"Sometimes at night, the darkness and silence weighs upon me. Peace frightens me; perhaps I fear it most of all. I feel it is only a facade hiding the face of hell."

This is a contemporary story from two different points of view. Min is a Korean American who returns to Seoul to connect with his Korean heritage. As he tries to fit in with his expat community, he finds that he struggles to fit in with the white Americans who are seeking their fortune in the capital. Min meets his girlfriend Yu-Jin, who is a student attending a prestigious Seoul university. She has been planning to escape from the trappings of her traditional Korean parents.

" Everything that comes to you is meant for you. You deserve everything good or bad"

Through the different POVs, we see how Min and Yu-Jin meet, how they seek and desire a sense of belonging within the perscriptive confines of the world around them. We hear about Min's experiences working in corporate America, how alienating the workplace environment can be and the bridges he tries to build between America and Korea. We also hear about Yu-Jin's experiences of growing up within a strict patriarchal society where she is making use of formal education as a route to escape.

Within Yu-Jins reflections, there was a deeper dive into her friendship with So-ra whom she meets at university. Within So-ra, Yu-Jin finds belonging, acceptance and encouragement to explore and expand her horizons. Yu-Jin is a multi-layered character, I really enjoy reading about the contradicting perspectives she holds as she navigates emerging womanhood.

There are plenty of scenes which depict the daily life of Min, and Yu-Jin. Some of them have been expanded to provide social commentary. For example, Min is the 'cultural expert' in his company and uses topical TV programs from America to support his colleagues transition for business purposes. Yu-Jin's dialogue and interactions with her father and old high school friends shows the prevalent viewpoints and standards of the majority.

"When I came to Seoul, I kept waiting for something to happen. Or maybe happen is the wrong word.... I kept waiting for a feeling, like when you click in a seat belt. But after all this time here.... I realise Seoul can't give me that feeling, no place can. You have to find it within yourself".
I enjoyed Soon Wiley's debut novel immensely. I love the haunting exploration of our hidden selves and would recommend this.