What a solid debut! If I Had Your Face will break your heart, and then break it again, but it also leaves you with a lingering feeling of hope for those you meet in the story. It's a very character-driven novel with chapters alternating between four Korean women living in Seoul, each at a different part of her life and finding her place in the world. I could connect with each of them and was fascinated by the ways they interacted with each new POV shedding a little more light on the previous character.

Of them all though, I connected most with Kyuri, her determination and her attempt to separate herself from others despite it being impossible for her to care. I feel as though I got to experience a whole world through this story that I wouldn't be able to otherwise in my life and that makes its impact even greater. I think this is a great book for any woman to read. Connection, sisterhood, and appreciation of ourselves and those around us are all great takeaways from this lovely novel.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Ballantine Books and the author Frances Cha for the opportunity to do so.

“I would live your life so much better than you if I had your face.”

Whatever I was hoping to get out of this novel, I received just that and even more. I’ve been especially interested in how women in other parts of the world live and interact with one another, so when I saw in the description that this was “...set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way...”, I really couldn’t pass it up.

Though the four main characters live in close proximity, in the same building, their lives feel separate from one another. When I first started reading I was wondering if this was going to be more of a Sex and the City vibe, where four friends are navigating the dating world and trying to self-actualize. Or maybe there would be petty feuds and backstabbing. It was decidedly not that, and all the better for it.

Frances Cha identifies astounding depth in what’s considered to be the more superficial parts of Korean society. She doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable parts of typically glamorized industries, like K-Pop and Korean Beauty. Sometimes when we read about other places and people, there’s an instinct to react with relief, like, ‘Oh thank God it’s not like that here!’ It was funny to see some of those reactions directed at American society by the Korean characters, and really made me question my own responses. In If I Had Your Face, Cha challenges our perceptions of what’s acceptable and has been normalized in our respective parts of the world. Both our commonalities and differences are striking.

I absolutely fell in love with all of the female characters. They’re so distinct from one another, but there’s a familiar undercurrent that runs through them all, connecting them when there doesn’t appear to be much common ground. Ara is quiet, but has a ruthless streak. Kyuri appears shallow, but is endlessly ambitious. Miho’s earnestness can come off as naive, but she’s not to be underestimated. And Wonna feels disconnected and alone, though she’s struggling to rekindle her own will. Even the women who don’t have any first-person chapters are layered and complex; it’s difficult not to root for them all.

There isn’t the unattainable levels of achievement and wealth we may come to expect, like what we get from following around Rachel and Astrid in Crazy, Rich Asians. There’s a grittiness to the glamour of the women in this story. They’re connected by the fact that they’re all yearning for something the world seems reluctant to provide them. I deeply enjoyed watching them rise up snatch it for themselves anyways.

This book is strictly character driven. If you are looking for a plot or a big ending then this isn't for you.

The four characters each tell their story in rotating chapters. Kyuri is very beautiful. She works in a room salon and even though she makes good money there she has a lot of debt from all of her plastic surgeries. Her roommate is Miho, an artist whose boyfriend is wealthy. She doesn't want to take expensive gifts from him because she doesn't want him to think she is using him and she wants to maintain her independence. Across the hall are Sujin who works in a nail salon and Ara who is mute and works in a hair salon. Then there is Wonna who was raised by an abusive grandmother. She is married and basically keeps to herself. Her one goal in life seems to be having a child.

I found the story somewhat sad. Kyuri and Sujin are obsessed with their looks. Sujin has a major plastic surgery to become beautiful and hopes to get a job in a room salon like Kyuri. I found the dynamics of the friendship interesting, especially how protective Sujin was of Ara.

My only issue was the book was a lot of the Korean terms that weren't explained and I had to look them up.

This is a good read if you like cultural books. I found it enjoyable and I learned a LOT about Korean women and what they go through, what jobs are available to them (not many), what their parents and in-laws expect of them and much more. The food seems pretty gross. And I was surprised at the amount of money they spend on plastic surgeries. They don't think very much of their looks, so that we Americans have in common with them, we are hardly ever happy with our looks, am I right?

