What do you think?
Rate this book
Perfect Happiness
With unparalleled psychological precision, master of crime and suspense fiction You-Jeong Jeong weaves a domestic nightmare centered on Yuna Shin: wife, mother, sister—and covert narcissist.
Everyone in Yuna’s life is desperate to keep her happy: her partners, parents, and terrified six-year-old daughter. Even when she’s not blaming or hitting, the threat of her mood keeps her family from bonding, touching, or even speaking long enough to realize she’s playing them against each other. But when little Jiyoo’s feverish memories of loons hint at a troubling crime, Yuna’s estranged sister and guilt-ridden husband begin to reconstruct her movements, the unexplained tragedies in Yuna’s history, and the lies she’s told for years. For the first time, Yuna’s traumatized family members will have to confront the truth of her depravity and learn that no one—no matter how young—is safe from her wrath.
After all, Yuna believes that happiness requires subtraction. And she wants nothing less than perfect happiness.
Everyone in Yuna’s life is desperate to keep her happy: her partners, parents, and terrified six-year-old daughter. Even when she’s not blaming or hitting, the threat of her mood keeps her family from bonding, touching, or even speaking long enough to realize she’s playing them against each other. But when little Jiyoo’s feverish memories of loons hint at a troubling crime, Yuna’s estranged sister and guilt-ridden husband begin to reconstruct her movements, the unexplained tragedies in Yuna’s history, and the lies she’s told for years. For the first time, Yuna’s traumatized family members will have to confront the truth of her depravity and learn that no one—no matter how young—is safe from her wrath.
After all, Yuna believes that happiness requires subtraction. And she wants nothing less than perfect happiness.
358 pages, Paperback
First published June 8, 2021
24 people are currently reading
4571 people want to read
About the author
You-Jeong Jeong
11 books498 followersSee also 정유정 .
You-jeong Jeong was born in Hampyeong, South Korea. She initially trained and worked as a nurse. She is now South Korea's leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction and is often compared to Stephen King and Raymond Chandler.
You-jeong is the author of four novels including Seven Years of Darkness, which was named one of the top ten crime novels of 2015 by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Her work has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Thai and Vietnamese. The Good Son is the first of her books to be translated into English.
You-jeong Jeong was born in Hampyeong, South Korea. She initially trained and worked as a nurse. She is now South Korea's leading writer of psychological crime and thriller fiction and is often compared to Stephen King and Raymond Chandler.
You-jeong is the author of four novels including Seven Years of Darkness, which was named one of the top ten crime novels of 2015 by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Her work has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, French, German, Thai and Vietnamese. The Good Son is the first of her books to be translated into English.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 16, 2025
This was my first book by You-Jeong Jeong, and I have also read with interest about her background – and of course noted her name in my list of 'authors I want to read more of’.
Perfect Happiness is the kind of book that grabs you immediately and crawls under your skin. From the very beginning, it is clear how bad Yuna is and how she has been manipulating everyone around her her whole life – when she is not busy doing something terrible to them.
I found it fantastic to read how in the different chapters, seen from different people, there is a back-and-forth movement in time while the story does not really take place in the past, but inevitably moves forward to a point where a climax must occur. Especially the chapters written from Jiyoo's perspective, Yuna’s daughter, and her husband Eun-Ho, were filled with tension – while in those chapters, you can already see a large part of what still needs to be told.
I’m very happy I was approved for this title, so thanks to Creature Publishing and Netgalley for this review copy.
Perfect Happiness is the kind of book that grabs you immediately and crawls under your skin. From the very beginning, it is clear how bad Yuna is and how she has been manipulating everyone around her her whole life – when she is not busy doing something terrible to them.
I found it fantastic to read how in the different chapters, seen from different people, there is a back-and-forth movement in time while the story does not really take place in the past, but inevitably moves forward to a point where a climax must occur. Especially the chapters written from Jiyoo's perspective, Yuna’s daughter, and her husband Eun-Ho, were filled with tension – while in those chapters, you can already see a large part of what still needs to be told.
I’m very happy I was approved for this title, so thanks to Creature Publishing and Netgalley for this review copy.
May 15, 2022
English translation of title:
Complete Happiness
I like the author and have already read several books of her. Unfortunately, this was not as good as her other works but I will continue reading her books anyway.
이 책을 읽으면서 깨름칙하고 불안한 느낌과 공포를 나름 즐겼지만, 고유정이나 이은해 사건 등으로 인하여 실제 사건이 소설보다 더 소설스러운 상황에, 조금 더 다른 내면의 모습이나 더 기괴스러웠다면 하는 아쉬움이 있다. 특별히 마음에 들었던 점은 지유와 오리들의 시골집 설정. 전체적으로 재밌게 읽어서 4점을 주려고 하였지만 마지막 엔딩이 약간 뻔하여 3점.
Complete Happiness
I like the author and have already read several books of her. Unfortunately, this was not as good as her other works but I will continue reading her books anyway.
이 책을 읽으면서 깨름칙하고 불안한 느낌과 공포를 나름 즐겼지만, 고유정이나 이은해 사건 등으로 인하여 실제 사건이 소설보다 더 소설스러운 상황에, 조금 더 다른 내면의 모습이나 더 기괴스러웠다면 하는 아쉬움이 있다. 특별히 마음에 들었던 점은 지유와 오리들의 시골집 설정. 전체적으로 재밌게 읽어서 4점을 주려고 하였지만 마지막 엔딩이 약간 뻔하여 3점.
May 6, 2024
Yuna cherche à atteindre le bonheur parfait. Pour se faire, elle est prête à tout... même au pire.
Immense coup de cœur pour ce roman sombre et envoûtant, portrait d'une femme dangereuse et très romanesque !
Immense coup de cœur pour ce roman sombre et envoûtant, portrait d'une femme dangereuse et très romanesque !
June 15, 2025
“I think you will eventually become happy if you slowly collect happy moments over a lifetime.”
“Wrong. Happiness isn’t addition.”
Yuna stared out the balcony window, as though she were searching for a distant horizon. Although he doubted she could see much more than the reflection of their apartment in the glass pane.
“Happiness is subtraction. It’s getting rid of the possibility of unhappiness until life becomes perfect.”
“행복한 순간을 하나씩 더해가면, 그 인생은 결국 행복한 거 아닌가.”
“아니, 행복은 덧셈이 아니야.”
그녀는 베란다 유리문을 물끄러미 바라봤다. 마치 먼 지평선을 넘어다보는 듯한 시선이었다. 실제로 보이는 건 유리문에 반사된 실내풍경뿐일 텐데.
“행복은 뺄셈이야. 완전해질 때까지, 불행의 가능성을 없애가는 거.”
Perfect Happiness (2025) is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 완전한 행복 (2021) by 정유정 (Romanized here as You-Jeong Jeong).
This the third of the author's books to be translated into English after The Good Son (종의 기원 - which directly translates as The Origin of Species) and Seven Years of Darkness (7 년의 밤) both translated by Chi-Young Kim.
On my review of both books I noted that author is "known as South Korea’s Stephen King, is an award-winning and bestselling author of psychological thrillers and crime fiction" (this per the publisher of this novel). I'm a fan of Korean literary fiction (Bae Suah, Han Kang or Hwang Sok-yong say) and culture, but would not read Stephen King novels, and as the novel feel neither particularly Korean nor particularly literary, I'm not really the target audience.
That said I did find this more successful than the previous two novels. As with those this is not a whodunnit more whydidtheydoit, i.e. focused on the psychological motivations of the characters. Switching from the first to the close third person perspective, and at no point from that of the 'villian', helps I think here, as the novel's main strength is to see the impact of the narcassistic (nad murderous) Yuna on the behaviour of those around her, such as her elder sister who was terrified of the younger Yuna from a young age:
Yuna didn’t call Jane unnie like she was supposed to. In some ways, it was thanks to Yuna that Jane learned so many alternatives for the phrase “big sister.” Her favorites, were Hey, You, Idiot, That Thing, It, and Bitch.
