Scan barcode
A review by laura_cs
Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook, Ryan Estrada
5.0
I received an ARC of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The year is 1983. The place, South Korea. Hyun Sook is going to university, though against her mother's wishes, to study literature. However, her education is going to be more than novels and poetry. Her very first day, she must wade through the swarm of college students protesting, Molotov cocktails, and tear gas. On college campuses around the country, students are protesting the corrupt government. Despite her attempts to stay apolitical, Hyun Sook soon realizes that it is impossible, even in the folk dance group she joins. When one of the members invites her to a book club, she thinks she has an opportunity to make new friends and talk about books. And they do. The catch? All of the books they read are banned by the South Korean Government.
A brilliant, thought-provoking, and timely debut autobiographical graphic novel written by Kim Hyun Sook, "Banned Book Club" provides readers a look at South Korean history from someone who lived it--and is still fighting to make her home a better place. "Banned Book Club" provides a much-needed narrative about politics and freedom of speech, particularly in Asian history and countries, as well as finding yourself and coming of age in times of political unrest.
The year is 1983. The place, South Korea. Hyun Sook is going to university, though against her mother's wishes, to study literature. However, her education is going to be more than novels and poetry. Her very first day, she must wade through the swarm of college students protesting, Molotov cocktails, and tear gas. On college campuses around the country, students are protesting the corrupt government. Despite her attempts to stay apolitical, Hyun Sook soon realizes that it is impossible, even in the folk dance group she joins. When one of the members invites her to a book club, she thinks she has an opportunity to make new friends and talk about books. And they do. The catch? All of the books they read are banned by the South Korean Government.
A brilliant, thought-provoking, and timely debut autobiographical graphic novel written by Kim Hyun Sook, "Banned Book Club" provides readers a look at South Korean history from someone who lived it--and is still fighting to make her home a better place. "Banned Book Club" provides a much-needed narrative about politics and freedom of speech, particularly in Asian history and countries, as well as finding yourself and coming of age in times of political unrest.