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jenmooremo's review against another edition
3.0
I'll admit this wasn't my favorite book but I think that has more to do with my interest because the book was very well written. At times it was predictable and others quite surprising. The sad part is I think that it most likely describes how life is in North Korea,nameless, oppressive, and controlled.
shesnotthere's review against another edition
4.0
Can someone tell me where Commander Ga got the red cell phone after he came back from Texas? The one with the picture of the Korean family & Ingrid Bergman's star?
I was so excited to read this book. I'm obsessed with North Korea & I had read many positive reviews. I enjoyed this book & found it fascinating. It was a little choppy & disjointed, but that was likely due to the different writing styles used throughout the novel. There were a couple of loose ends, like that red cell phone he somehow got in Texas that I could never figure out. If someone knows how he got it, let me know. It was amazing to see how the North Koreans coped with the stresses of the regime. The canned peaches scene was extremely creepy! Personally, I enjoyed the book & would recommend it.
I was so excited to read this book. I'm obsessed with North Korea & I had read many positive reviews. I enjoyed this book & found it fascinating. It was a little choppy & disjointed, but that was likely due to the different writing styles used throughout the novel. There were a couple of loose ends, like that red cell phone he somehow got in Texas that I could never figure out. If someone knows how he got it, let me know. It was amazing to see how the North Koreans coped with the stresses of the regime. The canned peaches scene was extremely creepy! Personally, I enjoyed the book & would recommend it.
xystophi's review against another edition
challenging
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Eclectic debris
elkyo's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
lprnana6572's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. Having read Nothing to Envy and Escape from Camp 14, this fictionalized account brought more life to this unusual culture. I would call it a satire - one strange turn after another but it certainly kept me reading.
krunde1126's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
4.0
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I had to take my time with this one. It was dense, and I felt a lot of conflicting emotions, being Korean myself. I remembered my own introduction to both Korean and US propaganda of the North when I was in middle school and being filled with compassion and so many unanswerable questions. I remember my trip to the DMZ too. So I had a lot to sort through while reading this book.
It was also one of the strangest and most haunting books I’ve ever read. It will stay with me for a long time.
It was also one of the strangest and most haunting books I’ve ever read. It will stay with me for a long time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Child abuse, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Physical abuse, Classism, Rape, Blood, Body horror, Sexism, Slavery, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Bullying, Infidelity, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Self harm, Torture, and War