Hurt You
- Author Marie Myung-Ok Lee
- Narrator Jolene Kim
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date 16 May 2023
- Run Time 9 hours and 41 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Children’s / Teenage fiction and true stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: General fiction.
Click to open directly in the xigxag app.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
- £3.99
Listen to a sample
What to expect
With echoes of Marieke Nijkamp and Jason Reynolds, acclaimed author Marie Myung-Ok Lee’s stunning YA homage to Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men tells the tragic story of a Korean American teen who fights to protect herself and her neurodivergent older brother from a hostile community.
Moving beyond the quasi-fraternal bond of the unforgettable George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men, Hurt You explores the actual sibling bond of Georgia and Leonardo da Vinci Daewoo Kim, who has an unnamed neurological disability that resembles autism. The themes of race, disability, and class spin themselves out in a suburban high school where the Kim family has moved in order to access better services for Leonardo.
Suddenly unmoored from the familiar, including the support of her Aunt Clara, Georgia struggles to find her place in an Asian-majority school where whites still dominate culturally, and she finds herself feeling not Korean “enough.” Her one pole star is her commitment to her brother, a loyalty that finds itself at odds with her immigrant parents’ dreams for her, and an ableist, racist society that may bring violence to Leonardo despite her efforts to keep him safe.
Hurt You is a deep exploration of family, society, and the bond between siblings and reflects the reality that people with intellectual disabilities are far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, not the perpetrator.
Critics Review
u201cHurt You is a big, brave story of u2018othernessu2019 juxtaposed with u2018extreme otherness,u2019 and friendship under fire. The issues, in their sheer number and intensity, could have been taken over the top by a less accomplished storyteller, but Marie Myung-Ok Leeu2019s protagonist, Georgia Kim, tells it seamlessly. If youu2019re not swept away by Georgiau2019s tough and completely honest loyalty, read the book again.u201d
u201cHurt You reads like something written by a masteru2019s hand, a powerful and heartbreaking story that resonates with the force of love and legend.u201d
u201cMarie Myung-Ok Lee wonderfully recasts Of Mice and Men for a new America. Lee is a brave and insightful storyteller, and her words of painu2014and hopeu2014seep into our souls.u201d
u201cI learned so much from these pages. Marie Myung-Ok Leeu2019s timely and critical work recasts Steinbecku2019s Of Mice and Men as Korean American siblings and pushes much-needed conversations on neurodiversity, racism, and what familiesu2014and communitiesu2014owe to each other.u201d
u201cThis contemporary take on Of Mice and Men tackles numerous heavy issues, including racism, ableism, gun control, and the challenges of caring for a significantly disabled family member, but offers no easy answersu2026Devastating.u201d
u201cHurt You smartly updates Steinbecku2019s classic for a young adult readership, foregrounding issues of class, cultural identity, disability, and gun violence. Each of Leeu2019s beautifully complex characters reveals a potential not captured by the labels that overtake them in young adulthoodu2026I find Hurt You profoundly relevant right now.u201d
More from the same
Narrator
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.