Name: Lemon
Rating: 3.236111111111111 (36 reviews)
ISBN: 9781800241503

Kwon Yeo-sun

Focusing on the unsolved murder of teenage girl, this literary crime novel offers insights into gender, class and privilege in Seoul, and marks the English-language debut for award-winning Korean author, Kwon Yeo-sun.

Lemon

New York Times Book Review: Editor’s Choice Philadelphia Inquirer: Best Book of the Month World Literature Today: Notable Translation of the Year CrimeReads: Best International Crime Novel of the Year Ms. Magazine: Most Anticipated Book of the Year Washington Independent Review of Books: Favorite Book of the Year Parasite meets The Good Son in this piercing psychological portrait of three women haunted by a brutal, unsolved crime. In the summer of 2002, when Korea is abuzz over hosting the FIFA World Cup, eighteen-year-old Kim Hae-on is killed in what becomes known as the High School Beauty Murder. Two suspects quickly emerge: rich kid Shin Jeongjun, whose car Hae-on was last seen in, and delivery boy Han Manu, who witnessed her there just a few hours before her death. But when Jeongjun’s alibi checks out, and no evidence can be pinned on Manu, the case goes cold. Seventeen years pass without any resolution for those close to Hae-on, and the grief and uncertainty take a cruel toll on her younger sister, Da-on, in particular. Unable to move on with her life, Da-on tries in her own twisted way to recover some of what she’s lost, ultimately setting out to find the truth of what happened. Shifting between the perspectives of Da-on and two of Hae-on’s classmates struck in different ways by her otherworldly beauty, Lemon ostensibly takes the shape of a crime novel. But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn.

A Novel

hotdamhistorian

This is a brilliant novella, the prose has this hypnotic character that made it impossible to put this book down. Even though not every question is answered in the book, it seems like the author does more with the negative space than with the bits she does reveal to the reader.

Emma D

The differing perspectives were cool and I liked having a party that was similar to the readers represented. You have to be willing to fill in the gaps with this read and you may feel frustrated by the end…

Ivy X

This book is mainly about the impact her sister’s death had on everyone.

Not so much mystery or thriller. It basically led me to come to conclusion that life has no meaning so looking for that meaning leads no where.

While 'Lemon' often appears to be sold on the virtue of being crime fiction what it actually is a novel about grief. It explores not so much the facts of the horrific murder of Hae-on but its impact on her family (her mother and her younger sister, Dae-on) and, to a lesser degree, on her schoolmates. 

Regardless, the novel deals with both aspects fantastically. When following Dae-on and her own investigation into her sister's cold-case murder, 'Lemon' deals with all the stages of grief. It showcases the long-lasting devastation of death of a loved one and all the ways one tried to cope with it, healthy or not. In one of the most poignant moments, Sanghui - a former classmate of Hae-on's and one of the three different P.O.V.s within the novel - notes that in dealing with her grief the way she did, for Dae-on that fateful summer of her sister's death may never be over - "It will go on endlessly, until the end of Dae-on's life, or maybe beyond that" - and what a heavy weight that is. 

One of the ways with which Dae-on tried to cope with Hae-on's death is by seeking to find the culprit for her murder. Reaching out to the former primer suspect - a poor boy, another classmate, working as a delivery boy - she finds out another life ruined by the murder. While Dae-on may believe he is innocent of the crime, it is through this connection that she finally finds true closure. 

There is a third P.O.V. in the novel, which appears to be Yun Taerim - one of the witnesses of the night of Hae-on's murder. While herein seems to lie the key to the true culprit's identity, what the novel masterfully showcases through Taerim are the impacts of the knowledge of the crime. Murder, it seems, taints in more ways than one. 

With the addition of this third P.O.V., the novel feels more rounded. The whole of it reads as a strong work of literary fiction that thoroughly explores all the dimensions of loss and grief.

While 'Lemon' often appears to be sold on the virtue of being crime fiction what it actually is a novel about grief. It explores not so much the facts of the horrific murder of Hae-on but its impact on her family (her mother and her younger sister, Dae-on) and, to a lesser degree, on her schoolmates. 

