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To the Moon
The bestselling South Korean phenomenon, To the Moon is a bittersweet tale of wealth and class, female friendship, and the promise of the future when good fortune seems to be just around the corner.
In Seoul, three young women meet while working mundane desk jobs at a confectionary manufacturer. They become fast friends, taking their conversations out of the group chat as they bond over their 'average' employee report cards, the incompetence of their male team leader, and a mutual longing for financial freedom amid mediocre raises.
Eun-sang, the eldest of the group, is always looking for ways to earn extra money, but faces trouble at work after she opens a mini mart at her desk.
Jisong, the youngest, dreams of a perfect romance with her Taiwanese boyfriend and spends her low salary on trips to Taipei.
Meanwhile, Dahae searches endlessly for a better apartment – albeit one she can actually afford.
One day over lunch, Eun-sang announces a plan to make enough money to quit her job, by investing her life's savings in cryptocurrency. What's more, she thinks the others should join her. All they need to do, she says, is hold on tight and wait for the price to skyrocket – to the moon. But as the market begins to fluctuate and spiral out of their control, the fate of their friendships – and their futures – soon hangs in the balance.
In Seoul, three young women meet while working mundane desk jobs at a confectionary manufacturer. They become fast friends, taking their conversations out of the group chat as they bond over their 'average' employee report cards, the incompetence of their male team leader, and a mutual longing for financial freedom amid mediocre raises.
Eun-sang, the eldest of the group, is always looking for ways to earn extra money, but faces trouble at work after she opens a mini mart at her desk.
Jisong, the youngest, dreams of a perfect romance with her Taiwanese boyfriend and spends her low salary on trips to Taipei.
Meanwhile, Dahae searches endlessly for a better apartment – albeit one she can actually afford.
One day over lunch, Eun-sang announces a plan to make enough money to quit her job, by investing her life's savings in cryptocurrency. What's more, she thinks the others should join her. All they need to do, she says, is hold on tight and wait for the price to skyrocket – to the moon. But as the market begins to fluctuate and spiral out of their control, the fate of their friendships – and their futures – soon hangs in the balance.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2021
85 people are currently reading
2567 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 199 reviews
July 11, 2024
j'explose mon crâne tellement c'était bien je crois bien que je vais faire en sorte qu'il soit traduit et publié en France parce que rarement un livre m'aura rendue aussi zinzin ma femme me regardait médusée tandis que je tournais fébrilement les pages (je lisais un fichier numérique mais laissez-moi enjoliver ma réalité non romanesque comme je l'entends merci) à minuit 30 alors que d'habitude si tu me vois après l'heure de 22h31 c'est qu'en fait ce n'était pas moi mais que c'était juste une ombre c'était juste une silhouette qui ressemble à moi c'était juste une ombreuh
tout cela pour dire
énorme banger
tout cela pour dire
énorme banger
August 29, 2025
To The Moon by Jane Ryujin
★★★★★
In Seoul, three women grow close while bonding over low pay, frustrating bosses, and big dreams. When they throw their savings into cryptocurrency hoping for a way out, the wild swings of the market test both their friendship and their futures.
I adored this book! It was such an easy, enjoyable read, and I loved learning about cryptocurrency along the way. The broken suitcase scene had me in stitches. It reminded me so much of when the same thing happened to one of my friends in Japan. The plot was simple but engaging, and the pacing flowed so smoothly.
If I had one tiny critique, it’s that the story didn’t feel like it had a big “turning point”. There wasn’t that one major problem driving the plot forward. Still, I appreciated how the ending felt realistic and grounded.
I just love stories where women come together to take on the world, and this one delivered. Plus, being swept into the everyday life of Korea made the whole experience even better.
🌕🚀📈🇰🇷
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★★★★★
In Seoul, three women grow close while bonding over low pay, frustrating bosses, and big dreams. When they throw their savings into cryptocurrency hoping for a way out, the wild swings of the market test both their friendship and their futures.
I adored this book! It was such an easy, enjoyable read, and I loved learning about cryptocurrency along the way. The broken suitcase scene had me in stitches. It reminded me so much of when the same thing happened to one of my friends in Japan. The plot was simple but engaging, and the pacing flowed so smoothly.
If I had one tiny critique, it’s that the story didn’t feel like it had a big “turning point”. There wasn’t that one major problem driving the plot forward. Still, I appreciated how the ending felt realistic and grounded.
I just love stories where women come together to take on the world, and this one delivered. Plus, being swept into the everyday life of Korea made the whole experience even better.
🌕🚀📈🇰🇷
💭 Do you enjoy books that take place in a different country from the country you live in?
Pour a hot drink, it’s book talk time.
TikTok
April 25, 2025
To the Moon is a slice-of-life book following three women at a dead-end job who get into crypto. That's it.
I enjoyed reading it, but this was just three girls buying Ethereum and retelling their anxieties about holding/selling while surviving their office jobs. The book interestingly begins with a disclaimer that this book is fiction and not financial advice, which confused me, but the whole idea here was that the girls waited for Ethereum to increase its value 'to the moon!' and then sell.
I rounded up 2.5 stars because I did enjoy it. But I do want to stress that the message of this book is that the only way to triumph in life if you aren't born rich is to buy crypto when it's low and sell when it's (very) high. This is not my favorite type of message. I am wondering why this book got published at all.
*ARC received for free, this hasn't impacted my review.
I enjoyed reading it, but this was just three girls buying Ethereum and retelling their anxieties about holding/selling while surviving their office jobs. The book interestingly begins with a disclaimer that this book is fiction and not financial advice, which confused me, but the whole idea here was that the girls waited for Ethereum to increase its value 'to the moon!' and then sell.
I rounded up 2.5 stars because I did enjoy it. But I do want to stress that the message of this book is that the only way to triumph in life if you aren't born rich is to buy crypto when it's low and sell when it's (very) high. This is not my favorite type of message. I am wondering why this book got published at all.
*ARC received for free, this hasn't impacted my review.
May 15, 2022
English translation of the title:
Let's go up to the Moon
Great read about the MZ generation/young women in Korea. Even though the book cover, the tone of the book and storyline look light hearted, you can find many underlying issues of current modern society, i.e. work ethics, societal structures, capitalism, etc. I actually like the happy, light-hearted and entertaining storytelling which also fit to the ending.
스포일러일수도 있지만, 결말이 나름 해피앤딩이어서 다행이다고 생각했다. 조금더 특별한 결말을 기대했지만, 요즘 세대에 걸맞는, 유쾌하면서 정직한 스토리라고 해야하나. 읽는동안 푹 빠져서 시간가는지 몰랐다. 하여간 작가의 말을 빌리자면, "음, 괜찮은 한권이었어".
Let's go up to the Moon
Great read about the MZ generation/young women in Korea. Even though the book cover, the tone of the book and storyline look light hearted, you can find many underlying issues of current modern society, i.e. work ethics, societal structures, capitalism, etc. I actually like the happy, light-hearted and entertaining storytelling which also fit to the ending.
스포일러일수도 있지만, 결말이 나름 해피앤딩이어서 다행이다고 생각했다. 조금더 특별한 결말을 기대했지만, 요즘 세대에 걸맞는, 유쾌하면서 정직한 스토리라고 해야하나. 읽는동안 푹 빠져서 시간가는지 몰랐다. 하여간 작가의 말을 빌리자면, "음, 괜찮은 한권이었어".
October 20, 2025
To the Moon is a Korean novel about three female friends who work for the same company in underappreciated, underpaid roles. One of them has an entrepreneurial bent and gets into crypto, encouraging the others to do so as well. Much of the book is spent watching with bated breath as the value of their chosen cryptocurrency fluctuates. I found this very tense, yet the denouement was not at all what I expected.
To the Moon depicts money struggles, office culture, and friendship with delicacy and insightful details. I quite enjoyed it, but was not convinced about the ending. I noticed there's a disclaimer at the beginning: 'This book is not intended as financial or investment advice.' Definitely not!
To the Moon depicts money struggles, office culture, and friendship with delicacy and insightful details. I quite enjoyed it, but was not convinced about the ending. I noticed there's a disclaimer at the beginning: 'This book is not intended as financial or investment advice.' Definitely not!
July 19, 2025
3 sterren!
