3.5 stars - This was a really interesting slice-of-life type of book about a group of Korean women who are struggling to meet the ridiculous standards of beauty in Korea. I thought the storylines about plastic surgery and K-pop idols were intriguing to read about, but I did have a hard time remembering which characters were which. I think this book would have benefitted from less main characters (perhaps two or even three perspectives would have been better). I also kind of hated the ending. It felt really abrupt and it definitely left me wanting more definitive endings for each of the main characters. I really liked Cha's style of writing but these aspects (and some elements that just felt like plot holes) left this from being a slam dunk for me.

| BOOK REVIEW |

Title: If I Had Your Face
Author: Frances Cha
Format: 🎧 (ARC originally received from Ballantine in exchange for an honest review)
Rating: ✩ ✩

The slump is real- I'm having trouble finding books that pique my interest after The Women! I was intrigued by some of the themes of If I Had Your Face, but it just didn't pull me in at all.


This is another novel where not a ton happened- it was very "slice of life" in following women who are all connected. The lack of distinct plot was the first thing that I struggled with as there was nothing pushing me forward through the novel.


The second issue was the characters: I kept having to check to see whose narrative I was reading and re-reading the Goodreads summary to remember who each character was. Many of their voices, sentence structure, internal dialogue, and more felt similar to me, so I struggled to identify them as unique characters.


Perhaps if I had tried this one at another time, it might have been more compelling, but it was just the wrong book at the wrong time for me on this one.

Key Points:
• Feminism and beauty standards in Korea
• Multi-POV
• Complex, unlikeable characters

Oh this book!!! I learned so much while also being completely consumed by beauty culture. This book totally brought me into a new world and wow. Will definitely recommend this to friends

What a truly thought-provoking escape of a novel. Not just YA, not just adult fiction — this is a novel for anyone who questions the true “privileges” being pretty gets anyone in the age of the “filtered generation”. A great beach read & into into the fascinating intersecting dynamics of plastic surgery & class in South Korea & the girls/young women who work/take advantage/are taken advantage of in the industry.

Well, this - to me - was a phenomenal, powerful and illuminating read. As someone who is married to a Korean, I found this book incredibly insightful and fascinating.

When we think of Korean culture, we think BTS, Oppa Gangbam Style, kimchi and so on, and while those are some of the most recognizable staples, Korea and its culture is so much more nuanced and interesting, and the intricacies of human relationships and social norms are mind blowing. So much happens underneath the surface, so much goes unsaid. Every gesture is efficient, every word carries meaning.. I have been navigating these (tumultuous) seas for over 10 years now and I am still learning. This book, though? Nails so much on the head. I found myself nodding along, entranced by its hypnotizing flow and rawness.

It touches upon so many subject that are rarely - if ever - discussed openly. Prostitution, plastic surgeries, how complicated marriage can be in Korea, how it’s become a norm for Korean men to seek out company of escorts, how sexist the society is and how incredibly hard it is for women to make it, let alone be truly happy.
I absolutely love this book and am so glad I got to listen to the audio (the author narrates parts of the story!)

If you're looking for a very plot driven book, this will not satiate your needs. 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.. well, dive on in.
Cha's writing is very in your face, which I didn't mind at all...and not meant to be punny considering the title... ahem. 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. It's exhausting. Creased eye lids, smaller noses, more defined cheek bones, lashes, eye color - it never ends. We are all aware of the popularity of Korean beauty products, k-dramas and k-pop. Now imagine being a Korean women, looking for a husband, being told they need to change this or that... what's the sense in all of this? And yet it is ingrained in our culture - most every culture in fact.

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. HE WON. She spent thousands upon thousands of money on plastic surgery. Judge agreed he got married under false pretenses. Sigh. Y'all....

Anyway - I wanted a bit more from these characters. I enjoyed their struggles and relationships - we all need support. But I did feel it all ended a bit abruptly and I wanted a bit more. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about the whole thing. It's brilliant in its own right - especially as a debut. But it didn't *quite* give me that punch I was expecting.

A fascinating story that will show you many of the Asian cultural beliefs and traditions.

it was not an easy book to read many of the characters were very young and going through several changes in their life that I had a hard time understanding, as for them their looks, society, money, status, and many other things were more important than anything else. this is the first time I read about the pressure women had in Asia, pressure to look good but at the same time being a woman in Asia was not really good. many newborns are left behind, abandoned to their own luck.

Some of them were also chained and exhibited for men to buy, so many things that I didn't comprehend and to me were so terrible and unimaginable for that If I had your Face wasn't an easy ready.

If I had Your Face is the story of what many of the newborn babies and women go through on a daily basis, the constant pressure of being a woman, a girl, the rejection of being the weakest gender of the country, you can't aspire of anything.

overall it was a good read but it is definitely for me a kind of dark story, it didn't have any happiness at all only drama, rejection, and sadness.. it is a reflection of society in many countries.

Loved soooooooooooooooo much! Have recommended it to so many friends and random people in the library haha. One of the best modern books about Korea I've read. Excited to read more from Frances Cha in the future!

It is hard to find a unique story now-a-days. This book certainly delivers on uniqueness but I felt the ending was lackluster and uneventful. Still completely worth the read though.

This book would make an excellent book for upper high school students with an interest in Korea and attitudes towards women and beauty in society. There is a lot to digest in terms of what makes one beautiful and the purpose/goals/effectiveness of plastic surgery. It is also a way to discuss resilience with students--overcoming rough childhoods, the effects of verbal/emotional abuse, and the cycle of abuse for women in "salon rooms." I found it engaging and thought provoking. This was a fantastic debut novel.

