Friday, February 21, 2014

Korean Word For Butterfly by Jamie Zerndt Review

Jamie Zerndt, Author of Korean Word For Butterfly: On Tour

Publisher: Create Space, March 27, 2013
ISBN-13:  978-1483997476
Category: Literary Fiction, South Korean Society
Tour Dates: February, 2014
Available in: Print & ebook329 pages
Set against the backdrop of the 2002 World Cup and rising anti-American sentiment due to a deadly accident involving two young Korean girls and a U.S. tank, The Korean Word For Butterfly is told from three alternating points-of-view:
Billie, the young wanna-be poet looking for adventure with her boyfriend who soon finds herself questioning her decision to travel so far from the comforts of American life;
Moon, the ex K-pop band manager who now works at the English school struggling to maintain his sobriety in hopes of getting his family back;
And Yun-ji , a secretary at the school whose new feelings of resentment toward Americans may lead her to do something she never would have imagined possible.
The Korean Word For Butterfly is a story about the choices we make and why we make them.
It is a story, ultimately, about the power of love and redemption.
Praise for Korean Word For Butterfly:
“5 stars. Full of fresh, original writing.” -THE KINDLE BOOK REVIEW
“This is one of the best young novels of the year.” -Grady Harp, Amazon TOP 50/HALL OF FAME REVIEWER
“Zerndt is a wonderful writer, and BUTTERFLY is an absolutely beautiful story. I was drawn into his characters from the first page, and I found myself devouring the novel in huge, satisfying gulps.” - kacunnin, Amazon TOP 500 REVIEWER
“The author had his finger on the pulse of how naïve Americans react to Korean culture and a spot on depiction of how Korean culture plays into this sort of scenario.” -Wayne, Amazon TOP 500 REVIEWER/VINE VOICE
Zerndt has managed to write something completely different from The Cloud Seeders yet equally captivating. These deliciously flawed characters will capture your heart from page one and have you sweating when you realize you’re reaching the end of the story entirely too soon. Zerndt is a master storyteller who seems to be able to write from absolutely anyone’s point of view with ease. Can’t wait to see more from this author.”-Sheri Meshal, Author of Swallowtail
From the Back Cover:
“Zerndt is the real deal.” -Jonathan Harris, author of The Wave That Did Not Break
About Jamie Zerndt:
James Zerndt lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife and son. His poetry has appeared in The Oregonian Newspaper, and his fiction has most recently appeared in Gray’s Sporting Journal. He taught English in South Korea in 2002 and still loves kimchi.
Jamie’s short story, “The Tree Poachers”, recently won WCCHA’s fiction award. Some of his short stories have also won Honorable Mention in both Playboy’s and The Atlantic Monthly’s Fiction Contests.
Buy Korean Word For Butterfly:
My Review:
This was a true look at why we are who we are. We each make choices, and those choices affect what we are doing, where, when and why. Choices also affect our future, and can teach us a lot about our past. The author info on Korea led me to believe that the author did a lot research. I would have liked more depth in the characters, especially since they were dealing with such hot button issues. This is definitely a book that every reader will have a different opinion on, because it has so many emotional moments, that I easily got lost in my own feelings. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, however all opinions are my own.

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for taking part in the tour. I'm so glad you enjoyed The Korean Word for Butterfly.

    ReplyDelete