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Vaguely Human Figures
1984, Chicago. A music prodigy and a theater performer chase volatile dreams.
Matteo Harvey is a gifted young composer who receives a six-figure grant to write a musical. As he flourishes in the musical world and indulges in the luxuries that come with it, his grasp on reality begins to falter. On the other side of the city, August Cho is an established performer at the Black Swan Theater. For most of his career, he has bargained with a ghost in the Theater’s basement to land his dream roles, unaware of the consequences that now loom over him.
As their ambitions entangle them in overindulgence and supernatural negotiations, Matteo and August spiral into unreliable realms. This genre-blending story of art, identity, and passion paints a haunting portrait of two musicians on the edge who must confront the cost of their desires.
444 pages, Paperback
Published February 28, 2025
About the author
Jina Jeon
2 books89 followersJina is a writer, editor, and college student from Los Angeles. She is the author of Vaguely Human Figures. Find her on Instagram (@jinaswriting) or at www.jinajeon.net.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
May 11, 2025
THIS WAS WRITTEN SO BEAUTIFULLY. it is hard to believe this book is overwhelmingly underrated . the author has a real gift for painting vivid pictures with her words and creating authentic characters. the way matteo and august’s stories played off each other, while still having their own distinct arcs, kept me hooked the entire time. I honestly couldn’t get enough.
May 28, 2025
„No, don’t do it, you stupid, stupid boy!“ I say with all the love in my heart and turn the page to read about the stupid boy doing the stupid thing – again.
But seriously, this was brilliant! The writing is absolutely stunning, and the characters feel real and relatable with all their profoundly human flaws and endless desires. I found myself caring deeply for them and their self-induced tragedies.
Beyond being an immersive, moving (and at times very wholesome) story, Vaguely Human Figures is also a carefully crafted, complex composition. The scaffold of this tale is very old: Bargaining with ghosts and devils and paying a heavy price for greed. The author manages to paint a new, interesting picture of this classic motif by combining it with other, less supernatural tragedies, such as addiction and poverty. The narrative unfolds in two parallel plots that contrast and mirror both each other and countless other artworks. Because of this, Vaguely Human Figures is as much a work of art as it is about art and the processes of creating, performing, and consuming it.
But seriously, this was brilliant! The writing is absolutely stunning, and the characters feel real and relatable with all their profoundly human flaws and endless desires. I found myself caring deeply for them and their self-induced tragedies.
Beyond being an immersive, moving (and at times very wholesome) story, Vaguely Human Figures is also a carefully crafted, complex composition. The scaffold of this tale is very old: Bargaining with ghosts and devils and paying a heavy price for greed. The author manages to paint a new, interesting picture of this classic motif by combining it with other, less supernatural tragedies, such as addiction and poverty. The narrative unfolds in two parallel plots that contrast and mirror both each other and countless other artworks. Because of this, Vaguely Human Figures is as much a work of art as it is about art and the processes of creating, performing, and consuming it.
January 9, 2026
[ best enjoyed with some iconic classical music + after having watched the trailer provided by the author]
Vaguely Human Figures, initially thought to be a story about Matteo Harvey, a brilliant musical composer and August Cho, an aspiring theatre actor, turns out to be so much more — about life, death and what unites humans at their core — passion.
While you feel like the book’s first line itself is an unbelievably strong start, you soon find out it is merely what it's rightfully termed: just the start. Using a mix of first and third person narration, the author does an incredibly satisfying job of crescendoing to the apex of the story from both, very opposing sides of the story. Incredibly fast paced, this book is quick to put us in the thick of the plot, where the reader, along with the primary characters, feels this sense of hunger to touch the unattained goal but contrastingly, also allows the reader to be scared for what is to come.
Even though the story primarily focuses on the extent of disastrous acts the two of them perform in their very separate lives to achieve their goals, the one thing that connects them and in a way the story is the presence of ghosts in their lives. From Matteo getting discovered to August’s stay at the theatre, every step they take leads to more chaos in an unpredictable way with a sense of paranormality to it and the way that theme follows these two characters around truly is a work of art.
Morally grey characters, mutually beneficial friendships, questionable intentions and the general air of 1980s theatre—— all of this presented in such an effortless way, it practically forces you to stay awake till late in the morning to uncover it all. While it all started when Matteo decided to move heaven and earth to come up with a plot for his musical [literally!!!!!!!!], the people in his circle provide him different ways to help further the plot along (both in and out of our story and his). In a sort of inception of plot inside plot, we see Matteo literally birthing the i) musical which somehow plunges the ii) plot of the story forward.
While periodically, this book makes you think Matteo is the one pushing the story along, the book snaps at you to focus on August who obviously has his own skeletons in the cupboard (and some secrets too!), to help him with some rather shady deals.
Desperation at its core, this self published novel doesn't shy away from forcing us to look at the truth behind the glamour of the theatrical spotlight, the crushing weight of secrets and responsibilities and of course, the spiral down on one’s own worst thoughts.