And which leave Jane, despite her affection for her niece, far from an entirely sympathetic character - two examples of her initial reaction to others who are also trying to unravel Yuna's web of deceit:
She was so enraged by the shameless look on his face that she almost took the hot frying pan and hit him across the face with it, omelet and all. If only she had screamed out in anger and told him to fuck off, she might have felt less resentment to him in the future.
and
She shouldn’t have run out of the café like that yesterday. She should have broken Min-young’s fingers. That way she wouldn’t have been able to send Jane such an infuriating email.
And Yuna's manipulation causes those around her to exhibit not just mistrust in each other, but also unconscious obedience to Yuna, and a refusal to believe what is increasingly clear, as it might destroy their world view:
There are moments in life when everything suddenly comes into focus, when it feels like you can see the entire universe. This was one of those moments. The curtain of unconsciousness that had been covering Jane’s eyes had been torn down in one swift motion. The wall of resistance had been toppled in one blow. The imagination that had been locked away burst like a dam. Jane was terrified of her own imagination for being able to accept such a possibility.
Against that, the monstrous Yuna could come across as a rather extreme character, although the author has said this is based on someone who marred her own life (hopefully not to the extent of multiple murder/manslaughter though). And the novel can sag a bit as the characters carefully reconstruct movements and facts to piece together the jigsaw.
2.5 stars rounded to 3
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley.
“Wrong. Happiness isn’t addition.”
Yuna stared out the balcony window, as though she were searching for a distant horizon. Although he doubted she could see much more than the reflection of their apartment in the glass pane.
“Happiness is subtraction. It’s getting rid of the possibility of unhappiness until life becomes perfect.”
“행복한 순간을 하나씩 더해가면, 그 인생은 결국 행복한 거 아닌가.”
“아니, 행복은 덧셈이 아니야.”
그녀는 베란다 유리문을 물끄러미 바라봤다. 마치 먼 지평선을 넘어다보는 듯한 시선이었다. 실제로 보이는 건 유리문에 반사된 실내풍경뿐일 텐데.
“행복은 뺄셈이야. 완전해질 때까지, 불행의 가능성을 없애가는 거.”
Perfect Happiness (2025) is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 완전한 행복 (2021) by 정유정 (Romanized here as You-Jeong Jeong).
This the third of the author's books to be translated into English after The Good Son (종의 기원 - which directly translates as The Origin of Species) and Seven Years of Darkness (7 년의 밤) both translated by Chi-Young Kim.
On my review of both books I noted that author is "known as South Korea’s Stephen King, is an award-winning and bestselling author of psychological thrillers and crime fiction" (this per the publisher of this novel). I'm a fan of Korean literary fiction (Bae Suah, Han Kang or Hwang Sok-yong say) and culture, but would not read Stephen King novels, and as the novel feel neither particularly Korean nor particularly literary, I'm not really the target audience.
That said I did find this more successful than the previous two novels. As with those this is not a whodunnit more whydidtheydoit, i.e. focused on the psychological motivations of the characters. Switching from the first to the close third person perspective, and at no point from that of the 'villian', helps I think here, as the novel's main strength is to see the impact of the narcassistic (nad murderous) Yuna on the behaviour of those around her, such as her elder sister who was terrified of the younger Yuna from a young age:
Yuna didn’t call Jane unnie like she was supposed to. In some ways, it was thanks to Yuna that Jane learned so many alternatives for the phrase “big sister.” Her favorites, were Hey, You, Idiot, That Thing, It, and Bitch.
And which leave Jane, despite her affection for her niece, far from an entirely sympathetic character - two examples of her initial reaction to others who are also trying to unravel Yuna's web of deceit:
She was so enraged by the shameless look on his face that she almost took the hot frying pan and hit him across the face with it, omelet and all. If only she had screamed out in anger and told him to fuck off, she might have felt less resentment to him in the future.
and
She shouldn’t have run out of the café like that yesterday. She should have broken Min-young’s fingers. That way she wouldn’t have been able to send Jane such an infuriating email.
And Yuna's manipulation causes those around her to exhibit not just mistrust in each other, but also unconscious obedience to Yuna, and a refusal to believe what is increasingly clear, as it might destroy their world view:
There are moments in life when everything suddenly comes into focus, when it feels like you can see the entire universe. This was one of those moments. The curtain of unconsciousness that had been covering Jane’s eyes had been torn down in one swift motion. The wall of resistance had been toppled in one blow. The imagination that had been locked away burst like a dam. Jane was terrified of her own imagination for being able to accept such a possibility.
Against that, the monstrous Yuna could come across as a rather extreme character, although the author has said this is based on someone who marred her own life (hopefully not to the extent of multiple murder/manslaughter though). And the novel can sag a bit as the characters carefully reconstruct movements and facts to piece together the jigsaw.
2.5 stars rounded to 3
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC via Netgalley.
July 13, 2021
플롯은 간단하다. 그런데 내용은 너무도 무겁다. 범인이 저지르는 처리방식은 너무나도 끔찍하다. 그런데 낯설지 않다는게 더 무섭다. 이미 언젠가의 뉴스에서 들어봤던 것 같은, 그런 익숙함이다. (고유정?) 범인의 여러 주변인물들이 교대로 사건을 바라보며 이야기를 풀어간다. 그 중에서도 범인의 딸의 시점으로 전개될 때 이미 엄마로부터 가스라이팅 당한 아이의 이야기라서 너무도 가슴이 아프다.
August 28, 2025
Book review: 4🌟
Perfect Happiness by You-jeong jeong follows Yuna Shin, a seemingly perfect wife and mother whose polished life hides something far darker. As cracks appear through her daughter Jiyoo’s disturbing experiences, her estranged sister’s suspicions, and the family’s haunting past. The story peels back layers of control, obsession, and buried trauma. What begins as a portrait of domestic harmony turns into a chilling psychological thriller about how far someone will go to protect their version of “happiness.”
Fhhoooffff, this book was so dark, disorienting, and claustrophobic in a way that kept me second-guessing everything. Let me start with warning you that the pacing can feel heavy at times and the confusion in the early chapters might turn some readers off. I was honestly bored but chapter 3 was a game changer. So if you stick with it, the payoff is chilling and worth it.
What I loved is how the author captures the psychological fog of grief and paranoia. It’s not just a thriller, it’s a slow descent into someone’s unraveling mind. There were moments I had to pause and think, because the narrative plays with memory, perception, and truth so well. The writing makes you question: is this trauma, grief, or something more sinister twisting her reality?
I would recommend this to readers who love Psychological thriller.
Thank you so much Netgalley and Creature publishing for the arc ❤️❤️.
Perfect Happiness by You-jeong jeong follows Yuna Shin, a seemingly perfect wife and mother whose polished life hides something far darker. As cracks appear through her daughter Jiyoo’s disturbing experiences, her estranged sister’s suspicions, and the family’s haunting past. The story peels back layers of control, obsession, and buried trauma. What begins as a portrait of domestic harmony turns into a chilling psychological thriller about how far someone will go to protect their version of “happiness.”
Fhhoooffff, this book was so dark, disorienting, and claustrophobic in a way that kept me second-guessing everything. Let me start with warning you that the pacing can feel heavy at times and the confusion in the early chapters might turn some readers off. I was honestly bored but chapter 3 was a game changer. So if you stick with it, the payoff is chilling and worth it.
What I loved is how the author captures the psychological fog of grief and paranoia. It’s not just a thriller, it’s a slow descent into someone’s unraveling mind. There were moments I had to pause and think, because the narrative plays with memory, perception, and truth so well. The writing makes you question: is this trauma, grief, or something more sinister twisting her reality?
I would recommend this to readers who love Psychological thriller.
Thank you so much Netgalley and Creature publishing for the arc ❤️❤️.
August 9, 2025
Jiyoo's mother takes her and her father on a family vacation to the cabin in the woods at Half Moon Marsh. Jiyoo is excited to see her father but she knows if she gets too excited she'll upset Mother. So while Jiyoo would love to run up to him and hug him she doesn't, but even so Father promises that they will go back to the marsh tomorrow. But the next morning Father is gone, Mother tells her that he had to leave and he won't be coming back.
