The story centers around the lives of three ambitious college students in Seoul, South Korea in the late 1970’s. Each from different backgrounds, they try and find their way in a country with a struggling economy.

Jisun is from a wealthy family and is an angry activist who seems to be bent on antagonizing her father. For such a wealthy girl, Jisun does not seem to have much freedom, due to her father’s looming influence.

Niman, is from a poor family who struggles to keep her in school. Her older sister works in a shoe factory and is bitter that she has to help the family. Niman is the family’s hope to rise out of poverty. She is very focused and determined to achieve her goals. Niman met Jisun at school years earlier and they became friends, although the relationship is a tumultuous one.

Sunam, from a middle class background crosses paths with the two girls during the time he is trying to get into a prestigious club at the University. Sunam is somewhat of a blank slate. He’s lacking in confidence and while intelligent, he doesn’t seem to be very motivated to succeed.

I had a difficult time getting interested in the story for the first part of the book. It took a while to get to know the characters and I was halfway into the book by the time it captured my interest. Still, it was interesting to learn about the culture in South Korea and the lives of the people, as the country moved into a more prosperous era, later becoming strong enough to host the 1988 Olympics.

Many thanks to Net-Galley and Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It wasn't asure interesting as i thought it would be. Not much interesting happens.

This was quite the up and down read for me. And I'm not speaking about my emotions, I'm speaking about the ups and downs of whether I was going to continue reading. The book starts off with promise, with a protest from some textile workers in a South Korean factory. Then it drags on about these two guys, who at some point do have a connection to the story. Every time I would decide to just read one more chapter before I gave up, the story would swing back around to my favorite character, and become interesting again. In other words, I loved the story of Namin, and pretty much was bored with all the rest of the parts. To be fair, I have a known affliction with books about twenty-somethings who are trying to "find themselves" in the world, so this could weigh heavily on why I didn't enjoy many parts not related to Namin (who was trying to claw her way out of poverty for her family). There was nothing wrong with the writing, although I wouldn't hang any literary awards on it, and if I had been more engaged in all the characters, I think the plot would have moved along more quickly. I was also hoping to glean a bit more knowledge about South Korea in the 70's, but that didn't really happen.

All in all, I'm giving this 3 stars. The Namin parts were a solid 4 stars, and the rest was 2 stars. Not a horrible book, but if you don't engage with the characters from the first few chapters, it may not be worth your while to finish.

I was invited to read this novel by Random House and Net Galley, and although I read multiple books at a time, this was the one I saved for bedtime, after the lights were out, the hound snoring at the foot of the bed, and everyone else was asleep. This is prime reading time, and this was the story I wanted to follow uninterrupted. You can get a copy for yourself this Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

This story is set in 1978 in Seoul, South Korea, and features the political demonstrations by workers and students against the notoriously repressive Park regime. The main characters are all involved briefly with these protests, either as participants or as witnesses. While the setting is handled competently, the success of this novel is owed to character, character, and character.

We are introduced to three young adults. First is Jisun, a bright young daughter of a ruling scion. Jisun harbors tremendous anger toward her father, and as the story unspools, we find out why, little by little. One hint I’ll offer that doesn’t spoil the ending is that it isn’t about rape or sexual abuse of any kind, and I was glad not to see this overused device employed here. Everything in this story is fresh and original.

Our story comes to us from multiple viewpoints. My favorite character by far is Namin, a striving member of the working class battling to rise through hard work and intellectual talent. An unlikely but wholly believable friendship develops between Jisun, who is trying to grasp what ordinary people experience day to day, and Namin. Namin’s parents labor nearly every waking hour running a food truck, and her sister works in an auto plant so that Namin can attend the university. The choices that are made in order to fuel Namin’s success, and by extension that of her family, are hard ones, and this is just one aspect of the book that would make for excellent discussion in a literature class or book club.

The third main character is Sunam, a young man from a middle class family who finds himself in a love triangle with these two young women. At one point I feared the book would turn melodramatic, but in the author’s capable hands it is deftly maneuvered and is made believable. In fact, while I didn’t always like these characters, by the halfway point I absolutely believed all three of them.

