Ratings13
Average rating4.1
WINNER OF THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE “[A] suspense-filled page-turner.” —Viet Thanh Nguyen, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Sympathizer "A touching portrait of two families bound together by a split-second decision.” —Attica Locke, Edgar-Award winning author of Bluebird, Bluebird A Best Book of the Year Wall Street Journal * Chicago Tribune * Buzzfeed * South Florida Sun-Sentinel * Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel * Book Riot * LitHub A powerful and taut novel about racial tensions in Los Angeles, following two families—one Korean-American, one African-American—grappling with the effects of a decades-old crime In the wake of the police shooting of a black teenager, Los Angeles is as tense as it’s been since the unrest of the early 1990s. But Grace Park and Shawn Matthews have their own problems. Grace is sheltered and largely oblivious, living in the Valley with her Korean-immigrant parents, working long hours at the family pharmacy. She’s distraught that her sister hasn’t spoken to their mother in two years, for reasons beyond Grace’s understanding. Shawn has already had enough of politics and protest after an act of violence shattered his family years ago. He just wants to be left alone to enjoy his quiet life in Palmdale. But when another shocking crime hits LA, both the Park and Matthews families are forced to face down their history while navigating the tumult of a city on the brink of more violence.
Reviews with the most likes.
Well written, moving, suspenseful, and so engaging, this is a fictionalized version of the Latasha Harlins murder and the LA Uprisings of ‘92 . Cha weaves the plot and character threads so deftly. There were some passages that I read a few times and thought - yes, yes that's EXACTLY how you explain that feeling, WOW, Cha! A strongly recommended read.
The writing was good and the plot was executed well. Sean and Grace read as real people, but I feel awkward commenting on it because the families that this story was based on are still alive. If you want to have a better understanding of the racial tensions between Korean liquor store owners and black youth during the 90's, this is a thorough insight.
What I will comment on, though the actual plot had nothing to do with my personal history, it was eerie how much of this book mirrored random specific aspects of my life. I grew up in Palmdale and moved to LA when I was 21. To Koreatown specifically. I also married someone who's last name is Cha. It's weird to hear about my high school and have my favorite K-pop band mentioned. Definitely creepy.