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A review by justreads93
The Starlet and the Spy by Ji-Min Lee
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I feel like I got click baited with this book. I thought I was getting a book about Marilyn’s time in Korea during her USO tour told through the perspective of her translator. Instead Marilyn is a side character and really more of a framing device for the main character to tell her harrowing story.
I really don’t know how I feel about the book itself; I think if I had known what I was getting into I would have liked it more. This is a story that is worth telling and worth reading. I feel like I rarely see stories set during the Korean War and this short book was a fascinating character study. But it’s not the book I had wanted to read.
I really don’t know how I feel about the book itself; I think if I had known what I was getting into I would have liked it more. This is a story that is worth telling and worth reading. I feel like I rarely see stories set during the Korean War and this short book was a fascinating character study. But it’s not the book I had wanted to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and War