• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2022 March #1
  *Starred Review* They are lost souls who find each other in Seoul. Minjun Ford (Min) is a biracial American who moved to South Korea primarily to better illuminate his identity. A consultant for Samsung, he helps native South Koreans learn the basics of American culture so they can conduct business. Yu-Jin Kim is the lone child of the national minister of defense of South Korea; she is trying to break free from crushing parental expectations and live life according to her own terms. Early in Wiley's debut novel, Min learns of Yu-Jin's death, an apparent suicide. Convinced that his friend could not have killed herself, Min sets off on a mission to find out what really happened. The layered suspense story is, at heart, a deeply nuanced and evocative exploration of identity and personal freedoms and the choices that dictate them. At times the connection between the Korean concept of Han, the anger and resentment felt by an entire nation as a result of centuries of oppression, and Yu-Jin's personal struggles feels a tad forced. Yet Wiley's tale is a knockout, its assured narrative ebbing and flowing with grace while painting a haunting and anguished portrait of youth in all its quiet desperation. Copyright 2022 Booklist Reviews.

A native of Nyack, New York, Soon Wiley received his BA in English & Philosophy from Connecticut College. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Wichita State University. His writing has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and earned him fellowships in Wyoming and France. He resides in Connecticut with his wife and their two cats. When We Fell Apart is his debut novel.