Today I'm excited to be hosting a spot for IN THE TUNNEL by Julie Lee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I hope you'll check out my review and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About the Book:
Author: Julie Lee
Pub. Date: May 30, 2023
Publisher: Holiday House
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 304
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/IN-THE-TUNNEL
Trapped in an enemy
tunnel, a young refugee experiences the Korean War firsthand in this searing
story of survival, loss, and hope, a companion to the Freeman Award-winning
novel Brother’s Keeper.
Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South Korea. Life in
communist North Korea has become more and more unbearable—there is no freedom
of speech, movement, association, or thought—and his parents have been
carefully planning the family’s escape.
But when his father is abducted by the secret police, all those plans fall
apart. How can Myung-gi leave North Korea without his dad? Especially when he
believes that the abduction was his fault?
Set during a cataclysmic war which shaped the world we know today, this is the
story of one boy’s coming-of-age during a time when inhumanity, lawlessness,
and terror reigned supreme. Myung-gi, his mother, and his twelve-year-old
sister Yoomee do everything they can to protect one another. But gentle, quiet,
bookish Myung-gi has plans to find his father at any cost—even if it means
joining the army and being sent to the front lines, where his deepest fears
await him.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Book Riot Best New Book of 2023
"An absolute must-read."—Booklist, starred review
"Vivid, powerful."—School Library Journal
"Moving."—Publishers Weekly
"Searing. . . . Beautifully written."—Book Riot
My Review:
Opening line: "This is the end."
In the Tunnel is a historical fiction novel set during the Korean War and chronicles one boy's timeline alternating between his present, and past spanning across seven years of his life. The book opens with Myung-gi at sixteen years old, having just enlisted in the south Korean army so that he can head north to try and locate his father when suddenly, he is trapped in an enemy tunnel approximately 20-30 feet underground. Then it shifts to him at nine years of age detailing the facts surrounding the Japanese and later Russian rule of Korea. The dual timeline points help provide the historical details of how Korea was separated in half and how the oppressive occupations that the country endured by the Japanese, Russians and Americans impacted the Korean people during the war and are still impacting them now. I love how the story draws you into Myung-gi's life. How details are shared slowly as to how he ended up trapped. He's such a wonderful main character. I adore his love of books, the way he can get lost in a story. I was so saddened that he lost his passion for reading when his family and country were torn apart. Both Myung-gi and his sister Yoomee showed such strength and resilience in everything that they endured. This is truly a story of survival as the majority of the time their country was being ruled by someone else. There was a constant state of fear of being seen as anti-communists, being taken in the middle of the night or being made to join the fight for a side you didn't even believe in. Then there was their escape and traveling across harsh terrain, the hunger and fear that they could be caught and killed at any moment. You really get vested in Myung-gi and hope he and his family will reach Busan and the preceived safety that it will provide. I really liked the way that Lee seamlessly incorporated all the historical facts into the story, while always centering it on Myung-gi.
I felt the story is both powerful, sad, emotional and depicts hardships, heartbreaking moments, feelings of loss, helplessness, sorrow and guilt. I learned so much about the Korean War and felt it was so impactful in the way that it details all the hardships facing the Korean people. It's told with compassion and realistically through the eyes of the main character. The book banning is something that really stuck out to me and I thought kids of today can relate to how it's something still happening. Myung-gi's escape to Busan presents a glimpse at a brighter future for him but is accurate in acknowledging his continued separation from his father by the boundaries that split the country in two. I also loved the authors note so much. Lee explains her hopes for the story, and she spoke of the Korean families that ended up being separated into the North and South, and how even to this day there are lingering questions about what had happened to them. She expressed the grief and guilt that accompanied the separation and explained how the people were able to move on with their lives. Finally, I really appreciated all of the literary quotes that punctuated the chapters where Myung-gi was trapped in the tunnel. They included such authors as Kim Sowol, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Thoreau, Steinbeck, Kim Yeongnang and Enrich Remanque to name a few. As I said, this is a very impactful story and I would highly recommend this book to middle graders that have read the authors Brothers Keepers, are interested in the Korean War, or who love historical fiction. Definitely put this on your not to be missed list.
About Julie:
Julie Lee, a
marketer-turned-writer, lives in an Atlanta suburb with her three children and
her husband. A first-generation American, her mother escaped North Korea during
the Korean War and later immigrated to the United States. Julie holds an MFA in
Writing for Children & Young Adults from VCFA, as well as a BA in History
from Cornell.
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads |
Amazon
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will
receive a finished copy of IN THE TUNNEL, US Only.
Ends June 20th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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6/5/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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6/5/2023 |
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6/6/2023 |
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6/6/2023 |
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6/7/2023 |
IG Review |
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6/7/2023 |
IG Review |
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6/8/2023 |
Review |
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6/8/2023 |
IG Review |
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6/9/2023 |
Excerpt |
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6/9/2023 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
BROTHER'S KEEPER was a great read! I had no idea there was a sequel. I definitely want to read this one.
ReplyDeleteYA books on the Korean War are hard to find so thanks for this title.
ReplyDeleteIn the Tunnel is more of a companion book to Brother's Keeper as it features Sora in both, although she's not the main character in this book.
ReplyDelete