Een prima boek. Vriendschap, geld, de sleur van het dagelijkse leven. Wat veel geld met een persoon doet en hoe het invloed heeft op je dagelijks leven. Het werkleven in Korea & de huizenmarkt.
Genoten!
Een prima boek. Vriendschap, geld, de sleur van het dagelijkse leven. Wat veel geld met een persoon doet en hoe het invloed heeft op je dagelijks leven. Het werkleven in Korea & de huizenmarkt.
Genoten!
June 23, 2025
`There's no end to how good things can get. And now you know it!'
Eun-sang pointed her glow stick at the sky as she leaned into my ear and whispered to me: `Don't worry. We'll get there.'
Her yellow glow stick was pointing at the moon in the night sky. One half of the moon was shrouded in darkness, and the other half shone coolly. It was a perfect half-moon.
“세상에 좋은 게, 더 좋은 게, 더 더 더 좋은 게 존재하는데, 그걸 알아버렸는데 어떡해.”
은상 언니가 야광봉을 쥔 한쪽 팔을 허공에 쭉 뻗고서는 내 귀에 대고 속닥였다. “걱정 마. 우리 저기까지 갈 거잖아.”
노란 빛살을 내뿜는 야광봉의 끝이 밤하늘의 달을 가리키고 있었다. 반쪽은 캄캄한 어둠 속에 잠겨 있고 또다른 반쪽은 시원하게 빛나고 있는, 아주 정확한 반달이었다.
To the Moon is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 달까지 가자 (more literally: Let's go to the moon) by 장류진. [I note in passing that the Korean original is separately listed, the different Romanisation of the author's name causing the issue]
The novel begins with an unusual but necessary disclaimer: “This book is not intended as financial or investment advice.”
The story is told by Dahae, in her late 20s. She works for a large confectionary company, Manon Confectionaries, but did not enter via the usual graduate program, but rather a non-conventional route, and is also from a less priviliged background that many of the employees.
She has formed an informer peer/friendship group - a 동기 (donngi) with two other women, who started on the same day and with similar age, socio-economic background and off-cycle entrance, each working in different departments but closer to each other than their immediate colleagues:
In fact, I felt closer to Eun-sang and Jisong than I did my own childhood friends. I had much more to talk about with them and, in some respects, we understood each other better — a fact that never failed to surprise me when I sat down to think about it. But looking back at it now, it shouldn't have been a surprise. I only came home to sleep and spent the rest of my waking hours at the office. Everything that happened to me — the good, the bad, the funny, the infuriating, the joyous, the unbelievable — was directly or indirectly related to work. And because Eun-sang and Jisong already knew all the main characters and background stories, there was no need for me to give long explanations.
나는 은상 언니와 지송이를 어릴 때부터 오래 알고 지내던 친구들보다 더 가깝게 느꼈다. 오히려 ‘원래 친구들’보다 할 이야기도 훨씬 많고 잘 통하는 면이 있었고 가끔 그런 사실을 곱씹어보면서 신기해하기도 했다. 돌이켜보면 그럴 만도 했다. 우리는 잠자는 시간을 제외한 하루 대부분을 회사에서 보내고 있었고 그래서 내게 벌어지는 일들은 직접적이든 간접적이든 ‘회사 일’이었다. 기쁜 일도, 슬픈 일도, 웃기는 일도, 화나는 일도, 통쾌한 일도, 기가 막힌 일도. 은상 언니, 지송이와 그런 일들에 관해 이야기할 때는 주요인물과 선행 사건들을 공유하고 있어서 배경 설명을 따로 할 필요가 없었다.
The three share company gossip, and a certain sense of cynicism about their jobs, but also a sense of frustation at the difficulty of making ends meet, particularly as their status seems to hold them back from promotions and pay rises.
One day Eun-sang appears to be extra happy, particularly given she'd just received a weak performance review, and she eventually confides to Dahae and Jisong that she has been speculating in crypto, specifically (and this is early 2017) the relatively nascent Ethereum. She tries to persuade them to join her, and while Jisong resists, Dahae is sucked in, particularly when she sees the price graph: Never in my life had I wished for something so much and not known until I’ve seen it. This is what I’ve been dreaming of. The letter J.
The moral of the story here does seem to be that to get on in late 2010s Korea, the best thing to do is not to focus your effort on your work, or on starting a business (Eun-sang has an entreprenurial bent, even running an unofficial convenience store at the office, as well as buying hand-warmers an scarves to resell to anxious parents waiting outside on the day of the college entrance exams - but decides speculation is a surer route to riches). In terms of managing cyrpto - if it falls, buy as it's cheap; if it rises also buy as the price is going up; and if all else fails visit a fortune teller who combines Korean 사주 with Tarot cards. And hold (or hodl?) on with your diamond hands.
The biggest fear is the fear of missing out:
Strangely, the more money I made, the happier and angrier I became. I was happy for obvious reasons, but I was angry at myself, perhaps even furious, for not being more confident. I’d already put all my money into Ethereum, but I lamented the fact that I hadn’t done it sooner.
And even the cynical Jisong is eventually persuaded to join in when her friends take her on an all expenses paid visit to a luxury hotel in the admittedly idyllic Seogwipo in Jeju:
‘I used to think people were just being patriotic when they said it’s the most beautiful island in the world,’ Jisong said. ‘But now I know what they mean. I went to Bali recently, remember? Bali’s all right, but this is paradise.’
view from the GoldOne Hotel
And the three manage to time their exit perfectly in January 2018, missing out on the near 90% crash in Ethereum during the rest of 2017 (although had they used their diamond hands and ridden the losses, they would have seen further large gains in 2020-end 2021):
Jisong, Dahae and Eun-sang ends with gains of KRW240m, KRW320m and KRW3300m respectively (divide by c1,500 for GBP, so Eun-sang becomes comfortably a millionaire), dwarfing what they earn from their day jobs.
In a sense though this is a less of a pro-cyptro tale (the three do realise it could have ended very differently) and more of another in the Korean 'healing fiction' genre as the real aim seems to be to show three lives transformed for the better.
The author says in an afterword that she herself used to buy lottery tickets in a similar way: "While waiting for the lottery to be drawn, I would daydream about the future. It’s hard to believe that at the time of writing this book, just six years ago, all I needed to buy the home of my dreams was a mere three hundred million won. How times have changed. I never won the lottery. I did, however, become a novelist. One perk of being a writer of fiction is that you can do your entire job with just a laptop. I’d always wanted to write a novel in which the main character was given three hundred million won, and so I decided to give Dahae and her friends three hundred million won each."
And Dahae does indeed use her gains to buy, if not exactly the house of her dreams, at least a more livable flat (when the novel opens she lives in a tiny studio where - a horror culturally for a Korean flat - there isn't even a 현관 area at the door where shoes can be left separate from the main floor).
Indeed as a portrayal of the realities of office life for Korean millenials this is effective, and it's an enjoyable read if one lacking any dramatic tension. Just don't look to it for financial, investment or indeed career advice.
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
Eun-sang pointed her glow stick at the sky as she leaned into my ear and whispered to me: `Don't worry. We'll get there.'
Her yellow glow stick was pointing at the moon in the night sky. One half of the moon was shrouded in darkness, and the other half shone coolly. It was a perfect half-moon.
“세상에 좋은 게, 더 좋은 게, 더 더 더 좋은 게 존재하는데, 그걸 알아버렸는데 어떡해.”
은상 언니가 야광봉을 쥔 한쪽 팔을 허공에 쭉 뻗고서는 내 귀에 대고 속닥였다. “걱정 마. 우리 저기까지 갈 거잖아.”
노란 빛살을 내뿜는 야광봉의 끝이 밤하늘의 달을 가리키고 있었다. 반쪽은 캄캄한 어둠 속에 잠겨 있고 또다른 반쪽은 시원하게 빛나고 있는, 아주 정확한 반달이었다.
To the Moon is Sean Lin Halbert's translation of 달까지 가자 (more literally: Let's go to the moon) by 장류진. [I note in passing that the Korean original is separately listed, the different Romanisation of the author's name causing the issue]
The novel begins with an unusual but necessary disclaimer: “This book is not intended as financial or investment advice.”
The story is told by Dahae, in her late 20s. She works for a large confectionary company, Manon Confectionaries, but did not enter via the usual graduate program, but rather a non-conventional route, and is also from a less priviliged background that many of the employees.
