Kyuri is a “top-ten” room salon girl who has undergone massive plastic surgery to become one of the best in her business. We learn about the prevalence of plastic surgery in Korea-1 in 3 women will have a procedure by age 30. We learn about room salons, expensive private bars where Korean businessmen pay a premium in exchange for the company-both sexually and not-of beautiful and attentive young women. Instead, she masterfully contextualizes, using one character’s experiences from temporarily living in New York while attending school to shed light on the ways that Korean culture is different, for better or worse, than what the audience is may be aware of. Frances Cha is a Korean American author writing for a Western audience, but she doesn’t overly explain the differences between the cultures. Review: Lightning by Dean Koontz #ATBR2022 #BuddyR.I have been recommending this book since the day I started reading it.Review: Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik #ATBR2022.Review: Smile and Look Pretty by Amanda Pellegrino.Review: If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha.Review: Sundial by Catriona Ward #ATBR2022.Review: We Can Never Leave This Place by Eric LaRocca.Review: The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St.Review: You've Lost a Lot of Blood by Eric LaRocca.Review: Murder Among Friends: How Leopold and Loeb.

But it didn't *quite* give me that punch I was expecting. It's brilliant in its own right - especially as a debut. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. But I did feel it all ended a bit abruptly and I wanted a bit more. I enjoyed their struggles and relationships - we all need support. Y'all.Īnyway - I wanted a bit more from these characters. Judge agreed he got married under false pretenses. She spent thousands upon thousands of money on plastic surgery. Sidebar: do you remember that article years ago about the Chinese man who divorced and sued his wife he couldn't understand why his daughter came out so ugly and didn't resemble the parents. what's the sense in all of this? And yet it is ingrained in our culture - most every culture in fact. Now imagine being a Korean women, looking for a husband, being told they need to change this or that. We are all aware of the popularity of Korean beauty products, k-dramas and k-pop. Creased eye lids, smaller noses, more defined cheek bones, lashes, eye color - it never ends. Cha gives us a reality check in how women's beauty standards are way too unfathomable and the women who are doing every thing they can to meet them. well, dive on in.Ĭha's writing is very in your face, which I didn't mind at all.and not meant to be punny considering the title.

But if you're looking for a very character driven novel of friendship, Korean culture, societal norms, gender roles and trying so hard to keep up with unrealistic beauty.

If you're looking for a very plot driven book, this will not satiate your needs.

If i had your face book review