This is the first book I've read by this author and I am now a fan! I am going back to read the author's first novel. I enjoyed how the authors wrote about a complicated Asian American family without following the stereotypical Asian American family tropes such as cultural identity and immigration. I also enjoyed the premise of the novel. I will be recommending this to everyone.

After Covid Jack Jr. has just woken from a 23 month coma to find his estranged family by his bedside, but not his fiancé. His life - career, relationships - is not the same anymore. This was a story of loss and redemption. Jack Jr. rediscovers his love of making sushi along side his father while he builds a relationship with his teenage nephew, works to repair his relationship with his brother and his new-found romantic interest in one of his care nurses, Emil. This is a book about second chances, finding your way, redemption, family and life.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. Released on March 4, 2025.

I absolutely loved this book. The beginning is very gripping. I found the book an absolute riot for being about such a dark topic and that is something will resonate with so so so many people. As an Asian person having books that feature Asian families is so important and makes you feel so represented. I will definitely be recommending this to people. Loved this book so much. Like a a gay Asian While You Were Sleeping. I was laughing so hard at the main characters rant against Jersey especially. bravo haha.

I really enjoyed this book! I read it over a few weeks and really got to know the characters. Each family member was well thought out and contributed significantly to the story. I loved the backdrop of food preparation - the descriptions of sushi made my mouth water. Definitely a 5 star read for me!

A book about second chances, family and redemption - it was very well written and heart warming. The way the writer depicted the relationships was beautiful and the descriptions of food was delightful.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book but I found myself engaged in the story right away. The “hook” is Jack Jr, suddenly waking up in the hospital after being in a coma for 23 months. He asks his nurse, Emil Cuddy to call his fiancée, Ren but is faced with his estranged parents and brother instead. With no job and no place to go, Jack Jr. has no choice but to return to his father’s home and work in the family’s Japanese-Korean fusion sushi restaurant.
This story is surprisingly engaging from the beginning and throughout. This talented author includes so many important topics in subtle but interesting ways. As Jack Jr. re-assimilates into a post-Covid world, readers are also assimilated into Korean-American culture, family struggles, addiction issues, coming of age and of course, Jack Jr.’s blossoming relationship with his former nurse, Emil. And although some issues seem obscure, such as what happened with Ren, Jack Jr. eventually gets answers around the many things that he missed while he was in a coma. I really enjoyed how the family issues came together as the book progressed but the ending was still open, leaving the rest of the story up to the reader’s imagination. An usual book that I thoroughly enjoyed!

I was immediately drawn to the cover, love anything with food involved. Also, the premise was interesting, Jack Jr has been in a coma for two years and wakes up to a new world full of COVID, reconnecting with estranged family and a missing lover. I kept trying to pick this book up and get into it but couldn't find myself invested. I was disappointed because the prose is beautiful but I just couldn't get into it.

Thank you for the advanced reader copy Netgalley & Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Ballantine Books.

It’s not my cup of tea.

Jack jr is a gay Korean who has fell into a coma for the past two years and as his story unfolds he learns about what happened in the world (covid) and his life while he was intubated. I didn’t think the story would be so emotional and tragic. Take a breath you are doing alright

What an unexpectedly poetic read this was! There was a lyrical flow to the writing that made me want to read more.

Jack Jr has just woken from a 23 month coma to find his estranged family by his bedside... but not his fiancé. Told from his POV, the reader learns as Jack does, slowly, what has happened in his absence: Big world events like COVID, and personal events like his newly born nephew. Jack Jr has to come to terms with why he left home to begin with, the end to his relationship with Ren, and his new-found romantic interest in one of his care nurses, Emil.

This was a story of loss and redemption. Jack Jr rediscovers his love of making sushi along side his father while he builds a relationship with his teenage nephew and works to repair his relationship with his brother. The characters were beautifully written and very, very flawed. The familial love, with all the bickering and secret-keeping, feels genuine.

charming story that's a LOT brighter than i expected it'd be. rather than dark and mournful it's cheery, upbeat, and vibing throughout. 5 stars. tysm for the arc.