She has formed an informer peer/friendship group - a 동기 (donngi) with two other women, who started on the same day and with similar age, socio-economic background and off-cycle entrance, each working in different departments but closer to each other than their immediate colleagues:
In fact, I felt closer to Eun-sang and Jisong than I did my own childhood friends. I had much more to talk about with them and, in some respects, we understood each other better — a fact that never failed to surprise me when I sat down to think about it. But looking back at it now, it shouldn't have been a surprise. I only came home to sleep and spent the rest of my waking hours at the office. Everything that happened to me — the good, the bad, the funny, the infuriating, the joyous, the unbelievable — was directly or indirectly related to work. And because Eun-sang and Jisong already knew all the main characters and background stories, there was no need for me to give long explanations.
나는 은상 언니와 지송이를 어릴 때부터 오래 알고 지내던 친구들보다 더 가깝게 느꼈다. 오히려 ‘원래 친구들’보다 할 이야기도 훨씬 많고 잘 통하는 면이 있었고 가끔 그런 사실을 곱씹어보면서 신기해하기도 했다. 돌이켜보면 그럴 만도 했다. 우리는 잠자는 시간을 제외한 하루 대부분을 회사에서 보내고 있었고 그래서 내게 벌어지는 일들은 직접적이든 간접적이든 ‘회사 일’이었다. 기쁜 일도, 슬픈 일도, 웃기는 일도, 화나는 일도, 통쾌한 일도, 기가 막힌 일도. 은상 언니, 지송이와 그런 일들에 관해 이야기할 때는 주요인물과 선행 사건들을 공유하고 있어서 배경 설명을 따로 할 필요가 없었다.
The three share company gossip, and a certain sense of cynicism about their jobs, but also a sense of frustation at the difficulty of making ends meet, particularly as their status seems to hold them back from promotions and pay rises.
One day Eun-sang appears to be extra happy, particularly given she'd just received a weak performance review, and she eventually confides to Dahae and Jisong that she has been speculating in crypto, specifically (and this is early 2017) the relatively nascent Ethereum. She tries to persuade them to join her, and while Jisong resists, Dahae is sucked in, particularly when she sees the price graph: Never in my life had I wished for something so much and not known until I’ve seen it. This is what I’ve been dreaming of. The letter J.
The moral of the story here does seem to be that to get on in late 2010s Korea, the best thing to do is not to focus your effort on your work, or on starting a business (Eun-sang has an entreprenurial bent, even running an unofficial convenience store at the office, as well as buying hand-warmers an scarves to resell to anxious parents waiting outside on the day of the college entrance exams - but decides speculation is a surer route to riches). In terms of managing cyrpto - if it falls, buy as it's cheap; if it rises also buy as the price is going up; and if all else fails visit a fortune teller who combines Korean 사주 with Tarot cards. And hold (or hodl?) on with your diamond hands.
The biggest fear is the fear of missing out:
Strangely, the more money I made, the happier and angrier I became. I was happy for obvious reasons, but I was angry at myself, perhaps even furious, for not being more confident. I’d already put all my money into Ethereum, but I lamented the fact that I hadn’t done it sooner.
And even the cynical Jisong is eventually persuaded to join in when her friends take her on an all expenses paid visit to a luxury hotel in the admittedly idyllic Seogwipo in Jeju:
‘I used to think people were just being patriotic when they said it’s the most beautiful island in the world,’ Jisong said. ‘But now I know what they mean. I went to Bali recently, remember? Bali’s all right, but this is paradise.’
view from the GoldOne Hotel
And the three manage to time their exit perfectly in January 2018, missing out on the near 90% crash in Ethereum during the rest of 2017 (although had they used their diamond hands and ridden the losses, they would have seen further large gains in 2020-end 2021):
Jisong, Dahae and Eun-sang ends with gains of KRW240m, KRW320m and KRW3300m respectively (divide by c1,500 for GBP, so Eun-sang becomes comfortably a millionaire), dwarfing what they earn from their day jobs.
In a sense though this is a less of a pro-cyptro tale (the three do realise it could have ended very differently) and more of another in the Korean 'healing fiction' genre as the real aim seems to be to show three lives transformed for the better.
The author says in an afterword that she herself used to buy lottery tickets in a similar way: "While waiting for the lottery to be drawn, I would daydream about the future. It’s hard to believe that at the time of writing this book, just six years ago, all I needed to buy the home of my dreams was a mere three hundred million won. How times have changed. I never won the lottery. I did, however, become a novelist. One perk of being a writer of fiction is that you can do your entire job with just a laptop. I’d always wanted to write a novel in which the main character was given three hundred million won, and so I decided to give Dahae and her friends three hundred million won each."
And Dahae does indeed use her gains to buy, if not exactly the house of her dreams, at least a more livable flat (when the novel opens she lives in a tiny studio where - a horror culturally for a Korean flat - there isn't even a 현관 area at the door where shoes can be left separate from the main floor).
Indeed as a portrayal of the realities of office life for Korean millenials this is effective, and it's an enjoyable read if one lacking any dramatic tension. Just don't look to it for financial, investment or indeed career advice.
Thanks to the publisher via Netgalley for the ARC.
June 10, 2025
I received this book from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An easy to read, slice of life kind of book following Dahae, a young woman in her late twenties, attempting to survive the corporate office world of Seoul - working overtime to consistently be given middling performance reviews and no chances of raises or promotions. Dahae and her two friends Eun-sang and Jisong all dream of better opportunities and end up involved with cryptocurrency investment which could mean losing everything or shooting to the moon.
I quite enjoyed this book - as someone who has worked in corporate offices and also gone through the rigmarole of demoralising performance reviews that have less to do with your actual performance and more to do with what the company is unwilling to give to staff, I really resonated with a lot of the frustrations Dahae and her friends felt with their current work situation and I think anyone working and trying to just survive today can also resonate with the feeling of wanting more money, more opportunity, just something more. I know very little about investments and crypto so this part did go a little bit over my head but I was so tense for the girls as their investments rose and fell and I was just really hoping it would all go well for them.
I had some mixed feelings about the epilogue and wondered if we needed it but I also think it was a great opportunity for a full circle moment with Dahae and where she was, how she was feeling and what changed or didn't change with her from a year previously. I actually thought it was all very clever really - and really hammered home the point of the book and the characters. It's not necessarily that people want to be get rich and then do nothing, but just have that bit more so they don't have to struggle or worry quite so much or in Dahae's case, just get a nice apartment to live in!
An easy to read, slice of life kind of book following Dahae, a young woman in her late twenties, attempting to survive the corporate office world of Seoul - working overtime to consistently be given middling performance reviews and no chances of raises or promotions. Dahae and her two friends Eun-sang and Jisong all dream of better opportunities and end up involved with cryptocurrency investment which could mean losing everything or shooting to the moon.
I quite enjoyed this book - as someone who has worked in corporate offices and also gone through the rigmarole of demoralising performance reviews that have less to do with your actual performance and more to do with what the company is unwilling to give to staff, I really resonated with a lot of the frustrations Dahae and her friends felt with their current work situation and I think anyone working and trying to just survive today can also resonate with the feeling of wanting more money, more opportunity, just something more. I know very little about investments and crypto so this part did go a little bit over my head but I was so tense for the girls as their investments rose and fell and I was just really hoping it would all go well for them.
I had some mixed feelings about the epilogue and wondered if we needed it but I also think it was a great opportunity for a full circle moment with Dahae and where she was, how she was feeling and what changed or didn't change with her from a year previously. I actually thought it was all very clever really - and really hammered home the point of the book and the characters. It's not necessarily that people want to be get rich and then do nothing, but just have that bit more so they don't have to struggle or worry quite so much or in Dahae's case, just get a nice apartment to live in!
