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she_reads_'s review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Classism, Pregnancy, Grief, Deportation, Terminal illness, Child death, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Violence, Torture, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child abuse, Gore, and Death
This book shows the extremity of poverty and death due to poverty.greenclovers75's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Racism and Death
Moderate: Police brutality and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Cannibalism, Child death, Alcohol, and Suicide attempt
meaganb914's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Xenophobia, Animal death, Alcohol, Child death, Violence, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Self harm, Blood, Death, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, and Racism
Moderate: Classism, Cannibalism, Police brutality, and Fire/Fire injury
hollireads's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse
keeganrb's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Xenophobia
lesbihane's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Violence, Torture, Death, Child death, Suicide attempt, Racism, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Xenophobia
lianne_rooney's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Child death
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, and Colonisation
Minor: Cannibalism
Masaji Ishikawa was born in Japan to a Japanese mother and Korean father. Life is hard - the family is poor and his father is abusive to his mother. In 1960, the family move to North Korea, lured by the promise of a living a good life in a socialist utopia where their children will receive a free education. soon after their arrival they realise they have been misled and life in North Korea is harder than anything they have ever known. As Japanese returnees, they are deemed to be of the hostile class in North Korean society and as such there is no hope of a good education for Masaji and his siblings or decent jobs. This memoir recounts Masaji's experiences and struggle for survival for over 30 years in the most hostile and bleak of circumstances. Finally, Masaji escapes and returns to Japan without his family. This is an incredibly harrowing read but highly informative as to the conditions in North Korea. For a time Masaji worked on a collective farm and I found his insights into the reasons for food shortages and eventual famine especially informative. Recommended for anyone looking to gain a deep understanding into life in North Korea but, be warned - although Masaji manages to return to Japan there are no happy endings here.sas_ram's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Suicide attempt
mothdan's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Grief, Bullying, Hate crime, Classism, Death, Child death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Xenophobia, Racism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Suicide
jiao_li's review against another edition
5.0
Rather than the escape, there are more stories about the author condition before and during his life in North Korea. Even though the escape was not that heroic, the author's life was already miserable enough there. It made my blood boil.
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicide
Minor: War and Gun violence