Regardless, the novel deals with both aspects fantastically. When following Dae-on and her own investigation into her sister's cold-case murder, 'Lemon' deals with all the stages of grief. It showcases the long-lasting devastation of death of a loved one and all the ways one tried to cope with it, healthy or not. In one of the most poignant moments, Sanghui - a former classmate of Hae-on's and one of the three different P.O.V.s within the novel - notes that in dealing with her grief the way she did, for Dae-on that fateful summer of her sister's death may never be over - "It will go on endlessly, until the end of Dae-on's life, or maybe beyond that" - and what a heavy weight that is. 

One of the ways with which Dae-on tried to cope with Hae-on's death is by seeking to find the culprit for her murder. Reaching out to the former primer suspect - a poor boy, another classmate, working as a delivery boy - she finds out another life ruined by the murder. While Dae-on may believe he is innocent of the crime, it is through this connection that she finally finds true closure. 

There is a third P.O.V. in the novel, which appears to be Yun Taerim - one of the witnesses of the night of Hae-on's murder. While herein seems to lie the key to the true culprit's identity, what the novel masterfully showcases through Taerim are the impacts of the knowledge of the crime. Murder, it seems, taints in more ways than one. 

With the addition of this third P.O.V., the novel feels more rounded. The whole of it reads as a strong work of literary fiction that thoroughly explores all the dimensions of loss and grief.

Christine Bruce

A mystery about a beautiful girl. This novella recalls the grief, confusion, and denial from the point of view of the sister, the classmate, the friend, and the murderer as they make sense of a tragedy over the course of many years. 

It was an extremely short novel to cover the breadth of everything that goes on. Classism, corruption, sexism, and grief are all touched upon. Unfortunately it was so short that the huge chunks of time and reveals flew by so fast it gave me literary whiplash. This short novel packed a punch, but lacked the development and cohesion that would make the punch hurt. This is a story that would be phenomenal if fleshed out. A perfect potential adaptation. Sadly, the book fell flat. 

That said, the promise in the book had me enjoying it to the last page. The disappointment I felt when I got to the end was palpable. It had so much potential that just didn’t deliver. The scenes with the girlfriend were so interesting and different, the chapters from the sisters point of view were insightful and wild. The way only little pieces of the puzzle slipped into place,
One at a time, over years and years of pain and guilt and grief. Until finally it’s all so abundantly clear. If you’ve paid attention. The truth is not once explicitly stated, and I loved that. If you didn’t give the attention required, it could easily seem like a bunch of disjointed scenes after a tragedy. A likely still hold some of the same weight. 

💭 
3/10
Interesting twist
You have all the pieces from the beginning
Not enough development of characters or plot
Would be a perfect adaptation

Fraser Simons

I really liked this. Form meets function: a young girl is murdered and the story is told from the perspective of three girls, all unreliable, across many, many years. And in what people do not say is where the truth lies. This is perfect, considering that is also where the spectre of the girl killed now dwells. Existing solely as memories and invisibly influencing the people affected almost oppressively. But transparently. It feels almost haunting. 

I’d have liked for it to have been a bit meatier. But otherwise don’t have any gripes, really. It’s dark, tense, opaque. Very evocative of the frustrations of the loved ones she is survived by. Again, the construction of the novel is satisfying, whereas the catharsis withheld and it’s communication of themes is near perfect.

Francesca

Lettura veloce e intensa, c'è in particolare un avvenimento che mi ha fatto gelare il sangue.

KWON. YEO-SUN

LEMON.

3.5 rounded up, 

‘Couldn’t each moment we’re living now be the meaning of life?’ 

I breezed through this book in two sittings, I found the approach to the subject matter of a murder as being centred around the survivors to be quite different, I see a lot of reviews bemoaning not knowing whose voice was speaking but it only took me a few chapters to get into the swing of the structure personally. Also find it baffling that people didn’t ‘get’ what was happening narratively or who ‘done it’, not every narrative has to be pie in your face ya know ? (/ I think it was extremely obvious anyway lmao) 

Anyway this was a very different and interesting read with some explorations of grief as something other than just sadness and noble suffering. Sometimes grief is a selfish unburdening and metamorphosis and we can and will often have complicated feelings about those around us who die.

Lemon

Reviews

Highlights