The only weakness here is the way in which the protestors are depicted; they seem addled and the struggle appears to have no political platform whatsoever. Liberal Christian missionaries appear and vanish with no clear role, and although a purpose becomes apparent eventually, I felt they were more of a distraction than a worthwhile component.

The struggle against the Park government was a more worthy one than Wuertz’s narrative suggests. Had this been given firmer contours, this would be a five star read.

For those looking to broaden their literary horizons or just looking for a good story, this novel is recommended.

"Everything Belongs to Us," a debut novel from Yoojin Grace Wuertz, unfolds in South Korea in the late 1970s. Certain elements of the story are unique to the time and place (labor struggles, worries about conflict or reconciliation with the North) while many other themes are universal (ambition, conflict between parents and children, sibling rivalries, young love). Wuertz creates a strong cast of characters, including two young women who may or may not be great friends: talented but desperately poor Namin and wealthy but perennially unhappy Jisun. When Sunam wanders into their orbit at Seoul National University, all three of their young lives are affected in dramatic ways. I loved the novel, the unusual setting and the flawed but still likable characters. In fact, I wish Wuertz had taken just a little longer to wind the story down. The ending felt a bit abrupt.

The book started out slow, picked up, but then dragged in the middle. The story was an interesting one of four main characters and their lives in South Korea. Their lives intertwined and clashed as do their ideologies and experiences

I hate it when this happens!! I was very much looking forward to reading "Everything Belongs to Us" to improve my understanding of the on-going situation in Korea. It started off on a promising note, set in Seoul, South Korea starting in 1978, it begins with a 3 day protest by women textile workers. We meet two strong female characters who are diametrically opposite: Jisun, from a very wealthy family, and Namin, who is very poor and whose family has had to struggle for everything they have. Jisun is trying to break away from her family and become a rebel, while Namin will do anything she can to rise into the upper circles Jisun wants so desperately to leave. Yet these two women are friends and university students. Enter two male university students also striving to fulfill their separate ambitions and we should be set for a story of politics, class differences and friendship. I'm ready!!

But the story never really took off for me. It was slow, wandering, and didn't fulfill the promise I had been led to expect from the publicity. The characters seemed flat, and to me, that is a big flaw. If you can't engage with the characters, why are you reading the book? Unfortunately, I asked myself that question multiple times as I worked my way through the book.

I do appreciate NetGalley and Random House for giving me the opportunity to read an e-ARC of this book.

This is a really beautifully written story of two girls from two vastly different families growing up in the 70s in South Korea. I loved all of the descriptions- especially since they were coming from a Korean writer and not an expat just assuming what the Koreans were thinking/feeling at this time in history. Overall a really strong story, though it kind of fizzled out towards the end. Maybe it's a Western thing that stories have to end either with a bang or with everything tied up in a bow, but I just wanted a little bit more of a strong conclusion to the book.

Rating: 3.5

Set in 1978 in South Korea, we start this novel out with the tale of protesters/factory workers who are unhappy with the conditions in their workplaces. We follow four main characters, who each follow different life paths throughout the book and give the readers glimpses to their struggles and victories.

A word that I would use this is clunky but memorable. The narrative switches from one person to another rapidly, and I found it extremely hard to follow along with what was going on with the various storylines. Rarely did they intersect in a way where I understood how the "puzzle pieces" of the story fit in. Also, in the epilogue there was some vague mentions of news of one of the MC's in a newspaper article, but I honestly was very curious to see from their perspective how they feel about being successful in their life. It was just jarring to be traveling with this character throughout this whole book, and then we have no word directly from her fifteen years later, while other character got the stage.

Jinsun and Namin were the two characters who really stood out to me, because I genuinely enjoyed watching their complex female friendship progress through the years, and also a look at the various flashbacks that got them to where they are today.

