One Hundred Shadows is an incredibly unique novel. The story follows two lower class electronics repair workers in the slums of Seou and their relationship with one another while their area's residents fall victim to their shadows. While a heartwarming story about helpng bring light back into another's life, I found the novel to be quite bland. The marketing had me believe there would be more magical realism involved in the plot, and while there was some it was not as much as I'd first expected. I found a lot of the moments in th story unmemorable but retain a pleasant feeling surrounding our two main characters', Eungyo and Mujae, developing relationship. I feel like it could be an incredible novel if it had more happening within the plot.

I unfortunately didn't finish this one, despite how short it was. I just couldn't get into it. I thought it would be something I loved, based on the description, and I tried more than once with it, but it just wasn't for me. I'm not sure if it was the translation or the writing, but it was just too flat. The dialogue didn't engage either.

As someone who studies modern Korea after colonialism, this was a fascinating novel to read in tandem with my research. There's a lot of discussion about shadows throughout the course of the book, but also the impacts of Korea's rapid development and modernization through the subtle and not-so-subtle ways the protagonists faced it. This was such a solid read for me!

Rating: 3.75 leaves out of 5
-Characters: 4/5
-Story: 4/5
-Writing: 2.5/5
Genre: contemporary, fantasy, Korean literature, magical realism
-contemporary: 5/5
-fantasy: 1.75/5
-Korean literature: 5/5
-magical realism: 4/5
Type: Ebook
Worth?: Nah

Want to thank Netgalley and publishers for giving me the chance to read this book.

I am not sure how an easy yet complicated read is a thing but this was it. The writing isn't my favorite at all. Though it all made sense and it was quite fast to get through it was, at the same time, also kind of hard to make sense of it in large amounts.

The real story behind this is devastating and heartbreaking. Reading it before reading this was eerie, like those who Hwang had wrote about were watching me. I hope those poor souls rest in peace.

short and sweet; the vibes were immaculate and the descriptions were so so vivid
didn't care for any of the characters, but the slice-of-life goings on of their daily life was interesting

There was so much potential here. Some parts I really enjoyed, like the writing itself and the way mundane every day bits were described so well, but the crux of the story was lacking a bit for me. I felt like it was building up to something and then it kind of winked out with a splutter. It simply did not give me quite enough, which was frustrating. I would read from this author before though, as I liked the writing style.

This is a novel I did not dislike but feel I probably massively missed the point with. I got slightly distracted by the gender neutral name and lack of pronouns for one of the main characters. The dialogue felt clunky and when I finished the book I was left feel that I could not adequately explain what happened.

2.5 stars it was okay

It wasn't bad but I also didn't love it.

I'm not sure if it was the translation into English or what but the dialogue felt childish at times and what was up with page after page about whorls!?

Thank you to netgalley and Kensington Books | Erewhon Books for sharing a digital copy, as always, opinions are my own.

Junguen's novella, One Hundred Shadows, is a piece of magical realism exploring the futility of humankind. Set in Seoul, Eungyo and Mujae find eachother and grow a deeper connection as the environment around them succumbs to capitalism. The essence of the magical realism lies in the concept of humans' shadows rising. Although there is no clear explanation as to why they rise, it seems that this phenomenon happens when a person is experiencing illness, is near death or is overcome by life's challenges.

I read this novella in one sitting, however, I was left with a lot of questions especially around the concept of the shadows rising. Given the themes of this story it was probably Jungeun's purpose to leave so much open to reader's interpretation and meaning. Personally, the need to understand the concept of the shadow and the wait for it to be given focal attention in the story was what kept me hooked onto the book. So when I reached the end and this hadn't happened it felt to me more like unfinished business.

One Hundred Shadows was very dialogue heavy which usually really appeals to me as a reader. In this case, with a lack of the use of quotation marks, I found the dialogue confusing at times as I was not always sure who the speaker was. I also see this as a potential purposeful technique Junguen used to allow the reader to apply their own meaning and make it feel more like an internal conversation rather than the conversation between to characters. Unfortunately, I found myself interrupting the flow of reading to understand who the speaker is.

