The Hole

TWs: Ableism, confinement, emotional abuse, death, grief

2.75 rounded up; It had such a great start to build up the tension between Oghi and how his life spirals downward after the car accident that kills his wife. Then the ending... I understand the message but it wasn't as strong as the beginning and it feels abrupt, unsatisfactory, and so frustrating!!

In the beginning, I felt bad for Oghi and how the mother-in-law was treating him, which was understandable, considering he as the driver was alive, and the wife had passed away. But as the history behind the characters unravels, it turns into a lot of hatred and frustration with all of them. Simply, they're all crazy lol Oghi especially. Such a selfish and self-centered human who feels that no one cares about him and that life is just moving without him, despite his achievements. Possibly intentional, where Oghi is the only character that is actually named.

Major props to the designer, that hole getting bigger each chapter is so crazy and terrifying. A visual so simple, yet impactful and unnerving!! It wasn't in the Korean book, so great addition!!

not me staying up at 2 am thinking this book would keep getting better..... call the circus they missed a clown.

cw: death, fatphobic comments, ableism and ablest terminology.

i was promised a eerie horror/thriller and what i got was a weirdly paced literary trying to be mysterious. i love short books but damn i wish this was longer and went in depth in the “thriller-y” aspects. i would continue ranting but i'm tired and want to be free from this book lmao.

honestly if you're intrigued by this pick it up, you might like it. but it just wasn't for me.

Rating: 1.71 leaves out of 5-Characters: 2/5 -Cover: 2/5-Story: 1.5/5-Writing: 4/5Genre: Horror, Mystery, Thriller-Horror: 1.5/5-Mystery: 1/5 -Thriller: 0/5Type: EbookWorth?: NoHated Disliked Meh It Was Okay Liked Loved FavoritedI wouldn't read this unless you like to waste time. Oghi is a man who is severely disabled after a wreck and the whole time you see him deal with that and his mother. The beginning started off so strong and right after it just went to the birds. You realize Oghi is shit. The most interesting thing about this book is the hole.

Oghi has awoken from a coma after a horrific car accident. His wife has died and Oghi is almost completely paralyzed. With a shattered jaw and damaged vocal cords he's also rendered mute. Eventually discharged from the hospital he finds himself alone in the world with only his mother-in-law to look after him. She's exhausted by the effort but also seems to be harbouring some seething resentment towards Oghi.

It's a claustrophobic story with a bubbling undercurrent of mounting tension told from Oghi's curtailed perspective. This is a Korean revenge drama set to a low simmer.

What was the point of this? Obviously, this book is very similar to Misery, but without any of the outright horror. It was distilled to watching a guy be laid up in bed, which is one of my least favorite things to read about anyway, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING happened in this book. None of the flashbacks were interesting, the antagonist was too illusive a figure to be menacing, and then it just ended. Probably didn't need to be a one star but I'm bitter.

not me staying up at 2 am thinking this book would keep getting better..... call the circus they missed a clown.

cw: death, fatphobic comments, ableism and ablest terminology.

i was promised a eerie horror/thriller and what i got was a weirdly paced literary trying to be mysterious. i love short books but damn i wish this was longer and went in depth in the “thriller-y” aspects. i would continue ranting but i'm tired and want to be free from this book lmao.

honestly if you're intrigued by this pick it up, you might like it. but it just wasn't for me.