September 15, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. this was such an unexpected read & i mean it in the best way !!! 🚀🌕🥹
on the surface, its a story abt three friends working corporate jobs, tired of their routine lives & tiny apartments. 🙇♀️ one of them, dahae, decides to invest in cryptocurrency, hoping it will finally give her a way out. what follows is a mix of ambition, anxiety & that quiet, constant craving for “more” – more money, more space, more freedom.
the book doesn’t go into deep detail about how crypto or blockchain works. and their quick success seems too easy to be real. but for me, that wasn’t the point. this felt more like a story abt what it feels like to be stuck in a system that doesn’t reward hard work the way it promises. it reminded me of a k-drama tho lmaooo not bc it was unrealistic but bc it had that same emotional pull: friendship, quiet struggle, big dreams & moments of painful honesty. :'-)
what stood out the most was how it made me reflect on our relationship with money.💰💵 theres this moment in the book when dahae's dreams start to come true – luxury bags, vacations, expensive cars – but you start to wonder: at what cost? are we chasing happiness or just the things we think will make us happy?
its not a perfect book. some parts feel repetitive & the characters could’ve been developed more. but still, it hit me in a way i didn’t expect. it made me think & feel and that’s what i love abt reading.
maybe it's just me but i rlly enjoyed this one !!! its different. its bold. and underneath all the money talk, there's a quiet reminder: there are things more important than wealth and its up to us to decide what matters most.
// thank you so much @definitelybooks for a review copy 🥰
on the surface, its a story abt three friends working corporate jobs, tired of their routine lives & tiny apartments. 🙇♀️ one of them, dahae, decides to invest in cryptocurrency, hoping it will finally give her a way out. what follows is a mix of ambition, anxiety & that quiet, constant craving for “more” – more money, more space, more freedom.
the book doesn’t go into deep detail about how crypto or blockchain works. and their quick success seems too easy to be real. but for me, that wasn’t the point. this felt more like a story abt what it feels like to be stuck in a system that doesn’t reward hard work the way it promises. it reminded me of a k-drama tho lmaooo not bc it was unrealistic but bc it had that same emotional pull: friendship, quiet struggle, big dreams & moments of painful honesty. :'-)
what stood out the most was how it made me reflect on our relationship with money.💰💵 theres this moment in the book when dahae's dreams start to come true – luxury bags, vacations, expensive cars – but you start to wonder: at what cost? are we chasing happiness or just the things we think will make us happy?
its not a perfect book. some parts feel repetitive & the characters could’ve been developed more. but still, it hit me in a way i didn’t expect. it made me think & feel and that’s what i love abt reading.
maybe it's just me but i rlly enjoyed this one !!! its different. its bold. and underneath all the money talk, there's a quiet reminder: there are things more important than wealth and its up to us to decide what matters most.
// thank you so much @definitelybooks for a review copy 🥰
November 2, 2025
De onderlinge relatie tussen de hoofdpersoon en haar twee collega's was leuk om over te lezen. Alle scenes die te maken hadden met haar baas zelfs nog meer, maar uiteindelijk miste ik iets in dit boek. Het voelde te licht voor het onderwerp, er was geen groot leermoment voor onze personages. Het voelde allemaal iets te makkelijk.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 9, 2025
Enjoyable and relatable story of female friendship and work life. Set in Korea, this is about 3 women who work for a confectionery company. None of them are well off or have particularly good work prospects, so when one gets into cryptocurrency hoping to improve her lot in life, the two others end up joining in.
I found myself really hoping these women would succeed and I was surprised by the outcome. I was also surprised it wasn’t dull considering the subject matter.
This was a fairly quick and easy read and I’ll be interested to see what else this author writes.
I found myself really hoping these women would succeed and I was surprised by the outcome. I was also surprised it wasn’t dull considering the subject matter.
This was a fairly quick and easy read and I’ll be interested to see what else this author writes.
September 17, 2025
I finished this in a single sitting. The joy I feel after reading this book is immense ♥️ loved the friendship between the girls and it makes my heart so happy!!
November 29, 2022
3.5 not bad at all. But i don’t like ETH. Actually the plot is quite good.
(รีวิวตัวเต็ม)
เล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่อยู่ระหว่างไม่ชอบกับชอบ แต่ไม่ใช่เฉยๆ เพราะมันมีส่วนผสมที่หลากหลายปนเปกันเหมือนกับตัวละครในเล่มเลย เราว่านางเอกเป็นตัวแทนของคนยุคปัจจุบันได้ดีมากๆ (ไม่ใช่แค่ที่เกาหลีหรอก) เพราะโลกปัจจุบันมันโหดร้ายกว่าเดิมมากจริงๆ ไม่ใช่แค่ว่ามีความสามารถอย่างเดียวแล้วมันจะไปรอด (สามารถดูประเด็นนี้เพิ่มในหนังสือ the tyranny of merit หรือ หนังสือซ้ายจัดๆ อย่าง capital in twenty-first century ได้ค่ะ) แต่มันต้องมีเส้นสาย หรือถ้าพูดให้ตรงกว่านั้นก็ต้องมีเงินเข้ามาเกี่ยวข้องด้วย แต่เล่มนี้ก็ไม่ได้ต่อต้านอะไรที่ว่านี้แต่อย่างใด ในเมื่อต่อต้านไม่ได้ก็จงเข้าร่วมไปซะ 555555 ไม่ถือหรอกค้อนเคียว หันมาจับเงินกันดีกว่าพวก
โดยเงินที่จับก็ไม่ใช่เงินกระดาษอีกต่อไป แต่เป็น cryptocurrency ต่างหาก ซึ่งมันยิ่งฉายชัดภาพถึง "ความอยากรวย" และไม่ใช่อยากรวยแบบธรรมดา "แต่อยากรวยเร็ว" อีกต่างหาก โดยในเล่มมีดาแฮเป็นเหมือนบุคคลธรรมดาทั่วไป อึงซังที่เป็นกลุ่มแนวหน้า พาทุกคนไปรู้จักคริปโตฯ และจีซง (ชื่อนี่ปะ) มักเน่คนสุดท้ายที่เป็นเหมือนกลุ่ม Luddite ต่อต้านเทคโนโลยีสมัยใหม่ แต่สุดท้ายแล้วทั้งสามจะจบลงที่ to the moon หรือ go the dips กันแน่ก็ต้องไปลุ้นในเรื่อง
(ข้างล่างนี้มีการพูดถึงเนื้อหาสำคัญในเล่ม aka สปอยล์)
โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว แน่นอนว่าอยากให้ไป the dip ค่ะ 555555 เป็นคนนิสัยไม่ดี ก็เราอยากรวยแบบเขามั้งนี่หว่า! แต่จริงๆ ตอนอ่านแล้วมันหน่วงๆ นะคะ เพราะดาแฮเป็นคนที่ชอบมองคนอื่นตลอดเวลา (คงเป็นเพราะสภาพสังคมที่เกาหลีมีความกดดันสูงด้วย ดาแฮมักใช้คำว่า
คนอย่างเรา
สามคำที่พอรวมกันแล้วมันเจ็บปวด เพราะดาแฮกดทับตัวเองด้วยคำนี้ เวลามองไปรอบๆ เห็นเพื่อนในบริษัทที่เหมือนจะเหมือนกันแต่ไม่เหมือนกัน มันเจ็บปวด แล้วพอมีเงินขึ้นมา ดาแฮก็ยังเจ็บปวดด้วยคำนี้อยู่ดีว่า "คนอย่างเรา" ก็มีวันนี้ได้ มันอาจจะเป็นความเจ็บปวดและความภาคภูมิใจด้วยก็ได้ เราไม่มั่นใจ เพราะสิ่งที่ดาแฮได้มา ถ้าให้พูดตรงๆ มันก็เหมือนถูกหวย มันไม่ใช่ความสามารถหรอก (และนั่นทำให้เราอิจฉาเหลือเกิน ใครอยากเป็นเศรษฐี ชั้นน่ะสิ) เพราะอึนซัง (รุ่นพี่คนที่ชักชวนให้ all in ETH) ต่างหากที่ดูเป็นคนมีความสามารถ แต่ถ้าถามว่า สุดท้ายแล้วเราอยากเป็นเหมือนใครในเรื่อง เอ่อ ไม่ล่ะ เรื่องนี้ไม่อยากเหมือนใครเลย เป็นตัวเองดีกว่า 55555
เพราะงั้นเล่มนี้สำหรับเรามันฉายชัดภาพโลกปัจจุบันได้ดีมาก คนที่ขยันตั้งใจทำงาน (แม้ดาแฮจะทำงานแค่ 70% ของความสามารถก็ตาม) มันจะอยู่ยากขึ้นทุกวัน และถ้ามันมีหนทางอะไรที่จะทำให้เราหลุดพ้นได้เราก็พร้อมพุ่งตัวไปหามัน ซึ่งดูได้จากประเทศไทยเลยก็ได้ว่าทำไมคนถึงชอบเล่นหวย ทำไมถึงมีคนโดนหลอกวงแชร์ มีคนที่โดนหลอกว่าให้โอนเงินไปเท่านี้จะได้กำไรเท่านี้ตามมา การด่าว่าคนที่โดนหลอกโง่โดยไม่ได้ดูสภาพแวดล้อมและสิ่งที่เขาเจอมาไม่ได้ช่วยอะไรนอกจากซ้ำเติมและเบือนปัญหา อ้อ แต่เรื่องนี้ไม่เกี่ยวกับเนื้อเรื่องเลย ไหนรีวิวหนังสือ กลับมาก่อน
การใช้คริปโตเคอร์เรนซีในเรื่องก็เหมือนภาพแทนของหวยกลายๆ เพราะคนที่ซื้อเองก็ไม่ได้มีความรู้เลย จริงๆ แล้วอาจจะเป็นเหมือนหุ้นปั่นมากกว่าหวยด้วยซ้ำ แต่ไม่ต้องกังวลว่า เห้ย มีคริปโตจะอ่านยากหรือเปล่า ส่วนตัวแล้วรู้สึกว่านักเขียนเองก็ทำงานมาระดับนึง สามารถอธิบายอย่างย่นย่อและเข้าใจได้ง่ายพอสมควร แต่ว่าเพราะเป็นนิยายมันจึงมีความเห็นส่วนบุคคลลงไปปนบ้าง เช่นบอกว่า eth is new wave ว้าวซ่า ขอบใจน��� แต่มันไม่ใช่ อ่อ นี่ก็เป็นความเห็นส่วนบุคคลเช่นกันค่ะ 555555 แต่ถ้าพูดในแง่ของการราคาที่พุ่งไปเร็ว eth หรือพวก altcoin ตัวอื่นๆ นั้นพุ่งเร็วกว่า bitcoin อยู่แล้วค่ะ เพราะงั้นในกรณีของสาวๆ ในเรื่องที่อยากเพิ่มเงิน fiat แล้วการถือ altcoin แล้วเทขายในตอนท้ายก็เป็นการตัดสินใจที่ถูกต้องแล้ว
สิ่งที่ชอบในเรื่องคือการวางแผน exits ของสาวๆ มันเป็นเหมือนการรู้จักว่าจะพอเมื่อไร และไม่ได้ลุ่มหลงไปกับเงินเสียอย่างเดียว แต่มันก็ทำให้เราเห็นอีกว่า สาวๆ มองคริปโตเคอร์เรนซีเหมือนหุ้นหรือใบเบิกทางตัวหนึ่ง เป็นการเทรดระยะสั้นๆ อย่าเรียกว่าเทรดเลย เป็นการวัดดวงมากกว่า เพราะถ้ามีความรู้ความเข้าใจมากขึ้น ในปี 2018 ที่ขายไป ราคามันจะตกลงไป -85% ก่อนที่จะกลับขึ้นมาใหม่ในปี 2021 มากกว่าตอนที่พวกสาวๆ ขายไป 2 ล้านกว่าวอนกลายเป็น 5 ล้านกว่าวอน แต่ว่าหนังสือมันจบต้นปี 2018 เพราะงั้นจริงๆแล้ว สาวๆ อาจจะซื้อ the dips ก็ได้ ไม่มีใครรู้ 5555
มันเลยมีส่วนที่ชอบและเกลียดปนๆ กัน เพราะมันเหมือนดูถูกตลาด และทุกอย่างมันง่ายไปหมด (แหม ก็นิยาย แกจะเอาอะไร) แต่มันก็ดูจริงเหลือเกินในส่วนของสภาพสังคมที่ต้องดิ้นรนมีชีวิตรอดค่ะ
(รีวิวตัวเต็ม)
เล่มนี้เป็นเล่มที่อยู่ระหว่างไม่ชอบกับชอบ แต่ไม่ใช่เฉยๆ เพราะมันมีส่วนผสมที่หลากหลายปนเปกันเหมือนกับตัวละครในเล่มเลย เราว่านางเอกเป็นตัวแทนของคนยุคปัจจุบันได้ดีมากๆ (ไม่ใช่แค่ที่เกาหลีหรอก) เพราะโลกปัจจุบันมันโหดร้ายกว่าเดิมมากจริงๆ ไม่ใช่แค่ว่ามีความสามารถอย่างเดียวแล้วมันจะไปรอด (สามารถดูประเด็นนี้เพิ่มในหนังสือ the tyranny of merit หรือ หนังสือซ้ายจัดๆ อย่าง capital in twenty-first century ได้ค่ะ) แต่มันต้องมีเส้นสาย หรือถ้าพูดให้ตรงกว่านั้นก็ต้องมีเงินเข้ามาเกี่ยวข้องด้วย แต่เล่มนี้ก็ไม่ได้ต่อต้านอะไรที่ว่านี้แต่อย่างใด ในเมื่อต่อต้านไม่ได้ก็จงเข้าร่วมไปซะ 555555 ไม่ถือหรอกค้อนเคียว หันมาจับเงินกันดีกว่าพวก
โดยเงินที่จับก็ไม่ใช่เงินกระดาษอีกต่อไป แต่เป็น cryptocurrency ต่างหาก ซึ่งมันยิ่งฉายชัดภาพถึง "ความอยากรวย" และไม่ใช่อยากรวยแบบธรรมดา "แต่อยากรวยเร็ว" อีกต่างหาก โดยในเล่มมีดาแฮเป็นเหมือนบุคคลธรรมดาทั่วไป อึงซังที่เป็นกลุ่มแนวหน้า พาทุกคนไปรู้จักคริปโตฯ และจีซง (ชื่อนี่ปะ) มักเน่คนสุดท้ายที่เป็นเหมือนกลุ่ม Luddite ต่อต้านเทคโนโลยีสมัยใหม่ แต่สุดท้ายแล้วทั้งสามจะจบลงที่ to the moon หรือ go the dips กันแน่ก็ต้องไปลุ้นในเรื่อง
(ข้างล่างนี้มีการพูดถึงเนื้อหาสำคัญในเล่ม aka สปอยล์)
โดยส่วนตัวแล้ว แน่นอนว่าอยากให้ไป the dip ค่ะ 555555 เป็นคนนิสัยไม่ดี ก็เราอยากรวยแบบเขามั้งนี่หว่า! แต่จริงๆ ตอนอ่านแล้วมันหน่วงๆ นะคะ เพราะดาแฮเป็นคนที่ชอบมองคนอื่นตลอดเวลา (คงเป็นเพราะสภาพสังคมที่เกาหลีมีความกดดันสูงด้วย ดาแฮมักใช้คำว่า
คนอย่างเรา
สามคำที่พอรวมกันแล้วมันเจ็บปวด เพราะดาแฮกดทับตัวเองด้วยคำนี้ เวลามองไปรอบๆ เห็นเพื่อนในบริษัทที่เหมือนจะเหมือนกันแต่ไม่เหมือนกัน มันเจ็บปวด แล้วพอมีเงินขึ้นมา ดาแฮก็ยังเจ็บปวดด้วยคำนี้อยู่ดีว่า "คนอย่างเรา" ก็มีวันนี้ได้ มันอาจจะเป็นความเจ็บปวดและความภาคภูมิใจด้วยก็ได้ เราไม่มั่นใจ เพราะสิ่งที่ดาแฮได้มา ถ้าให้พูดตรงๆ มันก็เหมือนถูกหวย มันไม่ใช่ความสามารถหรอก (และนั่นทำให้เราอิจฉาเหลือเกิน ใครอยากเป็นเศรษฐี ชั้นน่ะสิ) เพราะอึนซัง (รุ่นพี่คนที่ชักชวนให้ all in ETH) ต่างหากที่ดูเป็นคนมีความสามารถ แต่ถ้าถามว่า สุดท้ายแล้วเราอยากเป็นเหมือนใครในเรื่อง เอ่อ ไม่ล่ะ เรื่องนี้ไม่อยากเหมือนใครเลย เป็นตัวเองดีกว่า 55555
เพราะงั้นเล่มนี้สำหรับเรามันฉายชัดภาพโลกปัจจุบันได้ดีมาก คนที่ขยันตั้งใจทำงาน (แม้ดาแฮจะทำงานแค่ 70% ของความสามารถก็ตาม) มันจะอยู่ยากขึ้นทุกวัน และถ้ามันมีหนทางอะไรที่จะทำให้เราหลุดพ้นได้เราก็พร้อมพุ่งตัวไปหามัน ซึ่งดูได้จากประเทศไทยเลยก็ได้ว่าทำไมคนถึงชอบเล่นหวย ทำไมถึงมีคนโดนหลอกวงแชร์ มีคนที่โดนหลอกว่าให้โอนเงินไปเท่านี้จะได้กำไรเท่านี้ตามมา การด่าว่าคนที่โดนหลอกโง่โดยไม่ได้ดูสภาพแวดล้อมและสิ่งที่เขาเจอมาไม่ได้ช่วยอะไรนอกจากซ้ำเติมและเบือนปัญหา อ้อ แต่เรื่องนี้ไม่เกี่ยวกับเนื้อเรื่องเลย ไหนรีวิวหนังสือ กลับมาก่อน
การใช้คริปโตเคอร์เรนซีในเรื่องก็เหมือนภาพแทนของหวยกลายๆ เพราะคนที่ซื้อเองก็ไม่ได้มีความรู้เลย จริงๆ แล้วอาจจะเป็นเหมือนหุ้นปั่นมากกว่าหวยด้วยซ้ำ แต่ไม่ต้องกังวลว่า เห้ย มีคริปโตจะอ่านยากหรือเปล่า ส่วนตัวแล้วรู้สึกว่านักเขียนเองก็ทำงานมาระดับนึง สามารถอธิบายอย่างย่นย่อและเข้าใจได้ง่ายพอสมควร แต่ว่าเพราะเป็นนิยายมันจึงมีความเห็นส่วนบุคคลลงไปปนบ้าง เช่นบอกว่า eth is new wave ว้าวซ่า ขอบใจน��� แต่มันไม่ใช่ อ่อ นี่ก็เป็นความเห็นส่วนบุคคลเช่นกันค่ะ 555555 แต่ถ้าพูดในแง่ของการราคาที่พุ่งไปเร็ว eth หรือพวก altcoin ตัวอื่นๆ นั้นพุ่งเร็วกว่า bitcoin อยู่แล้วค่ะ เพราะงั้นในกรณีของสาวๆ ในเรื่องที่อยากเพิ่มเงิน fiat แล้วการถือ altcoin แล้วเทขายในตอนท้ายก็เป็นการตัดสินใจที่ถูกต้องแล้ว
