Sublimation

by Isabel J Kim, Longinus

Sublimation is a mind‑bending thriller that follows Soyoung Rose Kang, a Korean immigrant who left home at ten and built a new life in New York. When her grandfather dies, her Korean self, Soyoung, summons her back to Seoul for the funeral, but hidden motives turn the reunion into a dangerous game of cat‑and‑mouse. The novel explores doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, and betrayal, using a speculative premise where emigrants leave a version of themselves behind at the border. It interrogates personhood, homeland nostalgia, global migration, and the alienation of split identities, delivering a gripping, thought‑provoking debut that blends immigrant narrative with speculative thriller.