When We Fell Apart by Soon Wiley

Trigger warning – this book deals with suicide.

Thank you Tandem Collective for gifting me a copy of ‘When We Fell Apart’ by Soon Wiley. I read this as part of a readalong, and I thought it was a great read.

A dual narrative tells us the story of young couple Yu-Jin and Min – they seem to be a great couple. However, Yu-Jin takes her own life, something which Min struggles to accept and believes that there must be more to the story, as Yu-Jin had a bright future ahead of her – so why would she do such a thing?

For me, this book is very much about identity: Min, a Korean-American, is not entirely sure of his place in the world. Is his place in Korea or America? As for Yu-Jin, does she really fit into the mould that her parents have placed her in – or does she need to break that mould in order to live the life that she knows she should be? And is that life one that will ever be accepted in Korea?

This is a fantastic piece of literature that does not fit perfectly into a genre. It is a contemporary piece of fiction but with elements of mystery and thriller.

If you enjoy a thoughtful and intriguing read – that stays with you even after the last page – then I really recommend this book.