สิ่งที่ชอบในเรื่องคือการวางแผน exits ของสาวๆ มันเป็นเหมือนการรู้จักว่าจะพอเมื่อไร และไม่ได้ลุ่มหลงไปกับเงินเสียอย่างเดียว แต่มันก็ทำให้เราเห็นอีกว่า สาวๆ มองคริปโตเคอร์เรนซีเหมือนหุ้นหรือใบเบิกทางตัวหนึ่ง เป็นการเทรดระยะสั้นๆ อย่าเรียกว่าเทรดเลย เป็นการวัดดวงมากกว่า เพราะถ้ามีความรู้ความเข้าใจมากขึ้น ในปี 2018 ที่ขายไป ราคามันจะตกลงไป -85% ก่อนที่จะกลับขึ้นมาใหม่ในปี 2021 มากกว่าตอนที่พวกสาวๆ ขายไป 2 ล้านกว่าวอนกลายเป็น 5 ล้านกว่าวอน แต่ว่าหนังสือมันจบต้นปี 2018 เพราะงั้นจริงๆแล้ว สาวๆ อาจจะซื้อ the dips ก็ได้ ไม่มีใครรู้ 5555
มันเลยมีส่วนที่ชอบและเกลียดปนๆ กัน เพราะมันเหมือนดูถูกตลาด และทุกอย่างมันง่ายไปหมด (แหม ก็นิยาย แกจะเอาอะไร) แต่มันก็ดูจริงเหลือเกินในส่วนของสภาพสังคมที่ต้องดิ้นรนมีชีวิตรอดค่ะ
July 8, 2025
3 stars.
Preface: I don't tend to like slice-of-life stories, only picked this up on a whim because I'd been talking extensively to a friend about cryptocurrency recently and the blurb is brilliantly written - I was really intrigued to see how the Ethereum purchase would play out between the three friends. But I was reminded very quickly _why_ I don't generally like slice-of-life stories, and although I did enjoy all the house-hunting with Dahae, I bored very quickly of the group chat shenanigans, which is the central storyline of the story.
It does break the mould a bit in the second half though, and is thought-provoking in its own, rather niche way that I don't think I've seen in another book, and for this I bumped my score up a bit. What happens in a group of three friends when one is so removed from the other two: ? How does financials, and affect friendships? Friendships that, by the way, did not have much to hold them together in the first place pretty much apart from a common workplace and having started on the same day. It's funny how the universe works sometimes, and made me think of some of the friends I have and value - people who on the grand scheme of things I have no real business ever having a conversation, never mind developing a bond with.
For this reason, despite not fully agreeing with the message it conveys (more on this in the next paragraph), I
But at the same time, I slightly worry about the message that it conveys because .
I also learned something about the Korean rental market that I didn't know before. The concept of jeonse still blows my mind because I cannot imagine how it works, effectively not paying to live somewhere!
Preface: I don't tend to like slice-of-life stories, only picked this up on a whim because I'd been talking extensively to a friend about cryptocurrency recently and the blurb is brilliantly written - I was really intrigued to see how the Ethereum purchase would play out between the three friends. But I was reminded very quickly _why_ I don't generally like slice-of-life stories, and although I did enjoy all the house-hunting with Dahae, I bored very quickly of the group chat shenanigans, which is the central storyline of the story.
It does break the mould a bit in the second half though, and is thought-provoking in its own, rather niche way that I don't think I've seen in another book, and for this I bumped my score up a bit. What happens in a group of three friends when one is so removed from the other two: ? How does financials, and affect friendships? Friendships that, by the way, did not have much to hold them together in the first place pretty much apart from a common workplace and having started on the same day. It's funny how the universe works sometimes, and made me think of some of the friends I have and value - people who on the grand scheme of things I have no real business ever having a conversation, never mind developing a bond with.
For this reason, despite not fully agreeing with the message it conveys (more on this in the next paragraph), I
But at the same time, I slightly worry about the message that it conveys because .
I also learned something about the Korean rental market that I didn't know before. The concept of jeonse still blows my mind because I cannot imagine how it works, effectively not paying to live somewhere!
June 26, 2025
simple & i really enjoyed it!!
May 12, 2025
I really enjoyed this book about three Korean girls who became involved in the ups and downs cyber currency. It was interesting to follow their fortunes and the way it changed each of them. It was a bit of a roller coaster as their money rose and dropped which I guess is what it is like. The girls all had low paid, mundane jobs with little chance of promotion. It was interesting to see how their relationships changed with each other as two of them became involved before the third and also how things changed in their work place. Definitely an interesting novel. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
July 20, 2023
I don't feel engaged to this book because what's happening seems impossible. But nothing to think about, this is simply light reading.
October 9, 2025
„Bis zum Mond“ begleitet junge Angestellte in Seoul, die zwischen Karriereleitern, winzigen Wohnungen und der Verlockung schneller Krypto-Gewinne navigieren. Der Roman fängt dieses Milieu präzise ein: Präsentationen, die bis in die Nacht geschoben werden, PowerPoint-Politik, subtile Hierarchien, die in der Kantine sichtbarer sind als in Meetings. Besonders stark sind die Dialoge – schnappatmige Pausenraumsätze, kleine Sticheleien, Freundinnengespräche, die mit einem halben Lachen mehr verraten als jeder innere Monolog. Hier glänzt das Buch: als Workplace-Fiction, die weibliche Solidarität und Konkurrenz dicht nebeneinanderlegt.
Die Gegenwartssignale – Coins, Tech-Memes, Start-up-Sprech – wirken frisch und machen Spaß. Trotzdem bleibt das Krypto-Motiv eher Kulisse als Konsequenzmaschine. Risiken, Abstürze, moralische Verwerfungen: Vieles blitzt auf, wenig wird wirklich durchgespielt. Dadurch wirkt der Mittelteil episodisch; Szenen sind pointiert, die Spannungskurve jedoch flach. Auch die Nebenfiguren geraten schemenhaft: Vorgesetzte sind oft Typen statt Menschen, Liebes- und Familienstränge bleiben Skizzen.
