Excavations is a must-read for fans of thrillers and those interested in exploring the darker side of human nature. This book explores geopolitical themes, and it's not exactly escapist, but it is gripping.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

I wasn't very familiar with the real-life event that this story is based on. This was an interesting, sad, and often uncomfortable story with just a little bit of mystery. It definitely felt like reading an investigative journal piece at times, even though it was fictional. Very interesting read!

This was an okay book. It wasn’t bad but it was a bit slow moving for me. I really thought from the description that it would be right up my alley but something just didn’t work for me.

3.5 stars (rounded up).

"Excavations" by Hannah Michell is a very well-written story that occasionally suffers from its muddled timeline and multiple points of view. It has a lot to say about family, uncovering scandal, corruption, sabotage, poverty, grief, corporations, truly knowing those you love and putting activism first.. The mystery here is intriguing, and its methodically paced unfolding kept me gripped from start to finish. I enjoyed watching how Sae discovers many things over time, using her background as a former journalist to get answers about the building collapse that killed her husband. She learns who she is and who her husband was, while finding out about the business he worked for, many coverups, misgivings by politicians and companies, etc. At its core, this is a tale of the rich getting richer, attempting to keep power and status for themselves, while disregarding the lives of the workers who actually make the company what it is. This aspect is intricate and compelling. Finally, I loved learning about South Korea's history, culture, politics, and inequalities through the eyes of these characters. My complaints stem from the multiple points of view and many, many characters confusing the plot. I think all of this slows down the plot quite a bit. Still, I enjoyed this book for the most part. It's a short enough read that you'll likely get through it quickly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Michell, Random House Publishing Group, and One World for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

Excavations is a beautiful, sprawling novel set in South Korea.

It begins with a tragic building collapse, a husband lost, a grieving wife, and her desire to make sense of the life-changing event.

As a mother to two young sons, Sae must balance her desire for answers with the needs of her children. Sae’s investigation begins to pull at the strings of the mystery and eventually connects her to Myonghee, the owner of the club that could hold the answers.

It is a story told from many angles. Moving further away from the event and through the years. Not every mystery is solved quickly and Sae carries her need for truth through all of them.

I really enjoyed this novel. It is unlike my customary reads and stretched me as a reader. It gives a stunning portrait of Korea. Its conclusion is beautiful. I am so glad I read it. The untethered nature of Sae’s existence was so well written.

Thank you one world publishing and netgalley for the advanced Copy. Excavations is out now in audio and hardcover.

P.S. I love the cover so much. It’s striking and enigmatic, much like the story.

Disclosure: To write this review, I reread this book because I couldn't remember it well enough to give an accurate one. The ending left a bitter taste in my mouth during my first read. I was expecting Sae, our plucky reporter lady, to break the story and get justice. I don't want to completely ruin the ending by saying what happens instead. However, the ending is very appropriate after learning about recent South Korean events such as the Sampoon Mall and Sewol Ferry tragedies. I still want to punch someone for those kids dying in Sewol Ferry. So many needless deaths because people wanted to save face.

This review is based on an advanced reader copy provided through Netgalley for my honest thoughts.

Excavations was probably more of a 3.5 star read for me.

When Sae's husband fails to return home, where she and her two young sons are waiting, she learns of the catastrophic collapse of a skyscraper where he has been working on an engineering project. Unable to believe her husband has been killed Sae is dogged first in her quest to find him and then in her quest to uncover what was really behind the tower's collapse. The deeper Sae delves into solving the mystery the more she disconnects from her children in what may be the most heartbreaking aspect of the novel.

The scope of this story is ambitious, involving several points of view and a non-linear timeline. It took a while for me to grasp the thread of the story, my own paltry knowledge of South Korean history being part of the issue. I wouldn't categorize this novel as a thriller, but there is certainly an element of mystery. Michell seems to reflect on the nature of love, family, how well we truly know the people close to use, the way power corrupts, social class, and economic inequalities. Yes, it is a lot for one book. Upon reaching the conclusion, I understood how the many layers of the story worked together and must have felt necessary as Michell was writing; however, the complexity of the plot made it difficult to connect emotionally with any of the characters.

This was a great book! It was a slow thriller that had me dying to find out how it would end. The ending was maybe a little too neat and tidy for me, but that's just a personal preference.

I loved that Sae gave Jae a copy of E.H. Carr’s seminal book “What is History?” as part of her effort to convert him to her cause, and she had received it from someone else for the same reason.

The fictional story takes inspiration from the division of Korea into North Korea and South Korea, the dictatorship that ruled South Korea and the popular protests and acts of rebellion that helped topple the dictatorship, and powerful family corporations (chaebols) that often have connections with the government. The author also references the Sewol ferry tragedy and the ouster of President Park Guen-hye, both of which demonstrate how social media has changed South Korean society, as the ability of governments and companies to control the narrative and restrict access to information is greatly diminished in a world where information can be shared in real time by almost anyone. This contrasts with the central event of the book, which is the collapse of the fictional Aspiration Tower in 1992. Jae was working in the tower when it collapsed. As his wife, Sae, tries to find out if Jae is alive, she discovers that she did not know her husband as well as she thought she did, and that the Taehan Group, the company who constructed the tower and authorized the retrofitting that was taking place when the tower collapsed, is working hard to cover up what actually happened.

