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superb0wl3000's review against another edition
3.0
I'll be honest - I had to quit this 60% in. Without giving anything away, the story just got too dark and graphic for me. I would love to have finished it, but my emotional well-being is more important.
katg88's review against another edition
1.0
I read the first chapter and just couldn't get into it. I don't like the voice the author writes in - it was very obvious that these female characters written by a man. The unsophisticated, paragraph-long physical descriptions of characters were majorly off-putting to me.
The concept of this novel sounds incredible, but I just can't follow through.
The concept of this novel sounds incredible, but I just can't follow through.
foxynz's review against another edition
3.0
With an exotic looking cover and an endorsement of "One of the most absorbing chilling, beautifully written and important novels I've read in many years", my expectations were high. Set in North Korea, I was anticipating something along the lines of a Korean Bronze Horseman.
Unfortunately, this book was nothing like I imagined, and at only 372 pages, I should have guessed it wouldn't satisfy me. Just because the characters are sold into the sex trade doesn't make it a 5 star to me. It needed more depth and time to fully sympathise with them for the atrocities to have their maximum effect.
There were some good passages, and it's not a bad book. I initially gave it 2 stars, but upgraded to 3 because I think that's what I would have given it if I've read it without all the hype on the cover.
Unfortunately, this book was nothing like I imagined, and at only 372 pages, I should have guessed it wouldn't satisfy me. Just because the characters are sold into the sex trade doesn't make it a 5 star to me. It needed more depth and time to fully sympathise with them for the atrocities to have their maximum effect.
There were some good passages, and it's not a bad book. I initially gave it 2 stars, but upgraded to 3 because I think that's what I would have given it if I've read it without all the hype on the cover.
cjc_555's review against another edition
5.0
I couldn't put this down. The ending made it much less believable but honestly by that point my heart needed that ending.
I do not know very much at all about North Korea but this made me want to know more!
I do not know very much at all about North Korea but this made me want to know more!
elinakd's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, but would have liked it even more if it was not written by a white male. I also don't like the happy ending, which felt completely out of place in this otherwise harrowing story.
sfcohen's review against another edition
3.0
Hmmmm - I don't think this book lived up to its promise. The first section, set in North Korea, was intriguing. I have not read very much about what life is like there and what the residents are taught about the Great Leader, the Dear Leader, and the rest of the world outside the Hermit Kingdom. Assuming the author did his research, I felt like I was getting a glimpse of how it's possible to subjugate an entire population through disinformation.
Once the action shifts to South Korea and then to America (Seattle), the book started to feel episodic and formulaic. Bad things happen, some of them irreparable, and then some good things happen at the end.
This is another book from Elliott Bay's "Maiden Voyage" series - a first novel by an author who shows promise. So it's worth keeping an eye out for Jones' next book, to see where he goes from here.
Once the action shifts to South Korea and then to America (Seattle), the book started to feel episodic and formulaic. Bad things happen, some of them irreparable, and then some good things happen at the end.
This is another book from Elliott Bay's "Maiden Voyage" series - a first novel by an author who shows promise. So it's worth keeping an eye out for Jones' next book, to see where he goes from here.
memoriesfrombooks's review against another edition
3.0
Review first posted on my blog: http://memoriesfrombooks.blogspot.com/2013/04/all-woman-and-springtime.html
All Woman and Springtime is the story of two friends Gyong-Ho and Il-Sun. The two meet as young girls in an orphanage in North Korea. Both are learning to live with the devastation their young lives have already seen. Both are very different, and yet are drawn to each other. A friendship flourishes as they grow up.
As they become young women, their life choices start to diverge. Yet, the friendship lasts and continues to sustain them. As a result of circumstances and choices, they are sold into the sex trade in South Korea. Life leads them through dismal circumstances, yet somehow always together.
The book is a very sad story of the girls' life under the North Korean regime and unfortunately, gets even sadder as they leave that regime for what they think will be a better life. Along the way, they meet people who befriend them and people who betray them.
As such, this book has all the making of a beautiful read - sympathetic characters, a sad situation, and a world issue that deserves attention. Unfortunately, something about the book kept me from an emotional connection with the book. Perhaps the writing style. Perhaps elements of the story that I felt unnecessary. I am not really sure. I am almost tempted to reread it to see what it was that prevented the book from reaching that point, but I probably won't. It was an okay read, but not one that pulled me in completely and held me.
*** Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program ***
All Woman and Springtime is the story of two friends Gyong-Ho and Il-Sun. The two meet as young girls in an orphanage in North Korea. Both are learning to live with the devastation their young lives have already seen. Both are very different, and yet are drawn to each other. A friendship flourishes as they grow up.
As they become young women, their life choices start to diverge. Yet, the friendship lasts and continues to sustain them. As a result of circumstances and choices, they are sold into the sex trade in South Korea. Life leads them through dismal circumstances, yet somehow always together.
The book is a very sad story of the girls' life under the North Korean regime and unfortunately, gets even sadder as they leave that regime for what they think will be a better life. Along the way, they meet people who befriend them and people who betray them.
As such, this book has all the making of a beautiful read - sympathetic characters, a sad situation, and a world issue that deserves attention. Unfortunately, something about the book kept me from an emotional connection with the book. Perhaps the writing style. Perhaps elements of the story that I felt unnecessary. I am not really sure. I am almost tempted to reread it to see what it was that prevented the book from reaching that point, but I probably won't. It was an okay read, but not one that pulled me in completely and held me.
*** Reviewed for the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program ***
jcwhite630's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing. I would have liked it a little more neatly wrapped up in the end, but the epilogue was sufficient. I just always wonder what happened to the characters. Interesting look at life in North Korea. I thought it was a bit exaggerated until I watched the Nat Geo documentary.
lottie1803's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
3.75
applebunnies's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed how this book was written, it definitely kept my attention and made me want to see what became of everyone. However, too much of the story was left unexplored and there were too many questions left unanswered. What was Il-sun's life like after the brothel? What did she die of? Why did the Blue Talon just forget about Cho and Gi? Why was Mrs. Cha keeping them around when she had shipped so many of the others out? What happened with the mistress of the orphanage? Surely someone would have noticed that the girls were missing, wouldn't she be investigated? Why make such a fuss over her hiding the Bible if there was nothing more to her story?
In addition to all this, it felt poorly researched, both in relation to the experiences of North Koreans and the inner workings of the sex trade. While I have not thoroughly looked into either topic I know that what is presented in this work is naïve and simple.
In addition to all this, it felt poorly researched, both in relation to the experiences of North Koreans and the inner workings of the sex trade. While I have not thoroughly looked into either topic I know that what is presented in this work is naïve and simple.