The story follows 5 girls lives who live in the same apartment building and their lives. There is Ara:, who is a mute hairdresser, Wonna:, married very unhappy and pregnant for the 4th time (the other 3 were miscarriages awww), Kyuiri: beautiful and mostly plastic, Miho: an artist who paints A series of grotesque paintings of her muse at the moment, who happens to be her rich boyfriends ex Ruby, and Ara's roommate oh no I forget her name shame on me!!!who is constantly getting plastic surgery that never seems to heal.

The story revolves around love, betrayal, friendship, and making money the only way some know how....through salons or brothels, where the Madam is mean and they constantly are in debt because they constantly owe their madams over ridiculous things, such as breaking a glass, or not fawning properly over a client. I really felt bad for the way they live to satisfy their parents, get married off, and think they need so much plastic surgery.

I love to learn about different cultures. The book was not A thriller or didn't have twists but well written and informative. I know this is one of my more boring reviews but the world is in crisis mode with this Corona virus, so I apologize if you follow me. I would recommend this book as a good book for discussion primarily for females but also my boyfriend enjoyed my little exclamations of delight and horror at Korean culture and differences and lifestyles.

A special thanks to Random House Books, Ballantine Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I will definitely read more of France's Ha. Thank you.

Fascinating and Engrossing.

I LOVE books about different cultures. I try to read as many books as I can about different topics and set in different countries. This book takes place in Seoul, Korea. It is a tale about friendship, beauty, and grace. About love and loss. It's a story that is relatable on so many different plains and wave lengths. The characters in this book, Kyuri, Miho, Wonna, and Ara were so interesting to read about. Their character arcs were extremely well written. Anyone, anywhere would appreciate this tale of women and their relationships to one another.

Highly recommended!

If the purpose of a book is to take you to a place you’ve never been, then this one fulfilled that role. Seoul, Korea and the young girls trying to make their way in a competitive world where beauty is the sole focus and plastic surgery is the norm.
This book is just heartbreaking right from the get go. It delves into the lives of five young women that live in the same apartment building. We hear from four of them, in alternating chapters. This book was a real eye opener for me. I knew about the consumerism and boy band fetish. But I hadn’t realized what a strict class system Korea has, despite being a capitalist society. And while in some ways modern, in other ways Korean society remains extremely misogynistic.
This is a character driven book. It reminds me of Elizabeth Strout’s style of writing. The chapters overlap and the characters interact, but the chapters aren’t linear or tightly joined together. These weren’t necessarily women I could relate to and I definitely didn’t like some of them. But yet, each one touched my heart. Their lives are so tough. And this isn’t a story that gives you happy endings for them.
This novel is extremely polished and doesn’t come across as a debut novel.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

If I Had Your Face follows five modern Korean women as they transverse their 20s covering issues like disability, wealth and education inequity and beauty standards. Similar to sisterhood narratives, each girl has her own voice and characters alternate chapters. Unfortunately, something about the writing did not stick with me. The topics either felt very rushed or very superficial with one dimensional characters. There's no growth or change or even interaction really. It's like a vacuous bubble where characters prod around each other but not with each other.

This book was so beautiful. A stunning slice-of-life of 4 Korean women trying to navigate their world. The author painted a picture of contemporary Seoul that was both heartbreaking, incredibly interesting, and haunting. The reader roots for each character but my personal favorite to read about was Kyuri. I felt like her outlook and her life were very interesting to read about. I really enjoyed this book and I think we need more books like this!

I felt like I was watching a k-drama series!

Traveling to a different country and learning of their culture can be an interesting experience. We would normally learn the different exciting traditions they practice. However, we rarely get to see the harsh reality and lives until we live there.

This book is uniquely written to express a part of that harsh culture that is prevalent in South Korea today. I was shocked by their definition of success and beauty, the struggles of the poor, broken families and marriages, bullying in schools, and so many other problems that contributes to their rising suicide rate.

Written from 4 different POVs with 4 different life stories of 4 different women that are somehow connected to each other, I got to see a wide spectrum of the low life in South Korea.

Though the plot was a little flat and the writing a little disconnected sometimes, the stories still intrigued me a lot. I could really picture the change of scenes like how it would be exactly in a tv show.

