Almond by Sohn Won Pyung

 

Hard Cover Edition

Blurbs:

Yunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother aren’t fazed by his condition. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you," and when to laugh. Yunjae grows up content, even happy, with his small family in this quiet, peaceful space.

Then on Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s sixteenth birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school and begins to bully Yunjae. 

Against all odds, tormentor and victim learn they have more in common than they realized. Gon is stumped by Yunjae’s impassive calm, while Yunjae thinks if he gets to know the hotheaded Gon, he might learn how to experience true feelings. Drawn by curiosity, the two strike up a surprising friendship. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people—including a girl at school—something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life in danger, it is Yunjae who will step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a most unlikely hero. 

*****

Book ID:

Title : Almond

Author : Won Pyung Shon

Published : May 2020

Language : English

Publisher : Harper Via

Genre : YA

Supposedly, It was a read before bed. I was intending to read 50 first pages and sleep but turned out I finished it in just 3 hours sharp, without leaving any font at all. This is a very fast book because each chapter us short. I am proud of my self!

So this is a story about Yunjae, a teenager living with condition Alexithymia- his part of his brain that responsible for emotion is not developed enough. That part usually called an almond because of the shape.

The story opens up with a bit of witty introduction and continues with the fast forward background of his childhood. How his mother feels something wrong with her boy since he is not smiling at all and then the accident that made him labeled as a weird boy. 

Then he met his grandma out of nowhere, 7 years after his mother runaway from his Grandma. 

Both of them surrounded Yunjae with love and protective maternal feeling. They teach him to become more looks like 'normal', creating a formula to respond to another person's emotions. 

Anything is work accordingly until on the Yunjae birthday lunch on Christmas eve, a tragedy happened that leaves him alone in this world. His Grandma died and his mother practically vegetable. 

Have no remorse or pain, Yunjae move on with his life and push him to meet other persons in his life. The doctor turns to the baker on the second floor and the other monster, Gon who the total opposite of his character, and another tragedy happened.

At first, when I read the early chapters until the Author mentioned a city name in South Korea, it is all happening not in Korea. Maybe somewhere in the US. I thought that the author is American Born Korea. I am not quite sure how to put it, maybe it is the translation, but it feels like western literature compares to Asian literature. But it is doesn't mean good or bad, just somehow different.

Then peeling each chapter, I love Yunjae's honesty and pure way of thinking. I love the sensible of Gon. I love the ideal world that created in both the protagonist's mind. Sure did, it is the Author who has an ideal ideology for the world we live in and the powerful effect of love. Short to say, it is romantic. Yunjae himself is quite an observer. He understands the world turns, it is just he cannot express it like any normal people do. Then leave us a big question, who exactly cannot have emotions? maybe only the cruel weirdo living out there. 

This is the example of how observant Yunjae is:

"People shut their eyes to a distant tragedy saying there's nothing they could do, yet they didn't stand up for one happening nearby either because they're too terrified. Most people could feel but didn't act. They said they sympathized but easily forgot. The way I see it, that was not real. I didn't want to live like that."

The prose is also beautiful. Between the short chapter, the author manages to create a punch line and sew it into a beautiful story.  

Everything is perfect and powerful unless the part that so many coincidences and the cliche storyline. Good vs Bad. It feels like an Asian movie storyline. But maybe, it is because of the Author's romanticism and idealism.

It is great to read. A type of book that inspires you and has a fresh perspective on the World. I recommend it!