I thought this book had a unique story and writing style but this just wasn't for me. I am not sure if it is the translation or the author's writing but the dialog throughout the book felt a bit childish.

i feel like i didn’t really understood this story and need someone to explain it to me so that it all makes more sense.

i got the overall happenings, but to me it just read very blunt and bland.

i wish it would have explained better what was happening with the shadows -how it happens and why, if it can happen to everyone or just to specific people (like the characters that didn’t really seem to feel like they fit in where they are or know what they want) and if it’s magical realism or myth come to life or actual a bit of fantastic elements?

this was just a bit too under explained for me to enjoy this book.

that could the cultural difference in just how stories are told and written or a bit of a translation thing… i don’t know.


also in the beginning of the book it’s noted that this was a love story or a story about lovers and while yes i see that it was about two people that try to connect it never got there for me. the characters felt too underdeveloped and unreal for me to feel as if they actually had feelings -for each other or in general for most of the book.
again maybe that’s just me but this lacked the emotional connections for me to feel like i am reading about lovers or a love story.
could that be the mood i read this in, my issue with the overall writing style that just didn’t fit my personal taste? the translation? the original writing? i don’t know.


this book -at least my ebook edition- didn’t have any quotation marks and i always have trouble enjoying books that don’t follow basic writing rules such as using quotation marks. i don’t know if it’s my dyslexia that just has issues with that or if it a personal issue but if a book doesn’t clearly show me when someone is talking, i just struggle with it.
so that clearly didn’t help.



overall sadly this was more of a miss than a hit for me.

i can see it appeal to people that enjoy reading things that have a philosophical tone and don’t mind not understanding all aspects and just going with where the story takes you.

or maybe for readers that are more experienced in asian stories, culture and translated works (since i can’t read the original works) -maybe i am just not well read enough in that area to truly be able to understand this book because i don’t understand the mythology or references, the meanings behind specific sentiments or sayings.


either way, i am happy i tried this and maybe in a few years i will reread this and maybe even understand it better?

for right now sadly it wasn’t for me for a number of reasons but it wasn’t a bad book because of it and if you are interested, i would say give it a try.

One Hundred Shadows immerses readers in the gritty, offbeat world of a rundown electronics market in Seoul. The novel follows Eungyo and Mujae, two dropouts working as repair-shop assistants. Here’s what stood out:

Pros:
Atmosphere: Hwang’s spare prose paints a vivid picture of the slum, creating an unforgettable setting.
Quirky Characters: The inhabitants, their lives intertwined, add depth and intrigue.
Magical Realism: Shadows rising—subtle yet haunting.

Cons:
Toddler-Like Dialogue: Repetitive and simplistic conversations detract from the overall experience.
Unexplained Symbolism: Whorls, ephemeral and mysterious, remain unresolved.
Lack of Footnotes: Korean context (food, currency) could enhance reader understanding.

One Hundred Shadows balances tenderness and materialism, but its missed opportunities and dialogue issues hold it back.

One Hundred Shadows
Genre: Fiction, magical realism, literary fiction (book).
Rating: ★★ (2/5)

I thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced reader copy (ARC) of this book in return for an honest review.
***
"One Hundred Shadows" caught my attention due to its comparison with "The Memory Police", one of my favorite books. I think this comparison raised my expectations so high, that the book failed to meet them.

I'd like to start by saying that I found the shadows interesting. When some supporting characters recounted their own experiences and we saw the presence of these shadows, I found myself wanting to know more. The bad thing is that the novel is focused on Eungyo and Mujae, the main characters. I wouldn't say I disliked them, but they also didn't bring any kind of positive emotion to me. Their conversations felt unorganic and almost repetitive, and sometimes they were both so ambiguous that you got confused.

