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4.22 AVERAGE
4.22 AVERAGE
Very heavy for a children's book, but very realistically written. Visceral and powerful but definitely worth the read.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-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:
Yes
I read this as an adult in my 20s and was initially hesitant to pick up a children's book, especially since I hadn’t read one since 5th grade. But this book reminded me why I should stay engaged with children’s literature. While I enjoyed the political backdrop, at its core, this is a heartbreaking story about what it means to be a big sister.
This wasn’t a bad book by any means. I think my problem was it’s a historical fiction. I also had issues with attachment to the characters and or or the writing style. That is a me thing and should not stop you from checking out this book.
Very well done YA book about escaping North Korea during the Korean War. Kept me interested the whole time. Great female lead, good grasp of the history of what North Koreans went through during the war, and induced some strong emotions too. Really liked it!
A hard look at at family tradition and life as a refugee during the Korean War. I cried towards the end. I won't say whether for happiness or heartbreak, but it was an emotional ending.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
+12-13 There loads to uncover with this one... Parental abuse (mostly emotional), Death and grief of a loved one, starvation, and all the gore and pain that comes with war.
This book held me captive for the first half. Having these two small leads forge their way to South Korea alone brought out my overprotective nature. I wanted them to be safe, sound, and fed yet, none of that was happening for these poor children. The premise is what excited me the most. I cannot tell you the amount of historical fiction that I've seen that is strictly about WWI OR WWII. This historical context excited me the most, and while the book delivered on that aspect. Characters were something completely different.
The family dynamic was so heartbreaking to read. It just did not fit well, but I feel as if this will be said to be the cultural differences. I won't say anything about that since I'm not educated on North Korea families enough to say whether or not it was done well. All I can say is that it was really hard to read as the reader.
I will say the last half of the book started to really drag on, and then of course the ending... (If you read this, you know what I'm talking about) It felt unsatisfying and honestly I had no clue this story was going to be this deep. I would say if you want to let your child read this, read it with them and then have discussions about all these mature topics! It will help them understand the realities of history and wars, in general. Just be prepared to be sad.
This book held me captive for the first half. Having these two small leads forge their way to South Korea alone brought out my overprotective nature. I wanted them to be safe, sound, and fed yet, none of that was happening for these poor children. The premise is what excited me the most. I cannot tell you the amount of historical fiction that I've seen that is strictly about WWI OR WWII. This historical context excited me the most, and while the book delivered on that aspect. Characters were something completely different.
The family dynamic was so heartbreaking to read. It just did not fit well, but I feel as if this will be said to be the cultural differences. I won't say anything about that since I'm not educated on North Korea families enough to say whether or not it was done well. All I can say is that it was really hard to read as the reader.
I will say the last half of the book started to really drag on, and then of course the ending... (If you read this, you know what I'm talking about) It felt unsatisfying and honestly I had no clue this story was going to be this deep. I would say if you want to let your child read this, read it with them and then have discussions about all these mature topics! It will help them understand the realities of history and wars, in general. Just be prepared to be sad.
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a heart wrenching read! It is a story of war, hardship, and hope. There is far too much to wade through so soon after finishing it. I loved it though and highly recommend it!