Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Time to get your thinking cap for this one as this book will get you to think as you’re reading it .
Such a thought provoking and powerful read. A great addition to any book lover’s collection

In all honesty, when I first started this book, I was close to stopping and potentially going back again later as it was very slow at the beginning. I am so glad I kept going.

Your House Will Pay follows Shawn Matthews, a 45 year old Black man and Grace Park, a 27 year old Korean woman. In the early 90s, Shawn Matthews' older sister Ava was shot and killed in a convenience store by the Korean clerk. She was unarmed and just sixteen years old.

Now, in 2019, Grace Park's elderly mother is shot whilst leaving her store. Both of their stories are interwoven together and it is a deep, moving and thoughtful read.

Race is a massive focus in this book. I have read a lot of books where the race issues have been between white people and Black people but this is the first I've read about Korean conflict with African Americans. Upon doing some research after the book, I learned that the plot of Ava Matthews being shot by a Korean clerk is reminiscent of a real life event where Latasha Harlins was fatally shot by Soon Ja Du in 1991.

As I mentioned it is a very slow paced book but well worth a read. It surprised me, the characters felt real and I especially loved Shawn's chapters. I could definitely see this made into a TV drama.

A brilliant book based on real life events. I am always mesmerised at authors who can do this well
The characters were real and the book was so thought provoking.
This book is so powerful

A fascinating, captivating look at a period of American history that I had never heard of before. The beats of this wonderful novel have stayed with me for far longer than I ever expected and what it says about society will shape what I feel going forward. I loved it so much that I bought my own physical copy!

Handles a modern issue in such a beautiful and sensitive way. Highly thought provoking and highly recommended.

It's great to be in a position to recommend much more diverse books to our young people at school. Building the senior school library as a place where students actually come and find books that they want to read as opposed to books that teachers think they ought to read is an important responsibility and one we take really seriously.
Books like this are such a positive move as they will appeal to a broader set of readers than we are usually attracting. Dealing with modern issues in a clear and captivating way with a strong narrative voice and characters that the students can relate to is critical as we move forwards. This book is both an intelligent and compelling read that will hold even the most reluctant reader's attention and keep them turning the pages long into the night. It keeps the reader on their toes and ensures that you give it your full attention too. I found myself thinking about its characters and events even when I wasn't reading it and looking forward to snatching kore time with it and I hope that my students feel the same. An accessible, gripping and engrossing read that I can't recommend highly enough. Will absolutely be buying a copy for the library and heartily recommending it to both staff and students.

‘Your House Will Pay’ is inspired by the true story of the 1991 shooting of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins by a Korean convenience store owner. Set in 1991, a week after the beating of Rodney King, and against the backdrop of the LA riots, the novel explores the consequences of a similar incident – 15-year-old Ava Matthews, buying milk, is accused of stealing by the Korean store owner and shot dead. The shooting is witnessed by Ava’s little brother, Shawn

We catch up with Shawn in 2019, his older cousin Ray about to be released form prison. Things haven’t changed that much since 1991, and Grace and Miriam Park are attending a memorial for another black teenager, shot by the LAPD. Ava and Shawn’s Aunt Shelia is one of the speakers.
But there is more that connects these families. Another shooting brings the past out into the open for Grace, and she has to question everything – her parents, her upbringing, her place in the world.

One of the most interesting aspects of this novel for me was the way in which it explored how the past continually reaches into the future, and the way other people’s actions can have far reaching and sometimes tragic consequences for those who are blameless.

Shawn was the stand out character for me, written with such empathy. He has been through so much in his life and is trying his best to make a future for his family. But the one thing he can’t control is other people.

Timely, well-written, relevant, the sharp writing pulling no punches, this is a thought-provoking and important novel, that lays bare the injustices, the prejudices, the hate, discrimination, and the violence that many still endure every single day.

Highly recommended.

I listened to the audiobook version of this novel. It’s not my usual genre, so I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it.

The narration is clear and the two main characters, Shawn and Grace, are narrated by a male and a female. This made it easier to follow.

The story is set in LA, where Shawn and Grace live. They’re seemingly unconnected, but after a serious incident with Grace’s mum, secrets are revealed.

Grace has led a very sheltered life, and is desperate for her family to reunite. Her older sister has become estranged from her parents and is being very tight lipped about her reasons for leaving.
Shawn is a hard working guy, trying to do the best for his family. His sister was shot almost 30 years ago and the family have found it hard to recover from the tragedy.

This was quite a good story and the author has focused on the themes of racism and violence.

I liked the cover and thought it was very eye catching.

Loosely based on the true story of the shooting of Latasha Harlins by a Korean convenience store owner, Your House Will Pay is a tragically timely tale of race relations and police brutality. While it may be fiction, the issues it deals with are all too real, which makes for a difficult read at times, but still one worth pursuing.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

When I read the first half of it at the end of May, this story of bad decisions and retaliatory violence that pits a black family against a Korean-American one in Los Angeles felt very on the nose for 2020’s politics and events, almost too much so: “systemic racism is strangely indiscriminate. Unfortunately, many people are still willing to believe that only thugs get themselves killed.” I set it aside to read other things, and when I tried to get back into the plot later in the year I only succeeded in skimming to the end. The writing is capable but nothing particularly special; I would say the plot is pretty gripping if you think the race element will appeal to you. But a similar read I would recommend instead (unless you have a special interest in recent California history*) is Shelter by Jung Yun.

