This book read like a movie. I didn’t just read Kim Jihye’s story. I lived her life, experienced her pain, and grew as she did.

I read the ARC for Counterattacks at Thirty as soon as I finished Sohn Won-Pyung’s first book, Almond. I have so much appreciation for Almond, which uses unique characters to explore how connections can make our broken, lacking selves whole.

Counterattacks at Thirty takes nearly the opposite approach. The main character, Kim Jihye, is completely ordinary, even down to her name. She is an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. Her every day consists of doing ordinary with ordinary people under an ordinary workplace system. That is until some seemingly ordinary people with unordinary mindsets come into her life, pushing her to reflect on how she truly wants to live.

In that sense, this book is just as impactful. If Almond focuses on what we can give to others, Counterattacks at Thirty explores what we give to the world,

This book is for the people who have lived all of their lives feeling small, like a speck of dust floating within the vast universe. For those of you who have questioned whether your voice can be heard or if your actions would make even the smallest difference. Remember, rainbows don’t just fill up the sky at the end of a storm - you can find rainbows in the most ordinary places.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-pyung Sohn is a reflective and engaging read that blends workplace monotony with subtle rebellion. Following Kim Jihye, an ordinary 30-something struggling with a stagnant life and career, the story introduces an unexpected spark in the form of Gyuok, a new intern who shakes things up with his quiet but subversive activism. Together with other disillusioned colleagues, they embark on small acts of resistance—petty pranks and anonymous exposes—that challenge societal norms and the hierarchy around them.

I’d give this one 3.75 stars. The mundane yet relatable vibe resonated, especially Jihye’s feelings of insignificance and yearning for purpose, which mirror universal frustrations about capitalism and modern life. The low-key rebellion was fun, but at times I wanted the stakes to feel a bit higher or the antics to be more impactful. Still, Sohn’s thoughtful character work shines, and the story’s quiet power lies in showing how even the smallest acts can ripple out into change. A solid pick if you enjoy introspective reads with subtle humor and societal commentary.

I really enjoyed Won-Pyung's other book, the dark and disturbing “Almond.” This one is very different and quite a bit lighter. While “Almond” was an unsettling and serious novel, this one doesn’t take itself too seriously most of the time, and there are moments that were a little bit too silly for me. (Example: vivid descriptions of a manager's farts.) There was also a romantic subplot that to me felt forced and not entirely believable. (But I'm also bitter these days, so take that criticism with a grain of salt.) The book had shades of darkness later on, and one scene that was very strange and somewhat unnerving.

I should probably hesitate to say that I related to the narrator of this story, because that could potentially reflect poorly on me in some ways. But there were definitely aspects of her personality that resonated. (She hated having to do self-introductions in school and work settings! One of my absolute nightmares.) And when we meet her, she is feeling lost, beaten down by work and life and the corporate system. The basic gist of this plot is learning to stand up for yourself and fight for what you want and what you deserve. It's a decent message, but the story didn't pack a strong enough punch. Our protagonist ends up making friends through her workplace who unite in their desire to "play pranks" on important people in public as a form of rebellion and revenge, but they don't have a huge impact. And I know that it was the point for the sake of growth and development, but the main character’s spinelessness eventually got on my nerves.

What this book did pull off well was illustration of the fact that sometimes you really don’t know the people you work and interact with, and you might be judging someone too harshly. People can change completely as a result of going through the system and end up unrecognizable from the individuals they once were. We all have to adapt in ways we might not like.

This was a pleasant enough read, so I'm giving it three stars. But I highly recommend "Almond," which was a 5-star read for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Biggest TW: Mention of Adults sleeping with minors, Misogyny, Bullying

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC! While I think this could be a great book for many people, I just couldn’t get into it. I think the style of writing just doesn’t grasp my attention.

Being that I am in not in high school I enjoy and appreciate reading books I can relate to. This one I almost related to a little too much. It follows a couple 30 somethings and their office dynamic. It wasn't my favorite but I still liked it.

Sohn and Halbert work together to create such a beautiful piece of work. Sohn's writing never disappoints and I think they are a true artist when it comes to the craft of writing because Almond is one of my favorite and this is equal as good. Halbert as a translator never fails when bringing Korean literature into English and always makes the writing flow and really brings into the English the beauty of the language, story, and character development.

an awesome book about despondency and pulling yourself out of a funk with some really fun characters and plotting. 4 stars tysm for the arc.

