Scan barcode
allisonarthur12's review against another edition
5.0
This book was incredible. So moving and inspiring.
throneofsnark's review against another edition
5.0
I've always been fascinated by North Koreans and the defectors that make it across their borders. I didn't realize the obstacles China that so many have to face, especially women. I can see why Yeonmi left out certain details when she was doing interviews in the past because SK and NK are quite conservative. Disappointed to kind of hear her current political views, but again I understand considering where she came from.
I love that this memoir also took accounts from adults and other people in her life, it was nice to hear things through other people's eyes that she knows.
Overall, a great memoir by someone with more than half her life still left to live!
I love that this memoir also took accounts from adults and other people in her life, it was nice to hear things through other people's eyes that she knows.
Overall, a great memoir by someone with more than half her life still left to live!
seahorsefoxglove's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
4.0
joanacoelhojc's review against another edition
5.0
“And I particularly loved biographies because they were about people who had to overcome obstacles or prejudices to get ahead. They made me think I could make it when nobody else believed in me, when even I didn’t believe in myself.”
neilcake's review against another edition
4.0
It turns out I knew very little about North Korea. Not that I thought I did, I'd just never thought to ask. So this memoir of a girl's escape from the evil dictator's clutches was very enlightening. I have to say, I do have some reservations about accepting all of it as absolute fact, but overall its power prevails.
tiepig's review against another edition
5.0
Given the heavy subject matter, I expected this to be a very difficult read that would take me a while to get through. What I found instead was an incredibly free-flowing, sincere story of the authors life, which neither skipped over nor dwelled on any detail for longer than was necessary to paint the picture. I read the whole thing much faster, and with much more enthusiasm than I had expected.
Yeonmi Park's story is heartbreaking and inspiring. She's an incredible person, and the world is already much better off for having her - and this book - in it. I hope I get to hear a lot more about her and her work in the future.
I've read similar books to this, such as Wild Swans by Jung Chang, about living through the rise of communism in China. But this is the first I've read about North Korea, and it's so strange to think about how recent everything in it is - Yeonmi Park is a few years younger than me, so everything in this book was going on (and is still going on) while I've been alive. It's really emphasized how much work there is to do, and shown that Yeonmi is exactly the kind of person who can lead us in that work.
Yeonmi Park's story is heartbreaking and inspiring. She's an incredible person, and the world is already much better off for having her - and this book - in it. I hope I get to hear a lot more about her and her work in the future.
I've read similar books to this, such as Wild Swans by Jung Chang, about living through the rise of communism in China. But this is the first I've read about North Korea, and it's so strange to think about how recent everything in it is - Yeonmi Park is a few years younger than me, so everything in this book was going on (and is still going on) while I've been alive. It's really emphasized how much work there is to do, and shown that Yeonmi is exactly the kind of person who can lead us in that work.
vanfox723's review against another edition
5.0
Such a phenomenal but heartbreaking story. The things that happened to her happened in the early 21st century and that is pathetic. The fact that women are still treated as property in this day and age infuriates me. This child was exploited for years just trying to to get to a place where she could have access to food and not go hungry. I really don't understand why and how corrupt leaders can stay in power in any country. There are more citizens than there are leaders in all countries, so why, WHY, do we (collectively) allow these atrocities to happen to our fellow humans?? I am so glad that she made her way to the freedom she craved and can only hope her future is amazing.
mynameismarines's review against another edition
4.0
I talk about this book in my November reading wrap-up video.
Don't worry about my rating for this book. How do you rate a story like this, a book like this? I don't know. I don't know at all. What I do know is that I was unable to put down Yeonmi's story once I picked it up. It at once gave me a glimpse into a life in a place I knew nothing about, had never really thought about, could never imagine even if I tried. Yeonmi's story is incredible and it's the kind of story that makes you think, that puts things into perspective and that makes you want every single person to read it, even if it's only to be exposed to a life outside of their purview.
I mentioned this in my video and they aren't complaints, but just two observations to keep in mind as you go into the story: 1- It's told in quite plain language. All of the emotional complexity comes from the events, as the way Yeonmi tells the story is straight forward and 2- detached. This, especially in the beginning, can have a sense of detachment. You can almost feel the way she has had to compartmentalize in order to tell this story. The story is no less touching for the way it leaves a little bit of space between the reader and the tragedy, but that space, to me, did exist.
I'm not typically a huge non-fiction reader, but for anyone who wants to dip a toe into the genre, here is an important yet accessible read.
emdiddy01's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
avahlou's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.5