{"product_id":"almond-9780062961389","title":"Almond","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA BTS fan favorite! A WALL STREET JOURNAL STORIES THAT CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE PICK * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY'S STAY HOME AND READ PICK * SALON'S BEST AND BOLDEST * BUSTLE'S MOST ANTICIPATED \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Emissary\u003c\/em\u003e meets \u003cem\u003eThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime\u003c\/em\u003e in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne of the monsters is me.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYunjae was born with a brain condition called Alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions like fear or anger. He does not have friends--the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that--but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and content life. Their little home above his mother's used bookstore is decorated with colorful Post-it notes that remind him when to smile, when to say \"thank you,\" and when to laugh.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThen on Christmas Eve--Yunjae's sixteenth birthday--everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him alone and on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and they develop a surprising bond.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs Yunjae begins to open his life to new people--including a girl at school--something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero he never thought he would be.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReaders of \u003cem\u003eWonder \u003c\/em\u003eby R.J. Palaccio and \u003cem\u003eGinny Moon\u003c\/em\u003e by Benjamin Ludwig will appreciate this \"resonant\" story that \"gives Yunjae the courage to claim an entirely different story.\" (\u003cem\u003eBooklist\u003c\/em\u003e, starred review)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTranslated from the Korean by Sandy Joosun Lee.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSohn, Won-Pyung:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eSohn Won-pyung is a film director, screenwriter, and novelist living in South Korea. She earned a BA in social studies and philosophy at Sogang University and film directing at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. She has won several prizes, including the Film Review Award of the 6th Cine21, and the Science Fantasy Writers' Award for her movie script \u003cem\u003eI Believe in the Moment.\u003c\/em\u003e She also wrote and directed a number of short films, including \u003cem\u003eOooh You Make Me Sick \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eA Two-way Monologue\u003c\/em\u003e. She made her literary debut in 2017 with this, her first full-length novel, \u003cem\u003eAlmond\u003c\/em\u003e, which won the Changbi Prize for Young Adult Fiction, followed by which won the Jeju 4.3 Peace Literary Award. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLee, Sandy Joosun:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - \u003cp\u003eSandy Joosun Lee is a translator and interpreter based in Seoul. She earned a BA in Literature\/Writing from the University of California, San Diego. She has received translation grants from Literary Translation Institute of Korea and Publication Industry Promotion Agency of Korea. She currently works at Studio Mir where she translates and develops animated content.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harpervia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50579189596434,"sku":"9780062961389","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_06bbbfba-4d45-4196-bf81-18c35e4f9fcc.jpg?v=1732002256","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/almond-9780062961389","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}