The ending of the book was.. I am not sure how to say it. I felt like there should have been more to it but I also felt like it was the right kind of ending. But anyhow, I was glad that each of these women learned something from their struggles and came out stronger than before.

This book was truly an eye opener for me and I would like to recommend it to those who enjoy reading real life stories.

Thank you Taylor from Random House for giving me an opportunity to read an early copy of this book via Netgalley. I am grateful for this enlightening experience.

I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review..

I have to preface this by saying that I am not a fan of short stories. Although this was not a book of short stories it read like one. Each character had their own chapter and several chapters were dedicated to each character. I was hopeful for more of a plot but it fell flat. When the characters are well developed I don't crave plot but I found that I really did not attach myself or really feel like I could relate to or care about any of the characters in the book.. While i did enjoy the journey into the Korean culture this book just elicited a feeling of wanting to get to the last page so I could move onto something else.

I’ve spent the last year working with children from Asian countries. For a side hustle, I’ve remotely been teaching them English. This really has brought on a great interest in learning more about Asian culture. When I read the synopsis for If I Had Your Face I was incredibly intrigued. If I Had Your Face offers insight into the culture for women in South Korea. The story takes readers on a journey with four different younger Korean women with various backgrounds. Offering a variety of points of views and experiences to keep the story flowing and enjoyable.

If I Had Your Face is an entertaining and intriguing story. This story has a very universal theme of women struggling which will attract many readers.
Some of our narrators are struggling stay afloat financially. They struggle in their personal relationships. Many of them face major insecurities that cause dramatic actions. All issues that are entirely relatable. If you are a women (young or old) you are likely to find some value from this quick read.

As I mentioned, the characters are diverse but all have a connection. When reading about a group of women (especially young women), you can usually pin point one or two that you won’t like. But I found that all of the characters were likable in their own way. Which as a reader, I think it is important to relate to the characters to truly invest and enjoy the story. Cha really created a diverse cast which worked wonderfully for this novel.

Lately, I’ve found that I am turning to more reads that have people outside of America. I know all about American culture. Been there, read it, lived it, I want more. Stories about cultures outside of my own are all the rage to me. And If I Had Your Face really does quench that desire to learn and experience something new. If you feel similarly, I would suggest giving this one a shot. It is quick and engaging.

One small criticism. I think this novel could have been longer. We were dealing with so many characters with different stories. While I was overall satisfied with the story, I can’t help but think of what could have been. Cha created an engaging group of women. I would have been perfectly happy getting more story and background with each one.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a copy of If I Had Your Face.

If there is one truth to be taken away from debut author Frances Cha's novel If I Had Your Face, it is that Korean women are held to impossible standards of beauty, domesticity, and familial responsibility. Cha's character-driven snapshot of four flawed women attempting to make a life for themselves in modern day Korea, is as revealing as it is heartbreaking. Each of these women brings to the table her own tale of sorrow and strife, with the stories intermingling to create a narrative that shows just how hard it is to be a woman in a male-centered, superficial world.

Kyuri paid a pretty penny for her flawless face. It is a face that allows her to work in a high-end room salon, catering to the every whim of Seoul's wealthiest men. Miho, Kyuri's roommate, has recently moved back to Korea after studying art in New York City on scholarship, and is now dating the son of a corporate magnate while pursing her artistic passions back in Seoul. Also living on their floor is Ara, who has a condition that keeps her somewhat isolated from the rest of the world. She styles hair at a local salon, and spends much of her time with her childhood best friend, who is aspiring to achieve a perfect face and room salon job like Kyuri. Then there is Wonna, a newlywed living on the floor below them, who is desperate not to miscarry her latest pregnancy.

I have read several novels about Asian women recently, including Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and Convenience Store Woman, both focusing on the expectations and social status of women in Eastern society. Fans of these novels will also enjoy If I Had Your Face, although readers should be warned that this book does not have the humorous tone that Convenience Store Woman carries, and is more in line with Kim Jiyoung. If I Had Your Face reads raw and real, exposing the disparities in Korean gender roles and showing the lengths single women have to go to to make their way in the world. Married women don't fair much better with the pressure to have children amidst cheating husbands and jobs that treat you like a cog in a machine. This unflinching portrayal of life for women in Korea is honest and horrifying both at the same time, and is a must-read for anyone who loves character-driven, diverse literary fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I requested this book because I saw it mentioned on a few Most Buzzed About Book of 2020 lists. Also, I'm trying to read more diverse authors so this seemed like a perfect fit.

