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Almond
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
24 posts | 27 read | 69 to read
This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me. Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friendsthe two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to thatbut his devoted mother and grandmother arent fazed by his condition. Their little home above his mothers used bookstore is decorated with colorful post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh. Yunjae grows up content, even happy, with his small family in this quiet, peaceful space. Then on Christmas EveYunjaes sixteenth birthdayeverything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school and begins to bully Yunjae. Against all odds, tormentor and victim learn they have more in common than they realized. Gon is stumped by Yunjaes impassive calm, while Yunjae thinks if he gets to know the hotheaded Gon, he might learn how to experience true feelings. Drawn by curiosity, the two strike up a surprising friendship. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new peopleincluding a girl at schoolsomething slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life in danger, it is Yunjae who will step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a most unlikely hero. The Emissary meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.
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TracyReadsBooks
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Pickpick

Loved everything about this book—it‘s one I‘ll be recommending to friends & anyone who will listen to me talk about it. Yunjae was born with alexithymia which makes it difficult to understand/express emotions but he is fortunate to have a family who cares/understands/helps him make his way in life. When tragedy strikes, Yunjae must figure things out on his own & when he meets a troubled student, he learns a lot about himself, friendship, & more.❤️

TrishB Have this on the pile- good to hear! 4d
24 likes1 comment
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charl08
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn

I felt connected to the smell of old books....I would flip open the books and smell them whenever I could, while Granny nagged me, asking what the point of smelling musty books was
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.

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charl08
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Mom said she would buy a small espresso machine. Books and the aroma of coffee. They were the perfect combination, at least in Mom's opinion.

"Coffee machine, my ass," Granny snorted. She had a flair for getting on Mom's nerves with only a few words. Mom was furious that her elegant taste was being mocked. Granny didn't bat an eyelid as she said in a low voice, "Just get some smut in here."

Tamra Wow - daffodils! 😍 1mo
dabbe “And then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.” 🌼 1mo
39 likes1 stack add2 comments
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nikekay
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Finished reading on 20 April 2023.

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Blackink_WhitePaper
Almond: a Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Beautifully written , an interesting concept. It depicts the life without emotions, and what happens if emotions go wrong. Short book but dense to read.4🌟#bookspinbingo

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 11mo
28 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MysticFaerie
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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5🌟/5🌟

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marss
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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.

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AbstractMonica
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
Mehso-so

It was an interesting read, but I found myself wanting more after every chapter. I felt like I only got a small glimpse of every character, and it was sometimes hard to really connect and engage with the story. I was pleasantly surprised by the ending, which made it worth sticking through the end.

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AbstractMonica
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Started this one a couple of days ago. Currently on Chapter 22…Interesting read so far ☕️📖

A bit melancholy, but looking forward to see what happens next.

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AbstractMonica
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Love, according to Mom‘s actions, was nothing more than nagging about every little thing, with teary eyes, about how one should ‘act such and such in this and that situation‘.

If that was love, I‘d rather neither give nor receive any. But of course, I didn‘t say that out loud. That was all thanks to one of Mom‘s codes of conduct- Too much honesty hurts others- which I had memorized over and over so that it was stuck in my brain.

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sailu112
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
Pickpick

I loved the way the book started by giving the gist of the whole story in a line like an elevator pitch. The way the character developed was slow yet steady. I really liked the way the story narrated with every other character‘s development along with the main character

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itsyvetperez
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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"Even though my brain was a mess, what kept my soul whole was the warmth of the hands holding mine on both sides."

-- 4⭐️

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coffees
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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I've heard of this book a few times but never got around to picking it up, then I did for #koreadathon and just, it was so beautiful and tragic and inspiring and just, so many emotions 🥹❤️‍🩹 It's really the story of one boy but the way it's told, it feels like it's the story of two and how they inspire and learn from each other (bc really, no one else truly tries to understand them), amazing story

ps it's already 3/12 here so #marvellousmarch

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RealLifeReading
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Mehso-so

I probably had too high expectations of this one, about a boy who doesn‘t quite feel emotions. He has a disorder called alexithymia because of underdeveloped amygdalae.
But while I enjoyed the first part of the book, the ending seemed too…easy. Also, the main character just never quite drew me into his story.

Overall, an interesting read but I just wanted more.

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Centique
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Both @Reggie and @Lindy loved this book and inspired me to read it. I‘m always intrigued by stories from the point of view of the neuro diverse and this was a delight. (Although a dark delight at times!) Yunjae doesn‘t feel emotions in the same way as others. His mother works hard to help him read people‘s expressions & practice appropriate responses. But when his life is thrown upside down by tragedy he needs to figure these out by himself. ⬇️

