Flashlight - Susan Choi
Rating: 4.5/5

One night, Serk, a Korean man born in Japan, takes a sunset walk along the beach near his family’s rental home with his 10-year-old daughter, Louisa, leaving behind his American wife, Anna. Hours later, Louisa is found washed ashore, barely alive. Serk, who never learned to swim, is nowhere to be found.

In Flashlight, the highly anticipated novel from Susan Choi (author of the brilliant Trust Exercise) Choi crafts a sweeping, multi-decade narrative that follows Serk, Anna, and their troubled family across Japan, Korea, and the United States. What sets this novel apart is its portrayal of familial discord. Rather than depicting a family bound by love and resilience, Choi presents characters who are often cruel to one another—outsiders in every sense, shaped by hardship yet incapable of finding solace in each other.

For such an expansive novel, I tore through it at a rapid pace and cannot wait to discuss it upon release. Many thanks to NetGalley and FSG for the advance copy.

This beautifully written novel tells the story of a fractured family, torn apart by a tragic event that unfolds when Serk, a Korean-born father, and his 10-year-old daughter, Louisa, go for a walk on a Japanese beach one evening and never return. Hours later, Louisa is found half-drowned with no memory of what happened, while Serk remains missing. The first half of the book moves slowly, introducing Serk's childhood as an ethnic Korean in Japan, Anna's struggles as an American high school dropout, and their complicated marriage. But the pace shifts dramatically in the second half, as Serk's disappearance reshapes the lives of Anna, Louisa, and even Tobias, Anna's estranged son. The story evolves from a family saga into something much deeper-exploring grief, survival, and the weight of untold histories. Just when you think you understand where the story is going, Susan Choi masterfully twists the narrative, revealing a hidden layer tied to a lesser-known piece of Korean-Japanese history. The characters, flawed yet deeply human, grew on me over time-I found myself frustrated with them, rooting for them, and ultimately heartbroken by their fate. Gorgeously written and emotionally powerful, this novel is perfect for someone who enjoys coming-of-age, intense family dynamics and historical fiction.
The only drawback of this book was the occasionally sluggish writing style, which I may simply not be accustomed to. There were moments where this made it harder for me to stay fully engaged, affecting my enjoyment at times. I couldn't engage on why some parts of the story seemed extremely skimmed but then other parts of the story were minute but explained in great detail that really was never needed. I think this will be something quite a few people will have issues with - but I can be wrong!
Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this novel. This will be published and released on June 3, 2025.

This is a beautifully written story of a broken family, one that was split by an event that has to remain a mystery because of spoilers. Korean-born Serk and his 10-year-old daughter, Louisa, go for a walk along the beach in Japan after dinner one evening, leaving Anna, their American wife/mother, sitting on the porch of their modest Japanese home. Hours later, when neither has returned, Anna alerts the authorities and a search gets underway. Louisa is found later, half drowned, with no memory of what happened. Serk is never found.

The first half of this book went by a little slowly for me. In it, the reader is introduced to Serk and Anna and told of their childhoods in Japan and America, respectively. Serk’s story includes his Korean family’s flight from Korea to Japan, and their subsequent return to Korea later, without Serk. Anna’s story includes estrangement from her family following the birth of an illegitimate son.

The second half of the book redeems itself for the slow start. Serk’s disappearance that fateful night changes everything for Anna and Louisa, and even Tobias, the illegitimate son, and makes the final chapters fly by. This is a well-written story filled with nuanced characters. It’s full of history and humanity, and its characters face many challenges, both physical and mental. The characters really became real to me in the second half of the book, and the story ended on a poignant note. I have not read the author’s award-winning “Trust Exercise” yet, but my reaction to this book makes me want to. Recommended.

Much thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for providing me with this e-ARC. This title will publish in early June.

