Teddy Bears Never Die - by Yeeun Cho (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Cho Yeeun is amazing. Insanely amazing." ―Bora Chung, author of The Midnight Timetable

A young woman and a possessed teddy bear set out on a revenge quest unlike any other in this stylish slasher from Cho Yeeun, a rising star in Korean horror.

When the fledgling coastal town of Yamu is rocked by a mass-poisoning attack at the Seaview Parc, a luxury high-rise apartment, Hwayoung is one of many who lost family members. Except, she has never believed that her mother was poisoned.

Now, fueled by grief and a desire for revenge, Hwayoung spends her time hustling to save every penny and bring those responsible to justice. Across town, Doha wakes up in a teddy bear and realizes something sinister has taken his body.

When fate brings Hwayoung and Doha together, the two team up for a revenge quest that will shake the city's shiny façade to its rotten core.

This time, revenge is not just personal--it's supernatural.

"The perfect mix of horror and heart." --Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

Review Quotes

"This story defies simple genre categorizations. Cho throws blood-soaked crime thrillers, magical realism, and even teen romance into a blender set on high, creating a gory but fun, action-fueled cocktail." --Booklist

"Suspenseful, scary, and dizzyingly fun." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Teddy Bears Never Die is the epitome of Cho Yeeun's hallmark style of combining fantastical genre-based storytelling with keen insight into contemporary social issues, aided this time by Sung Ryu, the finest Korean translator in the world." --Anton Hur, author of Toward Eternity and translator of Cursed Bunny

"A savagely entertaining revenge tale that charges forward on a knife's edge, Teddy Bears Never Die pairs brutal social satire with a charming yet tragic supernatural companion. Elevated by Sung Ryu's sure-footed translation, Cho Yeeun infuses her signature dark, grotesque imagination into Korea's sense of han to tell a story about violence that festers under unresolved injustice." --Jinwoo Park, author of Oxford Soju Club

"It feels really weird to say this but in an extremely unhinged way, everything made sense. Cho Yeeun is amazing. Insanely amazing." --Bora Chung, author of The Midnight Timetable

"Witty, gritty, and full of twists. Teddy Bears Never Die is a ghostly grungy vision, weaving together a harsh city of insidious choices, torn-apart lives, and love that demands bloodshed." --Hailey Piper, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Teenage Girls Can Be Demons

"Prepare to encounter startling originality and an unraveling plot that runs deep into the dark and sacred myths of family, power and justice. I'll never stop talking about this book!" --Sarah G. Pierce, author of For Human Use

"Part buddy heist flick, part supernatural slasher revenge, Teddy Bears Never Die is a grotesque, hilarious, and heart-felt romp that will make you believe anything is possible with the power of friendship and extreme violence!" --Bitter Karella, author of Moonflow

"Cho Yeeun's ability to balance sheer bloody wackiness with genuinely touching moments of friendship against all odds is absolutely singular." --Megan Bontrager, author of The Sea Hides Its Dead

"Cho Yeeun masterfully pulls off this delightfully campy premise with both earnestness and wit. The perfect mix of horror and heart." --Kylie Lee Baker, author of Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng

About the Author

Cho Yeeun has enthralled the Korean literary scene since her notable debut clinched the Kyobo Book Award. Now, Cho has become known for weaving chilling, genre-bending stories set in dystopian worlds teetering on the edge of collapse. Young female readers have particularly connected with her stories, enthusiastically immersing themselves in what they've dubbed "Yeeun's World" and celebrating her complex, unconventional female characters. Cho's standout short story collection, Cocktails, Love, Zombies not only soared in sales, exceeding 100,000 copies since its 2020 release but also crossed borders, being exported to Japan, China and Taiwan. Her English-language debut, New Seoul Park Jelly Vendor Massacre (Honford Star, 2024) cemented her reputation as a bold and daring voice in horror.