Stilistisch setzt Ryujin auf leichte, schnelle Prosa – hervorragend lesbar, oft witzig, aber selten scharfkantig. Wer bissige Kapitalismussatire erwartet, bekommt eher ein Zeitbild mit sanfter Ironie. Wer hingegen Alltagsnähe, Dynamik in weiblichen Freundschaften und die Reibungen im unteren Management sucht, wird bestens bedient.
Unterm Strich: unterhaltsam, treffsicher in Milieu-Details, aber zu risikoarm erzählt, um noch Tage später nachzuwirken. Ein solider Griff für Fans von zeitgenössischer Büro-Literatur – mit Glitzer, doch ohne ganz großen Knall.
Die Gegenwartssignale – Coins, Tech-Memes, Start-up-Sprech – wirken frisch und machen Spaß. Trotzdem bleibt das Krypto-Motiv eher Kulisse als Konsequenzmaschine. Risiken, Abstürze, moralische Verwerfungen: Vieles blitzt auf, wenig wird wirklich durchgespielt. Dadurch wirkt der Mittelteil episodisch; Szenen sind pointiert, die Spannungskurve jedoch flach. Auch die Nebenfiguren geraten schemenhaft: Vorgesetzte sind oft Typen statt Menschen, Liebes- und Familienstränge bleiben Skizzen.
Stilistisch setzt Ryujin auf leichte, schnelle Prosa – hervorragend lesbar, oft witzig, aber selten scharfkantig. Wer bissige Kapitalismussatire erwartet, bekommt eher ein Zeitbild mit sanfter Ironie. Wer hingegen Alltagsnähe, Dynamik in weiblichen Freundschaften und die Reibungen im unteren Management sucht, wird bestens bedient.
Unterm Strich: unterhaltsam, treffsicher in Milieu-Details, aber zu risikoarm erzählt, um noch Tage später nachzuwirken. Ein solider Griff für Fans von zeitgenössischer Büro-Literatur – mit Glitzer, doch ohne ganz großen Knall.
October 19, 2025
I’m OBSESSED with this book! I got it from a cute bookshop in Alnwick and picked it up purely for the pretty cover, because it was lo-fi art-esque and I love that vibe. But this book was definitely not style over substance, it was sooooo clever! Given it’s written by a Sociology graduate maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised, but it really was an ingenious insight into Korean society and the intricacies of Digital Capitalism. I found the pace, the characters and the clever symbolism just as addictive as girls find the crypto graphs. It’s a wild ride and you’ll feel on-edge and exhilarated throughout. Such an original and exciting read! Would definitely recommend if you’ve got an interest in Korean culture, but it has universal appeal for anyone who has ever had a dream of achieving better circumstances than the ones they were born into. Again the bookverse delivered something scarily relevant to themes I’ve been confronting in my own life around financial stability and career decisions, so it made me reflect deeply as I was reading. An absolute GEM of a book!
October 10, 2025
3.5🌟
I started this book blindly and it was my first ever Korean book. It immediately reminded me of a slice-of-life type of Korean drama, and I kept imagining it as a K-drama playing in my head while reading it. The story was simple but engaging, and I couldn’t stop reading even though the topic was new to me. It introduced me to cryptocurrency which wasn't my interest topic but I learned a bit along the way. It also made me reflect on adulting and how we all face different struggles in life. At 21, in my own transition from teenage years to adulthood, it really hit home and spoke to my personal dilemmas.
I started this book blindly and it was my first ever Korean book. It immediately reminded me of a slice-of-life type of Korean drama, and I kept imagining it as a K-drama playing in my head while reading it. The story was simple but engaging, and I couldn’t stop reading even though the topic was new to me. It introduced me to cryptocurrency which wasn't my interest topic but I learned a bit along the way. It also made me reflect on adulting and how we all face different struggles in life. At 21, in my own transition from teenage years to adulthood, it really hit home and spoke to my personal dilemmas.
October 22, 2025
Having read the epilogue now, and finishing this book, I find myself feeling a sense of kinship with Jang Ryujin and her relationship with money.
As is clear from my profile, I've not finished a book in some time. Not as consistently as I used to at least. I graduated from university, a psychologist, and since then I've been working. I thought I'd pick up this book first as I find myself too wanting a get rich quick type of life event; who couldn't use a little bit of a nest egg these days?
The story is generally from the perspective of Dahae who just wants to find a little bit of a nicer apartment (which again, I can really relate to as winter comes in here and my bedroom is plunged into 12°C nights to prevent mold growth) and her two friends as they embark on a crypto currency scheme. Having dumped their life savings on Ethereum, they pass the tedium and demeaning office monotony by tracking their growing financial statements.
I found the character of Dahae specifically very relatable, I wasn't in the slightest surprised to find that the author was a sociologist and I find her interjection of class struggles and poverty subtle but deeply relatable.
Maybe the blurb and title suggests it's gonna be crazy, the whole world will come crashing in on them and hyjinks ensue. I didn't go in with those expectations and enjoyed the story for what it was; three women who love eachother trying to find a way out.
As is clear from my profile, I've not finished a book in some time. Not as consistently as I used to at least. I graduated from university, a psychologist, and since then I've been working. I thought I'd pick up this book first as I find myself too wanting a get rich quick type of life event; who couldn't use a little bit of a nest egg these days?
The story is generally from the perspective of Dahae who just wants to find a little bit of a nicer apartment (which again, I can really relate to as winter comes in here and my bedroom is plunged into 12°C nights to prevent mold growth) and her two friends as they embark on a crypto currency scheme. Having dumped their life savings on Ethereum, they pass the tedium and demeaning office monotony by tracking their growing financial statements.
I found the character of Dahae specifically very relatable, I wasn't in the slightest surprised to find that the author was a sociologist and I find her interjection of class struggles and poverty subtle but deeply relatable.
Maybe the blurb and title suggests it's gonna be crazy, the whole world will come crashing in on them and hyjinks ensue. I didn't go in with those expectations and enjoyed the story for what it was; three women who love eachother trying to find a way out.
August 11, 2025
Thanks to this book I finally decided to invest all my life savings in Etherium! To the moon!
August 26, 2025
DNF @ 10%
July 14, 2025
The problem with a novel about workplace ennui is that the subject of boredom, unless jazzed up in some way, is, well... boring. And I am not sure that the introduction of an almost fairy tale like narrative about investing in cryptocurrency did the trick of jazzing it up. It felt like the female equivalent of a crypto bro's facebook message. The only parts I enjoyed were the parts were the three friends were interacting and NOT talking about crypto-currency.
July 15, 2025
I guess it's good that dull Korean novels with boring, flat prose get translated too, so that we in the English-speaking world don't get the distorted idea that Korean publishing only produces literary geniuses.
June 21, 2025
The story focuses on many things: the ups and highs of friendship, office work relationships and the desperation to move forward. The story focuses on Dahae, Eunhae, and Jisong, employees at a snack food company Maron, each carrying their own emotional weight and financial burdens.
If you love slice-of-life K-dramas, you will enjoy its setting and the issues it raises, along with an insight into Korean socioeconomic conditions. I like this book because many things seemed realistic. Anyone who is struggling to get a better position in a company and suffering from a senior's nasty behavior can relate to Dahae. Eunhae's constant experiments to invest money in things that mostly turn into losses. Jisong is that friend who is always reluctant to join anything new because they are trying to stick to their beliefs and set ideas about a particular thing but feeling left out in the end.
The friendship aspect really got me—their blooming friendship, sometimes harsh words from one another and still trying to help each other. Although there wasn't any dishonesty among them, the writer still depicted these things very beautifully.
The book also provides insights into the Korean socioeconomic realities. Though Korea seems all shiny and advanced, behind this there is intensifying polarization of wealth and the extremely high prices of real estate and youngsters especially woman struggling to get settle down and due to this their desperation to take big risks just for a sliver of hope.