However, in its favor is that I read it in a single day, which does not usually happen to me (I am a slow reader). It's fast and I think I also found it entertaining. I would still recommend it as a translated read that uses magical realism as a tool, especially to those who aren't afraid of feeling constantly confused.

With thanks to Kensington books, Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read this eARC.

This books centres around two main characters, living and working in a slum based in Seoul. A short read, it feels like haphazard or chaotic musings of life, jumping from story to story or thought to thought, which was not always easy to grasp. I found Mujae an intriguing character with unseen depths, whilst Eungyo felt young, naïve and we never really get a decent grab on who they are.
As things are torn apart and pulled down around them, Eungyo and Mujae converse and grow a connection with each other in what seems a very lonely world. Whilst some places are populated, the landscape feels bleak, and desolate.

With an element of magical realism, people have shadows that visibly shift and shape, seemingly acting of their own accord depending on what is happening to those that belong to them and sometimes even having power of them. This component of the story was one of the more interesting and visual elements of the book, but it sadly felt unrealised and not taken to where it felt like it could have gone. An interesting choice to have a book of literary fiction, focusing on social commentary and pairing it with something like magical realism, the audience is perhaps torn, wanting more of the magical realism and not fully taking in the messages in the book. Up until the end, I found it hard to process, just when was getting a grip on the stories at hand, it would flip and change.

The formatting was difficult at times to read, perhaps again due to the Net Galley app and its simplistic features. I was also unable to send this to my Kobo so reading small text on a phone was not ideal and probably affected the way I connected with the book.

There's nothing in the whole book I liked, but at the same time there's not anything I hated, either. Sure, I didn't like the way the conversations were presented, and that it was so abstract, jumping back and forth and telling you about things but waiting for you to figure out what it was really about. Or that you get approximately zero information about the main characters, making it so that I pictured them at 12 year olds and in the very last scene they're driving a car. That it seemed like it wanted to have a magical realism element, but wasn't quite sure how to integrate it in the story.

I think I actually liked that it was short. I couldn't take 400 pages of this.

A beautiful read. Slice of life with some strangeness about shadows. Loved how all the stories wove together in the end. The writing really makes the reader feel engrossed in the setting. Very easy to lose yourself in the narrative.

One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun is Korean magic realism. It is based on the concept that when things are bad or people are desperate, their shadows rise and lead them away, usually to their deaths. It starts with two young men lost in a forest and one almost being tempted to follow his shadow before his friend brings him back. But this is not really a book about the occult or the strange. This is a book about the struggling lower class in Korea, and the challenges they face as the country develops,
Both young men work in a makeshift market in a series of 5 derelict buildings for a man who fixes electronic goods. The buildings are in the process of being demolished and the area gentrified but it is unclear where any of these people will go when that happens. The book follows these two but is told as a series of tales, many involving shadows, of people striving and surviving.
One Hundred Shadows is well translated but feels like one of those books where something is lost in the translation. That is, there are nuances in the text that will be meaningful for Korean readers but may just puzzle other coming to the text, Even so, this is a powerful and emotionallyu exploration of the plight of the Korean underclasses and worth exploring.

“One Hundred Shadows” by Hwang Jungeun is a haunting and poignant novel set in a decaying industrial complex in Seoul, South Korea. The story centers around Eungyo and Mujae, two young employees working in a dimly lit electronics market on the brink of demolition. As the buildings around them crumble, so too does the world they’ve known, with mysterious shadows beginning to rise and detach from their human counterparts—a surreal manifestation of the characters’ internal struggles and the oppressive environment they inhabit.

Jungeun’s writing, delves deep into the psychological and emotional lives of the characters, exploring themes of resilience, identity, and the harsh realities of life in a society that often overlooks its most vulnerable. The surreal elements of the story, particularly the rising shadows, are steeped in magical realism, yet they remain grounded in the very real and gritty setting of a Seoul slum marked for erasure.

