Ok so, I was NOT PREPARED for the utter delicious-ness of this debut novel.
Where has Isabel Kim been?
I feel like this is probably the most impactful book I've read all year. I keep recommending it to all sorts of people, and I cannot wait for it to come out.
In fact, my only regret is that when reading this, I wanted desperately to dissect little parts and discuss it with someone else.
I wasn't a huge fan of the cover, but it reflects the novel so perfectly, that I now see why it was chosen. This book is a perfect mix of speculative fiction, science fiction, literary fiction and corporate espionage thriller, all rolled into one. Sometimes this doesn't work, but in this case, it worked so well for me. At the crux of this novel is the familiar question:Can a person really ever go home again? It is an age old question, and one that you'll have to answer yourself at the conclusion of the novel.
In short, readers enter in to a near future world where persons can split in two at borders. It doesn't always happen, and in fact it's a bit unpredictable, and messy. These folks often live two separate lives, or later may choose to reintegrate into one individual. We follow two young persons who have "body doubles/" in the US while their "original copy" lives in Korea. As these people navigate desire, and choices regarding separation and integration or re-integration, we are also treated to an expansive family saga, detailed and completely fleshed out technology systems, a bit of an espionage thriller, and a reckoning or what's lost and gained when one leaves home. In addition, the novel gets a bit meta with all sorts of references to the books premise but applied creatively to age old stories from the Bible and Greek myths/poetry. It is quite an accomplishment that this work hung together so cohesively. At every chapter I was kind of turned around with the multiple references that really fit quite perfectly within the narrative!
This is an excellent Book Club book as it brings up all sorts of topics of discussion: Immigration, Migration, Ethical issues with the use of technology, Family relationships and how they shape our world, Friendships, Personality, and so much more.
I was gifted an audiobook copy from Macmillan Audio and I really really recommend that you do choose to use the audio version. Narrators Major Curda and Michelle H. Lee did a great job giving a clear narration, but what REALLY stands out is the production of the novel. Studio Sound engineeers did an amazing job at translating certain parts of the text in some very specific sound effects which really drew me into the reading and made me feel as if I was experiencing the very thing the narrator was communicating. There was nothing distracting about this, and all the production really served to pull me further into the novel.
Even if you aren't a Sci-Fi fan, this is one to put on your list. Kudos to Isabel Kim, I've been looking up everything else she's got out there all week.
Many Thanks to Macmillan Audio for the ALC, this was a joy to read.
First Published : 6/2/26
Pages: 368
Available as an Audio Book : yes ~ 12 hrs
Trigger Warnings: mild violence, mild body horror, (this is not a full list, read responsibly)
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