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millslike2read's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.0
fionak's review
informative
4.0
An entertaining and well-written look inside North Korea. I was amused by her arrogance/presumption that if she could just show these young men a glimpse of "freedom" they would instinctively revolt (because, y'know, capitalism is awesome). It also struck me as odd that she wasn't more observant about certain things (e.g. needing another teacher to explain about students having a midday nap) and seems to have drawn some conclusions without any evidence.
makenahreads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.5
reka111's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Opening up this country would mean sacrificing these lives.
Honestly, I don't know what to write. It's too hard for me to sort out thoughts in my head about this book right now — even days later. And even though I gave it time, I still feel like I will never be able to properly evaluate this book.
Somehow I got my hands on this book (it was a friend of my family in North Korea and I was looking at the books in her house and then suddenly I saw this, so I decided why not). You have to know about me that I don't read — I haven't read — many memoirs, because they're simply far from me, however I was captivated by this book; It was interesting to get a glimpse into one of the most isolated countries.
True or not, much of this book (though why would anyone lie about it?) horrible that such a thing could (and does) happen in a supposedly humane world where no one can hear their screams and see their tears. I know it's easy for me to talk from here, but I'm just trying to draw attention that we need to talk about this, to help them and to do something - anything - for them.
d_night's review against another edition
1.0
Honestly, I have been trying to read this book for years and have never been able to finish. I had some ethical issues with the book. Some may say a journalist will keep certain personal information private to do their job... yeah, let’s not make this sound like she is working as a waitress or some prison guard in the USA. This is hostel North Korea under a totalitarian Communist/Socialist government that is used to creating play villages for tourists to enjoy, it is USSR level. The author has an animus to Christians and even suggest at times that they are cultish because they felt honored to be where the 1st Korean church might have been. That is like stating that anyone feeling an auspiciousness for visiting a historical site and being where their forefathers or ancestors once were are a part of some freaky cult. Which, of course, is not true.
I have read a lot of books from many sides, even those that do not agree with my beliefs. This is probably the worst book I have ever read on North Korea and sounds, unfortunately, like it was written by someone who wants to feel special, wants to be a victim like the real victims of the North Korean government who she wrote about once upon a time. I imagine that wasn't good enough as she had to attempt to become one herself.
I would not recommend this book. I frankly don't understand why it is as popular as it is or why it was published in the first place. It also does seem oddly like a memoir, though the author does not agree with this, as it deals much with her personal problems, her boyfriend, and her family life. It is an unfortunate grab for fame that just makes the whole things sad.
This is very upsetting to me as the book was recommended to me and I was very much looking forward to reading it. One day I might finish it, and if I do, I will update. For now, though I am more than done. I really didn’t want to write this review and frankly, I have been avoiding writing it. I only wrote this because I didn’t want this to be the idea of what North Korea is, and no you do not have to go there to understand if you do your research.
I have read a lot of books from many sides, even those that do not agree with my beliefs. This is probably the worst book I have ever read on North Korea and sounds, unfortunately, like it was written by someone who wants to feel special, wants to be a victim like the real victims of the North Korean government who she wrote about once upon a time. I imagine that wasn't good enough as she had to attempt to become one herself.
I would not recommend this book. I frankly don't understand why it is as popular as it is or why it was published in the first place. It also does seem oddly like a memoir, though the author does not agree with this, as it deals much with her personal problems, her boyfriend, and her family life. It is an unfortunate grab for fame that just makes the whole things sad.
This is very upsetting to me as the book was recommended to me and I was very much looking forward to reading it. One day I might finish it, and if I do, I will update. For now, though I am more than done. I really didn’t want to write this review and frankly, I have been avoiding writing it. I only wrote this because I didn’t want this to be the idea of what North Korea is, and no you do not have to go there to understand if you do your research.