Incredibly specific things I loved:
so many genres put together & yet they have their rightful place in the story
the quotes that foreshadow the fate of the main characters
introduction of lucas as the yang of matteo’s yin
descriptive passages about the theatre
MY BEST FRIEND: SABRINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
the ability of yelling “noooo dont do that” to a character, stare at the window and go on back to seeing how they deal with the fallback
finding out more about august and matteo’s past
lucas’ entire role in matteo’s story (v yin and yang esque)
helen and august’s equation after she finds out
if you like this aspect of this media, this book is for you:
picture of dorian gray— obsession with the image
like crazy by jimin—- sadness hitting u at the party
kill your darlings —-- murder in a dark academia setting
sweat by zayn — the nsfw- ness of it
the addams family 1991—- goth aspect
string quartet op. 12: canzonetta by Felix Mendelssohn/Peter Phillips/Harold Bauer— the crescendo
fight club—-- the way the spiral is written/ the end crashing
Vaguely Human Figures, initially thought to be a story about Matteo Harvey, a brilliant musical composer and August Cho, an aspiring theatre actor, turns out to be so much more — about life, death and what unites humans at their core — passion.
While you feel like the book’s first line itself is an unbelievably strong start, you soon find out it is merely what it's rightfully termed: just the start. Using a mix of first and third person narration, the author does an incredibly satisfying job of crescendoing to the apex of the story from both, very opposing sides of the story. Incredibly fast paced, this book is quick to put us in the thick of the plot, where the reader, along with the primary characters, feels this sense of hunger to touch the unattained goal but contrastingly, also allows the reader to be scared for what is to come.
Even though the story primarily focuses on the extent of disastrous acts the two of them perform in their very separate lives to achieve their goals, the one thing that connects them and in a way the story is the presence of ghosts in their lives. From Matteo getting discovered to August’s stay at the theatre, every step they take leads to more chaos in an unpredictable way with a sense of paranormality to it and the way that theme follows these two characters around truly is a work of art.
Morally grey characters, mutually beneficial friendships, questionable intentions and the general air of 1980s theatre—— all of this presented in such an effortless way, it practically forces you to stay awake till late in the morning to uncover it all. While it all started when Matteo decided to move heaven and earth to come up with a plot for his musical [literally!!!!!!!!], the people in his circle provide him different ways to help further the plot along (both in and out of our story and his). In a sort of inception of plot inside plot, we see Matteo literally birthing the i) musical which somehow plunges the ii) plot of the story forward.
While periodically, this book makes you think Matteo is the one pushing the story along, the book snaps at you to focus on August who obviously has his own skeletons in the cupboard (and some secrets too!), to help him with some rather shady deals.
Desperation at its core, this self published novel doesn't shy away from forcing us to look at the truth behind the glamour of the theatrical spotlight, the crushing weight of secrets and responsibilities and of course, the spiral down on one’s own worst thoughts.
Incredibly specific things I loved:
so many genres put together & yet they have their rightful place in the story
the quotes that foreshadow the fate of the main characters
introduction of lucas as the yang of matteo’s yin
descriptive passages about the theatre
MY BEST FRIEND: SABRINAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
the ability of yelling “noooo dont do that” to a character, stare at the window and go on back to seeing how they deal with the fallback
finding out more about august and matteo’s past
lucas’ entire role in matteo’s story (v yin and yang esque)
helen and august’s equation after she finds out
if you like this aspect of this media, this book is for you:
picture of dorian gray— obsession with the image
like crazy by jimin—- sadness hitting u at the party
kill your darlings —-- murder in a dark academia setting
sweat by zayn — the nsfw- ness of it
the addams family 1991—- goth aspect
string quartet op. 12: canzonetta by Felix Mendelssohn/Peter Phillips/Harold Bauer— the crescendo
fight club—-- the way the spiral is written/ the end crashing
Currently Reading
April 10, 2025Desire hearing so little and only seeing a glimpse of what’s available via your Instagram, I am extremely excited for this book!
June 19, 2026
4.75/5 ⭐️
I can't believe this book isn't more popular!! The writing and storytelling is beautiful. I was hooked from the start and loved how character focused the book was. I loved reading both about Matteo and August, and their relationships with the other characters. Every character in this book was so flawed and realistic which I loved to see.
Matteo and August seemed so different yet similar to one another and I honestly thought they'd meet much earlier but it was a nice surprise to see that they only really met by the end. They were both consumed by their passions and ambitions, and they both experienced their respective downfalls because of it. August was dependent on Ria and her ability to get him significant roles in plays at the Black Swan Theatre, and when she disappeared he committed serious crimes to get her back. However, just like how Ria was his blessing, she ultimately became his curse at the end of his career. Matteo on the other hand started off consuming drugs to speak to his dead professor on writing his musical, and then took drugs to alleviate his chronic overthinking, stress, and before he knew it, he wasn't able to sleep well or function without XP.