I have been a fan of Won-pyung Sohn every since I read Almond. I thought that book was brilliant and I was so thrilled when I found out the author was releasing a new novel.
In the book we follow Kim Jihye who is in her thirties and is ordinary in every sense of the world. When Gyuok starts working at her job she finds her little world being challenged and at times clashing with his. Gyuok eventually recruits the others to start a small rebellion where the attacks are mostly petty, but small enough that they're noticeable. This book that centers everyday people, who are not rich, powerful, or even have dreams to be successful, is captivating. Won-pyung Sohn is a genius at character work and connecting the mundane into bigger social issues.

This book follows Kim Jihye, an ordinary 30 year old woman who feels stagnant and uninspired by her life and job. She emphasizes how ordinary she is by comparing it to how common her name is, that at one point, there were four other Kim Jihye’s in her class. One day a new intern, Gyouk is hired and starts shaking things up in the office. He encourages her and two other ordinary/unhappy people to rebel against the system through small planned pranks. Jihye just wants to find purpose, meaning, and satisfaction in her life, as we all do.

As a 30-something myself, I could relate to Jihye’s frustration with capitalism and competition. And feeling insignificant in the grand scheme of things. But I loved the lesson she learns by the end of the book.

This was a pretty good book! It was about 30 year olds in the office that were tired of being taken advantage of in their office setting and they decide to strike back, It had funny parts and also it did make me think at other times. I enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC! Almond was one of my favorite reads of the year so far so I was eager to get my hands on this and, sadly, I have to say it didn't live up to the hype. I enjoyed it just fine but it didn't have the magic that Almond had for me. And while it was clearly an ode to despondency in your 30s which caused it to be a bit meandering, I felt like it just couldnt keep me engaged.

Counterattacks at Thirty is a book about an ordinary group of people who are so tired of being pushed around by the system and higher-ups that they decide to bite back.

The book focuses on Kim Jihye, an ordinary thirty-something who is still an intern and trying to figure things out (and struggling). Her motto is simple: don’t work hard, do just enough. And then one day, a new intern starts working with her, Gyuok. Gyuok recruits a few thirty-somethings to start a pacifist (and petty) revolution against the people who have annoyed/wronged them.

This book was a nice surprise. Gyuok is a radical and Jihye is just someone trying to make ends meet and find a career, they’re sort of opposites and it’s fun to see their philosophies clash at times. I loved the lowkey and mundane vibe the book had, but I wished we had known more about Muin and Nam Eun, and the ‘petty protests’ the group engaged with. Other than the ‘grand finale,’ the few activities we get to see are just small and petty. Which is the point, but I don’t think they were quirky or funny enough for me to say I’ll remember them next week. I do think the group’s activities had the potential to be funny, because Sohn does pull up fun stuff in her narration (i.e., Kim Chu-bom being better than being named Koh Chu-bom lol) (Koh Chu sounds like penis in Korean).

Reading this book as a thirty-year-old who still doesn’t know what she’s doing was kinda therapeutic. But I was expecting a more life-changing/lingering book from Sohn after she pulled off the masterpiece that is Almond. The ending was super satisfying.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-Pyung Sohn is a novel that revolves around a generation transitioning into adulthood and experiencing disillusionment. It starts in 1988, the year when Seoul hosted the Olympics, bringing South Korea into the global spotlight and igniting large-scale pro-democracy protests.

The protagonist, Jihye, feels invisible, much like her excessively common name. She works in an office, performing mundane tasks with no prospect of advancement. She meets peers who share her disillusionment and frustration with societal norms. Together, they retaliate against nonsensical aspects of life by engaging in a series of pranks. Ultimately, the book emphasizes how acts of solidarity and resistance, whether big or small, can be empowering. It offers a humorous and cynical perspective on reclaiming one's power.

I would like to express my appreciation to NetGalley and Harpervia for providing me with an advanced reader's copy (ARC) of the book.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-pyung Sohn blends office satire with a rebellious spirit. The story follows Jihye and her quirky colleagues who, under the influence of a new intern, take small but defiant stands against office tyranny, discovering the strength of unity and friendship along the way.