A review by abookandchai
The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur 허주은

medium-paced

3.5

the forest of stole girls is another cleverly plotted historical mystery novel by june hur. frankly, she's excellent at such stories. i was immediately sucked into the atmosphere of 1400 korea and it managed to blend the mysterious aura with it. i'm in awe of how hur weaved the clues throughout the story until the reveal in the end as well as the character motivations. the social commentary on korean girls being given as tribute to the ming dynasty in china and how the story revolved around it was interesting and authentic to read about. i loved searching for the missing girls along with hwani and maewol, the two estranged sisters struggling with their separation and the absence of their father.

after having loved hur's the red palace i held high hopes for this but i couldn't help but feel the mystery element was not hooking enough. my attention strayed as the pacing slowed. this might definitely be a me problem, so i still definitely recommend checking this out!