Wife has been gone for five days now, which isn't new but what is new is that Eun-Ho has unplugged his landline and shut off his cell phone so he doesn't call Wife and plead for her to come back. Unfortunately, as Wife, his Mother, and Noah his son have made plans for the weekend and even though he's made it this long without calling her he knows he has too as she is very late. Deciding to put it off a little bit longer Eun-Ho leaves the house to catch up on some grading at school when he is surprised to find his sister in law Jane pulling up. Giving a brief introduction Jane informs Eun-Ho that he needs to tell Wife that Jiyoo can not stay at Grandma's that weekend because she has left the country and Jane is not watching her. She leaves after relaying her message leaving Eun-Ho very confused, Wife is at Grandma's he thought.
Jane cut ties from her sister Yuna years ago, she knows what Yuna is like and as an adult she has determined she does not need to out up with her erratic behavior. While Jane does love her niece she refuses to get taken in my any of Yuna's problems, she knows for a fact if she agrees to take Jiyoo Yuna will keep taking advantage of her. By this simple act of refusing to watch her niece Jane will set off a chain reaction that will destroy many lives. Jane will have to decide if she is willing to face hell in order to save what she can.
Omg what a freaking ride! This is only my second book by Jeong and I can't wait to read more!
We start off knowing who the killer is from the get-go, to be honest, who it is isn't the point of this thriller, it is to demonstrate just how many lives a narcissist can destroy. Jeong does an excellent job of this. Wife, Mother, Yuna. They are all the same person; a person who should have protected, cherished, and loved these characters unconditionally. Instead, she belittled, betrayed, abused, manipulated, and ultimately destroyed them. I found that not giving Yuna a voice in this was brilliantly done. Especially to drive home the point that she knew exactly what she was doing was wrong. As the daughter of a narcissist I find that narcissists are often portrayed as being so self-absorbed they aren't aware that what they are doing is wrong and that's simply not the case. They *know* it's wrong it's just not their fault. A narcissist can justify all of their actions as their victim's fault "If you had not done this then I wouldn't have had to do that." By not allowing Yuna's voice to enter the conversation we can truly see that mentality. It also gives us no choice but to accept that Yuna is not just a horrible person she is a psychopath. Because everyone around her has been trained (for lack of a better word) by Yuna, for most of the book her victims are in complete denial. They spend chapters trying to find a way to prove that she had not done what she clearly had. Without Yuna's voice we aren't pulled into her web so we can see her for what she truly is from the get-go; a monster willing to remove anyone she sees as an obstacle to her happiness.
I also found it interesting that Jane, Eun-Ho, and Joon-young (Jiyoo's bio dad) had a narcissist somewhere in their lives that wasn't Yuna. You surprisingly don't see this reference often in books, but whether people like it or not the possibility of marrying a narcissist after being raised by one is pretty high. Jane had their mom, Eun-Ho had his mother, and Joon-young had his younger sister. None of them were as bad as Yuna, but each of them manipulated these characters using very similar tactics. Eun-Ho actually points this out twice once regarding his mom and once regarding Joon-young's little sister.
I think my only very tiny complaint here is Jinu's character. No matter what he said I don't understand why he never said anything. Not when he originally started having suspicions nor later on when it was fairly freaking obvious he needed to open his mouth instead of dropping cryptic messages. Like c'mon dude the bodies are piling up.
Highly recommend this one. It kept me on the absolute edge of my seat. I will say though that this is definitely going to trigger people who have been in any sort of relationship with a narcissist.
As always thanks to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the eArc!
Wife has been gone for five days now, which isn't new but what is new is that Eun-Ho has unplugged his landline and shut off his cell phone so he doesn't call Wife and plead for her to come back. Unfortunately, as Wife, his Mother, and Noah his son have made plans for the weekend and even though he's made it this long without calling her he knows he has too as she is very late. Deciding to put it off a little bit longer Eun-Ho leaves the house to catch up on some grading at school when he is surprised to find his sister in law Jane pulling up. Giving a brief introduction Jane informs Eun-Ho that he needs to tell Wife that Jiyoo can not stay at Grandma's that weekend because she has left the country and Jane is not watching her. She leaves after relaying her message leaving Eun-Ho very confused, Wife is at Grandma's he thought.
Jane cut ties from her sister Yuna years ago, she knows what Yuna is like and as an adult she has determined she does not need to out up with her erratic behavior. While Jane does love her niece she refuses to get taken in my any of Yuna's problems, she knows for a fact if she agrees to take Jiyoo Yuna will keep taking advantage of her. By this simple act of refusing to watch her niece Jane will set off a chain reaction that will destroy many lives. Jane will have to decide if she is willing to face hell in order to save what she can.
Omg what a freaking ride! This is only my second book by Jeong and I can't wait to read more!
We start off knowing who the killer is from the get-go, to be honest, who it is isn't the point of this thriller, it is to demonstrate just how many lives a narcissist can destroy. Jeong does an excellent job of this. Wife, Mother, Yuna. They are all the same person; a person who should have protected, cherished, and loved these characters unconditionally. Instead, she belittled, betrayed, abused, manipulated, and ultimately destroyed them. I found that not giving Yuna a voice in this was brilliantly done. Especially to drive home the point that she knew exactly what she was doing was wrong. As the daughter of a narcissist I find that narcissists are often portrayed as being so self-absorbed they aren't aware that what they are doing is wrong and that's simply not the case. They *know* it's wrong it's just not their fault. A narcissist can justify all of their actions as their victim's fault "If you had not done this then I wouldn't have had to do that." By not allowing Yuna's voice to enter the conversation we can truly see that mentality. It also gives us no choice but to accept that Yuna is not just a horrible person she is a psychopath. Because everyone around her has been trained (for lack of a better word) by Yuna, for most of the book her victims are in complete denial. They spend chapters trying to find a way to prove that she had not done what she clearly had. Without Yuna's voice we aren't pulled into her web so we can see her for what she truly is from the get-go; a monster willing to remove anyone she sees as an obstacle to her happiness.
I also found it interesting that Jane, Eun-Ho, and Joon-young (Jiyoo's bio dad) had a narcissist somewhere in their lives that wasn't Yuna. You surprisingly don't see this reference often in books, but whether people like it or not the possibility of marrying a narcissist after being raised by one is pretty high. Jane had their mom, Eun-Ho had his mother, and Joon-young had his younger sister. None of them were as bad as Yuna, but each of them manipulated these characters using very similar tactics. Eun-Ho actually points this out twice once regarding his mom and once regarding Joon-young's little sister.
I think my only very tiny complaint here is Jinu's character. No matter what he said I don't understand why he never said anything. Not when he originally started having suspicions nor later on when it was fairly freaking obvious he needed to open his mouth instead of dropping cryptic messages. Like c'mon dude the bodies are piling up.
Highly recommend this one. It kept me on the absolute edge of my seat. I will say though that this is definitely going to trigger people who have been in any sort of relationship with a narcissist.
As always thanks to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the eArc!
December 17, 2025
What immediately drew me to this story was that it's focus is on a covert narcissist, but not by going behind the mask, but in a way that shows what the reality of living with such a person is really like. The author masterfully crafts a story that shows the damage that such a person creates in their wake. Yuna's entire family is constantly, desperately trying to keep her happy. Many have been manipulated to believe that her happiness is their responsibility, and some have put up firm boundaries only to be turned on or attacked. The way the story evolves will leave you questioning whether you truly ever know some people.
What hit me especially hard was the abuse she wrought on her six year old daughter. I felt that pain from my own childhood. Constantly walking on egg shells, seeing the person as your deity even as they tell you one thing and deliver blows in the next moment because you didn't understand the true meaning of their words. Living with a narcissist is a hell that you have to live to truly understand, and unfortunately many people have experienced it first hand. It's in stories like this one, that we can find healing, support and understanding.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for an advanced ebook copy. I did buy the audiobook and read that way to try to get a review out sooner since I'm behind and finally caught up on reviews. I'm excited to read more from You-Jeong Jeong.