Matteo's struggle with drug addiction was so well written and the epilogue of him receiving rehab was nice to read about. I'm not quoting him here, but Matteo described along the lines of how taking XP caused the voices in his head to go quiet. He no longer had to stress, and his downward spirals of anxious thinking were always 'solved' by consuming XP. Sometime near the middle/end, Lucas has said how he missed Matteo to Matteo and I couldn't agree more. Addiction can turn a person into someone completely different and I think the author portrayed that incredibly well with Matteo. He turned into a shell of himself near the end of the book, but as mentioned before, it was nice to see him admit himself into a rehabilitation centre and receive support from friends and family.
I loved loved loveddd reading about Matteo's relationships with Eli, Sabrina and Lucas. He was different with them all and it added so much to his personality and character. Eli was the person Matteo confided in, someone who came to aid him at difficult parts of his life, like when he was struggling with composing the musical or with his drug addiction. I believe Lucas served as a character who pushed Matteo to become a different person and explore outside of his comfort zone, evident by the fact of how Matteo took Lucas's musical suggestions for his project. Matteo couldn't stand Lucas in the beginning but you could see him wanting Lucas's opinions over his work in the later parts of the book. As for Sabrina, she was Matteo's close friend. Someone he could just be Matteo with. There was a scene between them where Matteo confesses his 'love' for Sabrina and she tells him that she cannot fix him, and that he wasn't someone to essentially make him feel like something or someone. I think that conversation between them was nicely written and it is one of my favourite parts of the book. Sabrina's death portrayed a cruel but unfortunately realistic ending for a lot of people who struggle with drug addiction, but I guess there could also be the possibility that someone had a hand in her death as Matteo didn't believe Sabrina to be unaware of her limits with drugs.
I loved reading about August and his struggles, however, I do find that him killing Ria's husband was a bit out of character. I'm sure he felt he had no other option, but I was there was more of a buildup, since it just seemed like he went from "murder is bad and I won't ever do it" to "i have no other option." I really enjoyed seeing Matteo's thought and work processes regarding his musical, but I do wish there was maybe a little more with August's life as an actor. Regardless, this was a beautifully written story and I loved every part of it. The characters were so fleshed out, especially Matteo, and I'm a sucker for character driven stories 😆
I can't believe this book isn't more popular!! The writing and storytelling is beautiful. I was hooked from the start and loved how character focused the book was. I loved reading both about Matteo and August, and their relationships with the other characters. Every character in this book was so flawed and realistic which I loved to see.
Matteo and August seemed so different yet similar to one another and I honestly thought they'd meet much earlier but it was a nice surprise to see that they only really met by the end. They were both consumed by their passions and ambitions, and they both experienced their respective downfalls because of it. August was dependent on Ria and her ability to get him significant roles in plays at the Black Swan Theatre, and when she disappeared he committed serious crimes to get her back. However, just like how Ria was his blessing, she ultimately became his curse at the end of his career. Matteo on the other hand started off consuming drugs to speak to his dead professor on writing his musical, and then took drugs to alleviate his chronic overthinking, stress, and before he knew it, he wasn't able to sleep well or function without XP.
Matteo's struggle with drug addiction was so well written and the epilogue of him receiving rehab was nice to read about. I'm not quoting him here, but Matteo described along the lines of how taking XP caused the voices in his head to go quiet. He no longer had to stress, and his downward spirals of anxious thinking were always 'solved' by consuming XP. Sometime near the middle/end, Lucas has said how he missed Matteo to Matteo and I couldn't agree more. Addiction can turn a person into someone completely different and I think the author portrayed that incredibly well with Matteo. He turned into a shell of himself near the end of the book, but as mentioned before, it was nice to see him admit himself into a rehabilitation centre and receive support from friends and family.
I loved loved loveddd reading about Matteo's relationships with Eli, Sabrina and Lucas. He was different with them all and it added so much to his personality and character. Eli was the person Matteo confided in, someone who came to aid him at difficult parts of his life, like when he was struggling with composing the musical or with his drug addiction. I believe Lucas served as a character who pushed Matteo to become a different person and explore outside of his comfort zone, evident by the fact of how Matteo took Lucas's musical suggestions for his project. Matteo couldn't stand Lucas in the beginning but you could see him wanting Lucas's opinions over his work in the later parts of the book. As for Sabrina, she was Matteo's close friend. Someone he could just be Matteo with. There was a scene between them where Matteo confesses his 'love' for Sabrina and she tells him that she cannot fix him, and that he wasn't someone to essentially make him feel like something or someone. I think that conversation between them was nicely written and it is one of my favourite parts of the book. Sabrina's death portrayed a cruel but unfortunately realistic ending for a lot of people who struggle with drug addiction, but I guess there could also be the possibility that someone had a hand in her death as Matteo didn't believe Sabrina to be unaware of her limits with drugs.
