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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
För att kunna leva: en nordkoreansk flickas resa till frihet by Yeonmi Park
80 reviews
zavi_d's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Eating disorder, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and War
sabrinz's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
This book was given to my by a friend as a present with the words "a friend recommended it to me and said it would make my cry!"
Needless to say, this book and the real story it conveys did make me cry. But not for the brutal honesty with which Yeonmi Park describes her journey to freedom (I was mainly too shocked and heartbroken), but the positive outlook on her future and what she is trying to do with her voice and her story.
Simpyl because of the nature of this joruney, it is not a light read, but very much worth it.
Needless to say, this book and the real story it conveys did make me cry. But not for the brutal honesty with which Yeonmi Park describes her journey to freedom (I was mainly too shocked and heartbroken), but the positive outlook on her future and what she is trying to do with her voice and her story.
Simpyl because of the nature of this joruney, it is not a light read, but very much worth it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Genocide, and Suicide
bookswithabbey1's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Death of parent
underthetreereads's review against another edition
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
“In the free world, children dream about what they want to be when they grow up and how they can use their talents. When I was four and five years old, my only adult ambition was to buy as much bread as I liked and eat all of it.”
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park is a brutally eye opening memoir of human brutality and kindness. Yeonmi tells her story suffering under the North Korean regime, escaping to China only to be sold into human trafficking, and then finally making her way to freedom. Something I think was very unique (and yet not at all for so many) was her eventual understanding that even when she made it to South Korea, she still wasn’t free until she allowed herself to be free.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Kidnapping
Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent
booktalkswithregina's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
I always have a hard time rating memoirs. How to rate someone's life.
This is a story of overcoming the cruellest conditions.
A story of survival and loss. Incredible pain and suffering, but also resilience and strength. I already knew a lot about North Korea, but this book still shocked me. Very hard to read and comprehend even.
After finishing, I was left amazed by the human capacity to overcome anything and everything.4
This is a story of overcoming the cruellest conditions.
A story of survival and loss. Incredible pain and suffering, but also resilience and strength. I already knew a lot about North Korea, but this book still shocked me. Very hard to read and comprehend even.
After finishing, I was left amazed by the human capacity to overcome anything and everything.4
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Trafficking, and Death of parent
Moderate: Torture
lauren_sdcard's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Rape, Violence, Trafficking, and Death of parent
alainasnow's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book was incredible. A review cannot do it justice. Such an inspiring book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, and Death of parent
ajsterkel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
I didn't like it, which is a terrible thing to say because it's a memoir. I feel like I'm judging somebody's life. Maybe this is why I don't read more nonfiction.
The author was born in North Korea and didn't have an easy childhood. When she was 13, her and her mother escaped into China and became victims of human trafficking. They jumped from one bad situation into an equally bad situation. It's a brutal story to read.
Aside from the difficult subject matter, most of the book is fine. The writing isn't great, but I can forgive it because the author doesn't have the same education level as other writers.
I think the pacing is too fast. I kept wishing the author would slow down and give more details. I wondered how she learned Mandarin faster than the other kidnapped refugees, and why she was so valuable to human traffickers that they were willing to "go to war" for her, and why her mother allowed a 13-year-old to make so many important decisions for the family. I wanted more information!
Then, a paragraph at the end of the book slightly ruined everything for me. The author admits that her story has changed multiple times. She gave different accounts to different journalists. Instead of telling the truth, she told reporters what she thought they wanted to hear. She says, "I was reacting, improvising like a jazz musician playing the same melody a little differently each time, unaware that there might be people out there keeping score."
My brain went in two directions with this. First, I said, "She obviously lived through something traumatizing. Of course she's not going to spill her secrets to every reporter who asks a question." The second part of me went, "Nooo! North Korea is a vault wrapped in propaganda. Changing your story will muddy the waters and cast doubt on the stories of other refugees." The North Korean government is going to grab these inconsistencies and use them to discredit survivors and keep people trapped.
