librarymouse's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative medium-paced

4.0

This was an interesting look into the lives of the average North Korean of a decade and a half ago. The fear mongering of Western media and the violent escalation of North Korean threats against enemy nations and against its own people has made the country into something larger than life in the eyes of the general public. The people of North Korea having to just barely scrape by while their leader lives in luxury and hides the poverty of the average citizen even while seeking aid is horrifying. It's sad to see how little has changed in the last fifteen years.
This book is well written and the firsthand accounts of life in North Korea add weight to the input of what Demick has to add as a foreign journalist.

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shos's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

5.0


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madicastle's review against another edition

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dark informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.5


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cepbreed's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.0

My heart and mind are so heavy. For the first time I’ve struggled to sleep after reading a book. The thought of the thousands of starving children, so destitute they don’t own shoes, never mind even a singular morsel of food to eat. I’ve been interested in learning more about the aftermath of the Korean War for a while but I don’t know if I can continue pursuing the topic. One thought about all of those Korean people does make it hard to think of anything else. 

I appreciate Barbara Demick’s knowledge of the topic and her closed pool of defectors that she interviewed, but some part of this book felt like she wasn’t giving readers enough credit. Some bits were needlessly repeated. 

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directorpurry's review against another edition

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challenging informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5


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marlimeuw's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

This is the most informative look on North Korean life before Y2K. If you do not know anything about North Korea, this is a must read.

I wish every person in these stories to live a long, happy, fulfilling future. Thank you all for sharing

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bookshelf_al's review against another edition

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challenging informative sad medium-paced

5.0


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parasolcrafter's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

5.0

this is another one of those books that ive read that i really dont know what to say because it really does speak for itself. i really appreciate how in depth it went into everything because North Korea really isnt a country i knew much about going into it and the atrocities that went on there, so this book is quite invaluable in the knowledge it has

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astrangewind's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

4.75

This book is intense, but worth the read.

The oppression faced by North Koreans is unimaginable, and this book brings that to life through a cast of defectors. The facts tell their own story of the struggle to survive. Reading about the famine was almost too much, but I enjoyed reading about their escape. 

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jackiepreston's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

3.5


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