I loved reading about August and his struggles, however, I do find that him killing Ria's husband was a bit out of character. I'm sure he felt he had no other option, but I was there was more of a buildup, since it just seemed like he went from "murder is bad and I won't ever do it" to "i have no other option." I really enjoyed seeing Matteo's thought and work processes regarding his musical, but I do wish there was maybe a little more with August's life as an actor. Regardless, this was a beautifully written story and I loved every part of it. The characters were so fleshed out, especially Matteo, and I'm a sucker for character driven stories 😆
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2024
Can’t wait for the release! 💙💙
Want to Read
March 2, 2025going on my 16th birthday wishlist
Read
January 11, 2026DNF 13%
for some reason the writing irks me... which is disappointing because this sounds interesting. perhaps if the author polishes this in a few years...
for some reason the writing irks me... which is disappointing because this sounds interesting. perhaps if the author polishes this in a few years...
June 5, 2025
3.7/5 stars rounded up ★★★★☆
꒰ 2025 book #14/30 ꒱
✮ own physical copy
I was very excited to read this book as I had followed the advertising on Jeon’s social media prior to release. I absolutely fell in love with the concept, and it did not disappoint. The descriptions were incredibly vivid and immersive into the setting itself, almost as if we were watching Matteo succumb into madness in real time. Especially whenever Matteo played music, I could tell that the author did extensive research into how everything worked. In turn, creating a unique and immersive literary experience surrounding music composition.
In terms of characters, I loved Lucas and also thought Sabrina’s character was interesting. More specifically, the dynamic between her and Matteo. I liked how through his relationships with people and drugs, Matteo’s values and true personality was slowly revealed to show his indifference to anything but himself. Sabrina was symbolic of his indulgence into drugs and the hopeless aspects of mindset, using her as an excuse for escaping his struggles.
The reason I took a few points off my rating would be because I believe the stakes could have been higher. The accident was clearly very sobering and intense to Matteo’s livelihood and career, so the impact could have affected him a bit more as it felt slightly underwhelming. The plot also felt a little repetitive at times, and there could have been more of a twist and explanation for all of the deaths. Additionally, August was a character with a lot of potential, so I believe he could have been explored a bit more. Other than that, I adored how Jeon captured the insanity often accompanying artists, how it often fuels both creativity and misery at once. I recommend this book to any artists out there!
꒰ 2025 book #14/30 ꒱
✮ own physical copy
I was very excited to read this book as I had followed the advertising on Jeon’s social media prior to release. I absolutely fell in love with the concept, and it did not disappoint. The descriptions were incredibly vivid and immersive into the setting itself, almost as if we were watching Matteo succumb into madness in real time. Especially whenever Matteo played music, I could tell that the author did extensive research into how everything worked. In turn, creating a unique and immersive literary experience surrounding music composition.
In terms of characters, I loved Lucas and also thought Sabrina’s character was interesting. More specifically, the dynamic between her and Matteo. I liked how through his relationships with people and drugs, Matteo’s values and true personality was slowly revealed to show his indifference to anything but himself. Sabrina was symbolic of his indulgence into drugs and the hopeless aspects of mindset, using her as an excuse for escaping his struggles.
The reason I took a few points off my rating would be because I believe the stakes could have been higher. The accident was clearly very sobering and intense to Matteo’s livelihood and career, so the impact could have affected him a bit more as it felt slightly underwhelming. The plot also felt a little repetitive at times, and there could have been more of a twist and explanation for all of the deaths. Additionally, August was a character with a lot of potential, so I believe he could have been explored a bit more. Other than that, I adored how Jeon captured the insanity often accompanying artists, how it often fuels both creativity and misery at once. I recommend this book to any artists out there!
”It was at that moment I had the sickening premonition I’d become remotely human, a silhouette that lacked identifiable features and a definite future. I took on the shape of a person, yet I fell short of filling in that outline, fraying at the edges as everything I had known myself for splintered into irrelevance. If I looked at myself through the eyes of a stranger, I wondered if I would feel the same way I did now. If I cut myself open, I wondered if I would bleed a void.”
May 29, 2026
Let me preface this by saying I truly wanted to love this book. I love the author's work on Instagram. She's honestly a huge inspiration to me as a young writer, and she still is. Unfortunately, this book just wasn't for me. Please take everything with a grain of salt and remember it's my personal opinion based on my own tastes. By all means, if you're planning to read the book yourself, I still recommend it—you may enjoy it much more, and that's completely valid.
Slight spoilers ahead!
Stuff I liked:
-most descriptions are rly cool and creative, especially the ones about music
-Jina's competent with writing on the sentence level, although she sometimes crams multiple semantically-heavy terms into one sentence. It creates a style that feels dense to read & comprehend, which might not be for everyone. When multiple complex words are grabbing your attention, it's hard to know where the emphasis lies. (Examples: "Gone was the feeling of complete tranquility, and in its place was a heart-wrenching anxiety that wormed up the back of my throat and simmered in place." & "It was at that moment I had the sickening premonition I’d become remotely human, a silhouette that lacked identifiable features and a definite future.")
-the beginning was interesting
-overall had a fun time reading, until the end...