IF I HAD YOUR FACE is a book about four women living in South Korea. It deals with, among other things, societal standards, plastic surgery, abuse, the patriarchy, and a lot more. It's told through their four perspectives, and it took me far too long to tell the people apart, mostly because the voices sounded similar, which was frustrating.

I really didn't know anything about South Korea prior to reading this, and I liked the look into South Korean culture. The world was so vivd, and it was easy to picture these young women going about their days. This was definitely character driven more so than plot-driven, which isn't usually my favorite, but I was glad I read it.

I started this book to pay attention to Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month. I wanted to know more about the Korean culture and their fascination with perfecting their bodies. What I didn't have a grasp on was how extreme and prevalent it had become. Cha highlights 4 women in the 20-30s all living in the same building but with much different aspirations. You have Ara who had a mysterious childhood accident leaving her mute and now working as a hairstylist who has become infatuated with a K-Pop band member. There is Moona who was raised by an emotional abusive grandmother that is desperately trying to have a baby. Kyuri is working at a room salon where women are expected to cater to men, drink excess amounts of alcohol and most likely have paid sex. Then there is Miho who grew up in an orphanage and found her way to the US for art school and back to Korea for a fellowship. Each of the 4 are so different in their lives but yet connected by circumstance in so many ways.

I did not necessarily love any of these characters, nor do I know that Cha wanted us to, but I was fascinated. Each of them are in their own way delusional. Ara truly believes that one day she will meet this K-Pop star and they will happily fall in love. She watches every clip of every show, news and media where he appears and reads every article written about him. Her fascination appears on her room's walls and in her ever waking thoughts. Kyuri on the other hand has a much more solid and realistic view life and people but in her goal to make lots of money, she has morphed her body and face with plastic surgery time and times again. Procedure after procedure chasing that perfection has racked up so much debt with her employer, that she may never be able to come out from under it. This body dysmorphia limits her to an occupation that is more rapidly affecting her in negative ways. Miho's delusion is definitely different. She does not value beauty perfection but instead searches for her own perfection through art. Where her delusion arises is through inter-personal relationships and especially with her extremely wealthy boyfriend. Moona on the other hand suffers from mental illness and isn't able to discuss any of her troubles as she has isolated herself from everyone.

Each of these women, travel through their own journey at their own pace, coming to conclusions about themselves, their goals and aspirations and the value of each other. Normally I wouldn't stay as connected to characters I didn't love or love to hate, but here their journey kept me moving through the novel. I did appreciate having the audiobook with 4 distinct narrators. They did a good job keeping each of the 4 separate so that I could follow the storyline easily. This book sparked an interest and gave me information I hadn't known: Korea has a very high suicide rate, one of the lowest birth rates and is the country with highest number of plastic surgeries. Their obsession with body/face perfection is extreme and the lengths/pain they will go to achieve it is even more mind-boggling. If you are looking to experience another culture and learn of this phenomenon, I recommend "If I Had Your Face." Thank you to Netgalley, Frances Cha and Ballantine Books for providing me with a copy for my honest review.

A rich, beautiful look at a culture we so rarely get glimpses into. The relationships between the characters are so intricately drawn, at times it's hard to believe they aren't real.

This was a book that I really enjoyed reading but probably would not come back to. The character development of each individual woman in this book was fantastic. I also loved the author's descriptions of different societal norms / standards - I felt like I learned a lot.

What I didn't like was the ending. It felt a little abrupt and didn't give me many answers. Rather, this book was a snapshot of these women living in the same building each facing their own problems in society. I read a review that described it as a list of societal problems all molded into different characters, and this feels accurate.

I did like the author's writing style and would probably read more from her.

I felt like this book was really unique and definitely immersed me into a different culture, while also showing how body dysmorphia is something that knows no culture, and is something that inflicts ALL women. It was quite eye opening, and I really enjoyed the story, and felt it deeply within. Frances Cha is masterful.

first off, thank you, Ballantine Books for this gifted copy. for year I heard story about how beauty is portrayed in Korean (Asian) culture and this book hit me with some shocking facts. I want more books like this.

I really enjoyed this one! I have not read very many books written in Korea, and I loved the exploration of female friendship in their culture. The drama was legitimate and not petty, and I love that it didn't feel like the women were tearing each other down. The story examines beauty, perception, and class through their relationships, and I really felt like the characters were distinct and compelling. It was nice to see that the obsession with physical perfection is not just an American trait.

After reading the Crazy Rich Asian’s series, I became very interested in the parallels between the Asian and African/African American communities in regards to colorism. I always knew that there were caste systems, and that fair skin and European features were preferred, however, I did not know how important those things are to families.
This story of these young women reminded me of other sad stories about the lengths that we as women go to for not only beauty, but acceptance. I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was for me to connect with these young Korean women and see myself in them when I was their age.

I was completely captivated by this story, as I was not aware of the high beauty standards in Seoul, Korea. Each girl was struggling with her own inner demons and were not very good friends to one another; but its hard to be a good friend to another when you aren't that kind to yourself. In the end I couldn't help but want happiness for each girl; I felt like I really knew them (a nod to Cha's character development).

It’s written in one of my favorite formats: alternating character voices each chapter. I thought the writing was fresh and engaging. I would definitely read this author again.

Thank you Ballantine Books for gifting me a copy in exchange for my honest review

In her effervescent debut, Frances Cha writes the quintessential contemporary friendship story about four women challenging the traditions of beauty, gender roles, work and more in modern Seoul, Korea. - featured in my column for Ms. Magazine 3/31/2020