What hit me especially hard was the abuse she wrought on her six year old daughter. I felt that pain from my own childhood. Constantly walking on egg shells, seeing the person as your deity even as they tell you one thing and deliver blows in the next moment because you didn't understand the true meaning of their words. Living with a narcissist is a hell that you have to live to truly understand, and unfortunately many people have experienced it first hand. It's in stories like this one, that we can find healing, support and understanding.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for an advanced ebook copy. I did buy the audiobook and read that way to try to get a review out sooner since I'm behind and finally caught up on reviews. I'm excited to read more from You-Jeong Jeong.
December 31, 2025
I came across Jeong You-jeong's works very randomly and started reading it expecting a run-of-the-mill crime thriller. But boy was I so wrong. Seldom does a book make me feel like someone's watching me over my shoulders. This a creepy book and its protagonist Yuna Shin is a psychopath and serial killer. Her actions are downright nausea inducing. And it's not even about her motive. From the very beginning you know that she's behind all the deaths but you just have to keep reading as the web of manipulation and lies unfold much to the shock of the people around her, who live in their own bubble convincing themselves that Yuna is not a horrible human being. The descriptions of the dreams were disturbing and I loved the alternate chapters from the perspective of different characters (especially Jiyoo) even though they left me feeling suffocated.
This was one hell of a ride! Definitely reading more works by this author.
This was one hell of a ride! Definitely reading more works by this author.
October 3, 2025
Yuna Shin seemed to have the perfect life. A loving husband, a cheerful little daughter, and a home that looked like happiness itself. But Yuna had her own rules. To her, happiness wasn’t about enjoying joyful moments—it was about removing anything or anyone that disturbed her perfect world.
At first, everything seemed normal. But then her daughter began having strange dreams, her sister noticed subtle lies, and her husband started sensing cracks in their family’s façade. Slowly, the picture of Yuna’s world began to shift, revealing a chilling truth about control, obsession, and the cost of pursuing perfection.
Reading this book felt like walking through a house where every door hides a secret. It’s gripping, unsettling, and so real that it makes you question the people closest to you.
Sometimes, chasing perfect happiness can be more dangerous than any threat outside your home.
At first, everything seemed normal. But then her daughter began having strange dreams, her sister noticed subtle lies, and her husband started sensing cracks in their family’s façade. Slowly, the picture of Yuna’s world began to shift, revealing a chilling truth about control, obsession, and the cost of pursuing perfection.
Reading this book felt like walking through a house where every door hides a secret. It’s gripping, unsettling, and so real that it makes you question the people closest to you.
Sometimes, chasing perfect happiness can be more dangerous than any threat outside your home.
October 29, 2025
"I've lived my whole life striving for that perfect happiness."
Like the title suggests, our main character, Yuna, has been doing everything in her power to achieve the "perfect" happiness. In order to maintain this state of perfection, she never once hesitated to overlook the limits of what she could and could not do, crossing beyond the boundary whenever she deems it necessary. As a result, everyone in her life must bear the consequence if they fail to meet her standards.
The book is told in three different perspectives: her daughter, her current husband, and her estranged sister. With each one, we get a glimpse of how Yuna manipulates and bends them to her will. As the story progresses, the suspense is becoming worse, especially when they make a trip to the Half Moon Marsh, a property Yuna inherited from her grandparents.
I find myself getting so immersed in this tale as if I was being sucked into a thriller Korean drama. The back story that drove Yuna to do things to extremes is pretty solid and I specifically love how consistent the author with Jiyoo's character, though it hurts me whenever she tries to take her mother's side despite everything that had happened.
Like the title suggests, our main character, Yuna, has been doing everything in her power to achieve the "perfect" happiness. In order to maintain this state of perfection, she never once hesitated to overlook the limits of what she could and could not do, crossing beyond the boundary whenever she deems it necessary. As a result, everyone in her life must bear the consequence if they fail to meet her standards.
The book is told in three different perspectives: her daughter, her current husband, and her estranged sister. With each one, we get a glimpse of how Yuna manipulates and bends them to her will. As the story progresses, the suspense is becoming worse, especially when they make a trip to the Half Moon Marsh, a property Yuna inherited from her grandparents.
I find myself getting so immersed in this tale as if I was being sucked into a thriller Korean drama. The back story that drove Yuna to do things to extremes is pretty solid and I specifically love how consistent the author with Jiyoo's character, though it hurts me whenever she tries to take her mother's side despite everything that had happened.
December 2, 2025
3.5 stars
My god, the character Yuna in this novel is a piece of work. Everyone around her fears her and for good reason. She’s a narcissist, manipulative, and extremely dangerous. She has a twisted view of happiness and genuinely believes it can only be achieved by removing anything in her life that makes her unhappy. I had zero sympathy for her and reading this felt like watching a real life train wreck in slow motion. I knew things would end badly; I just didn’t know how extensive the damage would be. It was a little slow and repetitive at times, but overall I enjoyed this twisted psychological thriller.
My god, the character Yuna in this novel is a piece of work. Everyone around her fears her and for good reason. She’s a narcissist, manipulative, and extremely dangerous. She has a twisted view of happiness and genuinely believes it can only be achieved by removing anything in her life that makes her unhappy. I had zero sympathy for her and reading this felt like watching a real life train wreck in slow motion. I knew things would end badly; I just didn’t know how extensive the damage would be. It was a little slow and repetitive at times, but overall I enjoyed this twisted psychological thriller.
June 11, 2025
Perfect Happiness was a really fascinating and engrossing read. I loved how our sense of Yuna developed with each new added layer of narrative from the lives of those around her. Although we never see her from her own perspective, we still acquire an amazing sense of who she is and how she became that way. The tension built more and more as the book progressed, culminating in an edge-of-your-seat finale that tied off all the threads woven since the start of the story. I could see this being turned into a wonderful, dark film or mini-series, and the descriptions in the book lent a cinematic quality to the storytelling. This was a gripping tale and I would love to read more from this author in the future, as well as attempting to read this story in the original language once my Korean improves a little more. Recommended for fans of taut thrillers. I am giving it 4.5 stars.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
I received this book as a free eBook ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2025
한사람의 일그러진 행복에 대한 집념이 어떻게 타인의 행복을 파괴하는지를 잘 표현한거같다. 어쩌면 우리가 그렇게도 외치는 행복에도 책임감이 따르는게 아닐까.
그녀는 과연 이렇게 해서 단 한순간이라도 완전한 행복을 찾은 적이 있었을까? 행복은 완전한것일까 아니면 불완전한 작은 순간들의 모음일까.
무책임한 그녀의 마지막 선택마져도 이해할수없었다.
그녀는 과연 이렇게 해서 단 한순간이라도 완전한 행복을 찾은 적이 있었을까? 행복은 완전한것일까 아니면 불완전한 작은 순간들의 모음일까.
무책임한 그녀의 마지막 선택마져도 이해할수없었다.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2025
'La felicità completa si raggiunge per sottrazione', afferma ineffabile la protagonista del romanzo. 'Elimino qualsiasi cosa la minacci'.
Niente e nessuno è al riparo da Yuna e dalla sua lotta per ottenere una vita perfetta; se solo non continuasse a incontrare persone che vogliono sabotarla...!
Storia di una narcisista e della distruzione che lascia sulla sua scia, raccontata (con grande efficacia) da tre punti di vista diversi (tre vittime del suo ego: figlia, sorella, marito); mai dal suo, scelta che rende la vicenda ancora più efficace, e permette di vedere anche i meccanismi che inducono chi la circonda a scelte incomprensibili, se non si tengono in considerazione le trappole che vengono tese all'interno della psiche delle sue prede.
Appassionante e inquietante.
Niente e nessuno è al riparo da Yuna e dalla sua lotta per ottenere una vita perfetta; se solo non continuasse a incontrare persone che vogliono sabotarla...!
