If I Had Your Face

PHEW i ate this UP y'all highly recommend the audiobook form!!

this reminded me a lot of hello, my twenties! without the weird murder mystery element. the book explored a lot of darker themes with each girl going through their own struggles, and similarly to the TV show i found that there were certain parts that would have benefited from more exploration and reflection on one character's part (e.g. miho & ara). but overall, i really enjoyed this, and highly recommend it!

One sentence synopsis... Four women who live in the same apartment building in Seoul, Korea run up against the country's repressive beauty standards and deep seated misogyny.

Read it if you like... ‘Her Body and Other Parties', ‘Breasts and Eggs', or ‘Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982'.

Dream casting... really into Blackpink since watching the documentary on Netflix so just cast Jisoo in everything.

I truly enjoyed this novel. The narrative takes us on an intimate journey into the lives of four women in contemporary Seoul. Set against the backdrop of the city's high-pressure beauty industry, Cha delves deep into the complex beauty standards and societal expectations that shape their lives. What makes this book truly special is the author's choice for highlighting the darker sides of Seoul's beauty-obsessed culture, all while showcasing the resilience and inner strength of her characters.

“I would live your life so much better than you, if I had your face.”

An interesting story about four women living in the same officetel (a style of housing in Korea with mixed purpose units available for rent). Each has their own different background and life story, but because of their living situation in the same building, all four know each other very well. We learn each woman's story through their different chapters, each one taking a different woman's point of view. Ara is a hair stylist who, because of a traumatic injury when she was in high school, cannot speak, and has a crush on the lead singer of a K-pop band. Kyuri is a “room salon girl”, like a high class prostitute, who works for a madam and wines and dines expensive clients. Miho is an artist who grew up poor, earned a scholarship to a prestigious art school in America, and returned to Korea with her boyfriend, an incredibly wealthy heir to a corporation. Finally, Wonna....exists. She's pregnant with a child after a series of miscarriages, is in an unhappy relationship with a man she doesn't love, and desperately wants to carry her current child to term despite not being able to afford to care for it.

This is definitely a character-driven story; we follow each girl's story arc to a conclusion, satisfying or not. Kyuri's story I think was the strongest here, and it's from her that I learned a lot about Korean culture in the cracks of society. Ara potentially had a great point of view, but it felt like the author couldn't decide in which direction to take her. She also (spoiler) snaps and beats up a co-worker after workplace toxicity gets the better of her in a pretty epic fight scene, but nothing ever comes of it. Miho's point of view is the most sympathetic to me; she feels inadequate and like she doesn't fit in because of her poor upbringing for a lot of the story. But I could never grasp if she loved her boyfriend or was annoyed by him. Wonna's story basically doesn't even need to exist for the rest of the book to happen. She also comes off as being weirdly crazy in the end scene with Ara, and I was sort of expecting a more tragic end, like a bathtub drowning or a murder/suicide or something.

So, kind of a mixed bag as most multiple POV, character-driven stories tend to be. I still really enjoyed the book though, as it gave me a look at Korean culture in a way I hadn't read about before.

CW: abuse, suicide, miscarriage, cheating, use of the r-slur.

This felt like I was watching an episode of the k-drama, Hello my Twenties. This novel follows 5 women as they deal with the life expectations and beauty standards in Korean culture. It was interesting to see the characters in their day-to-day lives. It felt as if I was in a conversation with each of the characters. Not knowing everything but knowing enough to love and care for them all. I ended up connecting with and invested in the lives of each of the women we follow. I would recommend it for fans of Kim Ji-young born 1982 and contemporary k-dramas.

This book is an in depth look into the darkest parts of Korean society from 5 different female perspectives. The societal pressures to look perfect and be successful with the added stigmas around seeking mental help, it's no wonder suicide is a topic found in every Korean drama, book, and even some songs. It's refreshing to read it from a realistic point of view. The tv dramas coat everything in a pretty filter. It has an overall theme of female solidarity and the connection between the characters is the absence of a healthy upbringing with their parents. As someone who has studied Korean culture, this book left me raw and contemplative.

CW: abuse, suicide, miscarriage, cheating, use of the r-slur.

This felt like I was watching an episode of the k-drama, Hello my Twenties. This novel follows 5 women as they deal with the life expectations and beauty standards in Korean culture. It was interesting to see the characters in their day-to-day lives. It felt as if I was in a conversation with each of the characters. Not knowing everything but knowing enough to love and care for them all. I ended up connecting with and invested in the lives of each of the women we follow. I would recommend it for fans of Kim Ji-young born 1982 and contemporary k-dramas.