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gaycornbread420's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Really disappointed by the ending, but before that I thought it was great
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
tm400's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
this is my first literary/race themed book of the year & im thoroughly pleased to say the least
based off of the murder of latasha harlins in the early 90s, this book details a fictional story of racially motivated crime and how to come to terms with the repercussions of ones actions. i noticed throughout the book that the racist rhetoric on grace’s part is changed through her use of “yeah xyz is true BUT…” statements — statements that once held racist undertones lightened throughout the book as grace uncovered the whole story.
i took away half of a star because the stories didnt converge until later in the book than i was expecting, but i wouldnt consider that to be a critique on the story itself
i hadnt read a book quite like this one before & im very interested in reading similar novels in the future !
(my copy had 299 pages)
based off of the murder of latasha harlins in the early 90s, this book details a fictional story of racially motivated crime and how to come to terms with the repercussions of ones actions. i noticed throughout the book that the racist rhetoric on grace’s part is changed through her use of “yeah xyz is true BUT…” statements — statements that once held racist undertones lightened throughout the book as grace uncovered the whole story.
i took away half of a star because the stories didnt converge until later in the book than i was expecting, but i wouldnt consider that to be a critique on the story itself
i hadnt read a book quite like this one before & im very interested in reading similar novels in the future !
(my copy had 299 pages)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Gun violence
cernst09's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Murder
debimorton's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Shawn, Ava, Ray, Darryl, Aunt Sheila. Jung-Ja Han (Yvonne), Grace, Miriam. Los Angeles. Black, Korean.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Cursing and Racism
hazelgirl21's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Minor: Police brutality, Car accident, and Death of parent
jackelz's review against another edition
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
This book is based on the death of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins at the hands of a Korean-American store owner, Soon Ja Du, in 1991.
Du accused Latasha of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice, and their verbal altercation escalated into a physical one. Then the woman grabbed a gun and fired, killing the girl. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered that Latasha had the money for the juice in her hand — $2. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but served no jail time.
I’ve read about the protests in LA following the beating of Rodney King, and I’ve read books that mention the tension between Koreans and African-Americans, but I never knew why, and I’m thankful this book opened my eyes to that.
➞ During the riots of 1992, 2,280 Korean American-owned stores had been looted, burned or damaged, amounting to about $400 million in losses.
Your House Will Pay is set in the summer of 2019, after yet another police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
I love how the story was formatted, and that the book touches on both sides of the story. As the background story slowly unfolds, we are constantly learning more about the characters and how these events have shaped their lives. The narrative will have you questioning your familial relationships, your biases, and the Justice system.
This story will stick with me for a long time. Thank you Kristin Lee for recommending this one!
Du accused Latasha of shoplifting a bottle of orange juice, and their verbal altercation escalated into a physical one. Then the woman grabbed a gun and fired, killing the girl. When police arrived on the scene, they discovered that Latasha had the money for the juice in her hand — $2. Du was convicted of voluntary manslaughter but served no jail time.
I’ve read about the protests in LA following the beating of Rodney King, and I’ve read books that mention the tension between Koreans and African-Americans, but I never knew why, and I’m thankful this book opened my eyes to that.
➞ During the riots of 1992, 2,280 Korean American-owned stores had been looted, burned or damaged, amounting to about $400 million in losses.
Your House Will Pay is set in the summer of 2019, after yet another police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.
I love how the story was formatted, and that the book touches on both sides of the story. As the background story slowly unfolds, we are constantly learning more about the characters and how these events have shaped their lives. The narrative will have you questioning your familial relationships, your biases, and the Justice system.
This story will stick with me for a long time. Thank you Kristin Lee for recommending this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
kutub_qahwa's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Wow, what a book! Such an emotional journey, parts of it were so hard to read, and parts that I sped through. The author does an amazing job capturing such different lives and perspectives. There are so many feelings this book bring out. 10/10 recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality
Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death
internationalreads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
ajlct's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder
valcationvibes's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
This was a surprising read for me in a great way. I had never heard of this book till it was the chosen book for the February #APIDABuddyRead and honestly, I was blown away by this story. This novel is based on the true story of Latasha Harlins, an African American teenager, who was shot and killed by a Korean American convenience shop owner in Los Angeles in the year 1991.
This novel tells the story from the alternating viewpoints of Grace Park and Shawn Matthews. Grace is a Korean American who works in a Pharmacy run by her family. In her attempt to uncover reasons why her sister is estranged from her family, Grace discovers a secret that her family has been keeping from her throughout her entire life. Shawn has finally settled into a stable life, working in the day as a mover and coming home to a loving family and a young daughter. He feels like he is finally getting his life in order after a chaotic childhood filled with gangs and crimes before something attempts to upend his life and bring up the traumatic past again.
This book explores anti-blackness in the Asian community and it led to an awakening in me to examine my own privilege. It forced me to assess my intrinsic biases and how my actions actually contribute to nuances of racism. Am I pausing and checking myself before speaking or doing stuff? Am I using my privilege to bring light to the issues and racism faced in this country? These thoughts become glaringly essential when I think about how this story is so relevant even in today’s climate, 20 years after this incident. We should be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough?
Okay y’all, I’m shouting this next part so that you guys can hear it loud and clear. “Underrated book alert! More of you all need to grab this book!”
CW:Racism, Gun Violence, Riots, Death
This novel tells the story from the alternating viewpoints of Grace Park and Shawn Matthews. Grace is a Korean American who works in a Pharmacy run by her family. In her attempt to uncover reasons why her sister is estranged from her family, Grace discovers a secret that her family has been keeping from her throughout her entire life. Shawn has finally settled into a stable life, working in the day as a mover and coming home to a loving family and a young daughter. He feels like he is finally getting his life in order after a chaotic childhood filled with gangs and crimes before something attempts to upend his life and bring up the traumatic past again.
This book explores anti-blackness in the Asian community and it led to an awakening in me to examine my own privilege. It forced me to assess my intrinsic biases and how my actions actually contribute to nuances of racism. Am I pausing and checking myself before speaking or doing stuff? Am I using my privilege to bring light to the issues and racism faced in this country? These thoughts become glaringly essential when I think about how this story is so relevant even in today’s climate, 20 years after this incident. We should be asking ourselves: Are we doing enough? Am I doing enough?
Okay y’all, I’m shouting this next part so that you guys can hear it loud and clear. “Underrated book alert! More of you all need to grab this book!”
CW:Racism, Gun Violence, Riots, Death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Grief, and Murder