Storia di una narcisista e della distruzione che lascia sulla sua scia, raccontata (con grande efficacia) da tre punti di vista diversi (tre vittime del suo ego: figlia, sorella, marito); mai dal suo, scelta che rende la vicenda ancora più efficace, e permette di vedere anche i meccanismi che inducono chi la circonda a scelte incomprensibili, se non si tengono in considerazione le trappole che vengono tese all'interno della psiche delle sue prede.
Appassionante e inquietante.
May 18, 2025
첫 오디오북으로 들은 책
성우들의 연기까지 입혀지니 몰입력이 상당했다
누군가의 후기처럼
요망한 생쥐가 조금만 더 읽으라고 유혹하는 거라 생각될 만큼
실제 사건을 모티브로 해서 별로라는 평들도 많은데
그 사건을 몰랐던 나는 “역시 소설이나 영화는 현실을 못 따라오는군” 이르는 생각을 다시 한 번 하게 되었네
성우들의 연기까지 입혀지니 몰입력이 상당했다
누군가의 후기처럼
요망한 생쥐가 조금만 더 읽으라고 유혹하는 거라 생각될 만큼
실제 사건을 모티브로 해서 별로라는 평들도 많은데
그 사건을 몰랐던 나는 “역시 소설이나 영화는 현실을 못 따라오는군” 이르는 생각을 다시 한 번 하게 되었네
October 4, 2025
This was my first book by You-Jeong Jeong and wow… I’m floored. Perfect Happiness is dark, tense, and completely addictive. Yuna Shin is one of the most chilling characters I’ve ever come across—not a monster in the obvious sense, but a manipulator whose cruelty seeps into every corner of her family’s life.
What I loved most was how the story unfolds through the people around her. Watching her husband, sister, and daughter slowly piece together the truth was heartbreaking but also impossible to look away from. The writing is sharp, the pacing is perfect, and the psychological depth so precise it made me pause more than once just to take it in.
For a first read from this author, I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. It’s disturbing, emotional, and unforgettable. I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books.
What I loved most was how the story unfolds through the people around her. Watching her husband, sister, and daughter slowly piece together the truth was heartbreaking but also impossible to look away from. The writing is sharp, the pacing is perfect, and the psychological depth so precise it made me pause more than once just to take it in.
For a first read from this author, I couldn’t have asked for a better introduction. It’s disturbing, emotional, and unforgettable. I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books.
July 12, 2025
너무 재밌어서 하루만에 다 읽어버렸다. 가스라이팅의 끝판왕 유나와 유나의 남자들. 첫장 읽었을때부터 무슨일이 있었는지 대충 예상이 갔었다. 하지만 그래도 계속 읽게된것은 지유때문이다. 애기때부터 학습된 복종으로 엄마의 말이라면 무조건 따르는 착한딸 지유. 정유정 작가의 책은 이 책이 처음이기에 제발 권선징악 엔딩이길 바라며 책을 읽었다. 그리고 책이 후반부로 향할때 꿈쩍없던 지유를 변화시킨건 이모의 조그마한 따스함이였다. 그 따스함에 지유는 용기를 내어 엄마의 그늘에서 벗어날수있었다. 에필로그에서도 지유,은호, 재인 모두에게 해피엔딩을 보여주진 않는다. 가해자는 죽어도 피해자들의 상처는 사라지지않는다는걸 은호의 수면제복용과 꿈의 내용으로 암시할뿐이다. 그래도 그들의 남은 삶에 행복이 깃들깅 바라는 마음으로 책을 마무리하였다. 처음읽은 정유정작가책인데 다음책도 기대된다
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 25, 2023
한 사건을 주인공을 제외한 여러 타인의 시점으로 보는 것이 매우 흥미로웠다. 타인의 마음을 읽을 수 없다는 것은 오직 내가 보는 것만으로 파악하고, 또 심리를 추측해야 한다는 뜻이기에.
내가 생각하는 게 진짜 맞나? 라는 의심이 점점 확신으로 변해갈 수록 꼬인 매듭이 하나씩 척척 풀려갔다. 초반에는 인물간의 관계와 사건의 시간적 배열이 쉽게 머릿속에 정리되지 않아 앞 페이지를 다시 넘겨가며 이해하는 과정이 필요했다. 그런 과정들조차 너무 재밌었던 책! 이야기 속 여러 장치와 시선이 결합하여 최고의 시너지를 내었다.
내가 생각하는 게 진짜 맞나? 라는 의심이 점점 확신으로 변해갈 수록 꼬인 매듭이 하나씩 척척 풀려갔다. 초반에는 인물간의 관계와 사건의 시간적 배열이 쉽게 머릿속에 정리되지 않아 앞 페이지를 다시 넘겨가며 이해하는 과정이 필요했다. 그런 과정들조차 너무 재밌었던 책! 이야기 속 여러 장치와 시선이 결합하여 최고의 시너지를 내었다.
March 30, 2022
Not very creative, but definitely a page-turner
July 27, 2023
불행을 지움으로써 완전한 행복을 꿈꾼다는 엄청난 주인공. 그녀를 통해 행복에 대해 다시 생각해 보게 됐다. 내게 행복에 대한 정의는 무엇인가. 그 행복이 무엇이기에 평소의 일상은 이토록 고통스러울 수 밖에 없는가. 행복은 사실 고통일까. 결국 우리가 찾는 행복은 고통 속 작은 설탕 알갱이 하나 정도이면 되지 않을까. 녹고 나면 그만.
March 17, 2024
One of my favourite books!
January 24, 2025
끔찍하다
주인공(?)한테 이 정도의 증오를 느껴본지 또 오랜만이네
주인공(?)한테 이 정도의 증오를 느껴본지 또 오랜만이네
October 5, 2025
-An Eerie & Unsettling Story That Grips You Like a Fever-
Review of 'Perfect Happiness'
Quote Alert
"𝐉𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐮𝐦 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫? 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐧."
(When perfection is the only condition of living―will anyone be spared?)
What is real? What is unreal? How would you chalk up a difference between the two? A dream that plays in front of your eyelids while asleep is a figment of your imagination but the brains that dreams is as real as the bones that cage it. The events that unfold in Perfect Happiness are like a fever dream: you are in its grip right from the start.
Perfect Happiness is that psychological thriller that grips you right from the beginning and doesn't let you go. So what's it about? Yuna Shin is a dotting and charmingly beautiful woman, caring towards her family with delicious dinner spreads―that sometimes feel like a high stake 4-D chess game. Yun Shin is the image of calm before a storm; everyone can be happy as long it is by her idea of happiness.
Just don’t cross the line, don’t seek the truth, don’t ask about that stain under the rug; as some secrets are better left undiscovered. So, what happens when her daughter starts suspecting that bedtime stories will always come with disturbing dreams. Her husband, who has mastered the art of looking away, is now rattled when one too many times when their jigsaw of a family butts heads. And her sister has started to look harder at Yuna’s house of cards.
Everyone is asking questions; but Yuna Shin knows how to keep her ‘perfect’ life from unravelling; because with her, there aren’t any slip-ups or so she thinks?
The storytelling is engaging and the writing style skilful. The characters feel real and full bodied, not lifeless and cardboardish. The reader feels helpless as there is only one goal in the present and now: to finish the book. Everything else comes later.
The passages that display the dynamics between the mother and the daughter are where the story comes alive. Have a look:
"There were many rules to follow when Jiyoo was with Mother. It was against the rules to open a closed door without permission. That was true whether Father was around or not. But despite knowing this, Jiyoo still wanted to open the door. She wanted to know that last night's dream had disappeared. She wanted to see with her own eyes that nothing was wrong, that nothing had changed from yesterday."
At the end, a note on translation. Sean Lin Halbert's translation is immersive and it makes the story look like it were written in English and not Korean and that's the biggest compliment a translator will get: that he is the actual author of the work. His work is so invisible that the author and the translator have merged and the story is a product of two minds coming together.
