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margots926's review against another edition
5.0
aye caramba! Amazing. Mix of DPRK fiction and western onlooking (fantasy esque). so violent at times but also an epic love saga.
nancy33's review against another edition
3.0
It was an interesting premise, but I felt that it dragged along at points.
joy2996's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
erikbergstrom's review against another edition
5.0
*Received a ration of sorghum in exchange for an honest review.*
I was a bit put off by this book at first. A little skeptical, you could say. Mainly because it does that thing with the title where it's the relative of someone else, The "___'s ___". Why not do a book on the Orphan Master himself if you're going to refer to him? What's so great about the son, why doesn't he have a title? Made me think "here we go again with one of these creative writing MFA teacher people who ask for grants to write their book."
Anyway... rant over haha. This book is cunning in how it gets you invested. It's dense, starts a bit slow, but it's all in service to the overall aura and atmosphere it gives to the characters in Part Two who live in Kim Jong Il's North Korea. They're compelled to do terrible things in the name of their country and Dear Leader, who they're to love unconditionally. I wasn't sure about the interjections by the Announcer, but then saw how interesting it played as propaganda when put side by side with the events in the story as portrayed by the two narrators. It's really effective in helping people (me) understand how some can get tricked into falling for a despot.
Unlike most literary novels I've read, there's a build-up to quite the suspenseful climax. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded.
I was a bit put off by this book at first. A little skeptical, you could say. Mainly because it does that thing with the title where it's the relative of someone else, The "___'s ___". Why not do a book on the Orphan Master himself if you're going to refer to him? What's so great about the son, why doesn't he have a title? Made me think "here we go again with one of these creative writing MFA teacher people who ask for grants to write their book."
Anyway... rant over haha. This book is cunning in how it gets you invested. It's dense, starts a bit slow, but it's all in service to the overall aura and atmosphere it gives to the characters in Part Two who live in Kim Jong Il's North Korea. They're compelled to do terrible things in the name of their country and Dear Leader, who they're to love unconditionally. I wasn't sure about the interjections by the Announcer, but then saw how interesting it played as propaganda when put side by side with the events in the story as portrayed by the two narrators. It's really effective in helping people (me) understand how some can get tricked into falling for a despot.
Unlike most literary novels I've read, there's a build-up to quite the suspenseful climax. Stick with it and you'll be rewarded.
freelr's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
megangraff's review against another edition
3.0
I took awhile to read this book and even though I've finished it I still feel like I need more time to process it.
lydiadrodgers's review against another edition
3.0
A well written and fascinating glimpse into life in North Korea. It was a little too heavy and dark for me right now. But given the topic, I should have been prepared for that.
hieronymusbotched's review against another edition
5.0
Citizens, gather round! Read a book no American aggressor should have been able to pull off. Love! Violence! And nationalistic zeal! Don't forget to put sawdust in the ears of children - you must protect them, comrades! - all those who do not yet know of human injustice.
paganhill's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
cemoses's review against another edition
3.0
The first part of this book a I found extremely boring. The second part of the book hooked me like a better suspense novel. However, I did not find anything literary or great about the book.