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lilaceous's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
impact - ⭐️
illustrations - ⭐️
effective storytelling - ⭐️
engaging to read - .5⭐️
would recommend - ⭐️
watching the protagonist gain confidence and come into her own as an activist was scary and exciting. this is a powerful true story of protest and institutional oppression (and i like that it centers friendship) in a world where these topics remain perpetually relevant.
watching the protagonist gain confidence and come into her own as an activist was scary and exciting. this is a powerful true story of protest and institutional oppression (and i like that it centers friendship) in a world where these topics remain perpetually relevant.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Police brutality
crystal_moon_arts5's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
jess_mango's review
4.0
In this graphic novel memoir, Kim Hyun Sook tells of her time in college in South Korea in the 1980s. During this time there was much unrest and the college students frequently protested against corruption in the police force and the government. Hyun Sook was studying literature and a fellow student approached her about joining a banned book club. At first she was nervous about joining because students from another university had recently been arrested for being in a similar club. Many books that were deemed as having ideas dangerous to the Korean government were banned at the time.
The story really did shine a light on the political situation in South Korea and how there was much unrest amongst college age students who were looking for change. It was eye-opening to me as I didn't know much about this era in Korea.
3.5 stars
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The story really did shine a light on the political situation in South Korea and how there was much unrest amongst college age students who were looking for change. It was eye-opening to me as I didn't know much about this era in Korea.
3.5 stars
I received a review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
saramdeuri's review
3.75
a greatly important account of what it was like on the ground during the student protests in the 80s in Korea - and not just Seoul. translated well. the illustrations are pretty good too! incredibly heartwarming to see queer rep too. many more popular accounts tend to lack that sort of rep, and I'm very sure the queer community was actively participating in these protests.
my only issue with this was just how on the nose the final chapter was... I understand the idea of what they wanted to do but it felt so rushed and crammed in it's pages that it just lacked the impact it should've had. still, I'd recommend this to anyone who has any interest in Korea at all, both north and south. fuck the fascists 💜
my only issue with this was just how on the nose the final chapter was... I understand the idea of what they wanted to do but it felt so rushed and crammed in it's pages that it just lacked the impact it should've had. still, I'd recommend this to anyone who has any interest in Korea at all, both north and south. fuck the fascists 💜
kristyreads's review
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
4.5
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this and loved how this showed the power of protesting and that the fight for justice is long and slow. Very inspiring, funny, and informative!
kdahlo's review
4.0
Really unusual and cool book about organizing in South Korea during the author's college years. The narrator comes across as quite wide-eyed and naive, and gives a tour of various activist apparatus. My impression is that the story is based on truth, and it fits with my own experiences of how quickly your world-view can change when getting involved in activism. It also has a great representation of the types of people you are likely to meet in activist circles. While there are parts of this book that portray violence and allude to sexual violence, I would say it's overall appropriate even down to middle school age, mostly because the tone and detail stays pretty light and the outlook is very positive.
dembury's review
5.0
I learned so much about the political landscape of 1980s South Korea and the Fifth Republic from this, and that alone made it a deeply worthwhile read! “Banned Book Club” is high stakes, inspiring, and also deeply relevant. Highly recommend for both young adult and adult audiences, especially those interested in reading as rebellion, as well as making change.