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Shelter: A Novel by Jung Yun
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Shelter: A Novel (edition 2017)

by Jung Yun (Author)

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4503054,887 (3.74)19
"Kyung Cho's home is worth less money than he owes. A tenure-track professor, he and his wife, Gillian, have always lived beyond their means. Now their decisions have caught up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family's future: all he wants is to provide the home that was denied him to their son. Not that he ever wanted for pleasing things -- his father moved the family from Korea, and made good money engineering patents for the university that now employs his son. Kyung was raised in the town's most affluent neighborhood, in the exquisite house where his parents, Jin and Mae, still live, but his childhood was far from comfortable. Jin was always swift to anger, and whenever he took a hand to Mae, she would inflict the wounds she suffered on Kyung. With the support of his parents' pastor, Kyung brought the cycle to a halt, but he cannot bear the thought of asking them for help. Yet when Jin and Mae become victims of a violent home invasion, the dynamic suddenly changes, and Kyung is compelled to take them in. As the carefully established distance between Kyung and his parents collapses, he must reckon with his childhood, even as the life that he has built begins to crumble. As Shelter veers swiftly toward its startling conclusion, Jung Yun's debut novel leads us through dark and violent territory, where, unexpectedly, the Chos discover hope. Taut and masterfully told, it as riveting as it is profound"--… (more)
Member:Violette62
Title:Shelter: A Novel
Authors:Jung Yun (Author)
Info:Picador (2017), Edition: Reprint, 336 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:*****
Tags:family saga

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Shelter by Jung Yun

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» See also 19 mentions

Showing 1-5 of 29 (next | show all)
Strangely frustrating book. The main theme is of a 2nd generation immigrant dealing with distant, strict and traditional parents, but there are a lot of trauma and crises to push those themes to breaking point. The main character is dislikable and somewhat annoying, but I was able to have some sympathy due to the difficulty of his upbringing. I thought the tension and frustration felt when a strict parent becomes an indulgent and doting grandparent was interesting and well described. But unfortunately some of the characterizations and dialogue were just so badly done. A few, slightly spoilerish, examples (all paraphrased) — the wife of the protagonist, training to be a councillor (with a course book on her lap) responds to a difficult statement of the protagonist's feelings with "how can you say that? That's terrible". Maybe counseling isn't her calling. A policeman, seconds after the family discover the theorised suicide of one character the night after an argument with another says to the family "it's not entirely his fault". Also, in that possible suicide another character was deliberately killed — and no-one in the book seems bothered in the slightest that this person was apparently murdered. It's basically not mentioned. Things like that were really jarring, and for me totally undermined an interesting book. ( )
  thisisstephenbetts | Nov 25, 2023 |
Shelter has that "can't put it down" quality that every reader covets. The book shows three generations of a family that are seriously impacted by the behavior of the oldest generation. Kyung is a Korean American married to an Irish woman with a four year old son. He lives close to his parents, and the book starts with a bang when he finds his elderly mother, wandering naked and beaten, through his backyard. The story uses this one family to highlight how childhood trauma has impacts that are far reaching beyond the nuclear family. It reminded me a bit of this year's Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, but I found Shelter to be more riveting.
Yun uses both elements of mystery and psychological suspense to keep the pages turning. Although the writing style doesn't remind me of Jonathan Franzen, the characters definitely do. Yun isn't afraid to create less than loveable ones.

This book came very close to a five star read for me because the plotting and pacing both merited a very high rating. There were a few loose ends that were left unresolved and one moment toward the end of the book that really diminished my empathy with the protagonist that lead me to remove one star. However, this book is one I will definitely recommend if you are seeking a fast-paced, engrossing read. There is some graphic violence, and I think that will diminish the appeal for some readers. ( )
  Anita_Pomerantz | Mar 23, 2023 |
Story of a dysfunctional family that has been victimized by an act of brutal violence. The protagonist, Kyung, is a Korean American still suffering from events of the past. He has distanced himself from his parents but finds himself feeling responsible for them after the traumatic event. He struggles with the Korean cultural norms of his parents’ generation. The reader watches while Kyung’s life spirals out of control. Themes include the long-term ramifications of domestic abuse, parental love (or lack thereof), and how individuals make their own shelters when real ones fail them. It is a dark story filled with sadness and trauma.

I had mixed feelings about this book. The author has an impressive ability to describe interpersonal relationships succinctly and convincingly. Her prose flows smoothly. Love them or hate them, the characters were firmly established early. I thought this was going to be a new favorite, but it started derailing about half way through and never recovered. The large holes in the plot were rather difficult to overlook and the main players began acting out of character.

As an exploration of abuse, it was an ambitious undertaking, but ultimately fell short for me. I thought the writing was skillful, and I would read another by this author. Here’s hoping the next one contains a bit more optimism. Trigger warnings include rape and abuse. ( )
  Castlelass | Oct 30, 2022 |
Fascinating. There are so many layers to this story -- the immigrant parents, the struggle with assimilation, interracial marriage, the acts of violence both inside and outside the family, the idea of trying to live up to expectations that are impossible, and what happens when you fail.

It's interesting to read various reviews of this novel and to see what stands out most to different reviewers. For me, it's the idea of familial responsibility and what it means to be a family, to be a child of immigrant parents, to bridge cultural divides and navigate through being both American and Korean.

This is definitely not a light read, but it's certainly a worthwhile one.

I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. ( )
  resoundingjoy | Jan 1, 2021 |
This was really well done.
Mostly a deep look at complicated family dynamics and the life altering effects of domestic violence.
I like that racism was subtly explored, I dislike how it was used in relation to the main character's father. ( )
  LoisSusan | Dec 10, 2020 |
Showing 1-5 of 29 (next | show all)
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No man may step in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man. --HERACLITUS
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To my husband, Joel, who changed everything
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The boy is standing in the doorway again.
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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)
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"Kyung Cho's home is worth less money than he owes. A tenure-track professor, he and his wife, Gillian, have always lived beyond their means. Now their decisions have caught up with them, and Kyung is anxious for his family's future: all he wants is to provide the home that was denied him to their son. Not that he ever wanted for pleasing things -- his father moved the family from Korea, and made good money engineering patents for the university that now employs his son. Kyung was raised in the town's most affluent neighborhood, in the exquisite house where his parents, Jin and Mae, still live, but his childhood was far from comfortable. Jin was always swift to anger, and whenever he took a hand to Mae, she would inflict the wounds she suffered on Kyung. With the support of his parents' pastor, Kyung brought the cycle to a halt, but he cannot bear the thought of asking them for help. Yet when Jin and Mae become victims of a violent home invasion, the dynamic suddenly changes, and Kyung is compelled to take them in. As the carefully established distance between Kyung and his parents collapses, he must reckon with his childhood, even as the life that he has built begins to crumble. As Shelter veers swiftly toward its startling conclusion, Jung Yun's debut novel leads us through dark and violent territory, where, unexpectedly, the Chos discover hope. Taut and masterfully told, it as riveting as it is profound"--

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