I wish I liked this book better than I did. The prose is good. The characterization ranges from fine to great. Unfortunately the narrative frequently lacks tension, resulting in almost unbearable middle sag. There is some conflict, but not enough to sustain the story start to finish.

If I had to point to a single emblematic issue… I would point to a few. First off, I think Chong erred severely in keeping Ren off the page for most of the book. Ren’s presence could have provided a great sense of conflict and continuity, and would be very much in keeping thematically, seeing as it would be conflict between two sympathetic people, neither of whom is completely right or wrong. Perhaps an instance or two of radio silence from Ren, then have JJ persevere and Ren finally give up, putting on an appearance.

Springboarding off of that, I think Chong made a <I>huge</I> mistake in resolving one of the book’s most prominent hanging questions how he did. The readers want to know what happened on the night of JJ’s accident. All I can say about the final reveal is that it was tooth-grindingly unsatisfying and a betrayal of reader expectations.

Lastly, we have JJ’s romance with Emil Cuddy, his nurse when he was in a coma. First of all, every time I heard Cuddy’s last name, I flashed back to an episode of House. It was distracting, and then I had to go angst about being old. But more relevantly, I found the relationship/plotline <I>boring</I>. They were both nice, decent people, building a nice, decent relationship. Almost literally nothing stood in their way, but it was still taking page time and boy was my butt squirming in the seat.

On the other hand, I loved the nuance in JJ’s relationships with his family. His bond with his nephew, Juno, provided something wonderfully positive and fresh, without ever leaning saccharine. His parents were also great, and I appreciate Chong not reaching for the low-hanging angst fruit of ever depicting them as homophobes. There were conflicts and miscommunications between them and JJ, but they were handled with subtlety and grace. I also enjoyed JJ’s fraught relationship with his brother, James. It likewise retained nuance, but also served as one of the best sources of genuinely exciting conflict. Sometimes it felt like James was ready to hoist the book onto his back and carry it to the safe harbor of plot.

Perhaps this is my genre roots showing. But I think even a literary novel can and should have <I>tension</I> even if its stakes are not life and death. And tension is where <I>I Leave It Up To You</I> let me down.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House - Ballantine for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions within are my own.

An interesting exploration of an adult child coming back to family life that he left in an explosive fashion and picking up the pieces after being in a coma for years

Thank you NetGalley and Valentin e books for this ARC. I enjoyed the writing style, character development and story. I would recommend this.

United States Publication: March 4, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for this advanced reader's copy. In exchange, I am providing an honest review.

Jack Jr cracks his eyes open and can't place where he is. Also, what's stuck in his throat, and who is that guy looking at him? Where is he, and where is his husband? After a few confusing and frightening moments, Jack Jr discovers he has just woken up from a 2-year nap, and nobody expected him to wake up this early, or maybe ever. After a lot of scrambling and attempts at reassurance, the pieces of this bizarre puzzle start to take shape, and Jack Jr doesn't like the picture being formed. He's been asleep while the world grappled with a pandemic he never knew anything about. He was found in the river in 2019 and woke 2 years later to a very different life than the one he left behind in 2019. He no longer has a job, a home, or a husband. His family, whom he was estranged from, are the only ones available to take care of him, so Jack Jr finds himself living in his childhood bedroom in his childhood home and becoming reacquainted with his family. Needing something to do, Jack Jr starts working with his Dad again in the family sushi restaurant Joja, which miraculously survived the pandemic but is now barely hanging on. As Jack Jr refamiliarizes himself with restaurant life and being in the kitchen, he begins to reassemble his life. It's a chance for him to step back toward his life in New York City or a new life in Fort Lee, New Jersey. But before he can take a step anywhere, he needs some answers and someone willing to share them with him.