*This was inspired by a true story: in 1991 in South Los Angeles, 15-year-old Latasha Harlins was shot and killed by a Korean convenience store owner. This was just two weeks after the police beating of Rodney King.

Not a genre I would normally choose but this was a harrowing portrayal loosely based on the shooting of a black girl in 1991. Poignant and shocking and so very relevant for our time. I was engrossed in the horror and the story stuck with me after I finished the book. A great novel exploring race, revenge, family owning our actions.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

An interesting story about African American girl shot by Korean American and police brutality. A good read,

This was a moving and poignant novel that in the current climate of racial violence is hugely relevant.
The layout was a little confusing at times but the story was well executed

An ambitious novel, powerful and moving with good characterization. .Loosely based on the events that occurred in 1991 One of the best endings that I have ever read. Recommended.

An absorbing read with momentum that carries you through. Really interesting to read literary fiction that includes an examination of anti-blackness in an East Asian family; I thought this could've been further explored though. The ending felt like it came quite suddenly, but I couldn't stop thinking about this book for days after so perhaps the abrupt stop was necessary.

Your House Will Pay everyone needs to read. It opens a much-needed conversation about racism and cultural appropriation. Truth be told I went into this book with extremely high expectations and thankfully I wasn’t left disappointed. The sheer impact it left upon me gave me chills. The author has taken the very real story of a shooting of a black girl, Latasha Harlins in 1991. It left me feeling bereft and tearful and rendered me utterly speechless. Steph Cha has taken the well acknowledged thriller concoction, remastered and reengineered it and used it as a tool to make the reader glaringly aware of the very real cracks and fractures in our society.
Your House Will Pay is certainly a multi-genre chameleon. We have a mystery to crack. Racial conflict during the 1990’s. familial ties that are put to the very extremes. From the very first page it engages your brain – your emotion centres bypass gears 1-4 and slide straight into fifth. It’s that power that this story radiates – its grip is complete, and its hold remains long after you close that final page.
The book is told in dual timelines – from 1991 and 2019. You’ll agree that it is a considerable time gap but what struck me was just how nothing had really changed. The actions. The assumptions. The consequences. It was all the same. The targeting. The pain. I could feel the rage build within me. How dare human beings be treated so differently. Don’t we all breathe the same air? Don’t we all deserve to have love and acceptance? don’t we all bleed the same?
Two families, both affected by actions of the past. They are both tied together in an unbreakable bond that have their fates forever bound. Can they move forward and not make the mistakes of their fathers/mothers? Your House Will Pay should have everyone digging deep into themselves – thoughts on racism and morality especially.
Los Angeles is the backdrop for this gritty and compulsive tale. How often have we clicked on gossip mags links and have been privy to the beautiful vistas of LA? Clear blue skies, golden beaches, and model women and men. How many people dig deeper and discover the seedy underworld? The gunshots ringing through the most deprived neighbourhoods, our minority communities being misrepresented and not heard. Steph Cha’s powerful narrative looks beyond assumptions and reveals the ugly truth.
Our characters (Shawn, Ava, Yvonne, Ray, Grace, and Miriam) have all experienced painful exploitations. I never found myself rooting for one side or the other, but my heart felt squeezed, the blood pouring through my fingers. I wanted them all to find their happy resolution, but life is rarely that black and white.

Your House Will Pay and the strength of the characterisation had me reeling from the sheer electrifying nature – to the extent it hurt to keep reading. I genuinely believed I was reading an autobiography, the story seeped in realism and the multi strands of a web. This book left me as a different person and I’m so grateful for it.

This was an easy to read thriller thaylt kept my attention all the way through! Lots of twists and surprises I didn't see coming. Very good, would recommend!

I was interested in the incorporation of a true story into a novel. I thought Shawn was a more realistic character than Grace, so enjoyed his storyline more. Grace seemed very unbelievable, very immature and naive, and I would have preferred this side of the story to come from Yvonne's perspective, as I found Yvonne to be a more interesting, but not explored character.

More of a three and a half stars, but couldn't justify a four star rating.

A powerful novel about family, legacy, race and the ripple effect of one's actions.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whipsmart writing in this modern day morality story about revenge, who deserves to pay a price, and the cost of making someone pay.

The dual narrators work well and I think are designed to show this complicated situation as it is, and not to offer easy answers. For me, Shawn's narration hit home more and while I understood Grace's point of view to an extent her story didn't work its way into my bones like Shawn's did.

I'd love to see this adapted for film or TV and reach people that might not pick this novel up.

If you're even slightly interested in the blurb I recommend giving it a go.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.