The novel presents a stark choice for its characters: to either confront the shadows and the hardships they symbolize or succumb to them. The shadows, which seem to come alive during moments of intense stress or despair, serve as both a literal and metaphorical representation of the mental anguish faced by those living on the fringes of society. The idea that following these shadows can lead to suffering or even death adds a layer of tension and inevitability to the narrative.

One Hundred Shadows is a beautifully crafted tale that intertwines urban fantasy with a sharp critique of social inequality. The magical realism is subtle yet powerful, making the novel both a compelling read and a thought-provoking reflection on the human condition. Despite its fantastical elements, the story remains deeply rooted in reality, offering a vivid portrayal of life in a marginalized community and the quiet, enduring connections that can form in the face of overwhelming adversity.

Hwang Jungeun’s novella is a well-executed exploration of the mental and emotional toll of living in a world that seems to be crumbling, both physically and metaphorically. It’s a gorgeous, melancholic narrative that lingers long after the final page is turned, and a testament to the author’s ability to blend the surreal with the stark realities of life in contemporary Seoul.

It was such a beautiful and sensitive short novel and I loved the magical realism involved. It focuses mainly on two characters Eungyo and Mujae and their everyday lives living in a poor urban area slowly undergoing gentrification. It becomes clear, however, that the lives of those living in this situation cannot be replaced or 'sold out' and the prose and concept of the magical realism beautifully depicts the suffering the working class people are exposed to.
The beginning of the book opens up to the idea of shadows as almost living creatures hidden behind you until through hurt, pain, grief the shadows grow and, if you let them, will lead you beyond hope and ultimately devour you. In essence, don't follow your shadow. Within the darkness of the book, however, there is a sense of light following the two main characters as they begin to love each other and if you love reading soft moments within romance, this book is full of them. I loved the characters and the stories they tell each other along with their unspoken desire to help each other when their shadows start to grow. I also loved how in an environment wasting away from a loss of community after local businesses are forced to move, the novel remained centred around the idea that even when your shadow "offers death as an invitation," there are still those to hold your hand in the darkness.

I would recommend this book to anyone if they would like a short book to read in one sitting. Even though the novel doesn't have a definitive ending, it was better for it in my opinion. The book focuses more on emotion and the characters rather than plot and I thought the ending was perfect and very heartfelt.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC of this book and the chance to write a review on it!

One Hundred Shadows is a strange, quick and accessible read, thanks to its straightforward language and manageable length. The story centers on two young, impoverished workers in Seoul, Korea, whose shadows begin to lift as they struggle with the pressures of their lives. At times, the narrative evokes the atmosphere of a dark Studio Ghibli film.

To be honest, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I had hoped. It took some time for me to fully engage with the story. However, the social commentary stood out, particularly moments like, “I wonder if they call this kind of place a slum, because if you called it someone's home or their livelihood, that would make things awkward when it comes to tearing it down.” That commentary exists not only in dialogue though, it seeps through the entire novel. The perfect day the protagonists shared toward the end of the novel struck a chord with me. For them, a simple hike to enjoy a view and a delicious fish soup at a restaurant was a rare, once-in-a-lifetime experience. But for me, those moments are easily within reach—Just last week I went on a nighttime hike with friends, we climbed an eight-story tower in the forest to be close to the stars and clouds, and the next night my parents took me out to a restaurant. While we might both appreciate such a perfect day, the difference is striking—I can enjoy these moments regularly, while for them, it remains an elusive, almost unattainable dream. This disparity underscores the deep inequalities that persist, making their fleeting happiness all the more poignant.

The two protagonists felt authentic and fit well within the dark fairytale setting of the novel. The tone was often quite detached, many times the book was still poetic though. For example, the dialogue, “Of course it’s dark, it’s nighttime.” – “But it’s so dark it doesn’t seem possible that we’ll make it somewhere bright,” captures the blend of melancholy and lyricism that runs through the story. The ending, in particular, is haunting and left me wondering.

All in all, One Hundred Shadows is an astonishing debut novel, though it didn’t quite hit the mark for me personally. Rating: 2.25/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!