The Good Son Book Review: A Gripping Story of the Worst Kind of Psychopath
It’s dark but you will love it…
What if you wake up one morning to the worst thing that can happen to someone?
This is exactly what happens to our protagonist, Yu-jin, in You-Jeong Jeong’s highly unpredictable The Good Son.
He wakes up one morning to the most gruesome thing that can happen to anyone —to a bloody mess that follows hidden truths.
It’s like the worst nightmare coming true, only the nightmare belongs to someone else, not him despite what he thinks initially.
So, we, the readers, are also thrown into this world. For Yu-jin and us, it’s only the tip of the iceberg.
The story unravels from Yu-jin trying to figure out what could have happened while he was sleeping.
It leads to a lot of revelations about himself and his family. The kind of things that are better left undisclosed.
The book is described as;
‘The Talented Mr. Ripley meets The Bad Seed in this breathless, chilling psychological thriller by the bestselling novelist known as “Korea’s Stephen King.”
The Good Son is a meticulously crafted psychological thriller that is intriguing from the get-go. Even if I am to talk about this book in a single sentence, it will be a spoiler.
I would rather describe what to expect from this book than the gist or storyline. Here is my spoiler-free review of You-Jeong Jeong’s The Good Son:
Unbelievable Detailing and Chekhov's Gun
Joeng has extensively and impactfully used Chekov’s gun in The Good Son.
Chekhov’s gun, principle in drama, literature, and other narrative forms asserting that every element introduced in a story should be necessary to the plot. The concept was popularized by Russian playwright and author Anton Chekhov, who frequently illustrated the principle by using a gun as an example of an essential element.
Anything that we see in this novel is relevant to its plot. Be it a tiny pearl earring or a razor blade; every minute detail is a source of revelation.
The only time this device feels a bit weak is when showing Yu-jin’s mother’s devotion to the Virgin Mary and Christianity.
The title “The Good Son” alludes to the biblical story and is connected to the Christian background of Yu-jin’s family.
The characters’ Christian background is touched upon here and there but it does not have a strong relevance in the plot except for one of the main characters going to a retreat (but it does not have as strong a hold as in the 2013 Malayalam film Dhrishyam).
However, one could argue that Christian principles, such as forgiveness and love might have influenced a character’s decisions, significantly impacting the story’s progression.
Exquisite Writing and Plot Twists
The Good Son is written from the most unusual perspective for a crime/ psychological thriller.
It transitions from a space of empathy to concluding that a crime can never be justified.
Jeong’s writing is extremely nuanced and sensory. It becomes visceral to the readers by detailing what the characters see and smell.
Sense of smell becomes an important device in the course of the novel.
The smell of blood and bleach lingers after we turn the last page. It makes you uncomfortable but the narrative hooks you so much that you cannot leave in the middle of it.
The plot twists are some of the best one would find in any thriller.
You might assume there’s little left to explore from the story’s perspective. Because what one would consider ‘the big revelation’ happens right in the beginning. But this is where Jeong’s brilliance shines.
When we think we know what’s coming next in the story, a plot twist surprises us and draws us back in.
“He stared out of the window, looking blank for a
moment, the way he did when he thought about his grand-father. “I read once that there are three ways to protect yourself from the fear of death. One is repression, forgetting that death is approaching and acting like it doesn’t exist, which is how most of us live. The second is never forgetting about it, living every day like it’s the last day of your life. The last is acceptance: people who truly accept death aren’t afraid of anything. You feel peaceful even when you’re at the point of losing everything.— You-Jeong Jeong, The Good Son
Yu-jin’s story progresses with him trying to excavate the mystery behind what he woke up to. It’s unravelled in multiple ways; through a journal — a necessary cliche, and his memories that are triggered through hallucinations.
Most of the story is Yu-jin’s interior monologues. But, he is, undoubtedly, an unreliable narrator. We want to trust him but we cannot.
The narrative unfolds in a way that the readers start off feeling empathetic towards the culprit, but gradually lose that empathy by the end.
It’s also a Social Commentary
At the core, everything that happens in the story is because of the fear of societal prejudice. Things are kept hidden and things take a drastic turn because of that.
Everything comes down to a single decision by one character in fear of this societal prejudice.
Ironically, this very societal prejudice decides the fate of one of the characters towards the end. And that character is the second person from whom the truth is hidden. The first person is our protagonist.
The Good Son tells the story of the most sinister type of human being — a criminal born that way. The narrative both denies and confirms that the world shapes a criminal.
However, it also reveals that as long as we remain trapped by our prejudices, the cycle will persist; a chilling epilogue to the story confirms this.
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/ 5
I would have given it five stars if not for some pacing issues. Nevertheless, The Good Son is one of the best thrillers out there.
Hope you liked this review of The Good Son by You-Jeong Jeong.
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