Pick it up this festive season.
Review of 'Perfect Happiness'
Quote Alert
"𝐉𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐚 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐮𝐮𝐦 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐫? 𝐈𝐟 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬, 𝐢𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠. 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐤𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐢𝐲𝐨𝐨 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐨 𝐢𝐧."
(When perfection is the only condition of living―will anyone be spared?)
What is real? What is unreal? How would you chalk up a difference between the two? A dream that plays in front of your eyelids while asleep is a figment of your imagination but the brains that dreams is as real as the bones that cage it. The events that unfold in Perfect Happiness are like a fever dream: you are in its grip right from the start.
Perfect Happiness is that psychological thriller that grips you right from the beginning and doesn't let you go. So what's it about? Yuna Shin is a dotting and charmingly beautiful woman, caring towards her family with delicious dinner spreads―that sometimes feel like a high stake 4-D chess game. Yun Shin is the image of calm before a storm; everyone can be happy as long it is by her idea of happiness.
Just don’t cross the line, don’t seek the truth, don’t ask about that stain under the rug; as some secrets are better left undiscovered. So, what happens when her daughter starts suspecting that bedtime stories will always come with disturbing dreams. Her husband, who has mastered the art of looking away, is now rattled when one too many times when their jigsaw of a family butts heads. And her sister has started to look harder at Yuna’s house of cards.
Everyone is asking questions; but Yuna Shin knows how to keep her ‘perfect’ life from unravelling; because with her, there aren’t any slip-ups or so she thinks?
The storytelling is engaging and the writing style skilful. The characters feel real and full bodied, not lifeless and cardboardish. The reader feels helpless as there is only one goal in the present and now: to finish the book. Everything else comes later.
The passages that display the dynamics between the mother and the daughter are where the story comes alive. Have a look:
"There were many rules to follow when Jiyoo was with Mother. It was against the rules to open a closed door without permission. That was true whether Father was around or not. But despite knowing this, Jiyoo still wanted to open the door. She wanted to know that last night's dream had disappeared. She wanted to see with her own eyes that nothing was wrong, that nothing had changed from yesterday."
At the end, a note on translation. Sean Lin Halbert's translation is immersive and it makes the story look like it were written in English and not Korean and that's the biggest compliment a translator will get: that he is the actual author of the work. His work is so invisible that the author and the translator have merged and the story is a product of two minds coming together.
Pick it up this festive season.
September 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Perfect Happiness (translated by Sean Lin Halbert) marks the third English translation of You-Jeong Jeong’s work. Jeong is known for crafting psychological thrillers that linger less on who committed the crime and more on why. In this story, Jeong delivers her darkest and most unsettling exploration yet of obsession, control, and the destruction wrought by a narcissist.
At the center of the story is Yuna Shin who is a flawless wife and mother on the surface, but whose perfection hides something far more sinister. Through the eyes of those around her like her young daughter Jiyoo, her estranged sister Jane, her husband Eun-Ho, and her former partner Joon-young, we witness the suffocating grip Yuna exerts on everyone in her orbit. A family vacation to Half Moon Marsh quickly takes a chilling turn when Yuna’s carefully constructed image begins to fracture. What follows is not a whodunnit but a psychological portrait of how one woman’s warped pursuit of “happiness” devastates everyone she touches.
Jeong’s decision to never give Yuna a narrative voice is a masterstroke. Instead of letting you be seduced by her reasoning, we are forced to see her through the eyes of her victims—children, spouses, siblings—all warped by years of emotional manipulation. This choice emphasizes the terrifying reality: Yuna is not misguided or oblivious; she knows what she’s doing is wrong, but she justifies every cruelty as someone else’s fault. The result is a chilling dissection of narcissism, written with unnerving clarity.
The story’s atmosphere is claustrophobic and disorienting, especially in its early chapters. The pacing may feel slow at first, but once the psychological gears lock into place (around the third chapter) the story becomes relentless. Jeong captures the fog of grief, paranoia, and denial with disturbing precision, blurring the line between trauma and reality. It’s a book that forces you to pause, reflect, and question how well they really know the people closest to them.
Though heavy and at times difficult to endure, “Perfect Happiness” succeeds in showing how far someone will go to protect their twisted vision of joy. For those familiar with narcissistic relationships, the story may feel painfully, even triggeringly, real. For others, it’s an unflinching thriller that demonstrates the quiet horror of psychological abuse more effectively than any bloody spectacle.
Dark, devastating, and impossible to shake, “Perfect Happiness” is not an easy read, but it’s one that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers who value character-driven tension over neat resolutions.
Perfect Happiness (translated by Sean Lin Halbert) marks the third English translation of You-Jeong Jeong’s work. Jeong is known for crafting psychological thrillers that linger less on who committed the crime and more on why. In this story, Jeong delivers her darkest and most unsettling exploration yet of obsession, control, and the destruction wrought by a narcissist.
At the center of the story is Yuna Shin who is a flawless wife and mother on the surface, but whose perfection hides something far more sinister. Through the eyes of those around her like her young daughter Jiyoo, her estranged sister Jane, her husband Eun-Ho, and her former partner Joon-young, we witness the suffocating grip Yuna exerts on everyone in her orbit. A family vacation to Half Moon Marsh quickly takes a chilling turn when Yuna’s carefully constructed image begins to fracture. What follows is not a whodunnit but a psychological portrait of how one woman’s warped pursuit of “happiness” devastates everyone she touches.
Jeong’s decision to never give Yuna a narrative voice is a masterstroke. Instead of letting you be seduced by her reasoning, we are forced to see her through the eyes of her victims—children, spouses, siblings—all warped by years of emotional manipulation. This choice emphasizes the terrifying reality: Yuna is not misguided or oblivious; she knows what she’s doing is wrong, but she justifies every cruelty as someone else’s fault. The result is a chilling dissection of narcissism, written with unnerving clarity.
The story’s atmosphere is claustrophobic and disorienting, especially in its early chapters. The pacing may feel slow at first, but once the psychological gears lock into place (around the third chapter) the story becomes relentless. Jeong captures the fog of grief, paranoia, and denial with disturbing precision, blurring the line between trauma and reality. It’s a book that forces you to pause, reflect, and question how well they really know the people closest to them.
Though heavy and at times difficult to endure, “Perfect Happiness” succeeds in showing how far someone will go to protect their twisted vision of joy. For those familiar with narcissistic relationships, the story may feel painfully, even triggeringly, real. For others, it’s an unflinching thriller that demonstrates the quiet horror of psychological abuse more effectively than any bloody spectacle.
Dark, devastating, and impossible to shake, “Perfect Happiness” is not an easy read, but it’s one that lingers long after the final page. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers who value character-driven tension over neat resolutions.
November 27, 2025
📚Perfect Happiness
✍🏻You-Jeong Jeong
Blurb:
With unparalleled psychological precision, master of crime and suspense fiction You-Jeong Jeong weaves a domestic nightmare centered on Yuna Shin: wife, mother, sister—and covert narcissist.
Everyone in Yuna’s life is desperate to keep her happy: her partners, parents, and terrified six-year-old daughter. Even when she’s not blaming or hitting, the threat of her mood keeps her family from bonding, touching, or even speaking long enough to realize she’s playing them against each other. But when little Jiyoo’s feverish memories of loons hint at a troubling crime, Yuna’s estranged sister and guilt-ridden husband begin to reconstruct her movements, the unexplained tragedies in Yuna’s history, and the lies she’s told for years. For the first time, Yuna’s traumatized family members will have to confront the truth of her depravity and learn that no one—no matter how young—is safe from her wrath.
After all, Yuna believes that happiness requires subtraction. And she wants nothing less than perfect happiness.
My Thoughts:
Like the title suggests, our main character, Yuna, has been doing everything in her power to achieve the "perfect" happiness. In order to maintain this state of perfection, she never once hesitated to overlook the limits of what she could and could not do, crossing beyond the boundary whenever she deems it necessary. As a result, everyone in her life must bear the consequence if they fail to meet her standards.