Stuff I didn't like:
-Matteo's story read like the typical downward spiral of famous ppl, just without the emotional stakes and true struggle to get better. This book was marketed to emphasize the main characters' "downward spirals," so I was fully expecting his character to take that route. However, Matteo's chapters started feeling repetitive somewhere in the middle (and Jina has a tendency of ending chapters too neatly for my taste, so I didn't have any lingering curiosity for the next part of his arc). I wasn't sure if I was supposed to root for him to get worse or to get better. I wasn't sure WHY I would want to root for either. I wasn't sure what his character was building towards. I had hope that it would make sense at the end, but it didn't. It's impossible to craft a satisfying conclusion when the building blocks to get there are so muddled in aesthetic debauchery, drug abuse, and a character who somehow receives a somewhat hopeful ending despite never truly working for it. If I wanted a pure downward spiral, I would be disappointed. If I wanted him to realize the error of his ways and improve himself, I would also be disappointed, because it felt half-baked and rushed in that regard.
-For a story that centered so much on Matteo's drug addiction and its consequences, I felt like it doesn't rly do this serious topic much justice. Yes, he was destroying himself, and yes, it led to a major consequence that cost him "everything." But by the end, he's basically fine. He checks himself into a rehab center (we know this from Chapter 1), despite being wholeheartedly against rehabilitation throughout the entirety of the story until the very end. I get that this story probably wasn't aiming to show the full healing journey from drug addiction. But to me, his actions in the epilogue and the events which led to them just didn't feel believable at all. It's nice he has a somewhat happy ending, but I just wish it felt more earned.
-August was all over the place. Again, I'm not sure what his character was truly building towards. At first, it felt like a debate on morality (how far are you willing to go to keep your job?) which was okay. He was always very principled and even his "crimes" didn't feel that serious. He felt pretty consistent and believable throughout the story until he takes an EXTREMELY drastic turn in the climax. He does something to save his career or whatever, but it felt so utterly out of character and cartoonishly edgy, and it accomplished literally NOTHING for him 😭😭😭 The switch-up felt so jarring, nonsensical, and unnecessarily dark. His story wasn't a downward spiral so much as a sudden plummet. (Yes, I know he was growing desperate, but it didn't feel enough to do what he did + to the extent that he did it. There was exactly 0 resolution for his character afterwards as well. I thought he wanted to help his family? I guess they just don't exist anymore?)
-it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief towards the end, especially with how forced Matteo and August's connection felt. I couldn't believe in Matteo being interested in August, especially after that ending + what August does to him. Also, how can Matteo even presume to write August's story here? 😭 it feels way too detailed of a narrative for me to believe Matteo wrote it. I don't understand how the POV style adds anything to the story except major favoritism for Matteo's POV, which got most of the spotlight despite the book being marketed as having two MCs.
-didn't like the way women were used in this book. Helen was like a rly flat sidekick that barely even helped. Sabrina... oh, Sabrina. Imo she was done dirty solely to serve Matteo's development, and she's completely forgotten right after. Neither of the girls' endings were satisfying to me (in comparison, Lucas gets more development and a nicer ending. Like wut the hell.) Ria is a plot device, which is fine, but I wish she were more interesting since she's basically the main thing moving the plot in August's story for the second half.
-I know from an interview that the author couldn't decide if she wanted the ghosts to be real or not. She wanted to leave the decision to the reader, and thus, she kept the possibilities open. This could've been an interesting route, except that, in my view, literally no non-paranormal theory can explain what happens in the end. Everything just felt too convenient for any plausible, realistic, no-ghost-involvement explanation. (And no, I don't think "they're unreliable narrators" is a valid excuse when I don't have enough info to find out which paranormal parts are unreliable & how that would enrich the story in any way.)
-The ending was so anticlimactic 😭 things happen, but for me, there wasn't any emotional or thematic weight to them. The set-up didn't build to a satisfying payoff. Maybet it's because I couldn't even tell what the author was setting up, which is on me.
-The topic about the economic gap between the poor artists (Matteo, August) and the rich artists (literally everyone else) was a repeated motif that wasn't truly delved deeper into or explored in an interesting way, imho. If anything, with August's actions in the end, I think the story implies some really dark and frankly unfair things about poverty-stricken artists and their desperation to keep their careers.
Conclusion: for me, it feels like the core of the problem is the author wanting two mutually exclusive things. Matteo downward spiral vs Matteo hopeful ending. August's entire character pre-climax vs whoever the hell August was during the climax. Ghosts vs no ghosts. I wish she could commit to one thing so that she can properly set it up for the later payoff.
This book just wasn't for me. I'm still extremely impressed by Jina and what she's done, and I know she worked hard on this and a lot of ppl do like the book. I just wish I were one of them 🥲
Slight spoilers ahead!
