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ellahamiltonsavory's review against another edition
5.0
What an extraordinary story.
I cannot fathom how at such a young age one can be so incredibly brave and face the things Park did to survive. As someone that knows very little about the happenings in North Korea, I thought this first hand account was very educational and an absolute eye opener. The descript passages about her childhood seemed so distant from what I know that it felt fictuous and untouchable yet terribly sad knowing that it is the reality for many North Koreans.
I don’t cry often when reading books but whenever Park spoke of Chun Guen I felt my tears begin to stream - especially during their final encounter where it is revealed he knew of her families misfortune.
I cannot fathom how at such a young age one can be so incredibly brave and face the things Park did to survive. As someone that knows very little about the happenings in North Korea, I thought this first hand account was very educational and an absolute eye opener. The descript passages about her childhood seemed so distant from what I know that it felt fictuous and untouchable yet terribly sad knowing that it is the reality for many North Koreans.
I don’t cry often when reading books but whenever Park spoke of Chun Guen I felt my tears begin to stream - especially during their final encounter where it is revealed he knew of her families misfortune.
ufstefgator's review against another edition
4.0
It is a wonderful story of surviving and eventually thriving in the face of the worst of humanity. This is a very brave account of someone trafficked and the inhumane treatment of North Korea that would make human trafficking seem like a better choice than staying.
teneke's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
4.0
delpaula's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Sad, yet compelling and beautiful. The majority of the story seems to be told with a bit of detachment. This style initially seems dry, but then you realize it’s part of the author’s coping mechanism, which makes it even more heart breaking.
carolina_thr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
jebba_debba_doo's review against another edition
4.0
It was very interesting to read this book shortly after reading 1984 by George Orwell. The parallels between the London from 1984 and North Korea were astonishing. I love to learn when people still find good in the world after a life of difficulty.
lizclark3's review against another edition
5.0
Such an amazing book! Her story telling was so powerful. I learned so much about North Korea as well reading this book.
ihavenoshelfcontrol's review against another edition
5.0
What a book! I had recently been in a bit of a reading slump but I zoomed through this. It must have been incredibly hard to write this but I applaud yeonmi for doing so. Amazing book.
westeggreads's review against another edition
4.0
"We all have our own deserts. They may not be the same as my desert, but we all have to cross them to find a purpose in life and be free."
This was such a devastating yet inspiring read, Yeonmi truly shines a light on the horrors the North Koream people face in their homeland and along their journey to escape, most notably in China.
This was such a devastating yet inspiring read, Yeonmi truly shines a light on the horrors the North Koream people face in their homeland and along their journey to escape, most notably in China.