I received this book through a goodreads giveaway.

I am ashamed to say that I was completely unaware of the Gwangju Uprising, and even the decades of violent dictatorship South Korea suffered through the post-war era. I've always thought of South Korea as a democratic, first-world country, but it was actually a military state right up to the time of my birth in Seoul - this is a novel of recent history. So, if nothing else, I learned so much in reading this book.

Each character is well constructed and brings a unique voice to this incredibly difficult story. Both author and translator choose their words well, creating beautiful and powerful prose. The chapters wind together with subtle, but clear connections, thoughtfully unraveling the fate of "The Boy."

And perhaps most importantly, Human Acts feels absolutely necessary right now. The book looks closely at the themes of humanity, resiliency, and most of all, resistance. The oppression that the characters of this book (and their real life counterparts) faced is incomparable to our government and society, but there is still so much to be learned from their commitment. While some of their decisions may seem misguided, or even stupid, their sacrifices serve as an important reminder that defending human rights and community values is always worth it.

Trigger warning: Human Acts includes very graphic descriptions of police brutality, torture, and sexual assault which I found incredibly difficult to get through (and I usually have a high tolerance for gore).