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Reviews for Pyun's The Law of Lines

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Korean author Hye-young Pyun’s “The Law of Lines” (Arcade, 251 pages, $24.99), translated by Sora Kim-Russell, follows two young women who have recently ­experienced family tragedy. Ki-jeong Shin, a high-school teacher, learned of her half-sister’s ­involvement in a ruinous pyramid scheme only ­after the latter’s death by drowning. Se-oh Yun, a frightened recluse who rarely ­ventures ­outside the building where she lives with her ­father, returns from an errand one day to find that her parent, long harassed by a debt collector, has torched the house in a gas ­explosion. (He later dies from his ­injuries.)

 Ki-jeong responds to her own ordeal by ­tracing and contacting others who took part in the pyramid scheme that ensnared her sibling: “[She] felt guilty that she’d taken an interest in her sister only after her final moments. . . . And now here she was, imitating a detective just so she could quell her guilty conscience.” Se-oh, for her part, focuses on stalking the debt collector who hounded and humiliated her father, and whom she intends to kill. “Her rage was ­indescribable. . . . She had nothing left in this world to love.”

 Though Ki-jeong and Se-oh feel their share of fury, guilt and malice, a brighter future seems ­possible. Even Se-oh, bent on murder, can glimpse the outlines of a better existence: “a life of small happinesses, ­little joys that came from knowing that not all relationships were based on people setting traps for each other.” Is it too late for these two to achieve such a ­reality? Such are the questions that ­populate this ­compelling ­existential thriller.

"[A] compelling ­existential thriller."—Wall Street Journal 


"[A] simmering thriller."—The New York Times Book Review

Pyun Hye-young is my absolute favourite Korean author and her newest book is another sensation."—Will Heath, Books &Bao

"An enigmatic narration that edges up to morality and criminality . . . You will find yourself consumed by how these characters grapple with their losses and the weight and gloom of their everyday lives."—Cracking the Spine

"Another first-class novel from the South Korean writer . . . A very well-told tale, with twists and unexpected turns."—The Modern Novel Blog

A compelling thriller that uses a familiar story frame to interrogate the way grief shapes our lives."―Cyn's Workshop