NUCLEAR FAMILY is a family drama that while it had plenty of dysfunction, still offered heartwarming moments within the story too. I loved the multiple POVs and narratives featured, and i listened to the audiobook format, which was narrated by Keong Sim.

*many thanks to High Bridge Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

I was lucky enough to get an eARC and an ALC of Nuclear Family. This book catches your interest first by its cover, the title is just as eye catching. But the book is mixed with a family saga and a tale of ghosts.
We follow two siblings, Grace and Jacob, separated by the ocean as Jacob is teaching in South Korea and Grace is at home in Hawaii. One day while working at the family restaurant Grace sees her brother running to cross the DMZ, but ends up falling before getting shot in the leg. The story unravels from there as the timelines shift. We see Jacob and what led to that day and Grace, and the rest of the family, as they try to simply go about their lives, which is near impossible as they lose business and get bricks thrown through their windows. Grace finds herself desperately needing to smoke pot to start the constant panic attacks and the weight of her parents expectations, now pointed at her with Jacob out of the country due to his father seeing him out with his boyfriend of the time. But what we quickly learn is that Jacob can see ghosts and his dead grandfather starts to leech off of him. And this is part of why he did what he did.
I truly enjoyed this book. I got it listened to in three days because it managed to tell a great story. You quickly learn to care about these characters despite the fact they’re imperfect. Both of the kids were expected to marry and have kids, the point of them being in the US was for this better life for future generations, but both kids end up queer. Grace deals with intense anxiety and panic attacks and her mother deals with chronic pain. The book is more character driven than plot, the only plot you see at first being how and why Jacob would try to cross into North Korea before switching to how his grandfather possesses him and takes over his life, how he only sees bits and pieces before seeking help. While Grace and the rest of the family is watching their restaurants closing, all but one, and the toll this and her brother’s incident effects them and the people around them.
I did listen to the audiobook and I really enjoyed it. But just a heads up the book does at one point start blacking out pieces of sentences around different subjects, which gets confusing when suddenly the narrator is cut off for 'redacted’ every other word. I think its super interesting, just confusing. I had to actually go grab our copy of the book to see if it was in the book like that or not. It was.
If you’re looking for a story about a family, dead and alive, trying to do what they believe is best for the family, even if we can clearly see the harm occurring. Thankfully, things start to get back on track by the end of the book.

This was one of my Most Anticipated reads for 2022. However, I have picked up this audiobook more times than I can count. I feel like I am in the minority with this, But I ultimately DNF this title. I keep pushing through the book until I reached 20% listened too. At that point, I reflected on what I had listened too. I had come to realize, I really had no idea what this book was trying to convey. I had zero emotional connections to the characters and I couldn't figure out the storyline. I have seen this book recommended a ton, and most people rave about this book, So, I suggest at least try this book out. I did love the narrator though!

Was not the right read for me. Hard to follow and too complicated did not allow me to become attached to the story. Therefore I am choosing to not read for now. Thank you for the opportunity to try it.

Unfortunately, this one was a bit disappointing for me. I found it hard to keep track of the characters, and the unexpected supernatural element further confused me. I did enjoy the setting in Honolulu, however!

Going into this book I was intrigued by the premise. However, I failed to realize the balance of what was talked about in the premise being delivered in the book and the parts that drew me in were the parts that seemed to have the smallest impact.

A family in turmoil would be a more apt description than what the blurb states as a family with things looking up. The relationships between the parents and the children and the children with each other were not what I expected and honestly a big part of the book. The magical realism aspect of the book mixed in with the real-life Hawaii setting just felt like it didn't balance and was disjointed. I get how it all tied together but it just missed the mark for me. I'm also not someone who is bothered by drug use in books but holy smokes was it constant with one character in this one and it became repetitive

All in all I think someone who would like to take a deep dive in to complex Korean/Hawaiian family dramas with some pieces of history/political unrest might one to pick it up.

The ending is GOLD! I laughed so hard at the ending I was in tears. I enjoy reading books that show the reader their culture in their story telling. My sister and brother-in-law were vacationing in Hawaii when they received the accidental alert. Hearing the reaction of the Choo family was enlightening and gold. Thank you HighBridge audio and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this audiobook of Korean immigrants living in Hawaii in the 21st century. I really liked the wide range of topics, from the immigrant experience, trauma throughout families, and history. I liked the multiple narrators as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge for a copy of this Audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I have very mixed feelings about this book because I was completely absorbed in it as a story - but had major issues with the audiobook version. I am not sure if I got a copy that wasn't completed but I chose to stop listening to the book about 50% in because of constantly hearing "Redacted" and realizing that parts of the story were missing in a way that was removing parts of the story. I would love to have the opportunity to finish reading this book without the redacted sections because this story is truly incredible!

Before I share my thoughts about the story - I also wanted to share in regards to the audiobook version that the other aspect that made it hard for me to enjoy this book as an audiobook is that the narrator did not really made any voice distinctions between each character's view point. Since the story is told from told from multiple perspectives but it is all written in the third person. The narrator does a good job of changing the voices of the characters when they speak, and I love the fact that he speaks in Korean when the story dictates it but when voicing the "narrator" it is often hard to tell whose perspective it is from except for the use of their name/title at the start of each section.