Lastly, about the crypto thing—that was very strange to me. I hopped into the book thinking it would be something else, but it turned out to be quite different in the end. It's like investing in crypto can solve everything, even though the writer mentioned the flaws and the anxiety one has to suffer. But I'm not convinced by the message in the end. Though, if you just want to enjoy a calm and nice story, then it is good. And the writer clearly mentions in the disclaimer that this book is not a financial advice.
In the end, a calm and comforting read.
If you love slice-of-life K-dramas, you will enjoy its setting and the issues it raises, along with an insight into Korean socioeconomic conditions. I like this book because many things seemed realistic. Anyone who is struggling to get a better position in a company and suffering from a senior's nasty behavior can relate to Dahae. Eunhae's constant experiments to invest money in things that mostly turn into losses. Jisong is that friend who is always reluctant to join anything new because they are trying to stick to their beliefs and set ideas about a particular thing but feeling left out in the end.
The friendship aspect really got me—their blooming friendship, sometimes harsh words from one another and still trying to help each other. Although there wasn't any dishonesty among them, the writer still depicted these things very beautifully.
The book also provides insights into the Korean socioeconomic realities. Though Korea seems all shiny and advanced, behind this there is intensifying polarization of wealth and the extremely high prices of real estate and youngsters especially woman struggling to get settle down and due to this their desperation to take big risks just for a sliver of hope.
Lastly, about the crypto thing—that was very strange to me. I hopped into the book thinking it would be something else, but it turned out to be quite different in the end. It's like investing in crypto can solve everything, even though the writer mentioned the flaws and the anxiety one has to suffer. But I'm not convinced by the message in the end. Though, if you just want to enjoy a calm and nice story, then it is good. And the writer clearly mentions in the disclaimer that this book is not a financial advice.
In the end, a calm and comforting read.
July 24, 2025
Not overly bad but not amazing either. Thought it might be more dramatic and a different ending than it was from reading the initial blurb. Kinda makes me feel the greed and wonder ‘what if I got into crypto’
March 8, 2024
•recently read•
3.8/5⭐️
Moonbound bercerita tentang kisah tiga sahabat—Da-hae, Eun-sang, dan Ji-song—yang bekerja di Maron sebagai karyawan level bawah. Mereka dekat karena memiliki banyak kesamaan. Situasi hidup yang mendesak membuat mereka memutuskan terjun ke dunia cryptocurrency dengan mempertaruhkan segalanya. Akankah harapan mereka untuk menjadi kaya raya terwujud?
Novel ini menggunakan POV orang pertama—Dae-hee—dan terbagi menjadi 3 bab: sebelum Dae-hee mengenal cryptocurrency, ketika ia terjun ke dunia cryptocurrency, dan setelah dia keluar. Pembaca diajak mengikuti grafik nilai Ethereum yang naik turun. Awalnya seru dan bikin deg-degan, tapi makin kesini bikin aku bosen.
Tbh, pas lihat cover Moonbound, aku langsung terpikat! Sadly, it falls short of my expectations. Aku gak bisa sepenuhnya engaged. Mungkin karena aku gak tertarik sama cryptocurrency? Ceritanya pun predictable dan minim konflik. Tipe bacaan ringan yang gak perlu mikir~
Aku cukup menikmati tulisan Jang Ryujin yang meskipun memiliki pace lambat, namun memikat pembaca dengan gaya bercerita yang mengalir. Ia menjelaskan berbagai macam investasi virtual, terutama Ethereum, dengan detail.
Poin yang aku suka dari novel ini yaitu karena membahas persoalan masyarakat modern yang relatable pada banyak orang. Di novel ini, kita pun mendapatkan sedikit gambaran tentang budaya etika kerja dan struktur masyarakat di Korea Selatan, yang gak begitu jauh berbeda dengan di Indonesia.
All in all, aku merekomendasikan novel ini untuk kalian yang cari bacaan ringan dan minim konflik dengan cover yang aesthetic! Temanya pun cukup hits dan menarik, tentang investasi cryptocurrency.
P.S. Aku ngerasa kisah Da-hae, meski gak mustahil, tapi TGTBT banget. Gimana menurut kalian?
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews
3.8/5⭐️
Moonbound bercerita tentang kisah tiga sahabat—Da-hae, Eun-sang, dan Ji-song—yang bekerja di Maron sebagai karyawan level bawah. Mereka dekat karena memiliki banyak kesamaan. Situasi hidup yang mendesak membuat mereka memutuskan terjun ke dunia cryptocurrency dengan mempertaruhkan segalanya. Akankah harapan mereka untuk menjadi kaya raya terwujud?
Novel ini menggunakan POV orang pertama—Dae-hee—dan terbagi menjadi 3 bab: sebelum Dae-hee mengenal cryptocurrency, ketika ia terjun ke dunia cryptocurrency, dan setelah dia keluar. Pembaca diajak mengikuti grafik nilai Ethereum yang naik turun. Awalnya seru dan bikin deg-degan, tapi makin kesini bikin aku bosen.
Tbh, pas lihat cover Moonbound, aku langsung terpikat! Sadly, it falls short of my expectations. Aku gak bisa sepenuhnya engaged. Mungkin karena aku gak tertarik sama cryptocurrency? Ceritanya pun predictable dan minim konflik. Tipe bacaan ringan yang gak perlu mikir~
Aku cukup menikmati tulisan Jang Ryujin yang meskipun memiliki pace lambat, namun memikat pembaca dengan gaya bercerita yang mengalir. Ia menjelaskan berbagai macam investasi virtual, terutama Ethereum, dengan detail.
Poin yang aku suka dari novel ini yaitu karena membahas persoalan masyarakat modern yang relatable pada banyak orang. Di novel ini, kita pun mendapatkan sedikit gambaran tentang budaya etika kerja dan struktur masyarakat di Korea Selatan, yang gak begitu jauh berbeda dengan di Indonesia.
All in all, aku merekomendasikan novel ini untuk kalian yang cari bacaan ringan dan minim konflik dengan cover yang aesthetic! Temanya pun cukup hits dan menarik, tentang investasi cryptocurrency.
P.S. Aku ngerasa kisah Da-hae, meski gak mustahil, tapi TGTBT banget. Gimana menurut kalian?
#tiareadsbooks #tiawritesreviews
March 1, 2025
3.75 ⭐️
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
For the first part of this, I was unsure of the direction the author was taking - was this purely slice-of-life, or did it have supernatural elements? It eventually became clear that this was firmly rooted in reality, and in fact it is a champion of the mundane. Day to day things are still as important in our lives as extraordinary events.
The story really came alive in the relationship between the main character and narrator, Dahae, and her two friends who work at the same company. Anyone who has had a small group of office friends can relate to the way very different people are almost forced to forge bonds. The ups and downs of their friendship bounced around as much as the cryptocurrency they were tracking. This was my favourite aspect of this book.
Although cryptocurrency plays a big role in what happens to the characters, you do not need any in depth knowledge about it to follow this story. It provides a good deal of tension through the narrative, and it made me reflect on how I would handle deciding when to invest or sell. Towards the end of the book the tension dissipates, and the mundane creeps back in. I was a bit disappointed by what happens in the end, yet also felt that it raises a lot of interesting questions about greed, what truly brings us stability and happiness, and how our modern systems are rigged to keep all but the most daring people in their lane.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I am keen to purchase a copy upon release.
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
For the first part of this, I was unsure of the direction the author was taking - was this purely slice-of-life, or did it have supernatural elements? It eventually became clear that this was firmly rooted in reality, and in fact it is a champion of the mundane. Day to day things are still as important in our lives as extraordinary events.
The story really came alive in the relationship between the main character and narrator, Dahae, and her two friends who work at the same company. Anyone who has had a small group of office friends can relate to the way very different people are almost forced to forge bonds. The ups and downs of their friendship bounced around as much as the cryptocurrency they were tracking. This was my favourite aspect of this book.
Although cryptocurrency plays a big role in what happens to the characters, you do not need any in depth knowledge about it to follow this story. It provides a good deal of tension through the narrative, and it made me reflect on how I would handle deciding when to invest or sell. Towards the end of the book the tension dissipates, and the mundane creeps back in. I was a bit disappointed by what happens in the end, yet also felt that it raises a lot of interesting questions about greed, what truly brings us stability and happiness, and how our modern systems are rigged to keep all but the most daring people in their lane.
Overall I enjoyed this book and I am keen to purchase a copy upon release.
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