Break Room by Miye Lee with Sandy Joosun Lee, translator

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✦ BLURB ✦

Eight unsuspecting people receive an invitation to participate in a mysterious new reality show called Break Room. But what starts as an opportunity for fame is quickly revealed to be something far more unsettling when they learn how they were chosen – voted in by their own co-workers as the people they’d least like to share a break room with.

But there’s another twist. Among them is an imposter – a mole planted by the show’s producers. The only way to win the prize money is to uncover the saboteur before time runs out.

Labelled as “villains”, the participants are left to grapple with the alarming realisation that their actions might be perceived differently by others. As alliances shift and paranoia festers, the contestants begin to realise that the true challenge isn’t surviving the show – it’s facing their own selves.

Welcome . . . Step into the world of the reality show, Break Room, where every smile hides suspicion, and every word could be a clue.

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When your coworkers vote you off the island before the game even starts…

PRE-READING THOUGHTS
Reality show chaos? Workplace politics? An anonymous popularity contest with actual stakes? This had all the ingredients of a darkly satirical psychological thriller - or at the very least, a very fun disaster. I was intrigued by the concept and curious how it would translate, both culturally and literally, into English.

POST-READING
🌀 As I thought...
The core premise totally delivers: it’s claustrophobic, clever, and delightfully petty. I loved the way the characters had to reckon with the fact that they were voted the worst coworkers by their peers - such a brutal but compelling hook. The idea of the mole added just the right amount of tension to keep things slippery.

✨ It surprised me by...
Being lighter on detail than I expected. It read more like a sharp parable than an intricate thriller, with broad strokes instead of fine brushwork - but it worked. There’s something very clean and unsettling about how stripped-back the setting and characterisation are. It leans into its concept hard, and the translation flows beautifully. It’s short, snappy, and lingers in your head a bit longer than you’d expect.

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✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

📚 The Escape Room by Megan Goldin
📺 The Circle (UK version preferably — extra drama) or The Traitors

✦ MUSIC PAIRING ✦

Because sometimes, the heart of a story plays out like a song.

🎵 Featured Song: “Everybody’s Watching Me (Uh Oh)” – The Neighbourhood
🎶 Vibe Album: Wiped Out! – also by The Neighbourhood, to keep the low-grade paranoia and social suspicion simmering
🎧 Artist Recommendation: Billie Eilish - for the slightly sinister, slightly stylish vibes that hover just under the surface

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✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

🎨 Colour palette: Cement grey, halogen light yellow, and red Sharpie
🎬 Soundtrack: The tension drones from The Traitors and the petty piano from The Circle
🌦️ Season: Late summer - sticky, stagnant air, like you’re trapped in a building with poor ventilation
🧠 Mood: Mild panic masked with polite conversation
👃 Scent: Vending machine coffee and stress sweat

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★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

Seven of Swords, Dark Grimoire Deck

One man sleeps while another peers into his room. Does he mean harm? The pistol close by the sleeping man says he feels in danger. Although the characters in this novel are not in physical danger, the need to sneak around and gain ground over their opponents echoes the meaning of this card.

Break Room publishes on the 28th August, 2025. I received a free copy and am giving an honest answer.