★★★★☆ The story begins with Areum, a 14 year old girl who dreams of joining The Great Generals gymnastics team, whom lives with her parents and twin sister Nari in the Capitol of Choson. Areum finds herself doing whatever it takes to fulfill this dream no matter the costs, as she wishes for nothing more than freedom from her turmoiled family. However, not everything goes according to plan. Areum’s family falls out of political favor and finds themselves living amongst the Strayed in Yodok. Areum maintains that she is innocent, and must now adapt to navigate and survive her new reality. ° My initial thoughts of the book based solely on the brief description and cover were that of intrigue. The story itself sounded interesting, and I found the cover captivating. This was not a “had me hooked at the first sentence” type of story however, once getting passed the initial character and World building portions, I found it more compelling. There were many circumstances throughout the story I found relatable, and thus was able to empathize with some of the characters. What caught me off guard was the style of writing and wording, which initially I thought was due to rough translation but seemed to be the overall style of writing. It wasn’t an unpleasant style to read, just different/unexpected. ° By the halfway point I found myself enthralled and anticipating what would happen next. I appreciated the historical accounts of the story, and how the author was able to tie the events together. The story is set in North Korea, during Juche Year 83. Juche (translated to self-reliance) is a way of life. The regime incorporates mass imprisonment as a means of retribution for those who disobey. The concentration camp, Yodok specifically in this case, is described in detail with abhorrent living conditions, and vile, inhumane practices. ° In it’s entirety, I found the book captivating and a quick read. I enjoyed the plot, a majority of the characters, and the cliff-hanger at the end. Which is why I purchased a physical copy for my personal library.🤗 ____________________________________