The story also features Myong-hee, who runs a social club, Myongwolgwan, where men can relax and enjoy female companionship; Song-mi, one of the "girls" who works at the club; Mr. Li, an employee of Taehan Group and regular visitor to the social club; and the chairman of Taehan Group and his sons, Kim Yung and Kim Geun-ye. Sae's search for Jae and the truth about Jae will lead her to Myong-hee and will lead to the revelation of surprising connections between some of the characters and the secrets they have been hiding.

Sae is waiting for her husband to come home. The husband who is the love of her life. THey met in college and were together from that day on. This day he went to work as usually and did not come home. She goes back to her past as a journalist to find her husband. She may or may not want to know the answers she seeks.


This book had a lot of twists and turns, it was a good read, but it was also hard to read in some spots. I would read another book by this author

I thought this one would be up my alley but I don't think I was correct. I could not get into the story or the characters and was unable to finish. Thank you for the opportunity to review this title.

I really wanted to enjoy this book because the description of it sounded so engaging. However, I just felt to so disconnected from it and every time I tried to get back into my reading of it, I couldn’t get very far. Was not able to finish this one.

Set in Korea, we get flashbacks and closer to present day peeks into the life of Sae.

Sae was a revolutionary during college, but the collapse of a building during which her husband went missing and her children were threatened when she came too close to the truth dampened her energies for such activities.

Slow-burn with a surprise twist near the end. I really wanted to love this book - the plot was great and the bones of the story are there. However, I had a hard time getting through this. The characters seemed flat to me and I just couldn't connect with any of them. I think I didn't feel like there was any real emotion put into the telling of an obviously extremely stressful and overwhelming situation - I didn't feel much emotion of any kind from the characters. It just didn't work well for me.

I liked where this story was going and what the author attempts to do, however I feel like this story falls a bit short due to the fact that there is too much going on and too many storylines. I get what the author is doing and I commend her because it's ambitious, but it does make the story a bit jumbled and confusing at times. I would definitely be interested in checking out her next publication though.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC: This was a fascinating mystery--a story of multiple deceptions that occurred in Korea. The main protagonist, Sae, is a young mother, a former journalist and her husband goes missing after the collapse of a large building. As she searches for him, a complex history slowly reveals itself. The extent of the mystery and the connections finally become clear in the final chapters. The characters are well drawn, but at times a bit hollow. The madame who is connected to Sae was one of the most compelling characters. Overall, a well written mystery, a history of Korea and political upheaval.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- this book i did not finish, as i found myself disengaging from the book each time i tried to pick it back up. the premise was interesting, and Michell is a great and talented writer. however, i couldn't stay engaged with it, which is unfortunate.

EXCAVATIONS
Hannah Mitchell

In EXCAVATIONS we are following Sae. She is at home with her children when one evening her husband Jae does not come home for dinner. As significant time passes she begins to worry more and more. After some time, Sae sees on the news that a building that Jae was working on has collapsed. She eventually ventures out to try and find him.

We follow as Sae searches for Jae, solves the mystery of his disappearance, and uncovers a story of corruption and good people doing bad things.

I really struggled with the material and felt removed from the story. It felt like the cloud of dust from the building collapse had permeated the pages, shifting dimensions. Causing a separation between the reader and the characters.

Sae is a very frustrating character to follow. Her lack of emotion felt vacuous. She’s not paying attention to what’s happening right in front of her. She takes time itself and the permanence of loved ones for granted. Forsaking truly knowing the people she loves in the name of chores to do, meals to make, and bills to pay. Sae made the mistake of not asking more questions. Not for lack of care, but because she didn’t know she needed to and because the days felt endless, and to her, promised.

Although nothing ever is.

This is the first book by Hannah Mitchell that I’ve read. I’m curious if the distance from characters is a trait of the writing of simply of the character in this book. If you’ve read Hannah Mitchell before please share your experience with me in the comments.

Thanks to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Audio, and Random House Publishing Group - Random House, One World for the advanced copies!

EXCAVATIONS…⭐️⭐️⭐️

"She picked at the edge of the flaking paint on the wall, wondering what else would come away if she kept chipping away at it." This is an absolute stunner debut novel. It is a historical murder mystery that leaves you heartbroken and more knowledgeable about our world. The characters link together, and their stories unravel with Sae's investigation skills. She is looking for her husband, who worked in a collapsed building. Secrets upon secrets let loose as she tries to understand how she got to this point in life.

DNF @ 40% - I simply could not find myself invested at all in this one. I think if the story was written more from a wider angle, such as multiple POVs or dual timeline, it would have held my interest more. however, the plot seemed recycled and I just found myself unable to connect to the characters.