Book Recommendation: Counterattacks at Thirty!

Posted On April 9, 2025

Hi Readers! I recently read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert. I had read the author’s debut novel Almond last year and really liked it. The author has now become one of my favorites in delivering tiny but mighty books!

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~

From the bestselling author of ALMOND, The Devil Wears Prada meets The Office in this witty, humane, and ultimately transformative story of a group of young workers who rebel against the status quo.

Jihye is an ordinary woman who has never been extraordinary. In her administrative job at the Academy, she silently tolerates office politics and the absurdities of Korean bureaucracy. Forever only one misplaced email away from career catastrophe, she effectively becomes a master of the silent eye-roll and the tactical coffee run. But all her efforts to endure her superiors and the semi-hostile work environment they create are upended when a new intern, Gyuok Lee, arrives.

Like a pacifist version of V in V for Vendetta, Gyuok recruits a trio of office allies to carry out plans for minor revenge. Together, these four “rebels” commit tiny protests against those in more powerful positions through spraying graffiti, throwing eggs, and writing anonymous exposés. But as their attacks increase, the initial joy they felt at the release becomes something more and Jihye and the others will discover the beauty of friendship and the extraordinary power of unity against adversity. 

~~THOUGHTS~~

 Counterattacks at Thirty pretends to be about the silent protests that employees do as a revenge for not being treated well at their workplace. I say ‘pretends to be’ because this book lured me in because of that, but I stayed because of something else! The book is a mirror. It was to me. It will make you question, “What do you really want to be?” so many times that the escapism route you usually opt for (reading) in itself will banish you from the escape with this question. It will make you question your purpose. It will either make you realize something you already knew or throw light on something you had always ignored. It will be relatable. It will be an eye opener. It will be uncomfortable in the best way possible.

Of course, there is a lot that happens on the lines as much as it does between the lines. The ugly truth of organizations and their power over employees is explored perfectly. Even though it was about Korean corporates, it mostly holds true across the globe. The way that employees are paid minimum wage but have to put in a lot of hard work. How they are told they will move from an internship to a permanent employment if they do this and do that. How there is always a carrot dangling in front of them by their team leaders. How when you are at the brink of quitting, they give you something tiny, like 3% raise or a slightly better role, and you along with the organization trick yourself into believing that it’s better now. All of it was just like a page taken out of any employee’s real life.

At times, what we go through every day becomes too comfortable or routine to us, so we don’t see the injustices that happen to us. But, when we see a similar character living a similar life in fiction, then it becomes glaringly obvious. You want to give the main character a hug but also shake them out of this slump they have been in for the longest time. You want to empathize and talk about their feelings but also want them to get the hell up and act for once! You want to ponder over the irony of it all, but then you also want to live your life differently. Our main character is spiraling. She has a lot of courage but rarely uses it. She has a passion but still stays at her boring job. She has so much potential but she’s busy feeling sorry for herself. This is why I felt like this book was a mirror. It’s a revolutionary story that many people can relate to.

I have rated read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert at 4/5 stars!

Until next time,