Flashlight is not what I expected it to be at all: at once a literary family novel and an examination of history. The short story, which is the first chapter of the book, was published last year and sets the tone: somber, reflective, emotional, gripping, and sharp as nails. Absolutely incredible, Susan Choi should win all the awards. She writes in such an exacting way and her characters feel so real you could touch them. Simply superb.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC! I find it difficult to write a review for this book because somehow I cannot point out any glaring issues with the book. However, the sum of it's pieces was lacking. The plot moves much too slowly, and the characters who are almost all unlikable. Even the protagonist for who it is easy to sympathize is beleaguered with an immense amount of self imposed emotional baggage that is unpacked in unmitigatinglly overwhelming detail. The combination of these things were too much for me to overcome to rate this book more positively.

I felt this book was quite slow moving and found my interest in the story waning at times as it didn't fully capture my attention. However, overall I quite enjoyed the story. The book itself is quite character-driven, however I felt there was little resolution at the end of the story. I can definitely see it becoming a favourite for a lot of readers, but unfortunately it didn't fully do it for me.

Ambitious and stunning. I read "Flashlight" as a short story when it first appeared in the New Yorker, I never could have guessed at the scope of the novel Choi was framing up. I found this novel surprising and incredibly moving.

This book started off at a strong 4 star rating for me. There was a compelling mystery in the disappearance of Serk, and we see the trauma inflicted upon Louisa. Later on we delved into Serk's past, where we got a view of what Japanese Imperialism meant for Koreans. So far, so good.

And then when the book covered the time after Serk's disappearance, I began to wonder what this book was truly about. I had expected it to on the mystery of Serk's disappearance, but the book seemed content to keep going on and on about the rather mundane lives of Anne and Louisa afterwards. At this point, my rating for this book dropped to 3 stars. I get it - in real life sometimes you just have to move on - but the issue was that Anne and Louisa weren't even that likeable.

Louisa annoyed me immensely. She was so self-centered, so rude, that every time she talked to Anne she somehow managed to sound holier-than-thou and stupid at the same time. Needless to say, I wanted to slap her multiple times. The worst was when Louisa went off for college and left a cat behind for Anne to take care of. Anne by then was so ill she had to move around on crutches and struggled to buy groceries. Louisa, explain to me your logic of dumping a living creature for your mother to take care of when she struggled to even care for herself? Somehow, as if we do not have enough reasons to hate Louisa, when the cat went missing (presumed dead) she screamed at her mother. Seriously, f**k you, Louisa! My only consolation was when Louisa, being the dumbass that she was, got stranded in Paris and ended up being bullied by customs officers.

Originally I had no issues with Susan Choi's writing, but after a while they began to drive me crazy. I began to notice her tendency to go for sentences that don't actually say much. For example, look at this monstrosity:
'These are not the events Louisa recalls because she has never recalled them, they live nowhere in memory. If she was somehow aware of these events that she isn't aware of, housed somewhere in her memory, buried in some unremembering stratum of her body or perhaps expelled like noxious vapors into the impersonal air, can even be said to have happened.'

Even when they are short, the alliterative sentences annoy me, like this one: 'In dreams, there is sometimes the knowledge of knowledge, without the knowledge itself.'

And then there's this really stupid part that went: 'The swollen sun, sinking low in the sky, dull and orange as a persimmon, pours its warmth onto Anne and she closes her eyes. The air is the perfect temperature. She is not hot. She is not cold.'

She is not hot, she is not cold? Jesus. Once I started noticing these tendencies, I was no longer able to ignore them, and THERE WERE SO MANY EXAMPLES OF THESE! I can just imagine Susan Choi being the wannabe-Dickens kind of writer who takes pride in nonsense like this, and pats herself on the back every time she comes up with more alliterations or something. At least Dickens was funny. This is the first time I've read something by her, but it is very likely to be the last because overusing long, bloated sentences with tongue twisters do not impress me.

There are two characters I enjoyed reading about: Walter and Tobias. Walter was Anne's neighbour, and I appreciated his kindness. Tobias, Anne's 'illegitimate' son and Louisa's half-brother, was interesting in his fascination with and the assimilation of the Japanese culture. Unfortunately, these two characters do not appear often enough.