The book is told in three different perspectives: her daughter, her current husband, and her estranged sister. With each one, we get a glimpse of how Yuna manipulates and bends them to her will. As the story progresses, the suspense is becoming worse, especially when they make a trip to the Half Moon Marsh, a property Yuna inherited from her grandparents.
I find myself getting so immersed in this tale as if I was being sucked into a thriller Korean drama. The back story that drove Yuna to do things to extremes is pretty solid and I specifically love how consistent the author with Jiyoo's character, though it hurts me whenever she tries to take her mother's side despite everything that had happened.
Thanks NetGalley, Creature Publishing and Author You-Jeong Jeong for the advanced copy of "Perfect Happiness" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#You-JeongJeong
#PerfectHappiness
#CreaturePublishing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail,,Minor: Suicide, Alcohol
✍🏻You-Jeong Jeong
Blurb:
With unparalleled psychological precision, master of crime and suspense fiction You-Jeong Jeong weaves a domestic nightmare centered on Yuna Shin: wife, mother, sister—and covert narcissist.
Everyone in Yuna’s life is desperate to keep her happy: her partners, parents, and terrified six-year-old daughter. Even when she’s not blaming or hitting, the threat of her mood keeps her family from bonding, touching, or even speaking long enough to realize she’s playing them against each other. But when little Jiyoo’s feverish memories of loons hint at a troubling crime, Yuna’s estranged sister and guilt-ridden husband begin to reconstruct her movements, the unexplained tragedies in Yuna’s history, and the lies she’s told for years. For the first time, Yuna’s traumatized family members will have to confront the truth of her depravity and learn that no one—no matter how young—is safe from her wrath.
After all, Yuna believes that happiness requires subtraction. And she wants nothing less than perfect happiness.
My Thoughts:
Like the title suggests, our main character, Yuna, has been doing everything in her power to achieve the "perfect" happiness. In order to maintain this state of perfection, she never once hesitated to overlook the limits of what she could and could not do, crossing beyond the boundary whenever she deems it necessary. As a result, everyone in her life must bear the consequence if they fail to meet her standards.
The book is told in three different perspectives: her daughter, her current husband, and her estranged sister. With each one, we get a glimpse of how Yuna manipulates and bends them to her will. As the story progresses, the suspense is becoming worse, especially when they make a trip to the Half Moon Marsh, a property Yuna inherited from her grandparents.
I find myself getting so immersed in this tale as if I was being sucked into a thriller Korean drama. The back story that drove Yuna to do things to extremes is pretty solid and I specifically love how consistent the author with Jiyoo's character, though it hurts me whenever she tries to take her mother's side despite everything that had happened.
Thanks NetGalley, Creature Publishing and Author You-Jeong Jeong for the advanced copy of "Perfect Happiness" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#You-JeongJeong
#PerfectHappiness
#CreaturePublishing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail,,Minor: Suicide, Alcohol
September 26, 2025
Perfect Happiness by You-Jeong Jeong is dark, tense, sad - and I could not stop reading it. Twelve hours later, and I still have a knot in my stomach thinking about Yuma Shin.
It’s not as lyrical, but Perfect Happiness could have been called, “It’s Yuma’s World, and We’re All Living In It”.
From the time she was a child, Yuma has manipulated people - through tears, tantrums, and torture - to get what she wants. Or, more specifically, to get rid of the things she doesn’t want. Her philosophy is that she will be perfectly happy when she has eliminated everything - and everyone - that contributes to her unhappiness.
There’s a line in the book about the photos that Yuma takes and how they are all selfies, even when she’s not the only one in them. In the photos as in her life, she is in the center of the frame, and everyone else is in the periphery.
We are told Yuma’s story through the eyes of those peripheral to her - her sister Jane, her second husband Eun-Ho, and her young daughter, sweet baby angel Jiyoo.
It is through them that we learn about her life from childhood through college to the novel’s present day, and because we see through these three sets of eyes, we can put together patterns of behavior that they can’t (or don’t want to) see, and that increases the tension for us as we start to question- what has she done before on her quest for happiness- and what else is she willing to do - in particular to the characters that we’ve gotten close to as we watch from their eyes?
People are allowed to stay in Yuma’s world only as long as it suits her - for Eun-Ho, that means agreeing to her every demand - when he doesn’t, she leaves for days on end to he doesn’t know where (we know it’s a house her grandmother left her with some marshland). For sweet baby angel Jiyoo, complete obedience, deference, and absolutely no attention or affection to or from anyone else. And Jane - in her mind, Yuma has no sister, and there is no Jane. For Jane’s part, she hasn’t seen Yuma in years, finding a reason to be gone when Yuma visits their mother with whom Jane lives.
As Yuma practices extreme Konmari in her desire to find Perfect Happiness, those around her start to suspect how truly dangerous she is, but will they become able to stop her?
You-Jeong Jeong (as translated by Sean Lin Halbert) tells an incredibly thrilling story with a perfect ending - giving me another author to add my backlist TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the advance copy for my honest review.
It’s not as lyrical, but Perfect Happiness could have been called, “It’s Yuma’s World, and We’re All Living In It”.
From the time she was a child, Yuma has manipulated people - through tears, tantrums, and torture - to get what she wants. Or, more specifically, to get rid of the things she doesn’t want. Her philosophy is that she will be perfectly happy when she has eliminated everything - and everyone - that contributes to her unhappiness.
There’s a line in the book about the photos that Yuma takes and how they are all selfies, even when she’s not the only one in them. In the photos as in her life, she is in the center of the frame, and everyone else is in the periphery.
We are told Yuma’s story through the eyes of those peripheral to her - her sister Jane, her second husband Eun-Ho, and her young daughter, sweet baby angel Jiyoo.
It is through them that we learn about her life from childhood through college to the novel’s present day, and because we see through these three sets of eyes, we can put together patterns of behavior that they can’t (or don’t want to) see, and that increases the tension for us as we start to question- what has she done before on her quest for happiness- and what else is she willing to do - in particular to the characters that we’ve gotten close to as we watch from their eyes?
People are allowed to stay in Yuma’s world only as long as it suits her - for Eun-Ho, that means agreeing to her every demand - when he doesn’t, she leaves for days on end to he doesn’t know where (we know it’s a house her grandmother left her with some marshland). For sweet baby angel Jiyoo, complete obedience, deference, and absolutely no attention or affection to or from anyone else. And Jane - in her mind, Yuma has no sister, and there is no Jane. For Jane’s part, she hasn’t seen Yuma in years, finding a reason to be gone when Yuma visits their mother with whom Jane lives.
As Yuma practices extreme Konmari in her desire to find Perfect Happiness, those around her start to suspect how truly dangerous she is, but will they become able to stop her?
You-Jeong Jeong (as translated by Sean Lin Halbert) tells an incredibly thrilling story with a perfect ending - giving me another author to add my backlist TBR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Creature Publishing for the advance copy for my honest review.
October 6, 2025
🅱🅾🅾🅺 🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: 𝐘𝐨𝐮-𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 488 pages
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: Penguin India
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Thriller
Perfect Happiness is a gripping thriller that draws you in deeply. At first glance, Yuna Shin embodies grace and elegance. She is a stunning wife and a devoted mother, continually cooking exquisite meals and flashing a smile that seems perfectly timed. Yet, beneath this polished exterior, her home feels more like a theatrical stage than a true sanctuary. Each conversation is meticulously planned, every smile conceals something dark and threatening, and the joy in this household is governed by unspoken rules that everyone obeys.
The story unfolds with a slow, unsettling precision that keeps you on edge. A daughter begins to voice her quiet suspicions, questioning the facade. A husband realizes that his silence can no longer shield him from the truth. A sister keenly observes the cracks in their seemingly perfect life, digging deeper than anyone anticipates. Yuna’s world may appear immaculate, but with each chapter, the rot beneath the surface becomes increasingly apparent.
