almond

Description

Two great keywords that make up a human being: 'emotion' and 'love'!
A special and endearing coming-of-age story about a unique boy who cannot feel emotions.

Sun Yoon-jae, a boy born with alexithymia, or alexithymia, is unable to express emotions. His amygdala, also known as the "almond," is small, leaving him unable to feel or express emotions. Raised safely under the love and protection of his mother and grandmother, Yoon-jae tragically loses both his mother and grandmother on Christmas Eve, his 16th birthday.
Left alone, Yoon-jae is branded a monster by the world's prejudice. His fate changes when he meets another monster, Gon. After a tragic childhood, Gon has become twisted and warped, but he's actually kinder and more vulnerable than anyone else. The two boys, seeing each other without prejudice, forge a special friendship that few others can fathom. But even this friendship is linked to the beginning of yet another tragedy. Can they truly step out into the world?

"Almond" depicts the friendship, growth, love, and humanity of a boy without emotions, revealing how "emotions," a tool of communication we all possess, can be both burdensome and precious. Yunjae's journey of growth, through the love of his mother and grandmother, and through connections with various characters, including Dr. Shim, Gon, and Dora, will melt the frozen hearts of readers, rekindling the warmth of empathy and lingering in their hearts for a long time.
Within Yunjae's monologue, which narrates the story in a calm, emotionless tone, the reader is immersed in the myriad emotions he must feel. The weight and mystery of emotion, the pain and wonder of growing up, and the narrative swirl around them, overwhelming the reader. They come to understand and see Yunjae and Gon, two boys whom, in reality, would be merely troublemakers and shunned.
Through the story of Yunjae, who grows up accepting the world as it is with a pure and unbiased perspective, more than anyone else because he has no emotions, readers will be moved by the spectrum of bittersweet emotions.

For teenagers, parents, and adult readers
The return of the all-time bestseller with over 100 million copies sold!

"Almond" first debuted in 2017 as the winner of the Changbi Youth Literature Award. Although a young adult novel, it appealed to adult readers, teachers, and parents, and gradually gained recognition after being selected as a featured book in several cities the year of its publication. Since then, it has become a must-read for young readers, and even non-readers find it a wonderful reading experience, allowing them to devour the entire book in one sitting, solidifying its place as a steady seller.
Even after 『Almond』 became the first Asian book to win first place at the Japan Booksellers' Award, author Won-pyeong Son regained first place in the Japan Booksellers' Award in 2022 with 『Counterattack of Thirty』, and in 2023, he won second place in the Japan Booksellers' Award and the Kobo Award with 『Prism』, establishing himself as a leading Korean author in the Japanese publishing world.
"Almond" has been translated and exported to over 30 countries worldwide, spanning North and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. It was selected as an Amazon Bestseller in the US and received rave reviews from the Wall Street Journal and other international media outlets. In 2022, just five years after its publication, it achieved one million copies sold in Korea, becoming a bestseller and shaking up the stagnant reading market.
This success is testament to the captivating characters, universal emotional themes, and concise, engaging writing style of "Almond" resonating with readers abroad. While empathy is more important than ever, the absence of genuine communication has left hearts frozen, and "Almond" breathes a warm and passionate breath into them.

Design direction

Since its initial publication in 2017, "Almond" has consistently been a bestseller, becoming a steady seller. The overriding principle in designing the new cover was to ensure that every element, from the cover to the text, stood out from the rest. As the book appeals to both young adults and adults, the covers for the young adult and adult editions were published in two completely different versions. Above all, by presenting readers, who have long been familiar with Yoonjae's frontal appearance, with two different perspectives, we aimed to stimulate their imagination.
At first glance, the youth edition appears to depict the lonely back of a boy shrouded in darkness. However, through the soft light scattered throughout, I sought to express the boy's gradually awakening emotions and the hope conveyed by the story. The interior design, too, is designed with a generous font size and a comfortable feel, targeting young readers.
The adult edition, on the other hand, uses illustrations from the Spanish version of "Almond," attempting to capture the intense emotions within the novel. The font size of the adult edition is slightly smaller than that of the youth edition, and the interior design is simple and free of embellishments.
Through two different covers and designs, readers will be able to experience the new charm of 『Almond』 in different ways.

Special Appendix - Short Story Side Story
The Man in the Box
The short story "The Man in the Box" included at the end of the book is the story of a man who watched the tragic event that occurred on the day that Yunjae, the main character of "Almond," suffered from afar.
Here, a man resolves to never reach out to anyone. Driven by the fate of his brother, who, born of a fleeting act of kindness, ended up in a long-term misfortune, he lives in a closed world, determined not to help anyone or receive help. However, after witnessing the tragedy of a boy on Christmas Eve, the man's life begins to unravel.
This short story, which reconstructs the intense events of "Almond" from the perspective of a new character, will present readers with new questions and allow them to enjoy the story from multiple perspectives.

Author introduction
Simple and concise writing style, diverse concerns
A diverse range of storytellers, from children to adults

Author Son Won-pyeong, who studied humanities in college and then specialized in film directing, vividly portrays stories relevant to the world through diverse human figures. After debuting with "Almond," Son Won-pyeong won the Jeju 43 Peace Literature Award for his novel "The Counterattack of Thirty," which portrayed a youth trapped in society. Since then, his novel "Prism" explores love and romance in people in their twenties and thirties; "Tube" explores the growth of a middle-aged man who seems destined for nothing but failure; and his children's book series "The Majestic Foxtail" brilliantly portrays the psychology of children around puberty. His diverse work has captivated readers of all ages.
Regardless of the work, Son Won-pyeong's work is consistently praised by readers for its cinematic page-turning speed and its ability to be read in one sitting. This work awakens the reader's fascination with reading and offers a fresh perspective. Reborn six years after its original publication, "Almond," along with the short story side stories included in the original, will present readers with a fresh perspective, posing new questions.

Praise from Java and the media around the world

I read it, feeling a myriad of emotions on behalf of the protagonist, who couldn't feel them. The weight and significance of those emotions were overwhelming and painful.
-Reader Reviews

It felt amazing that I, who had only ever watched videos, could laugh and cry while reading text.
The book that introduced me to the joy of reading. The book of my life.
-Reader Reviews