Stuff I liked:
-most descriptions are rly cool and creative, especially the ones about music
-Jina's competent with writing on the sentence level, although she sometimes crams multiple semantically-heavy terms into one sentence. It creates a style that feels dense to read & comprehend, which might not be for everyone. When multiple complex words are grabbing your attention, it's hard to know where the emphasis lies. (Examples: "Gone was the feeling of complete tranquility, and in its place was a heart-wrenching anxiety that wormed up the back of my throat and simmered in place." & "It was at that moment I had the sickening premonition I’d become remotely human, a silhouette that lacked identifiable features and a definite future.")
-the beginning was interesting
-overall had a fun time reading, until the end...
Stuff I didn't like:
-Matteo's story read like the typical downward spiral of famous ppl, just without the emotional stakes and true struggle to get better. This book was marketed to emphasize the main characters' "downward spirals," so I was fully expecting his character to take that route. However, Matteo's chapters started feeling repetitive somewhere in the middle (and Jina has a tendency of ending chapters too neatly for my taste, so I didn't have any lingering curiosity for the next part of his arc). I wasn't sure if I was supposed to root for him to get worse or to get better. I wasn't sure WHY I would want to root for either. I wasn't sure what his character was building towards. I had hope that it would make sense at the end, but it didn't. It's impossible to craft a satisfying conclusion when the building blocks to get there are so muddled in aesthetic debauchery, drug abuse, and a character who somehow receives a somewhat hopeful ending despite never truly working for it. If I wanted a pure downward spiral, I would be disappointed. If I wanted him to realize the error of his ways and improve himself, I would also be disappointed, because it felt half-baked and rushed in that regard.
-For a story that centered so much on Matteo's drug addiction and its consequences, I felt like it doesn't rly do this serious topic much justice. Yes, he was destroying himself, and yes, it led to a major consequence that cost him "everything." But by the end, he's basically fine. He checks himself into a rehab center (we know this from Chapter 1), despite being wholeheartedly against rehabilitation throughout the entirety of the story until the very end. I get that this story probably wasn't aiming to show the full healing journey from drug addiction. But to me, his actions in the epilogue and the events which led to them just didn't feel believable at all. It's nice he has a somewhat happy ending, but I just wish it felt more earned.
-August was all over the place. Again, I'm not sure what his character was truly building towards. At first, it felt like a debate on morality (how far are you willing to go to keep your job?) which was okay. He was always very principled and even his "crimes" didn't feel that serious. He felt pretty consistent and believable throughout the story until he takes an EXTREMELY drastic turn in the climax. He does something to save his career or whatever, but it felt so utterly out of character and cartoonishly edgy, and it accomplished literally NOTHING for him 😭😭😭 The switch-up felt so jarring, nonsensical, and unnecessarily dark. His story wasn't a downward spiral so much as a sudden plummet. (Yes, I know he was growing desperate, but it didn't feel enough to do what he did + to the extent that he did it. There was exactly 0 resolution for his character afterwards as well. I thought he wanted to help his family? I guess they just don't exist anymore?)
-it was hard for me to suspend my disbelief towards the end, especially with how forced Matteo and August's connection felt. I couldn't believe in Matteo being interested in August, especially after that ending + what August does to him. Also, how can Matteo even presume to write August's story here? 😭 it feels way too detailed of a narrative for me to believe Matteo wrote it. I don't understand how the POV style adds anything to the story except major favoritism for Matteo's POV, which got most of the spotlight despite the book being marketed as having two MCs.
-didn't like the way women were used in this book. Helen was like a rly flat sidekick that barely even helped. Sabrina... oh, Sabrina. Imo she was done dirty solely to serve Matteo's development, and she's completely forgotten right after. Neither of the girls' endings were satisfying to me (in comparison, Lucas gets more development and a nicer ending. Like wut the hell.) Ria is a plot device, which is fine, but I wish she were more interesting since she's basically the main thing moving the plot in August's story for the second half.
-I know from an interview that the author couldn't decide if she wanted the ghosts to be real or not. She wanted to leave the decision to the reader, and thus, she kept the possibilities open. This could've been an interesting route, except that, in my view, literally no non-paranormal theory can explain what happens in the end. Everything just felt too convenient for any plausible, realistic, no-ghost-involvement explanation. (And no, I don't think "they're unreliable narrators" is a valid excuse when I don't have enough info to find out which paranormal parts are unreliable & how that would enrich the story in any way.)
-The ending was so anticlimactic 😭 things happen, but for me, there wasn't any emotional or thematic weight to them. The set-up didn't build to a satisfying payoff. Maybet it's because I couldn't even tell what the author was setting up, which is on me.
-The topic about the economic gap between the poor artists (Matteo, August) and the rich artists (literally everyone else) was a repeated motif that wasn't truly delved deeper into or explored in an interesting way, imho. If anything, with August's actions in the end, I think the story implies some really dark and frankly unfair things about poverty-stricken artists and their desperation to keep their careers.
Conclusion: for me, it feels like the core of the problem is the author wanting two mutually exclusive things. Matteo downward spiral vs Matteo hopeful ending. August's entire character pre-climax vs whoever the hell August was during the climax. Ghosts vs no ghosts. I wish she could commit to one thing so that she can properly set it up for the later payoff.
