Review by Booklist Review
Mia and her brother, Simon, are on the run in North Korea. That's dangerous enough on its own, but they're also in possession of a cell phone containing pictures of atrocities in a North Korean labor camp. They're not sure where it came from, or why their father was taken by North Korean police, but they know they must get out of the country, fast. Relying on their own quick thinking, Mia's knowledge of Korean language and culture, and a handful of kind strangers, they embark on a harrowing journey from Pyongyang through the mountainous forests to the China border. O'Brien weaves plenty of information about the country through the story, and interspersed sections describing the experiences of some of the North Koreans they meet on their trip add depth. Mia, who was adopted from South Korea by a white American family, offers some thought-provoking insight into the experience of interracial adoption. This fast-paced and tense survivalist thriller, made all the more compelling for its fascinating setting, should find broad appeal.--Hunter, Sarah Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Twelve-year old Mia, adopted from South Korea and raised in Connecticut, has mixed feelings about her aid-worker father's decision to take her and her older brother, Simon, on a tour of North Korea. After arriving there, she further questions the reasons behind the trip after witnessing her father attend late-night rendezvous and discovering an illegal cell phone containing shocking photographs of conditions in the political prisons. When her father is arrested and held by the government, Mia and Simon must find a way to escape to China. Though Mia is initially unobtrusive and meek, she proves to be resourceful and determined under pressure, taking charge, navigating, scouting for sustenance, and using her knowledge of Korean language and culture. In her first novel, picture book author O'Brien (I'm New Here) presents a nuanced portrayal of North Korea; the government is restrictive and the police force divided, but the citizens' complex perspectives and attitudes are revealed in thoughtful, interspersed dispatches. Mia's reflections about being Korean in Connecticut versus in Korea are powerful, as is her assertion that she is "growing into both her names." Ages 8-12. Agent: Lara Perkins, Andrea Brown Literary. (June) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-6-"'Who in their right mind tries to bond with their kids by taking them on a tour of North Korea?'" American aid worker Mark Andrews does when he arrives in Pyongyang with 16-year-old son Simon and 12-year-old daughter Mia. He's convinced "the trip would be an -opportunity for Mia to connect with her heritage," despite her having been born in South Korea. When Mark gets arrested-involving a phone loaded with horrific photographs of labor camps-Simon and Mia are forced to flee. The siblings' harrowing odyssey finally mends their difficult relationship as typical-sullen-teenager Simon realizes his "perfectly ordinary, scaredy-cat little sister" just might be "some kind of Spy Girl" who, with her language skills and backpack filled with a map, dictionary, and dried food, might lead them to freedom. Although reader Jackie Chung occasionally stumbles over the Korean words and phrases (appropriately for Mia, not apt for native North Koreans), she fluently modulates her youthful voice to the frustration, fear, and relief of the diverse cast, enhancing the narrative with energy and empathy. VERDICT O'Brien, who grew up in South Korea and considers it "home," adds much-needed humanity to the proliferating headlines highlighting North Korean threats.-Terry Hong, Smithsonian BookDragon, Washington, DC © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Mia and her older brother Simon find themselves embroiled in international intrigue when their foreign-aid-worker father is arrested while they are visiting North Korea. The siblings discover they possess dangerous photos that must get out of the country. Character development is weak, but the action scenes keep things interesting. Information about North Korea and short fictional profiles revealing daily life there are interspersed throughout. (c) Copyright 2018. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A family holiday goes badly awry, leaving two siblings racing for freedom in a totalitarian nation armed with little more than an outdated guidebook and a few packets of airline peanuts. Adopted from South Korea as an infant by a white Connecticut family, 12-year-old Mia has grown up feeling conspicuously different from her family and peers. To help heal the rift from a serious fight with her older brother, Simon, and to encourage Mia to connect with her cultural roots, the teens travel with their father to North Korea, a country he knows well as a foreign aid worker. Mundane sightseeing gives way to danger following Mia's discovery of a cellphone containing shocking photos from a prison camp and her father's abduction by authorities. Simon and Mia embark on a daring cross-country journey in an effort to reach safety and alert authorities to their father's plight. The action is punctuated by short profiles of individual (fictional) North Koreans, tantalizingly pulling back the veil of secrecy, but readers are soon plunged back into a thrilling and immersive experience reminiscent of the best spy and wilderness adventure stories. Character development is not sacrificed to action, as the siblings mature in their relationship, gaining insight into family and racial dynamics, culture, and identity. Opening information from the fictional tour agency gives readers enough background about the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to fully understand the peril the family is in. An author's note illuminates O'Brien's strong personal ties to Korea and gives suggestions for further reading. A riveting work that will appeal to a wide range of readers. (Thriller. 9-13) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