If I Had Your Face is a stunning and powerful debut by Frances Cha. It follows 4 women living in the Gangnam area of Korea, all from different backgrounds and life circumstances. Ara is mute and working as a hairdresser, completely obsessed with the heartthrob of a K-pop group. Her friend Kyuri is working as a salon girl in a wealthy salon room and lives for plastic surgery. Wonna is their neighbor who grew up at the hands of a vicious grandmother. And Miho is Kyuri's roomate, an artist who studies at a local university but completed a fellowship in America a few years back.

Each woman has a unique point of view on her life and upbringing and what it means to exist and thrive in a bustling city, concerned only with men, power, wealth and appearances. Each perspective is fresh and detailed. I have limited knowledge of Korean culture and food but was able to get enough context clues or skim over parts that were a bit too foreign for me. There's not an overarching plot to follow really in this novel but more of a character study and a reflective voice of Korean culture.

I unexpectedly loved this book. The writing was concise but detailed enough not to feel sparse. The characters were charming and unlikeable and honest and relatable. I will definitely recommend this book to others and I hope to read more from this author.

This was just really boring and not what I had hoped it would be. It reads very much like a YA contemporary and that just is not my cup of tea. I hoped this book would explore Korean culture but it all felt based on stereotypes. Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel.

Frances Cha’s debut novel gives a haunting insight into modern Korean culture. Cha introduces us to Ara, a mute hair stylist, and her roommate Sujin, a nail tech who wants to work in a room salon; Kyuri, a room salon worker; Miho, a young artist; and Wonna, a married woman. Alternating between Ara’s, Kyuri’s, Miho’s, and Wonna’s viewpoints, Cha shows life in Seoul through the eyes of the working class. In Ara we see the suspicion and hesitance in dealing with disability. In Kyuri, we see a girl who’s had surgery after surgery to be the Korean vision of beauty, who spends her life working in a room salon, entertaining men to pay for her lifestyle. Miho shows the life of an orphan who gained a valuable opportunity in being sent to art school in America. Wonna reveals that married life isn’t all that great. Sujin, although not a narrating character, shows just how far a young woman will go to be beautiful in Korea. Cha’s novel shines a light on how working life is for some young women in Seoul, Korea. Life is hard, beautiful, agonizing, and made better by having people who understand you.

I enjoyed this book. I found the characters interesting .... and their points of view were so different from my own that it gave me much to think about. The chapters alternate with different points of view, and while I found that a little hard to keep up with, it also helped to bring the storyline to life. An interesting read!

This debut novel about a group of young women striving for acceptance and success in an apartment building in modern-day Seoul, Korea, is an absolute delight. IF I HAD YOUR FACE is fully immersive and devastatingly insightful as four characters navigate money, class, and impossible beauty standards in search of fulfillment in a journey that has no easy answers. Cha introduces us to Kyuri, a room salon girl who entertains wealthy businessmen in secret bars, Ara, who cannot speak due to a childhood accident but works in a hair salon and obsesses over a handsome K-pop star, Miho, an artist from a poor area of Korea who creates art for and socializes with the wealthy elite, and Wonna, a newlywed in an unhappy marriage who hopes that having a baby will solve all her problems. These four characters navigate money, class, and impossible beauty standards in a journey that has no easy answers. This novel is just THIS short of bleak, but the end result is absolutely worth it.

ARC provided by Ballantine Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

"I would live your life so much better than you if I had your face"

When I pulled myself out of this book, I don't think I fully knew where I was. For a while after turning that last page, my mind was still in the office-tel in Seoul with our characters, contemplating where their lives would go next. If you are looking for an upbeat read or a happy ending, look for another book. But if you're looking for real characters and raw experiences in an unyielding world, this is the book for you. Cha uses this book to begin a deep-dive into the uglier Korean culture and society, and it is thought-provoking as HECK.

But okay, what is the book actually about?