This book just wasn't for me. I'm still extremely impressed by Jina and what she's done, and I know she worked hard on this and a lot of ppl do like the book. I just wish I were one of them 🥲
March 13, 2025
I finished this book and had to sit in stunned silence for a minute. And then I immediately recapped it to my mum and aunt, waxing lyrical in a way I don’t typically. They were equally entranced.
Because this book is, quite simply, that good. It has one of the most unique and ambitious premises I’ve ever read, & it manages to tackle its subject matter with such deft, elastic ease. I can safely say I haven’t read anything exactly like it; no one writes a spiral quite like Jina. It will stay with me forever.
If you haven’t read it yet, fix that IMMEDIATELY. Five stars ✨
Because this book is, quite simply, that good. It has one of the most unique and ambitious premises I’ve ever read, & it manages to tackle its subject matter with such deft, elastic ease. I can safely say I haven’t read anything exactly like it; no one writes a spiral quite like Jina. It will stay with me forever.
If you haven’t read it yet, fix that IMMEDIATELY. Five stars ✨
August 5, 2025
Wow, I could talk about this for hours. And I will. Prepare to be sick of me.
One day a while ago I saw a post online about this book and immediately wanted to read it because of the title. Then when I found out it was a story of art, desire, and the supernatural, I knew I had to pick it up. I've finally gotten around to it and have never been more grateful for social media.
There's nothing better than a book that makes you think and/or has an ending that haunts you. This is the perfect book for both those things. One of my favorite aspects of this book is that you don't know if the ghosts you spent the story with actually existed or not. Maybe these characters were communicating with real ghosts. Or maybe they had fully descended into madness. This is a book I'll reread over and over again so I can notice every little detail and come up with endless theories. This is a book no one will ever be able to forget.
And, I have to mention, as someone who can never get enough description in books, this story has the most incredibly rich atmosphere. The way Jina Jeon can create such clear, breathtaking settings is something I'll never get enough of. You feel like you're living in the pages with the characters, experiencing their story right next to them. I could stay in this book forever.
I'm not quite sure if I devoured this book or if it devoured me, but I know it will haunt me forever. If you need an atmospheric, beautifully-written book that dives into the worlds of music and theater while exploring how desire and leads to a descent into madness and one's inevitable downfall, you need this book. Even if you don't know that you want that, I can assure you that you need it. I will never be able to recommend this book enough.
One day a while ago I saw a post online about this book and immediately wanted to read it because of the title. Then when I found out it was a story of art, desire, and the supernatural, I knew I had to pick it up. I've finally gotten around to it and have never been more grateful for social media.
There's nothing better than a book that makes you think and/or has an ending that haunts you. This is the perfect book for both those things. One of my favorite aspects of this book is that you don't know if the ghosts you spent the story with actually existed or not. Maybe these characters were communicating with real ghosts. Or maybe they had fully descended into madness. This is a book I'll reread over and over again so I can notice every little detail and come up with endless theories. This is a book no one will ever be able to forget.
And, I have to mention, as someone who can never get enough description in books, this story has the most incredibly rich atmosphere. The way Jina Jeon can create such clear, breathtaking settings is something I'll never get enough of. You feel like you're living in the pages with the characters, experiencing their story right next to them. I could stay in this book forever.
I'm not quite sure if I devoured this book or if it devoured me, but I know it will haunt me forever. If you need an atmospheric, beautifully-written book that dives into the worlds of music and theater while exploring how desire and leads to a descent into madness and one's inevitable downfall, you need this book. Even if you don't know that you want that, I can assure you that you need it. I will never be able to recommend this book enough.
June 30, 2025
This was so incredibly and beautifully written story of two people with different lives become interwoven with each other.
Matteo, who is a music prodigy, comes from hard beginnings and by chance gets the opportunity to compose for an upcoming musical with the help of his friend, Lucas, who is a producer. Matteo’s love for music is deep as it helps him live his life. His life continuous to have turmoil as he continues to do drugs and go to clubs.
August wants to make it big in the musical industry and is desperate to make that happen. He doesn’t want to disappoint his parents and he communicates with Ria to make that happen.
August and Matteo go through their struggles and it takes a very dark turn in the end.
Matteo, who is a music prodigy, comes from hard beginnings and by chance gets the opportunity to compose for an upcoming musical with the help of his friend, Lucas, who is a producer. Matteo’s love for music is deep as it helps him live his life. His life continuous to have turmoil as he continues to do drugs and go to clubs.
August wants to make it big in the musical industry and is desperate to make that happen. He doesn’t want to disappoint his parents and he communicates with Ria to make that happen.
August and Matteo go through their struggles and it takes a very dark turn in the end.
July 21, 2025
Music is integral to my life. I sang in choirs for a decade. The only thing I love more than listening to music is reading about it, whether that comes in the form of critical reviews, song analysis, or a certain novel called Vaguely Human Figures.