By the way, if you're interested to know, the book *eventually* uncovers what happened to Serk. I personally don't mind this part that much, but if you're hoping for a good closure, you're in for more disappointment. For one, it took forever for the plot to move on. There was very little reason for the plot to go this slowly, but hey, where else can the author demonstrate her prowess at weaving more long sentences? The ending was hardly satisfactory, and I wished I had DNFed this early on.

This was a slow burn worth its name. You need time to get into the story but it pays of by ending up being a phenomenal read. I think about this book daily. Thomas & Mercer is proving them as some of the best publishers out there when it comes to high wuality books. The author is so talented with the ability to use words in these beautiful ways. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this book.

Flashlight by Susan Choi is an exploration of family, memory, and the echoes of a single tragic night. The story begins with ten-year-old Louisa walking along the beach with her father, Serk, under the glow of a flashlight. He cannot swim. Hours later, Louisa is found washed ashore, barely alive. Her father is gone. What follows is a gripping, multi-layered narrative that spans decades and continents, unraveling secrets while examining the bonds that hold us together—and the silences that tear us apart.

Told through shifting perspectives, Choi’s novel is a masterclass in tension and emotional depth. We follow Louisa, an only child grappling with her father’s mysterious disappearance and her mother Anne’s struggles with multiple sclerosis. Anne, meanwhile, carries her own weight of estrangement and regret. Serk’s past, as an ethnic Korean raised in Japan and separated from his family when they emigrated to North Korea, adds a fascinating historical dimension to the story. When Anne’s estranged son, Tobias, reappears, the family’s already fragile foundation begins to crack, raising questions that reverberate through every chapter.

Choi’s writing is immersive, and her ability to create richly complex characters makes the story impossible to put down. The relationships are raw and real. What sets Flashlight apart is how it balances personal and historical narratives. Serk’s story introduces readers to a little-known chapter of history, and Choi’s attention to detail makes this aspect of the novel as compelling as the family drama. The questions raised—about identity, loyalty, and the weight of unresolved trauma—linger long after the final page. This is a must-read for anyone who loves literary fiction with emotional depth, a touch of history, and a gripping mystery at its heart.

#Flashlight #SusanChoi #FarrarStrausGiroux



This is a book that will stay with you long after the last page. It’s heartbreaking, mysterious, and thought-provoking—a must-read for fans of literary fiction that isn’t afraid to tackle the complexities of family, identity, and history.

#Flashlight #SusanChoi #FarrarStrausGiroux

Here is a review with no spoilers. This is an ARC provided by NetGalley, that is set to release June 3rd 2025.

I want to start of by saying that I quickly realized that this book wasn't for me. The writing style wasn't to my taste, and the chapters were awfully long. I struggled through it, but still wanted to give it a shot. About the 40% mark I decided to give up, and DNF.

The story was awfully slow - when I quit reading, the dad disappeared. The build up was too slow, and there weren't any climaxes and action curves that made it interesting. I try not to DNF ARCs, as I want to give them a fair review, but I honestly couldn't finish it. All in all, the problem was mostly how slow the book was.

I had no issue with the characters (they were interesting enough) and plot - it was just too slow. This is a very subjective opinion though, and Flashlight will definitely become a favorite to some.

I am not rating Falshlight on StoryGraph, this will be a DNF. On NetGalley I gave it 3 stars as a part of the review, as I had to rate it there.

3.5 stars, rounded to 4, but only with reflection; I liked it more than I originally thought.

This is one family’s nightmare. When Louisa was ten she and her father, Serk took a nighttime walk on the beach in Japan. Her father has a flashlight; he cannot swim. Sometime later Louisa is found washed up by the tide, barely clinging to life. Her father is gone and his body is never found.

Serk was an ethnic Korean raised in Japan when his family fled war. Louisa’s mother, Anne, is an American and she is estranged from her family following an incident in her youth. Tobias, Anne’s illegitimate son, Tobias, appears in their life, to major consequences.