They were deeply flawed, deeply imperfect characters, but that's what made them more realistic and admirable to me. Namin is an ambitious, brilliant, family oriented women who is on the track to success and has so much potential ahead of her. Jinsun is the daughter of an extremely rich businessmen, one of the top friends with the current leader of South Korean. She floats around in this book, without seeming to lay down roots. While I could appreciate Namin's drive, I could also sympathize with Jinsun's unfortunate circumstances which led her to where she is today.

The historical significance of this, hit very close to home in current events that are going on in the USA. Intentionally or not, I got a sense of relevance and urgency that was coming out of these pages. The framing of the three day protests, the political landscape, the governments actions, seemed to me to be very well researched, although presented in a removed way.

The writing wasn't measuring up to my high expectations, (maybe that's partially my fault), but I felt like this was a just average style that I've seen done dozens of times before in literary fiction. This story felt promising and had lots of potential, yet I felt like the author could have gone farther with what she said. Granted, she's a debut author, and I can respect that fact and give her wiggle room to grow in her future projects.

This story features friendship, familial responsibilities, coming into your adulthood, activism, political intrigue, and the moral dilemmas that people face everyday. It falls into the literary historical fiction category. Overall, I enjoyed the reading experience itself and would recommend for fans of these topics and genre to definitively pick it up.

**Thanks to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Thank You to Random House Publishing Group for providing me with an advanced copy of Yoojin Grace Wuertz's novel, Everything Belongs to Us, in exchange for an honest review. 

PLOT - Set in Seoul, South Korea during the late 70's, Everything Belongs to Us, is the story of two childhood friends from vastly different economic backgrounds. Jisun, the daughter of a successful business tycoon, is from a privileged family, and lives in a secluded mountainside mansion. Namin lives in a poor village, in a small house without running water, and her parents own a food truck, working sixteen hour days. The girls meet when Namin's impressive test scores admit her to an elite middle school. 

Fast forward to college, both women are attending South Korea's most prestigious university. Namin's goal is to become a doctor and her family puts all of their money and energy towards her success, seeing her as their ticket out of their hard life. Jisun's father would like to groom her to take over his company, but she would rather disavow her wealthy upbringing. Instead, Jisun becomes involved in an activist movement, risking not only embarrassment to her family, but jail. A series of circumstances sets a course that will show each woman, that their situations are tenuous and that desire isn't always enough.

LIKE- Wow. Just wow. Everything Belongs to Us is a dazzling debut novel that gripped me from the start and didn't let go. I absolutely could not put it down, and as a consequence, I stayed up far past my bedtime to finish reading it. Wuertz's strong voice, combined with sympathetic characters and a intriguing plot, kept me glued.

What surprised me the most, was how current the story felt. Admittedly, I know very little about Korea's history during the 1970's. However, with the exception of the factory protests (which for all I know could also be happening now), I kept forgetting that this story was set decades ago. I think it's because the idea of college students focusing on power, social climbing and ambition, transcends decades or cultures. The idea of a lower-class family putting all of their dreams towards their child who could raise their status, is something that still happens; same as a child from a wealthy family who might want to test out a different life from the one in which she was raised. These are themes that transcend.

Power is a key theme of Everything Belongs to Us. The most gut-wrenching use of this theme, comes from Namin, when she learns that her younger brother, who has cerebral-palsy, has been sent away from Seoul, to live with their grandparents in the county. The problem is, the family is ashamed, and does not speak of Namin's younger brother. She fears that he is dead, until as teenagers, Jisun suggests that Namin make a surprise trip to the countryside, to see if her brother is still alive. He is alive and knowing that her elderly grandparents will not be able to care for him much longer, Namin feels an even stronger pressure to finish school, and have a job where she will have the resources to help him. There is a beautiful scene where she takes him in his wheelchair to the river and as they cool their feet in the water, they dream of the fantasy home that they will one day have. Namin dreams of being wealthy, but not so much for herself, but for the power that it would give her to provide for her family. It's a desperate and non-negotiable need for her.

