Korea, Seoul - the story revolves around the death of the Korean girl Yu-jin and the journey of Korean American man (Min) searching for answers.

The mysterious aspect is intriguing as one is, like Min, consumed by the desire to know the truth. With engaging prose, as the narrative dissects memories, Wiley examines colonization, queerness, acceptance, social stigma and Han .

The pages are filled with shame and confrontation; and although I appreciate the raw emotions, I feel like the moments of introspection are overwritten. It felt quite long to arrive at the destination and what was initially heartfelt feelings became trite. Lastly, the ending was realistic yet underwhelming.

WHEN WE FELL APART has a sharp social commentary however the execution could have been more effective.

This is a novel set in Seoul about an American-Korean immigrant trying to find out what happened to his girlfriend Yu-jin who appears to have committed suicide.

I constantly had the feeling the author was in two minds about what this novel should be: a murder mystery for a large audience or a literary novel about identity, mixed race etc.

DNF - just wasnt for me - spent too much time trying say something while truly saying nothing; wish it had more plot than simply ramblings

This was an interesting debut novel that pulled at my heartstrings. I was expecting a thriller but was still overall pleased with this story.

“ ‘𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴,’ 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥. ‘𝘌𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘰.’ “

DNF’d at around 33%

It seemed promising at first but it quickly lost my interest, partly because it was very slow-moving but especially when certain content started to come up. At that point the story no longer held my focus enough for me to see if that content continued or dissipated, let alone for how the story unfolded. Unfortunately, but it just wasn’t for me sadly.

What I liked about this book: discussion of life in Seoul, exploration of identity and belonging in two worlds, culture and relationships, two viewpoints for the narrative
What I found lacking: the plot and mystery isn't as compelling as I'd hoped, the pacing is slow.
There isn't a lot of action in this book. The plot is quite slow moving without any great revelations. This book is written well but I felt like it fell short of being great.

When We Fell Apart reminded me a little bit of Little Fires Everywhere. We started with a dark moment, and then went back to the beginning as we figured out how we got to the dark moment. I appreciated the two perspectives of this, and how easy it was to follow along with the storyline.

This story was heartbreaking, unbelievably heartbreaking. But I really enjoyed it. The middle bit was a little bit slow, but, it recovered well. So much took place in these pages. This was written from two different perspectives, and was one of the best books I’ve read with that style of writing. Did I mention this one was sad? This has been in my [digital] book stack for a bit now, so I’m glad that I finally got around to reading it. I’d recommend this if you’re willing, but be sure to check that you’re comfortable with the subject matter.

A special thanks to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for sharing this with me to read and review.

Thank you @duttonbooks and @netgalley for my free digital book and @prhaudio for the audio version as well. #penguinrandomhousepartner

While this is an engaging story, it is full of triggers: suicide, racial stereotypes, gender norms, parental expectations, and homophobia.

Set in Seoul, the story unfolds from two perspectives: Yu-Jin’s in first person and Min’s in third person.

Yu-Jin and Min are in love until, after a perfect day together, Yu-Jin commits suicide. As Min searches to find out why Yu-Jin chose to end her life, he examines his own identity and beliefs as an Asian-American. It is interesting to read about the differences in racial stereotypes in Korea compared to the States, and the lengths someone might go to in order to hide something that could bring shame to a family. The writer does a beautiful job describing the characters’ emotions and decisions, as well as the Korean culture, which he compares to American, and even Japanese, culture.

This moving novel has several great ratings on Goodreads and Amazon. However, for me, this was a depressing story which could not end happily. I do admit the story is engaging and I can recommend this if you enjoy character-driven dramas.

When We Fell Apart is told in an alternating POV - in both the past and present - with two characters coming to Seoul for their own reasons. Seoul is so well described that it almost becomes a character itself. As someone with an embarrassingly small amount of knowledge of the Capital of South Korea, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself feeling like I had a better sense of the place. As far as the story goes, it does seem like a tug-of-war between two different genres: a murder mystery and a literary novel about identity and race. And it does suffer a bit from uneven pacing at times. However, Wiley's style of writing makes me eager to see what he will write next.

Thanks to Penguin Group Dutton for sharing an early copy via NetGalley.

This reminds me quite a bit of [book:Everything I Never Told You|18693763] in tone, subject matter and approach. The premise centers on two main characters - a woman who appears to have killed herself, and the ex-boyfriend whose world is rocked by the subsequent revelations her death unearths. Dual perspectives shift the reader back and forth from both characters' POVs, but with different timelines - one leading up to the death, and the other during the aftermath.

I think those that go into this wanting a mystery/thriller will be disappointed - this is really a deep dive into the minds of the characters, with lots of commentary on self-identity, expectation and societal pressures. Lots of commentary on both Korean and American culture, although some of it was a bit on the nose. I found the main female lead a really interesting/complex character, and very believable.

I'd read more from Wiley!

