Almond: A Novel Paperback – 30 July 2021

𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮 : Almond is centered on the life of Yunjae, who is a simple boy but has to face different circumstances due to his brain condition Alexithymia that makes him hard to feel emotions such as rage, fear, happiness. His Grandma and Mom are the two people who help him navigate in society through constant training of how he should react. When tragedy strikes, he is left alone in the world to function in daily life.This is a story of friendship and the power of emotions. It shows us both the positives and negatives of feeling emotions.𝙒𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 : The writing is simple, easy, and bingeable. It was thought-provoking. I completed it easily in two days. The narrative was painful, different, and yet very beautiful.𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙧 : Dr. Shim was my fav character. The way he was there for Yunjae >>>>>Without intruding much, he guided him with his perfect short and simple answers. I loved reading about them.𝙁𝙖𝙫 𝙌𝙪𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨 : "Even though my brain was a mess, what kept my soul whole was the warmth of the hands holding mine on both sides."

Loved every bit of it. Finished this in 2 days. Very well written and touches you to make you want to read it. This has been the book that has made me started reading again. The quality of the book has been good too. Do recommend.

Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn is one of those rare books that quietly takes root in your heart. It follows Yunjae, a boy with alexithymia, a condition that makes it difficult for him to feel or express emotions. But this isn't just a story about a neurological condition—it's a powerful reflection on how we judge others without trying to understand them.Yunjae’s calmness, often mistaken for coldness, forces us to confront our tendency to box people into labels. As you walk alongside him, you realize that silence doesn’t mean emptiness—it can hold depth, grief, and strength.The book gently teaches emotional growth, not through dramatic arcs, but in subtle, deeply human moments. It reminds us that not everyone feels or processes the world the same way, and that understanding others begins with compassion.One of my favorite lines from the book sums it up perfectly:"Emotions weren’t something you could just avoid… they were like the air, something you'd get soaked in even if you didn’t want to."

Recommended for beginners and who start over reading. Simple and good. Story itself is good one.

This isn't just a book you read — it pulls you into reflecting on life itself. What if we had moments where we could pause our own Almond and escape the pain, even for a while?

I was crying happy years in the end

Beautiful novel. Way better than I expected it to be. Touched my heart ❤️

"Almond" is a book about a 'monster' meeting another 'monster'. Yunjae, a boy diagnosed with Alexithymia, where one is unable to identify or express emotions such as fear, love, anger, sadness etc. He was labelled as the 'freak' of the society by his classmates and people around him. His only safe haven were his mother and his grandmother. Amidst the bullying and abuse he faced in his life journey, he met Gon. Gon is another 'monster' in his own right, a delinquent whose rough exterior hides a tumultuous past. Their unusual friendship made Yunjae feel the unfelt emotions.What is even normal? That was the central question of the book. Despite the dark undertones, the book felt like a warm embrace. The theme of nature v/s nurture, as well as trauma response, were well explored. Gon was lost when he was just a kid. He was raised by strangers, he moved from one foster home to another, he went through abandonment at every step of his life. The day he meets his father, his father decides to not let Gon come in front of his sick, dying mother due to his appearance. Why am I talking so much about Gon? Because I absolutely loved his character. I am not justifying his actions but my heart bled for him. His motto in life is that he doesn't want to get hurt so he will hurt others...love is soft and he wants to be tough. Yes, a pretty immature take but keep in mind his age.Yunjae, his character and Alexithymia, were portrayed with depth. The book really dived into how his brain worked, as in how his thought process worked. There were so many hard-hitting dialogues, and paragraphs. I have to admit, it was an immersive read. While the pacing occasionally faltered, the first part of the book was gripping.Rating: 4.5/5Do check out all the trigger warnings before starting the book.