If I Had Your Face - Frances Cha

⭐ 8.0/10

(Originally written by Magdalene)

This book follows four Korean women living in Seoul - a mute hairdresser, a room salon girl who's addicted to plastic surgery, a pregnant woman who was abused as a child, and an artist whose friend commit suicide. It is obvious that this book was not exactly a bundle of laughs.

It doesn't have much of a plot, as all four women are just trying to survive in a society that is still patriarchal, full of classicism, and focuses a lot on physical beauty. This book really shows you why S. Korea is the number one country for plastic surgery in the world. The story was pretty bleak as they all just try to get by in a city that's so expensive and makes it so hard for its inhabitants to survive. But it also showed their strength and determination to make the most of their lives. There's no happy ending, but it is a really compelling look at the lives of women in this country