Almond

A Novel

De: Won-pyung Sohn

Narrado por: Greg Chun

This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me.

Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends - the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that - but his devoted mother and grandmother aren’t fazed by his condition. Their little home above his mother’s used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say "thank you", and when to laugh. Yunjae grows up content, even happy, with his small family in this quiet, peaceful space.

Then on Christmas Eve - Yunjae’s 16th birthday - everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school and begins to bully Yunjae. Against all odds, tormentor and victim learn they have more in common than they realized. Gon is stumped by Yunjae’s impassive calm, while Yunjae thinks if he gets to know the hotheaded Gon, he might learn how to experience true feelings. Drawn by curiosity, the two strike up a surprising friendship. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people - including a girl at school - something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life in danger, it is Yunjae who will step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become a most unlikely hero.

The Emissary meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.

©2020 Won-pyung Sohn (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Great novel

Almond is a must-read for anyone looking for a deeply moving and insightful literary experience.

Wonderful

I relate heavily to both the protagpnist and his friends. The book reminds me heavily of Korean society, my second home. Simple writing. Great story. Highly recommended

I love the main character dearly.

Great

Great book. It is detailed and moving. Loved it! Touching! Great narration. Draws you in immediately. Great moral compass.

4.8 of 5

In short, this is a Building’s Roman novel.
Actually Korean is much better than English.

Heartfelt and tragic

It will stay in my mind forever, the author wrote beautiful characters and a story that moved me.

Friendship

Prepare to cry edition I loved this book to pieces and I’ll miss everyone in it. I hope they’re still friends

Breathtaking and heartwarming

The books starts a little slow though it progressively gets better. I did not expect many of the things that developed. Laughed a couple of times and tears welled up as well. I chose to hear this book after an online recommendation, now it will remain in my list:)

Hope and growth mindset

This short novel is about friendship and change. It is beautifully written and filled with ebbs and flows of life.

Some books are best read. For me, this book was more meaningful by listening. My mind could do focus on the story and visuals.

It would be a discussion point for college freshmen or as a book club selection. As the story touched my heart, I kept wondering, how might others relate and react?

The book was recommended by RM from BTS; now I understand why.

Adding to the fav list! 💜

I loved this story. I broke down so hard during the empathy experiment. Exquisite and beautifully thought provoking.

Thought provoking and beautiful

I am always looking for a memorable way to change my scope and world-view. When this book was recommended countless times by the community of readers I interact with, I had to give it a read. Took only a day to get through, and quite the tear-jerker, though I am a little sensitive. Made me ask many questions, and triggered many deep conversations with my friends and partner. Overall something I will revisit, continue thinking about until something else catches my eye in the same way.