Perhaps the translation really fails this one because I wanted to like it more than I did. I expected a creepy dystopia perfect for fall but ended up DNF around 30%. I think others will like this if you like a slower story or perhaps can read the original.

3/5 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and W. W. Norton & Company for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. We follow a pair of siblings who are part of the Saha Estates, a sad housing complex in a lower income area. It is purchased by a large business and is shut down as they figure out what to do with it. Yet, all the inhabitants have no where to go. They end up living the complex illegally as do other residents, staking out a place for themselves although other residents move from room to room leaving their mess and destruction behind. The siblings' room floods during certain seasons and it's a terrible place to live and dangerous, yet their only choice. In their society, the town of Saha is safe an prosperous but they do not have the appropriate to skills to be accepted by those in the town and have no means to improve their situation. Then the story kind of lost me. I didn't really know what was going on or why. Yet, overall this dystopian society was a commentary on today's society and the choices that are being made in South Korean (possibly the world) but it didn't come together for me. I also find translated literature to be a strange read. I think the culture or something else is lost in the translation for me in particular.

While I loved some of the author's work in the past, this sadly didn't quite hit the mark for me, but I respect the experimentation done by Nam-Joo throughout

The concept of a dystopian novel highlighting classism seemed strong and promising from the beginning but by the middle it flatlined. I had high hopes for this one but it is not for me. I’m still interested to read more of Cho-Nam Joo’s work as I did enjoy Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Thanks to NetGalley and W.W. Norton for the e-book.

Unlike a good number of other reviewers, I have not read Cho Nam-Joo's acclaimed 'Kim Jiyoung Born 1982', so I did not come into this novel with expectations beyond knowing that the author's debut novel had received a lot of praise. I think this was for the best, because I did not experience the disappointment other reviewers referenced in their own reviews.

'Saha' is a clear commentary on classism, echoing the ways in which modern society still replicates and perpetuates caste structures. I appreciated that the majority of this book was dedicated to illustrating ways in which individuals can easily slide into the trap of poverty, which then becomes impossible to escape despite all effort.

The pace of this book is a bit slow. I had difficulty feeling invested until about the halfway point. That's when things start to come together and the story becomes layered in unexpected ways. I really enjoyed the last fourth of the book, which provided the pay off for the slow-building majority of the book.

A pretty decent dystopian novel and as others have said, the critique of capitalism is there. It’s a short read. As others have mentioned, it didn’t always hold my attention, and sometimes I felt like I wasn’t fully grasping it. I’m curious now to read the author’s first book.

this wacky dystopia is not doing it for me. it reads like a series of vignettes, snapshots of different characters and themes. this is a story that focuses more on themes and ideas than on creating memorable characters and an engaging story. not for me.

- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the free e-ARC.

DNFed after 40-50%
I thought it was just me at first but no, this book didn't capture my attention at all and I had so much trouble staying focused in spite of multiple tries. It's such a pity because I enjoyed Kim Jiyoung so much.
Needless to say I don't think I'll be recommending it to anyone but hey, if the synopsis sounds interesting and dystopian literature is your thing, you should absolutely give it a try!

2.5

I have such mixed thoughts about this book. Saha is a story about Town, a corporate owned city state and more specifically about a derelict housing complex on the edge of Town where non citizens live. The story is told in almost a series of vignettes that follow several different residents of Saha both in the present timeline and 30 years previously which is roughly when the fishing village was bought out by the conglomerate.

This book is very character oriented but at the same time it's so short and follows so many characters that I felt like it was hard to connect to any of them. It also seems like it should be very thematically driven and while I can see the ideas forming surrounding the dangers of capitalism and growing social and economic inequalities, it never really felt like it came together. I think maybe I was expecting a more scathing critique, though maybe this could be considered "scathing" in South Korea.

I also found that the mystery elements didn't really come together for me. The story opens with the death of a Citizen who was in a relationship with a Saha who flees the scene upon her death and so there is an underlying mystery of how she died and why he ran and then as we see more of the lives of the residents we start to ask questions about each of them; however, very few of those questions seem to get answered. And then the ending had me literally trying to keep turning the pages it felt so abrupt.

Overall, while I found this to be an interesting project, too much of it didn't come together enough for my tastes.

I have not read [book:Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982|46041199] so cannot compare this to that, though from the reviews I've seen they are not at all comparable, and I would still be interested in trying it out.

Thank you W. W. Norton & Company and NetGalley for this e-ARC

I truly don't know how to express my thoughts about Saha

First of all, the worldbuilding is good, wish it was more atmpospheric but the tone is set. The commentary on capitalism is there.

