Reviews

When My Name Was Keoko by Linda Sue Park

wellyreads's review

emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

terpgirl42's review against another edition

5.0

4.5

124smilehd's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

Very good exploration of WW2 and the Korean-japanese prospective within a fiction lens. My heart went out to all the characters especially as they faced discrimination based on being Korean in a japanese occupied Korea.

I cannot imagine being forced to work for your oppressors and this book breaks it down in a way I could see middle school aged kids could enjoy.

retiredlibrarylady's review against another edition

5.0

Loved this! Learned so much about Japanese occupation of Korea, well before the 2nd World War. The main character and her family are Korean trying to maintain their heritage in secret. Sun-hee and her older brother Tae-yul take turns telling the compelling story. Park's notes at the end add to the richness of the narrative. Linda Sue Park is a favorite of mine.

paperbacksandpines's review against another edition

5.0

I believe I first heard about this book recently, when I read [b:The Rebel and the Kingdom: The True Story of the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime|60018584|The Rebel and the Kingdom The True Story of the Secret Mission to Overthrow the North Korean Regime|Bradley Hope|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1649650092l/60018584._SY75_.jpg|94550622]. I'm so glad I decided to pick it up.

There aren't many middle grade books featuring kids from non Western countries and this one was a very enlightening story about Korea after years of Japanese colonial rule. Set during WWII, readers learn a lot about the targeted erasure of Korean culture.

This book will tear your heart out and stomp on it. But in the best way.

lizkim's review against another edition

I still remember how important it felt to read this book when I was 10 years old and how special it was to have a teacher specifically recommend this to me. Shout out to that one NJ teacher supporting my baby Korean political consciousness

Seventeen years later, I reread this on the plane to Japan—tapping into my inner child and embracing my complicated feelings about the trip. I kept thoughts of my grandparents close with me, not even knowing many of *their* mandated Japanese names. Discarded memories and fragmented storytelling are all part of colonialism’s inheritance huh

tammys_take's review against another edition

5.0

I am so grateful for this book. So little has been written about Korean colonization by the Japanese, or about the Korean War in an accessible way, and this middle grade historical fiction does it in a way that is real, raw, tender, and believable. I savored every page, as the history of Korean people were given a voice of their experiences. 5 stars!

esw_reads's review against another edition

4.0

I knew Tae-yul didn't die! He's a main character, after all; kamikaze or not.

aritanya's review

adventurous emotional informative inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

ashlee_green's review against another edition

4.0

Life in Korea under Japanese occupation during WWII. Straightforward and touching.