By Anne Sibley O'Brien
This book grabbed my attention from the very first sentence. It is a very intriguing and thought provoking tale. The author does a remarkable job of transporting the reader into a different time, culture and environment. Really, makes one wonder what would they do if it was them, would you be able to survive and stay ahead of the soldiers. Would you be a Mia, Simon or their father?
Mark Andrews takes his two children with him on a trip into North Korea. They are forewarned and given a long list of rules. Mr. Andrews has traveled here before as a food relief worker and somehow embroils himself in a faction power struggle. Unknown to them they are about to embark on the journey of a lifetime. Mark is arrested as Mia and Simon find incriminating images on a gifted cell phone. They know that the only way to help their dad is to get the images out of the country. They endeavor to allude the North Koreans on a harrowing escape across the country towards China. This proves to be very difficult since Simon is a tall blond American while Mia, who is adopted, is from South Korea. With little knowledge of the language, next to no money, no food how are they supposed to travel the distance to safety without being seen and captured? It takes some luck, ingenuity and a lot of courage plus a little bit of help from surprise sources.
This was an excellent story, I loved the information given at the beginning of the book, very helpful in reading the tale. Giving the background knowledge led to more understanding and a better appreciation of the dangers. What I did not get 100% was some of the North Korean view point, it did not always connect to Simon and Mia. I am giving this book a 4.5 out of 5, just for the disconnect. I did really enjoy this book, it made me question what happened to some of the supporting characters. This book is good for 5th grade students and up and encourage anybody to buy their copy today.
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