First Impression Friday will be a meme where you talk about a book that you JUST STARTED! Maybe you’re only a chapter or two in, maybe a little farther. Based on this sampling of your current read, give a few impressions and predict what you’ll think by the end.

Synopsis:

Teenage Joon is a Korean immigrant living in the Bronx of the 1980s. Her parents have crumbled under the weight of her father’s infidelity; he has left the family, and mental illness has rendered her mother nearly catatonic. So Joon, at the age of thirteen, decides she’ll be better off on her own, a choice that commences a harrowing, often tragic, and sometimes hopeful journey of a life lived on the margins. Joon’s adolescent years take her from a homeless shelter to an escort club, through struggles with addiction, to jobs selling newspapers and cosmetics, committing petty crimes, and, finally, toward something resembling hope.

Happy Friday everyone! Well, it is already Saturday. Just like that, the first month of the year is already down to its last seven rather six days. Uncharacteristically, January this year is moving quicker than January of previous years. I thought I was the only one who noticed this but gone are the memes of January taking longer than it should. Regardless, I am grateful despite being swamped at work these past few weeks. I had to work overtime every single day. I am just happy I could make it through; I am nearly done but there is still a lot to do after I complete the document I have been drafting. I hope that everyone’s 2025 is going better compared to mine. I hope everyone has beaten the holiday slump. I hope everyone ended the work week on a high note. I hope you were able to accomplish all your tasks for the week. It is time to slow down, unwind, and dive into the weekend; this means more sleep for me. More importantly, I hope you are all doing well in body, mind, and spirit.

To cap another work week is a fresh First Impression Friday update. As has been the trend, this week-ender is a day late. HAHA. This weekly meme has become an integral part of my book blogging ritual. It allows me space to breathe in what I am currently reading. It has also developed into a springboard upon which I built my book reviews. It allowed me to compare how a book initially made me feel with how it ultimately made me feel. To open the 2025 reading year, I have resolved to dedicate the first two months – or maybe even the entire first quarter – to the works of East Asian writers. Several factors made me decide on this. For one, I have not hosted a Japanese Literature Month in 2024; a Japanese literature month has been a staple since 2020. Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature recognition is another driver for this decision. Third, an older work of Han is going to be released in English later this month.

This takes me to my current read, Nami Mun’s Miles from Nowhere. Before the pandemic, I had not encountered the Korean American writer before nor had I read any of her works. Through an online bookseller, I came across Miles from Nowhere. Curious about what it has in store, I obtained a copy of the book and, out of whim, made it part of my ongoing reading journey. Originally published in 2008, Mun’s debut novel transports the readers to the 1980s Bronx. At the heart of the novel – and its primary narrator – is Joon. We first meet her in a shelter where we learn about her provenance. She was born in Korea but her parents migrated to the United States. Due to her father’s infidelity, their family was broken. Her mother fell into a near-catatonic state, leaving Joon with no one to rely on in an uncharted territory.

It was at this juncture – she was basically abandoned by the very people who were supposed to look after her – that she decided to seize her own destiny. She left home and found herself in a shelter. At the shelter, she met Knowledge, a street-smart and tough lesbian. They became friends. One winter day, Knowledge managed to convince Joon to escape from the shelter; interestingly, they were allowed to leave the shelter. However, by escaping from the shelter they forfeited their spot. The duo was joined by Wink, a boy who was interested in Joon. Soon enough, their friendship started to fall apart due to various factors. Joon had to learn how to fend for herself. She had to learn how to navigate a world that was quite dangerous, especially for a young seemingly vulnerable Asian girl like her.

The premise has piqued my interest. It makes me wonder if Joon was Mun’s alter ego as they seemingly share some similarities. As Joon gets waylaid by her surroundings, I am looking forward to how she grows and develops as a character. The Bronx, from what I have read, can be quite a tough place to live in despite the diversity that exists in the borough. The Bronx has a reputation for toughening up individuals. Is this going to be the fate that Joon will suffer? Because of her relative youth, she is bound to make mistakes – I already read some – but what I am looking forward to is how she will use these experiences to make herself a better person. The novel seems to be her metamorphosis. Or perhaps a worse version of Joon will eventually develop? It is, after all, a dangerous world out there.

How about you fellow reader? What book or books have you read over the weekend? I hope you get to enjoy whatever you are reading right now. Happy weekend!