In college, the girls meet Sunam, a boy from a middle-class background, who like the girls, is trying to find his place in the world. Sunam becomes Namin's boyfriend, but their relationship declines when she becomes too busy with school and family obligations. Jisun, who is broken-hearted over an American missionary, turns her attentions to Sunam, beginning an affair with Namin's boyfriend. Unbeknownst to both girls, Sunam is harboring a secret that would destroy both of his relationships. Wuertz's plot is full of moral dilemmas and impossible situations. It's suspenseful and kept me guessing until the very end.

DISLIKE- Not a single thing. Everything Belongs to Us is a fabulous debut.

RECOMMEND- Yes! Everything Belongs to Us is set in the 1970's, but is fresh and modern. Wuertz is a masterful storyteller and I can't wait to read her follow-up to this magnificent debut. Also, be sure to check out her author website, where she shares pictures of her family, who were inspiration for the characters in Everything Belongs to Us.

The two main characters are quite different women. Jisun has had a privileged life, although not much of a loving family life. In rebellion against her father, she joins an underground activist group. Her best friend, Namin, comes from a poor, hard-working family and is struggling through college at the Seoul National University in the hope that she will be able to offer her family a better life. The two main male characters are Sunam, a student trying to join the prestigious Circle, and Juno, Jisun’s conniving brother.

The story takes place in the 70’s and the author does a very good job of describing the hopes and fears of the young generation in South Korea at that time. There were those who rebelled and protested the harsh working conditions and there were those who strived to make the right connections so they could move upward. The living conditions for many made it very difficult to break out of their dismal prospects. While politics play a big part in the book, it’s not heavy handed and the author smoothly blends it into the story. I became engrossed in the story of these young people, their loves, their families and their friendships. The author offers excellent insight into the moral dilemmas faced by her characters and the choices that each makes. I felt the ending sort of petered out but I did enjoy this book as a whole and recommend it.
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Random Publishing House for the ARC of "Everything Belongs to Us" by Yoojin Grace Wuertz in exchange for my honest review. The genres of this novel are Fiction, Women Fiction, and I would add Historical Fiction. The setting of this novel is Seoul, South Korea around 1978. I find that the author describes South Korea's top University and the Circle, an elite University Club, that are portrayed as symbols of success and wealth for the individuals who strive and work hard.
In this historical timelime, the author shows the diversity of wealth, rich and poor people and how they live. In hardworking poor Korean families,the burdens of life are portrayed. For example, it is embarrassing to have a child born with Cerebral Palsy, and often the family would hide the child with another relative. Some poor Korean women worked in factories, or were prostitutes.
The characters are complex and conflicted. Jisun is a privileged daughter of one of Korea's top wealthiest business men. She resents the the chauffeur and limousines, and everything materialistic. She joins protests and when other women are locked up, she is removed and brought back home to her father. Her friend Namin comes from a poor home, where she struggles to go to The University, and dreams of becoming a Doctor with all privileges. Namin works hard and has many obstacles in her way. Juno is a student who looks for the easy way. He feels that if he marries Jisun, he will have a wonderful life set up because of the father. Another character Sunam wants to please his comfortable family, and does try to join the elite group with Juno as his sponsor.
The lives of all four characters seem to connect. The author writes of betrayal, greed, manipulation,honor,family, love and hope. I found this novel to be intriguing, and the author's descriptions impressive.

Thank you to NetGalley for the complimentary copy of this book for review! I really enjoyed the story of two young women from vastly different socioeconomic levels. Unlikely friends who try and stay close despite many obstacles, and social pressure. The main characters are Namin, a young women from a poor family living in an equally poor neighborhood, and Jisun, the daughter of a wealthy business man. The story weaves in the trials and struggles experienced by both as they navigate their lives. I enjoyed the insight to the Korean culture, and their struggles, though I wish the author had given us more insight to the women themselves. The story never divulges into their emotions from first person so it is more difficult to truly engage with them. I felt like we knew more about the emotional status of one of the male subcharacters far more clearly than the women. I would definitely recommend this book!

Two young women of vastly different means each struggle to find her own way during the darkest hours of South Korea’s “economic miracle” in a striking debut novel for readers of Anthony Marra and Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.

