Review of Broccoli Punch by Lee Yuri (Trans. Amber HJ Kim)

Broccoli Punch is a collection of South-Korean short stories. From a story about a women growing a plant from father’s ashes to teaching an iguana to swim to reach the shores of Mexico, there is so much heart and hilarity in this utterly bizarre collection. The title story follows a young man whose hand has transformed into a head of broccoli, with florets for fingers, as he struggles to become a great boxer. Yuri’s writing is vibrant and tender, using wit to create comforting characters and outlandish plots.

The collection also looks at K-pop culture and fandoms, loneliness, grief, friendship and family, altogether a very diverse exploration of human connection. For fans of Korean literature, this is a bold and exciting short story collection where every story is in a world of its own!

Reviewed by Victoria

Published on 10/06/25 by Heloise Press

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