Butterflies
Author: Sylvia Yu & Matthew S. Friedman
Genre: Thriller | Fiction
Format: eARC
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ — 4*
Synopsis
Zoe Kim is a journalist who, while working on an investigation, discovers something far larger and more dangerous than she initially anticipated: an international sex-trafficking operation.
Despite warnings from her editor and increasingly serious threats, Zoe refuses to abandon the investigation. Then her aunt unexpectedly passes away, leaving behind a journal that reveals a past she had rarely spoken about.
Through its pages, Zoe learns about the horrific abuse her aunt endured during the Japanese occupation and wartime period. Her family's buried history adds a deeply personal dimension to Zoe's investigation, connecting the exploitation of women in the past with the trafficking operation she is trying to expose in the present.
As witnesses begin turning up dead and Zoe herself becomes a suspect, her pursuit of the truth becomes increasingly dangerous.
My Thoughts
Butterflies was INTENSE.
Zoe Kim is a journalist who, while working on an investigation, finds herself uncovering something much bigger and more dangerous than she anticipated: an international sex-trafficking operation.
She's warned to stop.
She's threatened.
People around her are basically screaming PLEASE LEAVE THIS ALONE.
And Zoe?
Absolutely not!!!
She's a journalist, she wants the truth, and the more people try to scare her away from the story, the more determined she becomes to uncover exactly what's happening.
Then her aunt suddenly passes away and Zoe receives her journal.
Her aunt had always been quiet and distant, rarely speaking about her past or what she'd experienced. Through the journal, Zoe begins learning about the horrific abuse she endured during the Japanese occupation and wartime period, connecting Zoe's present-day investigation with atrocities suffered by women generations before her.
That was probably one of the aspects of the story that hit me the hardest.
The investigation stops being simply another story Zoe is chasing and becomes much more personal, particularly as she becomes determined not only to expose the trafficking operation but also to confront truths from her family's past that people would rather leave buried.
And things get MESSY.
The threats stop being just threats. Witnesses Zoe interviewed start turning up dead, the danger becomes very real, and somehow Zoe herself ends up a suspect.
At that point, I was basically sitting there going:
Girl.
Please survive your own investigation.
I ate this story up. It was intense, dark, and at times genuinely difficult to read because of the subject matter, but I was completely invested in seeing Zoe expose what was happening and come out of the whole thing in one piece.
I also appreciated the way the book connected modern human trafficking with historical and generational trauma. I don't know enough about this particular period of Korean history to judge every historical detail, but the experiences described through the journal were heartbreaking and added another emotional layer to Zoe's determination to seek truth and justice.
Now...
Zoe herself gave me a headache occasionally.
I admired her determination, but there were definitely a few decisions where I was sitting there questioning her life choices.
Being brave and being determined to uncover the truth is one thing.
Running directly toward danger when everyone is telling you THERE IS DANGER OVER THERE?!
Ma'am...
There were also a few moments where certain developments or connections didn't completely make sense to me, or came together in ways that made me stop and scratch my head.
Those issues ultimately kept this from being a full 5-star read for me, because otherwise I was thoroughly entertained.
Final Thoughts
Overall, Butterflies was a gripping story about journalism, human trafficking, buried history, generational trauma, identity, and the lengths one woman will go to expose the truth.
It tackles some extremely heavy subjects, but underneath all that darkness is also a story about refusing to allow victims and their experiences to simply disappear.
I rooted for Zoe.
I yelled at Zoe.
I questioned Zoe's survival instincts...
And I still ate up her entire investigation.
Rating: 4⭐
ARC Disclaimer
Thank you to Penguin Random House SEA and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All opinions are my own.
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