In a small, cheap apartment building in Seoul, South Korea, we find four young women struggling to make their lives work.:
Kyuri, a "room salon" girl who entertains rich men while they drink
Miho, an artist recently returned from studying in the states on scholarship and new girlfriend to a Korean conglomerate heir
Ara, a hair stylist with a hidden disability and an obsession with a K-pop star
Wonna, a newly wed trying to get pregnant despite financial troubles

As these women move through their lives, the trials of living in Korean society arise. With soaring unemployment rates, low marriage and birth rates, vicious beauty standards, and the rampant infidelity of men, our characters' lives begin to fracture. Each of these women's stories is important to tell, and together they paint a stunning picture of life, trials, and the friendships that pull us through them.

I want to start off by saying bravo to the author for not being afraid to tell the messy, hard stories. The market nowadays has been flooded with happy-go-lucky beach reads that don't make readers think too much or challenge their views of the world. And while there is nothing inherently wrong with that literature, it can sometimes be hard to wade through it all to get to the real, gritty reads that push us. This is one of those books. Each character's life is inextricably hard for various reasons, and Cha takes each story and runs with it full-speed. There is no pulling punches and no romanticizing the positions that each of our characters finds themselves in, which makes this book equally unsettling as it is refreshing.

As the book begins, each character gets their voice and sheds light into where they are in their lives. Yet while we begin with each woman's story nearly separate, Cha brings our characters closer together as the book progresses, weaving our character's stories into a beautiful tapestry by the end. Each character's voice is unique and draws the reader in for different reasons, from Kyuri's cold, realistic view of the world to Miho's hopeful, yet reserved streak. Cha's ability to create these different characters with defined voices and wildly different views of the world they live in is arguably one of the best parts of this book.

I would argue, though, that the hardships are what make this book so incredible. Cha grabs a hold of our girls' lives and sets them on a slow, painful collision course. I would akin reading this book as to watching a car wreck; you know horrible things will happen, and you should look away to spare yourself the sight, but you cannot look away. I saw this in the best possible way, because sinking into the trials and hurts of these women's lives ends up being the most challenging and thought-evoking journey.

"For all its millions of people, Korea is the size of a fishbowl and someone is always looking down on someone else...they pinpoint where you are on the national scale of status, then spit you out in a heartbeat"

Through the lives of our leading ladies, Cha takes the time to also deliver a scathing commentary on Korean society and the cutthroat culture that is has led to the 10th highest suicide rate in the world. Beauty standards drive thousands of women to get plastic surgery, men are cheating on their wives and girlfriends at startling rates, and happiness seems way out of reach. The feeling that the entire country is watching and judging you permeates this story, the appearance of things running through the minds of each of our characters constantly. It is almost anxiety producing how real that feeling is and how it truly affects the lives of each of our leading ladies.

All in all, this book is phenominally written, heartbreakingly real, and an essential read!

IF I HAD YOUR FACE features the lives of four young women in Seoul, Korea. Frances Cha allows an honest look into the lives of women who are highly influenced by the Korean (Asian) culture. Through distinctive voices, Cha portrays characters that are burdened by the society expectations, obsessed with the beauty industry (and plastic surgeries) and care about reputation/status above all.

Beautifully written, the brutal reality punches you in the face and makes you re-evaluate your own values. It is unbelievable how superficial and futile people can be, as they mainly value wealth and wear a mask to show the society that they are living the best of their lives. The action of looking down on someone in order to make you feel better is repugnant. There is a lot of Korean (family) drama that I am quite familiar with, since Asian cultures have its similarities. The author also explores themes of friendship, family, marriage (blind date?!), ethnocentrism, money, social inequality and K-pop culture (BTS?! lol).

While this book was a fast and entertaining read, the narrative felt a bit disjointed at times. I didn't have emotional connection with the characters - they were interesting yet I wasn't drawn into them. At last, the ending felt a bit rushed.
This book is a character-driven debut and great for readers wanting to know more Korean culture.

[ I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review ]

This was a beautiful heartbreaker about women in Korea that must deal with the unreasonable beauty standards, and materialism. It centers around 3 women who live in the same building and who have intertwining stories. Highly recommend this book.