Break Room - by Miye Lee (Hardcover)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

A gripping and incisive psychological game-show drama from one of the biggest stars in Korean fiction, author of million-copy bestseller The Dallergut Dream Department Store.

Eight unsuspecting people receive an invitation to participate in a 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 respective coworkers as "the office villain."

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.

As alliances shift and paranoia festers, the contestants begin to realize 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.

Review Quotes

"Intriguing . . . On the surface, this is a quirky story about reality TV and people behaving badly, but Lee gets the prize for turning it into a tale of relatable workaday characters attempting to understand how other people perceive them, and why people act the way they do . . . You won't feel like a traitor if you pick up this insightful reality-show thriller." --Kirkus Reviews

"After the charming sweetness of her globally best-selling Dallergut duology, Lee pivots toward the dark side . . . Lee interweaves plenty of heartfelt poignancy, deftly earning Ice Cube an empathetic audience." --Booklist

"A perfect distillation of how reality tv intensifies the prejudices and irritations of the quotidian (and a great way to channel your frustration at whoever keeps microwaving fish in the break room)." --CrimeReads, "The Best International Fiction of April 2026"

"Lee captures the gossipy appeal of reality TV as her characters size up perfect strangers in the name of lining their pockets. Concise, thought-provoking, and entertaining, this goes down smooth." --Publishers Weekly

"Trapped in a tense psychological game . . . the contestants are forced to confront an unsettling question: Who among them is truly the villain?" --Book Bub, "The Best Mysteries and Thrillers of Spring 2026"

"Packs a punch . . . You'll definitely see your colleagues in a different light after reading this." --The Express (UK)

"Textured and steady, Lim's restrained narration brings depth to each subtle, unfolding revelation." --Kirkus Audio

"A light book with deep meaning." --WOSU's "All Sides Weekend"

"A fantastical narrative." --CNN on THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE

"All things are possible in Lee's captivating world." --Shelf Awareness on THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE

"A comforting story of dreams, lives, and the ways people process all that reality offers them." --Kirkus Reviews on THE DALLERGUT DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE

About the Author

Miye Lee is the author of the globally bestselling duology The Dallergut Dream Department Store and The Dallergut Dream-Making District. Break Room is her latest work. She lives in Busan.

Sandy Joosun Lee is a translator based in Seoul. Her translations include Won-pyung Sohn's Almond and Miye Lee's The Dallergut Dream Department Store duology. She also works in animation, translating and developing animated content including The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf and Star Wars: Visions.