I can't say precisely what it is about this title that I enjoyed so much, but I enjoyed it immensely. Jack Jr and the characters surrounding him were well-developed and interesting. Chong tackled the pandemic creatively by skipping over it and making it part of the story. I also appreciated that Chong didn't tie everything up in a neat little bow - we don't get all the answers, as Jack Jr doesn't either. The "happily ever after" is a question mark - these are true-to-life things, and the older I get, the more I appreciate true-to-life rather than happily ever after. I'm thrilled I have had the opportunity to read this title.

Jinwoo Chong’s I Leave It Up to You is a deeply introspective and emotionally resonant story that explores the complexities of identity, family, and self-understanding. What stood out most to me was the way Chong deftly portrays the main character’s evolving perspective on family, particularly before and after a life-changing accident. The subtle yet powerful shifts in his relationships are heart-wrenching and poignant, reflecting how trauma can reshape not just one's physical reality but also the emotional landscape we inhabit.

Chong’s writing navigates the delicate balance between tradition and modernity, especially through the lens of cultural identity. One of my favorite elements was the inclusion of Korean-Japanese fusion food as a symbol of the blending of cultures—it's both a literal and metaphorical exploration of hybridity and belonging. The food not only serves as a backdrop to key moments in the narrative but also enriches the emotional core of the stories.

Overall, I Leave It Up to You is a beautifully layered collection that invites readers to reflect on how personal experiences, culture, and family intertwine to shape who we become. It’s a thought-provoking read that lingers long after the last page.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was full of heart! This is a story about a Jack Jr is fresh out of a 2 year coma. And though he’s lost two years of his life, his future-husband, and his job, he is now faced a new start. I really enjoyed this book. The story is about forgiveness and family. And second chances. How do we heal our past? How to we handle what we are handed? It is slow placed but felt real.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read and would rate it 3.4 stars (rounded down). The humor throughout was consistently entertaining, and the writing quality was notable.
While the main character, Jack Jr., was at times insufferable and whiny, he did show meaningful character growth by the end. His relationships with Noa and Juno were highlights, though the progression of his relationship with James felt somewhat predictable.
I particularly appreciated the Korean and Japanese cultural references, which provided a deeper understanding of Jack Jr.'s background. However, I was left disappointed by the lack of resolution regarding his car crash into the river - was it an accident or self-inflicted?
Lastly, the incredibly long chapters somewhat detracted from the reading experience.

Set in the time of COVID, this is a story of family, and an accident that changes their lives. After an accident, their son Jack has been hospitalized in a coma for two years and how it affected his family and his life, finding a path to a new way of living, and reconnecting with his family.

There is an aura of lightness, at times, but Jack has to find his way back to the way of life he once had, which isn’t exactly easy. His family helps to pull him back into the life that he once had, a little bit at a time. Little by little he manages to determine what path he wants to take, and little by little he takes steps toward a new future.


Pub Date: 04 Mar 2025

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine / Ballantine Books

This is a lovely novel about figuring out who you are and what you want from life. Jack Jr awakens from a years-long coma and is forced to start anew. Working in the family business--which he eschewed years before--he begins to reconnect with family and his roots. He also learns that it takes time to recover from a long absence. There's solid character development and I liked it that there wasn't an uncomplicated HEA--these things are hard! Overall, it's a sweet story. There are some areas of unevenness, but copyedit will smooth those out easily.

I Leave It Up to You is like if Bryan Washington (Memorial, Family Meal) wrote the script for The Bear. The opening chapter should be a short story. Jinwoo Chong's description of Jack Jr. waking up from the coma was one of the most compelling things I have ever read. I loved all the characters and their relationships with Jack, but especially Juno and the connection between uncle and nephew. Like many other novels, I Leave It Up to You fell into some of the same pitfalls where there is a Big Traumatic Event (TM) that severs relationships. In my opinion, BTEs are rarely dramatic enough to warrant cutting all contact, and I think that is true of Jack moving to NYC. When we finally learned what happened to make him leave home, it felt a little anticlimactic. I appreciated the inclusion of addiction and its impact on families, as well as the queer representation. I like to think Jack and Nurse Gaylord got together in the end after all.