Seoul, 1978. At South Korea’s top university, the nation’s best and brightest compete to join the professional elite of an authoritarian regime. Success could lead to a life of rarefied privilege and wealth; failure means being left irrevocably behind. For childhood friends Jisun and Namin, the stakes couldn’t be more different. Jisun, the daughter of a powerful business mogul, grew up on a mountainside estate with lush gardens and a dedicated chauffeur. Namin’s parents run a tented food cart from dawn to curfew; her sister works in a shoe factory. Now Jisun wants as little to do with her father’s world as possible, abandoning her schoolwork in favor of the underground activist movement, while Namin studies tirelessly in the service of one goal: to launch herself and her family out of poverty. But everything changes when Jisun and Namin meet an ambitious, charming student named Sunam, whose need to please his family has led him to a prestigious club: the Circle. Under the influence of his mentor, Juno, a manipulative social climber, Sunam becomes entangled with both women, as they all make choices that will change their lives forever.In this sweeping yet intimate debut, Yoojin Grace Wuertz details four intertwining lives that are rife with turmoil and desire, private anxieties and public betrayals, dashed hopes and broken dreams—while a nation moves toward prosperity at any cost. (via Goodreads)

I received an eARC from the publisher, Penguin Random House, and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I fell in love with this book when I first saw the cover of Everything Belongs to Us. Seriously, I love the cover of this book. In the end, I liked this book, but not as much as I think I could have.

I enjoyed seeing the vast differences between Namin and Jisun, and the way they lived their lives in the same city. They were both so absolutely dedicated to what they thought was important, which for Namin was her education, and for Jisun was the rebellion. Both of these women were so different, and yet so similar.

However, the story was advertised as being told by Namin and Jisun, and we honestly saw most of this story through Sunam’s eyes. I couldn’t figure out what Sunam, as a person, wanted until he wanted to have sex with Namin, which really kept me from connecting with him.

South Korean culture is not something I know really anything about, and this period in history is one that I hadn’t learned about. As a result, I had to do a little bit of googling mid-book to really understand what was going on, which took me out of the story. I also had to step out of the story several times for mental health reasons.

The ending also felt really unfinished to me. What happened with Namin’s family? What happened with Jisun’s? There were a lot of unanswered questions left in my mind as I read the last page, which left me a little disappointed.

This was a hard book for me to read, but there were some really great things about it. For that reason, I gave it three stars. It’d be closer to a 3.5 if I did half stars. I think this could be a great novel for someone else, though. You can pick up a copy through Amazon, Indiebound or your other favorite bookseller!

three stars

~ Yoojin Grace Wuertz was born in Seoul, South Korea, and immigrated to the United States at age six. She holds a BA in English from Yale University and an MFA in fiction from New York University. She lives in northern New Jersey with her husband and son.

Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

Revolving around the lives of three college students in 1978 Seoul, Korea, Everything Belongs to Us paints a story that is just as much about the tumultuous, roiling political and activist climate as it is about the pains and responsibilities facing and burdening the three young adults trying to figure out who they intend to grow into. Jisun is a wild daughter of a wealthy and prominent father who is painfully naive as she believes herself to be firmly plugged into questions of class consciousness. Namin is her childhood friend, growing up as the willing recipient of all the expectations of her impoverished family, utilitarian and driven. And Sunam is from a family somewhere in between, himself untethered and confused as to what and who he believes in.

The prose of the novel is superbly written and very engaging and fascinating. The characters are distinctive and fresh, although sometimes so full of different aspects and characteristics that they don't seem to be individual people. The plot, while quick, was a little disjoint with a lack of a strong base or tether. There were times I felt one plot line could've been given more weight while others could have been disregarded.

The novel paints a beautiful picture of different aspects of 1978 Korea, touching on questions of class and wealth, of activism and focus, of familial responsibility and disdain. It is an enjoyable read, despite being a little disconnected, and I would recommend it for anyone interested in the time period or in a somewhat coming of age tale.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a fair review!

Two young women who come from opposite sides of the economic spectrum struggle to find their way in Seoul 1978. The pressure is on to succeed so that one can live a life of prestige, status, and wealth, because to fail means a life of poverty and being left in the dust.