I don't know what to think about this book. I'm not mad that I read it, but I can't recommend it to other people. I lost trust in the author. How do I know I'm reading the real story right now? Does it even matter if I'm reading the real story?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Abandonment, Colonisation, Classism, and Deportation
ernie_8's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism
Moderate: Cancer and Confinement
Minor: Alcoholism and Abortion
graff_fuller's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.25
Do we ever really know why we pick up a book...and start reading it? Was it the cover? Was it the topic? Or could it be that we desire to know the story being told is going to TOUCH us...change the way we feel about [whatever the subject is].
I love biographies, but autobiographies are even better. "Straight from the horse's mouth", as they say.
The traumatic escape of Yeon-mi Park from N. Korea, to China, to Mongolia, to S. Korea, onward...to where she now lives in America.
The peak behind the curtain of what is actually going on in N. Korea is amazing (in a bad way). Also, to read about the propaganda machine that is at work in N. Korea...for 70+ years, so that not even S. Koreans know HOW different these two cultures are now.
To hear about empathy and love being devoid in the average N. Korean. Seeing public executions and dead people in the streets...as normal events. Being sold into slavery and prostitution, just to survive and escape...for slavery and prostitution are one thing, but HUNGER is worse. Anything, just to eat food.
None of us in the US can understand these things, which I'm glad for, but we need to educate ourselves. We do not agree with the leadership of N. Korea, but the people of N. Korea are enslaved, themselves to this dynasty and deserve our pity. The need to help other escape this hell hole...as Yeon-mi says, it is the DARKEST place on the earth. If you look at satellite photos of the area...there are very few lights, compared to the bordering countries...it looks like a black hole swallowed the entire country. Shortages of electricity, food, are necessities normal...and this is how the leadership keeps the people in check.
You really have to read it in her own words. She escaped when she was 13, but it wasn't until years later that she truly had freedom from the oppression that ALL people of N. Korea accept as NORMAL.
Share this story to your friends and family. It is a VERY sad tale, but she's come out of it, scars and all...and is trying to shine a light on N. Korea...so the world will come to its (the enslaved people who live in this country, under THIS regime) rescue.
I'm so happy that I picked this book up and read her story. There will be images that I won't be able to get out of my head, but maybe this will help people to help these downtrodden people.
I love biographies, but autobiographies are even better. "Straight from the horse's mouth", as they say.
The traumatic escape of Yeon-mi Park from N. Korea, to China, to Mongolia, to S. Korea, onward...to where she now lives in America.
The peak behind the curtain of what is actually going on in N. Korea is amazing (in a bad way). Also, to read about the propaganda machine that is at work in N. Korea...for 70+ years, so that not even S. Koreans know HOW different these two cultures are now.
To hear about empathy and love being devoid in the average N. Korean. Seeing public executions and dead people in the streets...as normal events. Being sold into slavery and prostitution, just to survive and escape...for slavery and prostitution are one thing, but HUNGER is worse. Anything, just to eat food.
None of us in the US can understand these things, which I'm glad for, but we need to educate ourselves. We do not agree with the leadership of N. Korea, but the people of N. Korea are enslaved, themselves to this dynasty and deserve our pity. The need to help other escape this hell hole...as Yeon-mi says, it is the DARKEST place on the earth. If you look at satellite photos of the area...there are very few lights, compared to the bordering countries...it looks like a black hole swallowed the entire country. Shortages of electricity, food, are necessities normal...and this is how the leadership keeps the people in check.
You really have to read it in her own words. She escaped when she was 13, but it wasn't until years later that she truly had freedom from the oppression that ALL people of N. Korea accept as NORMAL.
Share this story to your friends and family. It is a VERY sad tale, but she's come out of it, scars and all...and is trying to shine a light on N. Korea...so the world will come to its (the enslaved people who live in this country, under THIS regime) rescue.
I'm so happy that I picked this book up and read her story. There will be images that I won't be able to get out of my head, but maybe this will help people to help these downtrodden people.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Deportation