I voluntarily obtained a digital version of this book free from Netgalley and Dutton in exchange for an honest review.

When the Seoul police inform Min that his girlfriend, Yu Jin, killed herself hours after his last date with her, he is stunned and unable to accept that she was suicidal. He determines to find out what really happened. Half American himself, he has come to Korea to find more about his identity, but does not feel that he belongs here any more than he does in the US. As he learns more about Yu Jin’s life, he reaches a greater understanding of the restrictions and expectations she has faced- the demands of her parents, especially her government official father, the forbidden pleasures of the arts, her intense friendship with the bohemian So-Ra which threatens to derail the plans she had. In turn, he is able to move forward in his own life. A sad and sensitive story, the author deals well with issues of cultural pressures, sexuality, mental health and what it means to really live a life where you can be true to yourself and do what you love. It is very thought-provoking about life in Korea and how it feels to be bi-racial, and the true meaning of freedom, but also works as a mystery as Min pieces together the clues about what really happened, and why.

The murder mystery was so uneventful and tedious, the book would have been much better without it. There wasn't a lot of depth to the characters, so it needed to have a faster paced plot to increase the tension.

It was a shock to many people when Yu-Jin commits suicide, especially Min. The story alternates between the perspective of these two people and covers the events before and after Yu-Jin’s death. The mystery surrounding the death is a key part of the story, but the author also dives in to deeper topics of self-discovery, meeting parent’s expectations, and living up to those expectations.

This was a very unique approach and Wiley did a good job creating realistic characters and portraying the traditional Korean culture.

I think what makes me give this book 4 stars over 5 is my lack of connection with any of the characters. The writing was beautiful, and the story is well done. I just felt no investment in the conclusion.

4 stars

Thank you to @netgalley and @duttonbooks for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise of this book and the fact that it is set I Korea (I've read far too little literature from Korea!). However, to me it lacked a little in the execution. It felt a bit drawn out, unnecessarily, the writing felt a little repetitive at times and overall there was a bit too much telling as opposed to showing, which is something I personally don't do too well with.

I do think there are many readers who would enjoy this book though! There is introspection on the part of both main characters, learning to come into yourself and balancing your own wants and needs with expectations put upon you by others, and there's a bit of mystery to top it off.

A good book, but lacking the depth I needed to feel connected to the characters. I had high expectations and perhaps that is why I was let down. It's not bad, just unremarkable.

I loved this book! it was so far out of my comfort zone, and yet, it was everything that I needed to hear at the moment.

it was a beautiful korean-american coming of age story, and the stories behind never knowing what someone is going through.

the grief and love were strong emotions that were throughout the book, especially in min’s character, but sometimes it felt a little too overpowering for the story.

I would absolutely recommend this one to everyone!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

I didn't finish this book, but prior to reading it, did share it on my Spring 2022 Book Preview podcast episode. I think this story had good bones, but the execution wasn't quite there. It felt a bit more tell than show. I am interested to see what this author does next.

WHEN WE FALL APART is the debut novel from author Soon Wiley. At first appearance, this story begins as a mystery when ex-pat Korean American Min-jin Ford launches an investigation to seek out the truth behind the death of his girlfriend. Was it a suicide, or was she murdered? This novel unfolds to be more as it brings its readers to the intersection of race, nationality, and duality of identity.

When We Fell Apart is a debut mystery about the death of Yin-ju, a college student in Seoul, Korea. When Yin-ju’s death is presumed to be suicide, Min, her Korean-American boyfriend, sets out to find the truth.

The narrative is told through alternating perspectives of Min and Yin-ju, and it becomes clear very quickly that Min didn’t know very much at all about his girlfriend. The alternating POV and timelines created a tension that made me keep wanting to turn the pages.

While the mystery is central to the plot, the author adds depth by delving into topics like living up to parental expectations, finding oneself, and finding acceptance as a bi-racial and bi-cultural person.

At times I felt a little removed from the characters, especially Min, but I think that stylistic choice was intentional. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading more by this new author.

This was a beautifully written story that revolved around a suicide and the mystery of events leading up to such devastation.

Written in two point of views including Yu-Jin , a young Korean woman who died by suicide , told in 1st person and Min, Yu-Jin’s American Korean boyfriend, told in 3rd person. Alternating between past and present we get to follow Yu-Jin and Min’s story that revolved around love, friendship, acceptance and betrayal.

Soon Wiley did such an excellent job creating these realistic and likeable characters (Yu-Jin being more likeable than Min) and also included such a fantastic portrayal of traditional Korean culture, values and beliefs throughout the story.

Definitely an emotional read with some mystery to keep you asking questions right until the very last page.

I found a letter from the author online that was dedicated to the readers of this book and it added that extra special touch and made the book much more personable. I only wish that letter was included right in the back of the book as the authors note so that it is more accessible for all readers.

Thank you Penguin Canada for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This book is available for purchase now!