Petty Lies

Bak’s blood-soaked debut turns on a vicious sibling rivalry. The epistolary narrative follows four characters: Mira, a tutor; Yujae, her overlooked and attention-starved pupil; Yuchan, Yujae’s genius older brother and the family favorite; and the boys’ mother, Jiwon, who has sensed that something is deeply—perhaps murderously—wrong with Yujae from infancy. Mira’s true motives for taking the tutor job are quickly revealed: she blames Yujae’s cold-blooded killing of her family dog for the subsequent suicides of her mother and brother, and now she’s out for revenge. Achieving this goal is not the victory she hoped for, however. Meanwhile, through letters and journal entries, the true extent of Yujae’s escalating brutality is revealed, as is his plot to murder his own brother, leading to a nail-biting finale. It’s a squirmy tale centering a bleakly cruel cast and overflowing with unflinching depictions of violence toward humans and animals alike. Readers will need strong stomachs for this one. Agent: Marina Penalva Halpin, Casanovas & Lynch. (Nov.)