Centique The authors note at the end is really worth a read as well. A book from a cool and distant character that manages to convey a great deal of depth and heart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3y
Cinfhen Beautiful review 💕and those are two Littens opinions I hold in high esteem! #stacked 3y
Centique @Cinfhen 😁 synchronicity! I was just thinking “shall I tag Cindy and tell her she would like this book”. It‘s definitely a little dark but it‘s also a very quick read so when you‘re in the right mood for it 👍 3y
See All 19 Comments
erzascarletbookgasm Great review 👍. I‘ve got this one stacked after Reggie‘s review 😊 3y
squirrelbrain Great review, and I agree with Cindy about @Lindy and @Reggie‘s opinions (and yours of course too!) so stacked for me as well. 3y
Cinfhen I think I‘ve seen the title on #Scribd 🥳 @squirrelbrain (edited) 3y
Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻stacked 3y
Hooked_on_books This sounds really interesting. I actually find the cover very off putting, but I won‘t let that deter me from trying the book! 3y
oddandbookish I read this last year and loved it!! 3y
oddandbookish @Hooked_on_books what‘s so off putting about the cover? 3y
Hooked_on_books @oddandbookish Something about the giant pink faceless blob occupying all the space just makes me want to look away. I‘m guessing from the description that the absence of the face fits well with the story, so I‘m sure it‘s purposeful. 3y
Centique @Hooked_on_books @oddandbookish I think the cover relates to the boys brain scan which shows he has a very small amygdala. So the head is shown as blank and pink with this tiny nut sized amygdala. So it is purposefully strange. But it doesn‘t really represent the feel of the book in my opinion - for me it does have a stand offish feel of a fish out of water but bright colours don‘t really fit how I saw it - just my interpretation. 3y
Lindy Paula, I am so glad you enjoyed this. Thanks for mentioning that @Reggie and I influenced your decision to read it. Litsy love is a beautiful thing. 🤗 3y
Lindy @Cinfhen and @squirrelbrain It warms my heart to know you value my reviews. 🥰 3y
Liz_M I have this on my list for #ReadingAsia2021, glad to hear it is a goon one! 3y
Centique @Lindy you are always a source of inspiration 😘 3y
Reggie 😊yayyy I‘m so glad you liked this book, Paula. I remember being at the laundry when I read what happens to the mother and grandmother and just being horrified. But I love the rest of it. Also, this book belongs on the list of books from other countries where they comment on our gun violence. Where that kid says I wish I was in America cause then I‘d have a gun and I‘d shoot you with it-We look like idiots. Rightfully so. 3y
Centique @Reggie it‘s so shocking that sequence. Really felt those moments. And I love the way she tells it through his eyes in the beginning and then you go back later when he has more understanding and you see it with more knowledge yourself. Amazing 🙌 3y
Centique @Reggie although the US hasn‘t handled guns well, I think a lot of other countries have done it badly too. So freaking scary how many guns are out there 😬 3y
75 likes4 stack adds19 comments
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Lindy
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Reading Korean settings recently has inspired me to start a batch of kimchi.

saresmoore I love kimchi. I lived in an apartment complex in Southern California with several Korean families and even grew to appreciate the aroma of large batches of kimchi being made in tiny kitchens! Yours looks delicious! 3y
Lindy @saresmoore Thanks! Good to hear from a fellow kimchi fan. I saw beautiful Napa cabbage in the grocery store yesterday and now it‘s fermenting in a jar. 😊🥬🌶 3y
LeahBergen Oh, I love kimchi! ❤️ 3y
28 likes3 comments
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Lindy
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Pickpick

A contemporary novel from Korea, in the distinctive voice of a teen whose brain is unusual: he has difficulty feeling emotions and identifying them in others. On top of that, Yunjae is dealt a personal tragedy. He then meets a violent boy who has lived through his own share of hardship, and perhaps they can help each other. Also, this novel explores fascinating what-ifs regarding parent-child relationships. #Translation by Sandy Joosun Lee.

Reggie This was sooo good. 3y
Lindy @Reggie I saw your review 😊👍 3y
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Lindy
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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The worlds of movies, soap operas or cartoons were already so meticulous that there were no blanks left for me to fill in. […] But books were different. They had lots of blanks. Blanks between words and even between lines. I could squeeze myself in there and sit, or walk, or scribble down my thoughts.

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Reggie
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Translated from Korean, this is a YA about a boy named Yunjae. Yunjae has no ability to process emotions due to the almond shaped part of brain known as the amygdalae. We follow him after a horrific event which leads to him meeting Gon, a misunderstood bully. This was great. One of those books where the MC is seeing everything through an emotionless lens while you the reader feels everything. A lovely, yet dark, book about friendship and family.

TrishB Great review Reggie 👍🏻 3y
ephemeralwaltz This was a good one! 3y
BarbaraBB Great review. Stacked! 3y
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LeahBergen Great review! 3y
Reggie @TrishB @ephemeralwaltz @BarbaraBb @LeahBergen thanks ladies! In the back of the book the author talked about when she was a new mother and wondering how she could be a mother to a child who was deemed different. Not only that but how would her child‘s life be. This was her book on that and I think she did great. 3y
JanuarieTimewalker13 Just seeing this now!! Stacked! 3y
74 likes9 stack adds6 comments
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Pickpick

"This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me."
Born with Alexithymia, Yunjae is unable to understand and express emotions. Here we get a peek into his life trying to understand the proper ways to interact with the world around him, lead by his devoted mother & grandmother. Once he meets the other monster, things move along a bit too quickly but it is still an engaging story. Now on Prime Reading.

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick This story is out of South Korea #witmonth #womenintranslation and another free square on #bookspinbingo. Boy, those Free spaces are coming up fast! @TheAromaofBooks 4y
TheAromaofBooks Great review!!! 4y
32 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Calling it quits a tad early on a summer Friday to do some reading. This is another Prime Reading selection, this time supporting #witmonth #womenintranslation out of South Korea.

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thepostman96
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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Finished my third book for the #MakeYourMythTaker readathon. Almond follows the story of Yunjae, a boy born with a brain condition called alexithymia, and how he copes with the world and his relationships. It was fascinating and bittersweet. 4⭐️

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oddandbookish
Almond: A Novel | Won-pyung Sohn
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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.

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!

Full review: https://oddandbookish.wordpress.com/2020/05/19/review-almond/

nelehelen I‘m waiting for this to get delivered! Glad you enjoyed it. I‘m super excited for it 4y
Severnmeadows I read your review - stacked! 😊 4y
oddandbookish @nelehelen excited to hear your thoughts! 4y
oddandbookish @Severnmeadows I hope you get the chance to read it! 4y
37 likes2 stack adds5 comments