But for most part this book has so much potential but the execution is not it. I feel like the author had a common thread to tie everything together, but the result is very underwhelming.

The thing is, the snippets of different characters are good, great even, but the way they are put together is very disconnected. Some characters overshadow the others but at the same time, many side characters have their back stories told in vivid details, but never shown again. Overall, very confusing.

I enjoyed this novel, focused on recognizing oppression and what can be done about it. It didn't feel fully-realized, but I did enjoy it.

This is an intriguing, short novel that manages to shuffle between various POVs incredibly well, while maintaining the vague unease that is living in a corporate hellscape. Throw in a pandemic for fun, a population that has varying degrees of human rights/disposability, and how everyone in the building ties into each others' lives and past, and you have a fantastically pieced together novel. if you're looking for vague corporate dystopias and non-Western literature in translation, this is definitely one to get.

I was really excited about the premise of this book. I think the exploration of society and community is really interesting. However, I was left with a lot of questions at the end and I don't feel like we really got to know the characters as well as I would have liked.

Wow! Saha went a bit over my head, but I think fans of dystopian worlds will find a lot to love here. It wasn't as action packed as the description made it seem, but I did finish it nonetheless!

Like other reviewers who are familiar with KIM JI-YOUNG: BORN 1982, I was excited to read Cho Nam-joo's latest novel, and was even more intrigued by reading the description. A dystopian critique of social hierarchies? SIGN ME UP! If character development is your thing, then SAHA is most definitely worth your time, as it's less a plot-driven novel than a collection of interrelated vignettes focusing on the residents of the titular estate. Kudos to translator Jamie Chang for beautifully conveys each character's personality. (I don't read Korean, so I'm going to give Chang's version the benefit of the doubt.) My sole critique concerns the rather abrupt ending. While I appreciate the reference to the "Butterfly Riot" mentioned earlier in the story, I do wish that this last scene--or even the aftermath--was more fully fleshed out.

I had heard a lot about this author’s previous book so I was excited to be approved for this ARC. Saha involves a complicated world that I never felt like I fully grasped. There is a class structure where sahas are at the very bottom. I can see what the author was trying to accomplish with telling the story of the different characters but it fell flat. I think in a speculative or dystopic novel it is important to get to know the characters very well, so you can relate to the story even if the world itself is imagined. I got to 54% but could not continue.

Thanks to Liveright and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I found this fascinating at the beginning, but my interest waned as I went on. It was a bit dry for my taste, and either the writing or the translation was clunky to my ears. Everything did feel a bit disconnected. However, the small parts that interested me interested me greatly. I think the themes are relevant and important to think about, and loved how they were made personal.

I love a good dystopian novel in an intriguing location. And I was definitely caught up in this one, though it was very hard to keep track of the characters and the story line. I think the translation was probably a little awkward in that sense and the translator should have given us a little help. I wish I could read it in the original, but I also suspect that the unfamiliarity with Korean names also challenged me.
Yet, I enjoyed the story and was able to picture Saha in my mind as I read. It may be that type of book that you need to read a couple of times to full appreciate with the author has weaved together. Read it if you like that sort of challenge.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I appreciate the challenge it gave me.

In Town, a former fishing village bought out by a global conglomerate to form its own country, only those with "valuable skills" become citizens and enjoy prosperity. The non-citizens retreat to the Saha Estates, a run-down building usually without electricity or water. These disenfranchised residents are known as Saha and are often forced into harsh labor or becoming unknowing test subjects for survival.

SAHA is an ambitious novel that aims to demonstrate the haunting experiences at capitalism's most extreme without any social safety nets. Cho employs a series of interlinked characters to display how most Sahas only become so due to singular accidents through snippets of their lives. She utilizes flashbacks before and after moving to Saha to demonstrate the characters' resilience and kindness despite their situations.

While the premise of SAHA is intriguing, the format didn't quite work for me. The characters are underdeveloped, and the mystery that opens the book with much suspense doesn't end up going anywhere. I'm unsure if the characters are used to move the plot forward or if their stories pre- vs post-Saha days are the focal point. Unfortunately, both aspects of the novel require much more work to evolve into a coherent narrative. Overall, SAHA reads more like a stream of consciousness.

This book left me with more questions than answers. I was expecting a sharp dystopian story, but I found the book to feel more like a collection of closely related anecdotes that never quite intersect. The end of the book felt rushed, but I do appreciate how compelling the plot is.