Miracle Creek

Fascinating mystery thriller, a real page-turner. An arson murder investigation is conducted and a tight group of people involved in the accident and their actions are being examined and analysed. As each layer of lies is shed we are shocked at what we find, but feel like being closer than ever to solving the mystery. But all what was revealed turns out to be lies as well with the next shocking revelation.

Angie Kim demonstrates how subjective the truth can be, how each fact taken out of context can be twisted in any amount of ways, how biased we are as people. The lawyers manage to present the same set of facts in such contradicting ways they make the same person look in turn like a villain and like a saint.

A lot of difficult emotions and complicated family situations give depth to the story. There's unconditional love for one's children, but this love has it's limits and boundaries. There's the pain of not fitting in, loneliness, jealousy, obedience, loyalty.

I wonder how realistically the American judicial system is portrayed here. After reading this book I got the illusion they gather just enough evidence to make a case and sit on it for a year-while the rest of the evidence rots away. When each party finds new evidence, which might be part of a bigger puzzle and lead to more evidence, it is kept silent about so it can be thrown into the other party's face in court at an unexpected moment. I sure hope it is not always like that.

Perhaps closer to a 3 but rounding up. I think the author graciously maneuvered with her writing on having emotional elements but without going over in terms of clear manipulation in pulling on your heart strings. I felt invested in the outcomes. This book would be easy to recommend to many people, especially people who don't read a lot or are newer to reading.

Korean immigrant, trial lawyer and HBOT mom Angie Kim pens this incredible debut. Legal thriller wrapped in an incisive story of outsiders and immigrants. The lengths parent will go to for their children and the use of legal rhetoric to manipulate our sympathies. We have an explosion at the beginning of the book that kills two people but culpability is not so easily sussed out.

We jump from character to character as they slowly begin to fill in the blanks. Pak Yoo, the wild goose father who lived in a closet sized apartment in Seoul trying to save enough to join his family in America. Feeling less in a new country where language sets limits on what he might do. Emily, her life consumed with trips to countless therapy sessions, holistic organic stores and alternative treatment centers. Hours spent researching new medicines, medical advances and innovative research - everything focused on her child at the expense of her own life. Characters motivations and secrets leading to a satisfying but no less heartbreaking resolution.

Jaw dropper of a debut. Worth checking out - video review and ramblings here: https://youtu.be/WvyOeIsKUS4

starts off a little heavy handed, like what she's trying to convey is so obvious (esp when it's a courtroom drama murder mystery), but the pieces are interconnected in a way that people's lives invariably are. and everyone is so understandable, even when they fuck up. it made me cry a bunch. and want to smoke a cigarette.

This is tough to review. I am not a big fan of courtroom dramas, but I really appreciated that this is a novel about many other things. There is a centralized incident, but it is a novel about an immigrant family, a couple having trouble conceiving, several mothers with special needs children, and more.
Honestly, I was so very impressed with how Kim kept all of this moving along and I really loved her character development. My heart just went out to Elizabeth. I have a feeling that I will be thinking about this book for a long time.