As you immerse yourself in the narrative, a chilling sense of being trapped in Yuna’s twisted game washes over you. In Yuna's eyes, love is a form of control, family becomes a tool for manipulation, and the pursuit of perfection transforms into a ruthless tyranny.
I am struck by how You-Jeong writes with sharp psychological depth. Her sentences may seem calm and ordinary at first, but they quickly take on a sinister tone, leaving you feeling unsettled. That creeping sense of dread lingers throughout the book, drawing you in further. This story is tense, atmospheric, and cleverly reimagines domestic life as a stage for horror. Perfect Happiness is not just a thrilling read; it stands as a powerful warning about the consequences of control masquerading as love. It is haunting, chilling, and brilliantly crafted. I relished every page.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindu
𝑷𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔
ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀ: 𝐘𝐨𝐮-𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠
ꜰᴏʀᴍᴀᴛ: Paperback
ᴘᴀɢᴇꜱ/ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀꜱ: 488 pages
ᴘᴜʙʟɪꜱʜᴇʀ: Penguin India
ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: Thriller
Perfect Happiness is a gripping thriller that draws you in deeply. At first glance, Yuna Shin embodies grace and elegance. She is a stunning wife and a devoted mother, continually cooking exquisite meals and flashing a smile that seems perfectly timed. Yet, beneath this polished exterior, her home feels more like a theatrical stage than a true sanctuary. Each conversation is meticulously planned, every smile conceals something dark and threatening, and the joy in this household is governed by unspoken rules that everyone obeys.
The story unfolds with a slow, unsettling precision that keeps you on edge. A daughter begins to voice her quiet suspicions, questioning the facade. A husband realizes that his silence can no longer shield him from the truth. A sister keenly observes the cracks in their seemingly perfect life, digging deeper than anyone anticipates. Yuna’s world may appear immaculate, but with each chapter, the rot beneath the surface becomes increasingly apparent.
As you immerse yourself in the narrative, a chilling sense of being trapped in Yuna’s twisted game washes over you. In Yuna's eyes, love is a form of control, family becomes a tool for manipulation, and the pursuit of perfection transforms into a ruthless tyranny.
I am struck by how You-Jeong writes with sharp psychological depth. Her sentences may seem calm and ordinary at first, but they quickly take on a sinister tone, leaving you feeling unsettled. That creeping sense of dread lingers throughout the book, drawing you in further. This story is tense, atmospheric, and cleverly reimagines domestic life as a stage for horror. Perfect Happiness is not just a thrilling read; it stands as a powerful warning about the consequences of control masquerading as love. It is haunting, chilling, and brilliantly crafted. I relished every page.
- #readwithbindu
- #reviewwithbindu
#bookwormbindu
October 14, 2025
Have you ever walked on eggshells around someone? Adjusted your needs and expectations according to the whims and fancies of a person who is nothing but unsatisfied with all your efforts? A person whose mere presence alters the energy of a room? This person could be anyone- but it will absolutely be the stuff of nightmares if they are your partner, your parent or your sibling. Well, Jiyoo, Eu hoo and Jane are living that nightmare and the person whose mere breathing patterns, body language and movement of the eye decides the state of their being is yinhoo.
Yuna is a beautiful woman whose idea of perfect happiness is not generic like living in the moment or striving for success, it’s nipping any cause which might potentially ruin her happiness in the bud. And anything which doesn’t align with this ideology has to go pronto. How her daughter Jiyoo, her sister Jane and her Husband Eun Ho navigate life with her would make you angry, sad and scared at the same time.
The plot of the book is twisted and has a sense of dread throughout. As if, something ominous is lurking on the horizon. It follows the POVs of Jiyoo, Eun Ho and Jane and how they discover Yuna’s ugliest secrets and disturbing psyche and how manipulating of a character she is forms the basic premise. The way Yuna’s diabolical personality has an impact on her daughter, her husband and her sister will make your skin crawl and your jaw drop.
I picked this one up because I thought it’s a domestic thriller and might shine in moments. But let me tell you, this book IS the moment. The story will keep you hooked until the last page. You-Jeong Jeong has masterfully crafted the most perfect domestic thriller and I am glad that this one made my Spooktober even more spooky. Hands down the best psychological thriller I read this year!
Yuna is a beautiful woman whose idea of perfect happiness is not generic like living in the moment or striving for success, it’s nipping any cause which might potentially ruin her happiness in the bud. And anything which doesn’t align with this ideology has to go pronto. How her daughter Jiyoo, her sister Jane and her Husband Eun Ho navigate life with her would make you angry, sad and scared at the same time.
The plot of the book is twisted and has a sense of dread throughout. As if, something ominous is lurking on the horizon. It follows the POVs of Jiyoo, Eun Ho and Jane and how they discover Yuna’s ugliest secrets and disturbing psyche and how manipulating of a character she is forms the basic premise. The way Yuna’s diabolical personality has an impact on her daughter, her husband and her sister will make your skin crawl and your jaw drop.
I picked this one up because I thought it’s a domestic thriller and might shine in moments. But let me tell you, this book IS the moment. The story will keep you hooked until the last page. You-Jeong Jeong has masterfully crafted the most perfect domestic thriller and I am glad that this one made my Spooktober even more spooky. Hands down the best psychological thriller I read this year!
October 1, 2025
Read this book with a bated breath.
Perfect Happiness by You-Jeong Jeong is a psychological thriller that revolves around Yuna Shin. Through the eyes of three characters in this book— Yuna's young daughter, her husband and her sister, we get glimpses of Yuna Shin.
Yuna Shin is a conniving character. Her small daughter is extremely terrified of her, she has been asked to keep a lot of secrets for her mother, and she can never ask her mother questions. She has these weird dreams where she sees her father (Yuna's ex-husband) and mother. But suddenly her father goes missing. She asks her mother about it, but Yuna keeps telling her that he has left and will never come back.
Meanwhile, Yuna's husband's sister reaches out to Yuna's sister Jane begging to look into Yuna's whereabouts the last few days. And now Yuna's current husband feels he has to walk on eggshells around her. When Yuna's ex-husband goes missing, he uncovers that the men in Yuna's life have all passed away in similar ways. A tragedy befalls him and now he slowly starts to see who Yuna Shin is.
The book goes back and forth in time as these three characters introspect their relationship with Yuna, their past with her and they start to genuinely fear Yuna. There's not much mystery that goes on in this book. It's more about how Yuna's terrifying nature gets unraveled bit by bit. It had me hooked no doubt but I wish their was more of a mystery.
The narration worked wonders in the book. It has quite a touch of spookiness to it and it kept me hooked. Yuna's genuinely sombre nature and the way she was perceived by these three characters kept me on my toes as well.
Perfect Happiness by You-Jeong Jeong is a psychological thriller that revolves around Yuna Shin. Through the eyes of three characters in this book— Yuna's young daughter, her husband and her sister, we get glimpses of Yuna Shin.
Yuna Shin is a conniving character. Her small daughter is extremely terrified of her, she has been asked to keep a lot of secrets for her mother, and she can never ask her mother questions. She has these weird dreams where she sees her father (Yuna's ex-husband) and mother. But suddenly her father goes missing. She asks her mother about it, but Yuna keeps telling her that he has left and will never come back.
Meanwhile, Yuna's husband's sister reaches out to Yuna's sister Jane begging to look into Yuna's whereabouts the last few days. And now Yuna's current husband feels he has to walk on eggshells around her. When Yuna's ex-husband goes missing, he uncovers that the men in Yuna's life have all passed away in similar ways. A tragedy befalls him and now he slowly starts to see who Yuna Shin is.
The book goes back and forth in time as these three characters introspect their relationship with Yuna, their past with her and they start to genuinely fear Yuna. There's not much mystery that goes on in this book. It's more about how Yuna's terrifying nature gets unraveled bit by bit. It had me hooked no doubt but I wish their was more of a mystery.
The narration worked wonders in the book. It has quite a touch of spookiness to it and it kept me hooked. Yuna's genuinely sombre nature and the way she was perceived by these three characters kept me on my toes as well.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews