I didn't get very far into this before setting it aside. It just didn't hold my attention or motivate me to keep reading.


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This was an interesting book I enjoyed listening to. A Korean family in Hawaii built a local restaurant and gets a bump in popularity when Guy Fieri makes a pit stop. The daughter is a bit aimless and as the book progresses heads deeper into smoking pot as a main past time. In the meantime her brother who has gone to Korea teach becomes possessed by their grandfathers ghosts and is compelled to run through the demilitarized Zone. He is shot and captured and we wait with his family for news of his health and release and why he would have done such a thing. The book was both funny and tragic as it explores the dysfunctions of a Korean American family and the past. 3.5 stars.

4 stars

There is a lot to like about Han's work, and the fact that I somehow sped through this audio book in one day - during finals week grading - is the most obvious indicator of how much I enjoyed it.

Several members of the same family share perspectives throughout the novel, and their relationships, as well as their personal struggles, make this an enjoyable adventure. For me, the sibling connection is the most gratifying part, but seamless weaving of magical realism is also fantastic here. If your family is built on lore, wacky inside jokes, and some sense of 'only we know exactly how wild this moment is', you, too, will relate to the amusing dynamics between these folks. There is also some related commentary on how our past determines us, which parts of ourselves we show and which we think we're hiding, and how much we mean to each other in the most desperate moments. Also, much of the novel takes place on Oahu, and folks with a more than touristy connection to this location will be amused by some of the local ties.

I both loved and felt mixed about two different aspects of the ending, but this was a strong read for me even with that final moment of uncertainty. Joseph Han is now on my definite to-read list, and readers who enjoy family dynamics with a twist will likely feel the same after devouring this one.