Major Themes in Almond
1. Understanding Emotions
The novel explores how emotions shape our relationships and experiences. Through Yunjae’s perspective, readers gain a new appreciation for feelings that are often taken for granted.
2. Friendship and Connection
One of the most touching aspects of the story is the friendship that develops between Yunjae and Gon, a troubled classmate. Their relationship demonstrates the transformative power of empathy and understanding.
3. Identity and Self-Acceptance
Yunjae’s journey highlights the importance of accepting oneself while continuing to grow and learn from others.
4. Resilience in the Face of Adversity
The novel portrays how individuals can overcome challenges and find meaning even after experiencing profound loss and hardship.
This story is, in short, about a monster meeting another monster. One of the monsters is me. Yunjae was born with a brain condition called alexithymia that makes it hard for him to feel emotions. He does not have friends—the two almond-shaped neurons located deep in his brain have seen to that—but his devoted mother and grandmother provide him with a safe and con- tent life. On Christmas Eve—Yunjae’s sixteenth birthday—everything changes. A shocking act of random violence shatters his world, leaving him on his own. Struggling to cope with his loss, Yunjae retreats into silent isolation, until troubled teenager Gon arrives at his school, and the two develop a surprising bond. As Yunjae begins to open his life to new people—including a girl at school—something slowly changes inside him. And when Gon suddenly finds his life at risk, Yunjae will have the chance to step outside of every comfort zone he has created to perhaps become the hero of his own story.
