Counterattacks at Thirty

From the bestselling author of Almond comes a witty, humane, and quietly radical novel about young workers who push back against the status quo, now available in a compact, pocket-sized Nomad Edition.

Jihye is thoroughly ordinary, and she knows it. In her administrative role at the Academy, she endures office politics, suffocating hierarchy, and the everyday absurdities of Korean bureaucracy. One poorly worded email could derail her career at any moment, so she perfects the arts of silent endurance: the discreet eye-roll, the well-timed coffee run, the careful avoidance of conflict.

Everything changes with the arrival of a new intern, Gyuok Lee. Part pacifist and part provocateur — a gentler echo of V from V for Vendetta — Gyuok draws Jihye and two other coworkers into a campaign of small, subversive acts: graffiti, egg-throwing, anonymous exposés. What begins as harmless release slowly gathers momentum, transforming quiet rebellion into something deeper.

As their defiance grows, so does their bond. In pushing back together, Jihye and her fellow rebels discover friendship, solidarity, and the unexpected power of unity in the face of adversity.