{"id":4134,"date":"2025-04-09T15:38:20","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T15:38:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4134"},"modified":"2026-02-28T08:56:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-28T08:56:11","slug":"book-recommendation-counterattacks-at-thirty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4134","title":{"rendered":"Book Recommendation: Counterattacks at Thirty!"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hi Readers! I recently read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert. I had read the author\u2019s debut novel Almond<\/a> last year and really liked it. The author has now become one of my favorites in delivering tiny but mighty books!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~~GOODREADS DESCRIPTION~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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 \u201crebels\u201d commit tiny protests against those in more powerful positions through spraying graffiti, throwing eggs, and writing anonymous expos\u00e9s. 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. <\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

~~THOUGHTS~~<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u00a0Counterattacks at Thirty pretends to be about the silent protests that employees do as a revenge for not being treated well at their workplace<\/mark><\/strong>. I say \u2018pretends to be\u2019 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, \u201cWhat do you really want to be?\u201d<\/mark><\/em><\/strong> 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.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, there is a lot that happens on the lines as much as it does between the lines.<\/mark><\/strong> 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\u2019s better now. All of it was just like a page taken out of any employee\u2019s real life.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At times, what we go through every day becomes too comfortable or routine to us, so we don\u2019t 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.<\/mark><\/strong> 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\u2019s 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.<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have rated read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert at 4\/5 stars!<\/mark><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until next time,<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi Readers! I recently read Counterattacks at Thirty by Sohn won-pyung, translated from Korean by Sean Lin Halbert. I had read the author\u2019s 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4143,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,4,23,3],"tags":[38,41],"class_list":["post-4134","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-review","category-books","category-book-reviews","category-mindscape-reviews","tag-favorite-books","tag-korean-books"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/PSX_20250409_204406-1-1-1.jpg?fit=2500%2C2500&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4145,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4145","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":0},"title":"April 2025 Recap!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"May 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! Another month gone by swiftly. It was a gruelling one, with too many unknowns. There wasn\u2019t a lot happening on the surface, but deep down, it was a Tsunami. But, I feel like you always need months like that to shake your entire belief system, make you question\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/file_00000000c72061f6bcf95fab629aa5bd.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/file_00000000c72061f6bcf95fab629aa5bd.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/file_00000000c72061f6bcf95fab629aa5bd.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/file_00000000c72061f6bcf95fab629aa5bd.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4620,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=4620","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":1},"title":"Top 8 Books of 2025 – Year in Review (Part 1)","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Welcome to the 2025 Year in Review series!!! The most joyful time of the year indeed! Last year when I was set to go on a three-week vacation, my boss told me, \u201cEnjoy as much as you can. Travel and read as much as you can! Because, when you are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251221_104841078-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251221_104841078-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251221_104841078-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251221_104841078-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/PXL_20251221_104841078-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2940,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=2940","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":2},"title":"Women in Translation Month Book Recommendations!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"August 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! You have seen a few book reviews this month for the books I read for Women in Translation month. I won\u2019t be able to read all the books that I have on my TBR for this. So, I thought of sharing my TBR with all of you. When\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "books"","block_context":{"text":"books","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/BaseFile-1.png?fit=1080%2C1080&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3374,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3374","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":3},"title":"Korean Book Recommendation: The Vegetarian by Han Kang","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 23, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! The third book I read for Korean March was The Vegetarian by Han Kang. I went in blind with no idea what the book was about and I was amazed! I finished it in three work days and I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it when I was not\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PXL_20240322_075258456-01-02.jpeg?fit=1200%2C1199&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3387,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3387","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":4},"title":"March 2024 Wrap-Up!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 31, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! I love March and I loved March this year too. I read a lot of good books. I spent time with family and friends. I travelled. I planned another trip. I went to the Van Gogh 360\u00b0 immersive experience. I overperformed at work. I watched terrible movies. I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/PSX_20240329_105636-02.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3363,"url":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?p=3363","url_meta":{"origin":4134,"position":5},"title":"Cozy Book Recommendation: Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop!","author":"Aishwarya Shenolikar","date":"March 20, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Hi Readers! After a long time, I read a book that I really loved. When I started reading Welcome to The Hyunam-Dong Bookshop, I knew it was a book about books. I knew it would be a cozy read. I had read few such books, and in most cases, I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book review"","block_context":{"text":"Book review","link":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/?cat=2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-19_18-09-02-276-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-19_18-09-02-276-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-19_18-09-02-276-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-19_18-09-02-276-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/mindscapeinwords.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/Picsart_24-03-19_18-09-02-276-01.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4134"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4142,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4134\/revisions\/4142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4134"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4134"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mindscapeinwords.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4134"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}