Jisun and Namin are friends. Jimsun grew up wealthy. Her father is a successful business man and they live in a beautiful home and she is driven by a chauffeur. Namin grew up with parents who owned a food cart that they worked all day just to survive. Jisun wants to leave her privileged life behind to get involved in the underground activist movement. Namin wants to end her family's poverty and she studies and works hard so that she can be a success and change all of their lives.

Then one day they meet Sunam (and his mentor Juno) a male student at the university. Everything changes for them. This book touches on intimacy, betrayal, coming of age, oppression, and relationships. This is all I will say about the plot.

What I will say is that this book took me forever to read. I just could not get into it. I would start it and then find another book to read. I just did not connect with the book especially in the beginning. Toward the later part of the book, it did pick up for me but not enough to warrant higher rating. Some reviews are saying this had a soap opera feel to it, I am not sure about that. I just could not get into this book.

Received from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! My first five star book of the year. I loved the characters and the unfolding of their stories. Two main female characters are born into vastly different lives (one rich, one poor), but they become friends nevertheless. The story revolves around their time in college.

Favorite quote:
"But lies were for people who didn't believe in the future. Who saw only an endless stretch of present without consequences or change."

Seoul, 1978. A three day protest by women's textile workers is an outcry for basic labor rights. President Park Chung Hee's party slogan is "work cheerfully, courageously for a more prosperous nation". Attending university would mean the difference between working in a factory or steel mill as opposed to a cushy job, living in a high rise apartment, having indoor plumbing and owning a car. Three students at Seoul National University are among the few having the opportunity to live the dream of success and upward mobility.

Jisun's father, Ahn Kiyu, owns the largest shipping conglomerate in South Korea. He is a self-made man coming from humble beginnings. Ahn claims that achieving wealth takes long term planning. Jisun's brother is reckless with money so Ahn intends to transfer his business to Jisun when he retires. Jisun, however, secretly becomes involved in college activism. Wealth and possessions are unimportant to her.

Namin and her family live in a three room flat. The apartment contains no indoor plumbing. Her parents run a tented food mart and work from dawn to dusk. By scoring high on her exams, she has earned a place in Seoul National University. If she becomes a physician, she can single handedly lift her family out of poverty.

Sunam thinks about where he is in life and what he wants to achieve. His father tells him that if a family is prosperous, the children must be prosperous. His father is the director of a shipping company. Sunam aspires to join an elite campus club called The Circle. Exclusive membership can open doors and secure his future if he passes the initiation process.

Jisun and Namin have been friends since middle school. Their paths now diverge as Jisun rejects family wealth and privilege seeking activism, self expression and freedom. Namin, ever the student, constantly studies despite continuous family upheaval. Into this mix, Sunam, insecure and unsure of his path in life, has a complicated relationship with both Jisun and Namin. Each of them tries to follow their instincts and blaze a path to a fulfilling future.

"Everything Belongs to Us" by first time novelist Yoojin Grace Wuertz is a fascinating read. We experience the rocky road traveled by three college students with high aspirations, hopes and dreams as they navigate life's tumultuous journey.

Thank you Random House Publishing and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "Everything Belongs to Us".

I could not connect with this book at all - I started it four times and finally gave up on it.

The lives of two girls from vastly different socioeconomic levels in South Korea try to find themselves, and their voices, throughout the story. Naimin is poor, has a shameful family life, but is intelligent beyond expectation. What she lacks in savvy, Jisun fills in, even though she's lived a life of extravagant privilege. These two friends butt heads more than they get along, and a man inevitably puts the final nail in the coffin of their friendship.
Themes of social rebellion and democracy make room for familial duty, responsibility and respect as the story unfolds. The characters and their lives are interesting and unique. The multifaceted plot is layered, yet a slower lull in the beginning of the second half leads to a more mundane existence. There are a few surprises as the characters try to navigate their young adult lives, and situations somewhat reverse themselves as Naimin and Jisun sort themselves out. In all, a predictable tale that sheds light on the time period and various lifestyles in South Korea in the late 1970's.