As a musician, I’m impressed by how Jina describes music and the process of creating music—she does an excellent job of balancing the technical and the emotional!
The entire book is well-crafted in terms of symbolism and storytelling. I adore the parallels between Matteo’s character arc and the storyline of his musical. The fantasy elements of the story are both sly and compelling. The Chicago setting suits the storyline perfectly. (Also, the descriptions of driving in Chicago are spot-on. Just don’t drive there.)
VHF is both gritty and glittering—the best way I can describe it is The Great Gatsby crossed with Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”. I don’t usually write reviews this long but I truly loved this book and I’m convinced that it’s going to be a modern classic someday. 5 stars.
As a musician, I’m impressed by how Jina describes music and the process of creating music—she does an excellent job of balancing the technical and the emotional!
The entire book is well-crafted in terms of symbolism and storytelling. I adore the parallels between Matteo’s character arc and the storyline of his musical. The fantasy elements of the story are both sly and compelling. The Chicago setting suits the storyline perfectly. (Also, the descriptions of driving in Chicago are spot-on. Just don’t drive there.)
VHF is both gritty and glittering—the best way I can describe it is The Great Gatsby crossed with Billy Joel’s “Piano Man”. I don’t usually write reviews this long but I truly loved this book and I’m convinced that it’s going to be a modern classic someday. 5 stars.
March 13, 2025
Jina Jeon has a way of writing the intertwining stories in this novel that is so satisfying. Mysterious yet engaging, daring yet grounded. I’m so glad I found this author through her Instagram (@jinaswriting) and I look to it as proof that I can also publish my writing. The book is a heart-wrenching, real account of creative passion and its treacherous nature.
April 5, 2025
Is this crazy = genius by Panic at the Disco because I think it is
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over the grace with which every sentence was constructed, it warms my elegant prose loving heart. The story too as a whole was so well strung together, I couldn’t help but care deeply for the characters and my eyes wouldn’t look away. Ah and I loved the ending so much!!
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to get over the grace with which every sentence was constructed, it warms my elegant prose loving heart. The story too as a whole was so well strung together, I couldn’t help but care deeply for the characters and my eyes wouldn’t look away. Ah and I loved the ending so much!!
March 2, 2025
wow wow wow wow wow
this was so refreshingly brilliant
the description was so thought out and genuine i absolutely loved how it flowed and the entwinement of matteo and augusts stories were perfectly balanced
entertaining from start to finish, loved it so much ⭐️
this was so refreshingly brilliant
the description was so thought out and genuine i absolutely loved how it flowed and the entwinement of matteo and augusts stories were perfectly balanced
entertaining from start to finish, loved it so much ⭐️
April 7, 2025
4.25 ☆
Really atmospheric and gripping. Had me hooked from the beginning through the end. Loved seeing the characters slowly descent into artistic insanity. Just wish we had gotten to see a bit more of August's ending.
Really atmospheric and gripping. Had me hooked from the beginning through the end. Loved seeing the characters slowly descent into artistic insanity. Just wish we had gotten to see a bit more of August's ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2025
super super lovely debut!! i loveee jina and she’s so talented, this had me hooked and i literally finished it in an afternoon. at some points the plot felt repetitive or didn’t make sense (to me!) but overall, an AMAZING and super engaging novel!!!
December 13, 2024
I just read the first ten-page preview! I’m in love with the writing and I cannot wait to read the rest of this book. I know it’s going to be amazing!!
March 1, 2025
My fav book and author evaaaa
March 3, 2025
Jina is incredibly talented, one of the best books I’ve read in a long while!
October 10, 2025
Spectacular!
The writing was gorgeous
I was so invested in the characters
I wish we got to know August a little bit more though as it felt that Matteo got a lot more development
The writing was gorgeous
I was so invested in the characters
I wish we got to know August a little bit more though as it felt that Matteo got a lot more development
March 25, 2026
beautifully written and entertaining !!
also lucas i clocked you from the beginning you ain’t fooling me
also lucas i clocked you from the beginning you ain’t fooling me
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2026
Wow this was so good !!!! i cannot BELIEVE this was written right out of high school. while the prose could be a bit dense at times i forgive it because its in character and makes up for it ten times over with how vivid the descriptions are. jina jeon really understands figurative language too.
I (coincidentally) was listening to the last few songs of The Phantom of the Opera while reading the last several chapters and that improved my experience a hundredfold.
I (coincidentally) was listening to the last few songs of The Phantom of the Opera while reading the last several chapters and that improved my experience a hundredfold.
March 2, 2025
Ngl i think i kinda ate (go read it now!!)
General info if you're considering: https://www.jinajeon.net/works/vaguel...
General info if you're considering: https://www.jinajeon.net/works/vaguel...
December 8, 2025
As a musician, this book drew me in rapidly. I enjoyed it deeply, the musical accuracy made it a nice read. The design of the characters was alluring and made the reading easy to follow. The world-building was great and it was easy to imagine the scenes. I simply wonder about the future of August
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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