I Leave It Up to You

I Leave It Up to You

Jinwoo Chong

Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

From the award-winning author of Flux comes a dazzling novel about love, family, and the art of sushi that asks: What if you could return to the point of a fateful choice, wiser than before, and find the courage to forge a new path?A coma can change a man, but the world Jack Jr. awakens to is one he barely recognizes. His advertising job is history, his Manhattan apartment is gone, and the love of his life has left him behind. He’s been asleep for two years; with no one to turn to, he realizes it’s been ten years since he last saw his family. Lost and disoriented, he makes a reluctant homecoming back to the bustling Korean American enclave of Fort Lee, New Jersey; back into the waiting arms of his parents, who are operating under the illusion he never left; and back to Joja, their ever-struggling sushi restaurant that he was set to inherit before he ran away from it all. As he steps back into the life he abandoned—learning his Appa’s life lessons over crates of tuna on bleary-eyed 4 AM fish runs, doling out amberjack behind the omakase counter while his Umma tallies the night's pitiful number of customers, and sparring with his recovering alcoholic brother, James—he embraces new roles, That of romantic interest to the male nurse who took care of him throughout, and that of sage (but underqualified) uncle to his gangly teenage nephew.There is value in the joyous rhythms of this once-abandoned life. But second chances are an even messier business than running a restaurant, and the lure of a self-determined path might, once again, prove too hard to resist.Why do we run from those we love, and why do we still love those who run from us? A highly entertaining and poignant story about second chances and self-discovery, I Leave It Up to You pilots through the loss, love, and absurdity of finding one’s footing after the ground gives way.


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  • bookgang
    Mar 30, 2025
    Enjoyment: Quality: Characters: Plot:

     
    The opening chapter of this novel is "What the Actual F- Man?" and a dizzying dream sequence that places the reader promptly into the disorienting experience of poor Jack Jr., who has been in a coma for a whopping two years.  If you think that's disorienting, imagine you fell asleep in 2019 and awakened in 2021. His first thought is that he is contagious, as everyone wears masks and protective gear. His second is, "Hey, what happened to Trump?" 

    Yes, there is much to catch Jack Jr. up on, but that's not the meat of this story and never hinders the plot.

    The significant discoveries are that Jack's advertising job is over, his Manhattan apartment is gone, and his partner has moved on with someone else. Waking up in a New Jersey hospital, he finds his parents at his bedside, having waited for him despite not seeing him in ten years.

    Luckily for us and for Jack Jr., his family is happy about his return. Upon discharge, he returns to his childhood home and discovers a new sense of purpose at the family restaurant. There, his father, Appa, has mastered the art of sushi in a zany but harmonious hybrid of Korean-Japanese food experiences. He has always hoped that his son would be interested in the place he cares for so deeply and blissfully shows him the ropes. 

    As Jack discovers a new role, he must rectify his complicated past with his brother and deepen his bond with his teenage nephew. Oh, and maybe the love of his life was with him for the whole two years, caring for him as his nurse.

    This slice-of-life story packs a punch with a swoon-worthy love story and gentle, well-woven twists layered into this family drama. It will remind you what a privilege it is to be loved and to be able to come home. The food descriptions are mouth-watering, as Chong captures the essence of a struggling restaurant that still has so much to give its patrons.

    Originally a short story, Chong expanded it into a novel as he went through the grueling process of selling his debut, Flux. He wrote this novel to remind himself of the joy in writing and life. Don't be surprised if your face aches from smiling through this one—he unlocked the joy for me, too—it will be a huge hit with Colton Gentry's Third Act fans and J. Ryan Stradal enthusiasts.

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