PLOT: 4/5
CHARACTERS: 4.5/5
WRITING: 4.5/5
ENTERTAINMENT: 4.5/5
GENRE AND THEME: Mystery and Crime, Unsolved Murder, Korean Literature, Literary Fiction
“Death carves a clear line between the dead and the living,’ she said in a solemn tone. ‘The dead are over there and the rest of us are over here. When someone dies, no matter how great they were, it’s like drawing a permanent line between that person and the rest of humanity. If birth means begging to join the side of the living, then death has the power to kick everyone out. That’s why I think death, with its power to sever things forever, is far more objective, more dignified, than birth, which is the starting point of everything.”
– Kwon Yeo-Sun, Lemon
Contemplating my next literary adventure, I found myself drawn to Kwon Yeo-Sun’s Lemon in my e-book library. Its alluring cover, featuring a high school murder and an unresolved mystery, coupled with elements of literary fiction, piqued my interest immediately.
After indulging in the richness of Japanese literature through works like Satoshi Yagisawa’s Days at the Morisaki Bookshop and Meiko Kawakami’s Heaven, I was excited to embark on my first Korean literary journey of the year.
What is the book all about?
The story of Lemon unfolds in the summer of 2002, during the FIFA World Cup season, with Japan and Korea co-hosting the tournament. It’s the day surrounding the final match when 19-year-old Kim Hae-on is discovered murdered. Hailed as the most beautiful woman, her beauty is the stuff that legends are made of. In the end, it is her ethereal beauty that earns this case the moniker of the High School Beauty Murder.
Investigations swiftly spotlight two suspects: a wealthy youth named Shin Jeongjun, who was spotted driving Kim Hae-on in his luxury car the night before, and a poor delivery boy who had glimpsed her in this rich guy’s vehicle just hours prior to her death. Both attended the same school as Kim Hae-on.
However, due to insufficient evidence, the case goes cold.
It’s been seventeen years, and the case remains unsolved. Hae-on’s sister, Da-on, still grapples with the trauma of losing a sister, while their mother continues to cope. Both mother and daughter devise strange ways to keep the memories of their beautiful girl alive.
Da-on decides to conduct her own investigations, leading her, once again, to many people from her high school.
The book, though a crime mystery, is much more than that. Narrated from the perspectives of different characters—Da-on and two of Hae-on’s classmates—it explores themes of death, tragedy, grief, love, and loss while pondering upon the real meaning of life and death.
The characters
Initially, what grabs your attention are the characters themselves, each with their own unique personalities and rich backstories. Through Da-on, we experience the profound grief of losing a sister and witness how this sorrow gradually changes her from a lively individual to someone struggling to come to terms with her loss.
In some respects, both Da-on and her mother share similarities as they endeavour to cherish memories of their deceased family member through distinct albeit unconventional methods. While Da-on undergoes multiple plastic surgeries in an effort to resemble her sister, her mother takes steps to change Hae-on’s name in every place imaginable.
In the cases of Shin Jeongjun and Han Manu, we observe a stark contrast between the privileged and the underprivileged. In this way, Lemon highlights the inherent biases within the system when it comes to handling suspects based on their financial status.
The writing
Then there’s the narrative style, which is equally striking. The book deviates from a conventional structure, opting instead to narrate the story from the perspectives of three characters, each with differing degrees of connection to the murder and the victim.
The format is fluid and flexible, with chapters jumping from year to year, yet the story remains coherent throughout. While the crime isn’t solved, there are plenty of clues along the way to provide insight into the culprit.
Short, sharp, and impactful, this book stands out as one of my top reads this year so far.
Can’t wait to read it? Buy your copy of Lemon right away!
