Yunjae lived his whole life wondering what it was like to be “ordinary”. Diagnosed with alexithymia at a young age, Yunjae never felt or understood human emotions. Despite his mom’s efforts to teach him, no Post-it note could ever truly turn him into the “normal” kid she wanted.
However, after witnessing a terrible incident on Christmas Eve — which is also his birthday — he had only himself to rely on. Or so he thought.
After the incident, Yunjae meets new people like Gon, the new troublemaker in school. Although opposites of each other, the two unordinary teens form an unexpected friendship. Through this friendship and many more, will Yunjae be able to recognize the power of emotions?
I finished this book in one sitting and loved how the story unfolded. I liked the way the author explained alexithymia very naturally throughout the book, making it easier to understand Yunjae. Yunjae and Gon’s relationship is shown as both bitter and sweet, and the book made me curious to what would become of their unusual friendship.
However, there were a few things I didn’t really like about the book. First, I wish the author didn’t reveal the incident on the very first page. Personally, I would’ve rather liked it to be a surprise until it happened in the story. Second, I think some parts of the book were a little unrealistic and unnatural. For example, the way they introduced Dora, a girl from Yunjae’s school, felt a bit forced in my opinion. However, that is being nitpicky, and overall, it is an amazing read with many inspiring characters.