me to places I could never go otherwise. They shared the confessions of people I’d never met and lives I’d never witnessed. The emotions I could never feel, and the events I hadn’t experienced could all be found in those volumes.'
'Without meaning to, I stabbed a dagger into Mom’s heart every day.'
'But son, being ordinary is the hardest thing to achieve'
??? ??? ??????:
25/06/24: I think I need time to process this to give it a proper rating
23/06/24: Kim Namjoon and Min Yoongi recommended this, so I’m reading ?
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