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4.47 AVERAGE
4.47 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
“We all have our own deserts; they made not be the same as my desert, but we all have to cross them to find a purpose in life and be free.”
A heartbreaking, crude, true and inspiring story. Necessary to know more about North Korea and the atrocities happening inside and outside of the country.
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
No rating
Memoirs are always hard to rate but I am going to pass on rating this (at least for now) because there are many aspects to this which make it especially hard.
There has been skepticism surrounding whether the details shared in the book are true. I am primarily in the business of believing women and I know trauma can do crazy things to the brain so I don't really think that this discussion really warrants further discussion. Regardless of whether the traumatic things that happened to her are true or not I am very intrigued by her discussion of money and relative wealth because she obfuscates it for most of the book but discusses it a little at the beginning and end. I wish she discussed further regarding that.
She has taken an interesting turn politically recently and discussed current affairs outside of her humanitarian rights mission through sharing her story. Though I try to separate art from the artist, this is interesting information that has made my ability to rate this book a little murky.
The writing of the book is the primary issue for me. The story is powerful but there could have been robust editing to make this book just cleaner and even more powerful. I know English isn't her first language so I'm not expecting it to be insanely perfect but that is why editors exist. I also think more deeper insight into what she went through could have been nice but also get that she was ~23 when she wrote this and had lived a life of extreme oppression before hand.
Memoirs are always hard to rate but I am going to pass on rating this (at least for now) because there are many aspects to this which make it especially hard.
There has been skepticism surrounding whether the details shared in the book are true. I am primarily in the business of believing women and I know trauma can do crazy things to the brain so I don't really think that this discussion really warrants further discussion. Regardless of whether the traumatic things that happened to her are true or not I am very intrigued by her discussion of money and relative wealth because she obfuscates it for most of the book but discusses it a little at the beginning and end. I wish she discussed further regarding that.
She has taken an interesting turn politically recently and discussed current affairs outside of her humanitarian rights mission through sharing her story. Though I try to separate art from the artist, this is interesting information that has made my ability to rate this book a little murky.
The writing of the book is the primary issue for me. The story is powerful but there could have been robust editing to make this book just cleaner and even more powerful. I know English isn't her first language so I'm not expecting it to be insanely perfect but that is why editors exist. I also think more deeper insight into what she went through could have been nice but also get that she was ~23 when she wrote this and had lived a life of extreme oppression before hand.
4.5
An inspiring story and a perspective that makes you rethink the things you complain about.
An inspiring story and a perspective that makes you rethink the things you complain about.
3.5
Absolutely tragic story overall. Some area's just didn't have enough explanation on just how they came about imo. Of course given the subject matter, too much description may have not made it an enjoyable read either.
Absolutely tragic story overall. Some area's just didn't have enough explanation on just how they came about imo. Of course given the subject matter, too much description may have not made it an enjoyable read either.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
dark
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
One of the books that everyone should read. Puts our privileged and comfortable lives in a perspective.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
medium-paced
This book took me awhile to read. Yeonmi Park had an unimaginable childhood that was so dark that even without writing in details and with intense emotions I still had chills and needed to take multiple breaks to wrap my head around how much evil some experience in their childhood. Yeonmi's memoir had me reeling in shock, horror and crying throughout the pages. I learned about the abuse, neglect and brainwashing that is considered daily life in North Korea. I learned about the huge human trafficking problem within China and how even if South Korea gives North Koreans freedom, they are still foreigners living 5 decades in the past.
I did not give 5 stars, cause her writing is not the best, which makes sense since English is her 3rd? language.
I did not give 5 stars, cause her writing is not the best, which makes sense since English is her 3rd? language.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Trafficking, Kidnapping
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical trauma
Minor: Self harm, Abortion