Why did Serk take Anne and Louisa to Japan right before he disappeared? Are there things we don’t see?

This family saga was not what I was expecting, but I found it impressive in scope even though the pace was somewhat sluggish. This is my second book by Choi and her writing is good, if a bit sterile; her characters always seem to exist at a bit of a remove. Here there were things I wanted covered in greater detail and other events and paths I thought could have been edited. So, overall, enjoyable, I just wish Vhoi’d characters didn’t often feel inscrutable.

Was a huge fan of Trust Exercise so super excited to read this book. Def a departure (slightly) for the author, but very much in the same vein as her previous work. Excited to keep reading from her.

I find it difficult to write a review for this book because somehow I cannot point out the thing that didn't sit well with me...but I'll try.

This piece of historical (?) fiction refers to a specific event which I can't name otherwise it would be spoiler (I personally wasn't aware of it), but it happened between the 70s and 80s. Anyway, the parts that had to do with history (mainly the ones about Serk) were very interesting.
The rest was an analysis of the relationships between the protagonists which, IMO, didn't bring very far. The relationship between Louisa and Anne (mother and daughter) after Serk disappears? Weird. Now, Louisa is a problematic child and even a more problematic new adult, it felt like her adolescent phase doesn't really come to an end. Just like her father before her, she blames her mother for virtually everything. Anne might not have won the Mom Of The Year award, but her situation (being affected by multiple sclerosis) and the fact that Serk contributed to ruin the mom-daughter relationship and to shelter Louisa from virtually anything that was going on in their lives (for whatever reason, I mean I know why he did it but I found it a tad bit exaggerated) prior to his disappearance...I don't know, I cannot really blame her 100%.

It wouldn't be fair to harshly berate the novel, because I feel this book is objectively good (yes, I believe that some books are inherently good and some inherently bad, taste comes after that), but honestly it took me a good deal of effort to get to the end. I felt it was overwritten in most parts and it could have been shorter, but that's a matter of style and taste in this case.

Anyway, give it a chance. Happy reading!

I absolutely adored this book - Susan Choi is such a talented writer. Louisa, Anne, and Serk are all so well drawn and fascinating both individually and collectively. I thought this book would actually make a good pairing with Pachinko, as I felt like it covered a bit of a similar era of history in sections, and I loved that. There were just so many little sections I underlined as well, because they were so true or so well written or I just wanted to remember them. I can’t recommend this book enough.

In *Flashlight*, Susan Choi's latest novel, the author of *Trust Exercise*, readers are introduced to one family’s complicated history.

The basic premise follows an ethnically Korean father, who was born and raised in Japan, as he disappears one night while taking his young daughter for a stroll on the beach. However, this story is far from basic.

The narrative shifts through the perspectives of different family members, starting in the late 1940s and continuing to the present day. Just as a flashlight can illuminate a specific area while unable to reveal all, the characters struggle to reveal the bigger picture. As we navigate through each family member's story, we encounter their standoffish and private nature, compounded by the secrets they keep from each other.

This novel unveils the family's secrets spaning generations, different countries, and memory. Although I found the pacing challenging at times, I would recommend this novel. This slow unveiling is worth it. Thank you to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the ARC.

4.5 stars

Flashlight by Susan Choi
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.25/5)

This short story is quintessential Susan Choi—layered, introspective, and hauntingly precise. "Flashlight" dives into the strained relationship between a daughter and her ill mother, examining grief and longing in all their messy forms. I loved how Choi crafts Louisa, a precocious yet deeply flawed character who feels so real you might cringe at her sharp observations. The narrative is unsettling, and while it's slow-paced, every detail feels intentional, making you pause and reflect.

Some parts of the story felt a little too bleak, and I wanted more resolution. Still, this is a deeply moving read that lingers long after. Perfect for fans of literary fiction who appreciate character-driven stories.