The story itself is beautifully written and has aspects of magical realism, history, family dynamics, Korean culture, Hawaiian culture, and Asian America culture. The way Joseph Han describes the experiences of each character it allowed me to have a deeper understanding of how the border between North and South Korea has created such a disruption in the lives of Koreans and their families. Although I knew about the conflict, I didn't know to what extent the war and history was intertwined in the lives of Koreans living in America and that of their ancestors and family. This story made this history real for me and made me want to learn more. I saw a lot of similarities between the North and South Korean Border and the Border in the U.S.

This book covers so many topics! The focus on intergenerational trauma and history is one that particularly stood out to me and I would love the opportunity to see how this finishes.

I only gave it three stars because of the redactions - but I am sure this could be a 5 start book if completed and printed in a way that can be easily read from start to finish.

This was a waste of time. The book was all over the place. It never got any focus. What was it all about? A struggling family? The story of an immigrant family in America? The story of Grace, or was it of Jacob? A book about food, or how to run a restaurant? Or was it about a crazy ghost and an incident at the DMZ in Korea. The book needed a good editor. I did not DNF it because I received an advance copy from NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Counterpoint for access to the audiobook of Nuclear Family by Joseph Han in exchange for an honest review.

CW: racism, classism, descriptions of war, death, ghosts, possession, dysfunctional/abusive relationships

In this literary fiction debut, we are following a family of Korean immigrants living in Hawaii in the 2010's.

I'll be honest, I don't remember much more about this book than that single sentence summary. The writing was beautiful and I was interested to learn more/gain a picture of what it is like for immigrant families in Hawaii, which itself has its own unique culture that has been historically plagued by racism and oppression. I had a "oh wow, flashback" moment at the end when the books mentions the false missile alert issued in Hawaii in 2018. I distinctly remember being in college when this happened, and it prompted me to research more about what exactly happened with that incident. If nothing else, I was reminded of that moment in history, which was a worthwhile experience in and of itself.

The premise of this book had me intrigued immediately – I've always loved learning from and reading non-fiction titles books on North Korea. Throw in a Korean restaurant and Hawai'i? Count me in.

This was a truly unique read. Covering a vast array of topics from multi-generational family complications, the 2018 nuclear missile false alarm, Korean history and families torn apart by the separation, the colonization of Hawai'i, to name a few.

I will say the ending was a little slower for me, especially because I was listening on audiobook (thanks @netgalley) and I found myself having to rewind to grasp some of the chapters, but overall I enjoyed the narration and the premise of this story. Joseph's writing is wonderful and I look forward to more stories!

Also, some parts of the audiobook are "redacted" and I compared it to the physical copy and they also exist there!

This multi-generational family story is compelling as hell--heartbreaking and hilarious both. Han never quite lets readers relax into a standard narrative and continually switches perspective which lets you get to know each of these characters so, so well. One I'll recommend, certainly.

The audiobook is an excellent way to experience the story. The narrator's choices for voice are perfect, and it's going to be an added bonus for those who don't know Korean to hear it spoken when it appears in text. There are obviously some interesting things done with format that I'm not sure if I missed anything by not seeing the type physically, but the experience seemed full on its own.

Look at how gorgeous that cover is! I'm also honestly surprised this is a debut.

The story follows the Cho family who own a (small) chain of Korean delis in Hawai'i which has previously been featured by the likes of Guy Fieri. The restaurants are doing well until their son, Jacob, goes to teach English in South Korea and makes headlines when he attempts to cross the DMZ (demilitarized zone). The Chos start to be shunned by the community for fears of their appeared loyalty to North Korea. What no one knows is that Jacob only tried to cross the DMZ because he was inhabited by his grandfather's spirit who simply wanted to return to North Korea to check up on his family who he left behind.

As a whole, there's a lot going on in here. Trying to succinctly summarize this is difficult because while that is the overall plot, there's so much more to it. Despite there being so much happening, Han handles the story beautifully. There's a lot of characters and a lot of different perspectives we get placed in but Han is able to keep them all distinct and they all able to stand on their own two feet. The writing itself is easy to follow and actually funny at times. Like I actually laughed and I don't ever actually laugh at books. Han tackles a lot of different topics within the story. Intergenerational trauma, political happenings, the pressures of family, and magical realism that wraps the whole thing together. I listened to the audiobook which I was nervous at first about because of all the different perspectives and subplots but it was actually a really good way to consume this book. The narrator was great and easy to listen to.

I think this would be an excellent book club pick because of how many topics are touched on and how many directions you could go in a discussion. I have a big feeling both this book and Han are going to go far.

Thanks to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for sending me an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Overall I enjoyed the themes and honest portrayals in the story but at times it was a bit disorienting and hard to follow. Particularly in the audio I wasn’t sure what the “redacted” was referring to.

If certain sections were turned into short stories instead or if I had a physical copy, I may have been able to follow along a bit better

A book about North Korea AND it has a gorgeous, colorful cover? You can immediately count me in.

The Cho family runs a beloved Korean restaurant in Hawaii that becomes even more successful after Guy Fieri himself visits. However a video of their son Jacob trying to cross from South to North Korea through the demilitarized zone goes viral, and everything starts to spiral out of control. What the family doesn't realize though is that Jacob is "possessed" by the spirit of their long dead (and kinda terrible, honestly) grandfather who wants to find his family in North Korea that he left behind. These events ultimately lead up to the false alarm missile alert that everyone received in Hawaii in 2018.

This book is CHOCK FULL of story. You've got the magical realism of the ghost of the selfish, dead grandfather trying to take over Jacob's body. You've got escalating tensions between North and South Korea during a volatile American presidency. You've got native Hawaiian history and stories. You've even got a "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives" storyline with Guy Fieri! You've got the complicated multi-generational family dynamic. And perhaps most frightening -  the mistaken phone notifications that everyone in Hawaii received in 2018, thinking they were all about to be destroyed by a North Korean missile? I can't even imagine.

I listened to this book and thought it had a great narrator. I did find that around the 2/3rds mark I found myself day-dreaming and having to rewind now and then. So while there are some slower sections, this is still a fantastic book.

Han does such a great job of conveying the sense of loss that so many Koreans had after the country was separated between the North and South. Families were just split, never to see each other ever again. Also, this book doesn't shy away from considering America's implications in the terrible events of Korean history, which I had never even considered. 

This book is fantastic, y'all and consider this a warning: You WILL get hungry at all the food descriptions and have undeniable cravings for Korean and Hawaiian dishes.

The Cho family from Korea moved to Hawaii and has their local Korean restaurant that they are trying to keep afloat as businesses and life changes around them. Their son goes back to South Korea to teach English when for some reason he tries to cross the DMZ to enter North Korea and gets shot while doing so. The grandfather’s ghost possesses their son and might have caused this. There was a lot going on and at the same time, not much happened. The POV switches often and because I was listening to the audiobook, I found it distracting and hard to follow. I found myself lost at times. This was a story about a dysfunctional Korean family, identity and gentrification.

I enjoyed this story and found it digestible despite the writing style and complex historical events that the novel tackled. I found the sisters obsession with weed a little heavy handed and unrealistic but that’s my only real criticism. I also loved the location of this book and the intersections the author tackled

Rounded to 3.5 stars.

CONTENT WARNING: drug use, racism

I was very intrigued by this book for so many reasons. I had absolutely no idea about the false missile crisis in Hawaii, and while I've visited there and had a relative who lived there, I don't know nearly enough about the culture, especially of Koreans who have made their home there. In the time I spent in Hawaii, it was an incredibly beautiful and diverse place, and was truly a melting pot of different peoples and cultures in the best possible way, despite all of the many issues that have occurred there.

The story centers around one specific family of Korean immigrants who have made their home in Hawaii. I received an audiobook copy, and I couldn't help but think that it was a bit disjointed in this format, and might have been easier for me to follow in a printed format, since the POV shifts between characters frequently, and I often struggled to understand who was experiencing what.

There are elements of historical fiction, magical realism, and humor all rolled into one in this story, and I found it much easier to connect with Grace's more linear storyline than the others, especially Jacob's. Once he goes to Korea, it was even more choppy, and I struggled to follow exactly what was going on with him, especially as his POV becomes divided between his own and that of his deceased grandfather.

I think one of the most intriguing aspects of this story for me was the experience of Koreans in Hawaii, which isn't something I've come across yet. Seeing how the Cho family adapted to their surroundings and made a successful business was fascinating, although it was painful to see it fall apart in the wake of their son's famous attempt to cross the DMZ, as well as watching Grace completely fall apart.

However, instead of feeling as though the book got stronger as it went on, it started to include segments of redacted text, which made me feel further distanced from the story. This one had a lot of potential and strength, but ultimately I had a difficult time connecting with the second half of the book.

The Cho family is at the beginning of hard times when their son goes to South Korea to teach English, only to be tackled at the DMZ trying to cross into North Korea. What follows is the story of this family. The events leading to the attempt, and the fallout back home. With themes of colonialization, family connection, the myth of the model citizen, the loss of connection to identity as immigrants, and the ever present struggle the Koreas face, and that's only scratching the surface of what Han was able to delve into in Nuclear Family. Oh also there's ghosts.
This book was such a joy to read in every way. The way lines in Korean weren't always translated, how references to historic events were never explained, and how quickly and easily certain ideas were conveyed. Leaving it up to the reader to understand the reference or not.
The way a quick off handed remark about an insta profile or a college class gives me every detail I need to know about certain characters. How the history of Korea was present and constant through the entire book, from ghosts who understood Japanese, to students who protested in the south. It was amazing to read it all and understand the references or occasional Korean dialogue,. It's also amazing to know there will be someone who reads this book and says "I don't understand that reference," for them to search it and learn something new about this country that so many people think they understand, but which is continually learning to survive as separate halves of a whole.
The references to American imperialism are also constant and never subtle, but always appropriate and well phrased. They"re always well examined and painful.
This book was both painful and refreshing. It was celebratory and informative. And it was such a beautiful exploration of family.