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A review by erine
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
This story tackles an abundance of challenging topics. From racism and bullying in the present day to Junie's grandparents' stories of the Korean War, to severe depression and suicidal thoughts to illness and loss. I appreciated the way these topics intersected: it's a lot, but there's no question that in reality these all also intersect and must be dealt with by children.
It's a book to be read with care, however. Junie's experience with depression and suicidal thoughts comes on fast and resolves fairly tidily. Her family and friends are supportive, but it's definitely a challenging portion of the story. Her experiences interviewing her grandparents of their experiences during the Korean War don't stint on the horrors either. Ruthless killing, political fear of retribution, child abandonment, and horrifying tortures abound in these stories, sparking Junie's sympathies and reinforcing the need to speak up against hate. The bullying that Junie receives on the bus and at school is portrayed as very aggressive which might not be everyone's experience, but highlights how piercing taunts can be, and Junie's pain increases with the silence of everyone around her.
The history of the Korean War was enlightening for me, and I appreciated the depictions of the friendship conflicts and the frank inclusion of Junie's depression. My biggest struggle was that I listened to this story, and feel I would have enjoyed it more had I read a hard copy. The narrator started off a little slow and staccato, so I tried speeding up the playback. This made the words come across with short phrases and harsh tone. Unfortunately neither was a very pleasurable experience.
#ReadAcrossAmerica2022
It's a book to be read with care, however. Junie's experience with depression and suicidal thoughts comes on fast and resolves fairly tidily. Her family and friends are supportive, but it's definitely a challenging portion of the story. Her experiences interviewing her grandparents of their experiences during the Korean War don't stint on the horrors either. Ruthless killing, political fear of retribution, child abandonment, and horrifying tortures abound in these stories, sparking Junie's sympathies and reinforcing the need to speak up against hate. The bullying that Junie receives on the bus and at school is portrayed as very aggressive which might not be everyone's experience, but highlights how piercing taunts can be, and Junie's pain increases with the silence of everyone around her.
The history of the Korean War was enlightening for me, and I appreciated the depictions of the friendship conflicts and the frank inclusion of Junie's depression. My biggest struggle was that I listened to this story, and feel I would have enjoyed it more had I read a hard copy. The narrator started off a little slow and staccato, so I tried speeding up the playback. This made the words come across with short phrases and harsh tone. Unfortunately neither was a very pleasurable experience.
#ReadAcrossAmerica2022