Gilded (The Gilded, #1)

by Christina Farley

[Kate (Blogging with Dragons)]

I was very disappointed by Gilded. I was excited to read a book that took place in Seoul, being a huge fan of all things Korean. Though Farley does a good job of immersing the reader in Korean culture through main character Jae Hwa, who has just moved there from L.A., her writing is often immature and nonsensical. Plus, Jae Hwa, who is supposed to be a kickass heroine, complete with a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and mastery of archery, often makes mind boggling decisions that are frustrating and just plain unbelievable.

Would a girl who is being stalked by an insidious god named Hameousu—who has successfully kidnapped female members of her family for generations—be so trusting? I think not. At one point, Jae Hwa is running from said god and decides spur of the moment to seek safety with someone named Kim. She has only heard about this person from her grandpa—whom coincidentally, she thinks is crazy for the entire beginning of the book—but somehow putting all of her trust in this stranger seems like a good idea. Farley ends this chapter with Jae Hwa thinking something along the lines of, “It never occurred to me whether or not I could trust her.” Instances like these happen way more often than they should and make me want to bang my head against the next solid object I came across. I find it completely unbelievable that a girl who finds sneaking out of the house for a concert with friends more important than hiding from an ancient god and his pet dragons, is able to not only fend him off, but also break the curse that his enslaved her family and their ancestors for centuries.

Ultimately, if you can suspend your disbelief at Jae Hwa’s constant naiveté and poor decision making skills and enjoy Farley’s book as a simple light-hearted romp with interesting mythology, you’re in for a fast paced read. However, if you’re looking for a book that gives anything more than a shallow look at Korean culture and mythology and young love, look elsewhere.