Every Falling Star review – teens learn there's more to North Korea than memes
A young reader finds the first North Korean defector memoir aimed at his age group ‘poignant, not sensationalist’
Sungju Lee’s Every Falling Star charts the lives of children forced to survive on their own in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. Photograph: Wong Maye-E/AP
Patrick Sproull
Tuesday 13 September 2016 18.00 AESTLast modified on Wednesday 3 May 2017 03.39 AEST
For many teenagers, North Korea is written off as a meme, a silly joke, or a country that could not possibly be real.
This view mostly comes from The Interview, Seth Rogen and James Franco’s comedy about a pair of journalists who try to assassinate dictator Kim Jong-un – a film that riled North Korea and almost brought Sony Pictures to its knees last year.
But in his memoir, Every Falling Star, North Korean defector Sungju Lee attempts to flip this narrative on its head.
Lee was born into a wealthy military family but when he turned 12 things started to go wrong. He was separated from his parents and forced to fend for himself on the streets of Gyeong-seong, in the north-east of the country, where he joined a street gang.
Every Falling Star presents North Korea as a horrifying real-life dystopia. The book, the first of its kind aimed at young adults, is a first-person account of what it is like to be born and raised in a terrifying environment.
'I was in a North Korean street gang, now I study at Warwick' – a defector answers your questions
-----------
Lee describes how he ate insects to survive, became a pickpocket and, in one of the book’s most heartbreaking scenes, was forced to bury some of his close friends.
Every Falling Star is part memoir, part history lesson – a welcome approach as reliable information from the country is notoriously tricky to source.
Young adult literature has repeatedly proved it can be as emotionally mature as adult fiction, a fact sometimes misjudged by new writers to the genre. Lee does not patronise or dilute any of the emotion in his account – several chapters are harrowing to read, and the book is better for it.
How my generation of dollar-loving North Koreans will shake up regime
Read more
-----------
My biggest concern about the book was that it would follow the all too familiar tale of finding a family in the form of a street gang, but this was not the case. Lee manages to portray the complex nature of his former peers: they are sweet, empathetic young men bound by circumstance. The book’s strongest suit is that it never resorts to cliche, which is often difficult to achieve in a memoir.
But there are occasions when Lee references some detail about life in North Korea, but then moves on without fully expanding on it. It is understandable that he would want to protect those he left behind, but it does at times become frustrating.
Lee has crafted a novel that is both educational (the history of North Korea is explained in an extended prologue) yet gripping, and one that ends with a message of hope.
With a narrative that never feels like it is talking down to its audience, this memoir is an enlightening and poignant read.
Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea Hardcover – September 13, 2016
by Sungju Lee (Author), Susan Elizabeth McClelland (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 30 customer reviews
--
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 6–9—Lee pens his harrowing journey from one of North Korea's city elite to a homeless and hungry vagrant. Lee, an only child, grew up comfortably in the nation's capital of Pyongyang because his father was a well-respected member of the military. Yet with no warning, the boy and his parents were deported to the countryside. Lee, who had known only the strict rituals and decorum of Pyongyang, was initially horrified by life in Gyeong-seong. Mass hunger, public executions, and unemployment were rampant—a stark contrast to the propaganda Lee had been taught his whole life. Forced by starvation, Lee's parents left him in search of commerce or emigration. He fended for himself for almost five years. His struggle is chronicled in a tightly written first-person narrative. Lee would eventually lead a gang of boys who lived by their wiles, stealing just enough to survive. The tension that runs throughout the narrative is somewhat alleviated by the mere existence of the work. Lee provides a summary of the history of Korea and the politics of the famine in North Korea, achieving a great balance between historical context and storytelling. Lee incorporates Korean words throughout the text and defines them with a pronunciation guide in the back matter. VERDICT An excellent inside look at childhood in poverty that will resonate with middle schoolers.—Amy Thurow, New Glarus School District, WI
Review
"A pampered son of the elite survives a nightmarish ordeal in this page-turner of a memoir... This fast-paced story will likely compel its readers to learn more about North Korea after finishing it."(Kirkus)
"A testament to resilence, Lee's story pulls back the curtain on life in North Korea."(Publishers Weekly)
"Lee provides a summary of the history of Korea and the politics of the famine in North Korea, achieving a great balance between historical context and storytelling."(School Library Journal)
"There are lessons about resilience, friendship, and family to take to heart... The ending satisfies and offers some hope."(School Library Connection)
"[Sungju Lee's] sheer determination rings loudest in this rarely heard perspective. Better yet, the memoir is accessible to younger teens first being exposed to complicated global political and conditions."(Booklist)
"An amazing tale of resilience and an interesting history of an area westerners rarely hear about. "(VOYA)
---
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
30
4.7 out of 5 stars
5 star 80%
4 star 17%
3 star 3%
2 star
0%
1 star
0%
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Top customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 starsAmazing story, a little too perfectly written
ByNotagainon October 9, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I have read many books by North Korean escapees. Each one is fascinating and I have enormous sympathy and respect for the problems these people endure. This book adds the interesting perspective of a boy whose parents fell from official grace, causing them to leave Pyongyang and suffer socially. However, the dialogue and events in this book at times feel like they were contrived as afterthoughts, making it feel artificial, and more like a book written by an English speaking co-author who added drama and philosophy, rather than the actual, contemporary experience of a young teen trying to survive during a famine.
Patrick Sproull
Tuesday 13 September 2016 18.00 AESTLast modified on Wednesday 3 May 2017 03.39 AEST
For many teenagers, North Korea is written off as a meme, a silly joke, or a country that could not possibly be real.
This view mostly comes from The Interview, Seth Rogen and James Franco’s comedy about a pair of journalists who try to assassinate dictator Kim Jong-un – a film that riled North Korea and almost brought Sony Pictures to its knees last year.
But in his memoir, Every Falling Star, North Korean defector Sungju Lee attempts to flip this narrative on its head.
Lee was born into a wealthy military family but when he turned 12 things started to go wrong. He was separated from his parents and forced to fend for himself on the streets of Gyeong-seong, in the north-east of the country, where he joined a street gang.
Every Falling Star presents North Korea as a horrifying real-life dystopia. The book, the first of its kind aimed at young adults, is a first-person account of what it is like to be born and raised in a terrifying environment.
'I was in a North Korean street gang, now I study at Warwick' – a defector answers your questions
--------
Sungju Lee agreed to answer your questions about escaping his homeland, the regime’s nuclear provocations, and adjusting to UK life
Read more
Sungju Lee agreed to answer your questions about escaping his homeland, the regime’s nuclear provocations, and adjusting to UK life
Read more
-----------
Lee describes how he ate insects to survive, became a pickpocket and, in one of the book’s most heartbreaking scenes, was forced to bury some of his close friends.
Every Falling Star is part memoir, part history lesson – a welcome approach as reliable information from the country is notoriously tricky to source.
Young adult literature has repeatedly proved it can be as emotionally mature as adult fiction, a fact sometimes misjudged by new writers to the genre. Lee does not patronise or dilute any of the emotion in his account – several chapters are harrowing to read, and the book is better for it.
How my generation of dollar-loving North Koreans will shake up regime
Read more
-----------
My biggest concern about the book was that it would follow the all too familiar tale of finding a family in the form of a street gang, but this was not the case. Lee manages to portray the complex nature of his former peers: they are sweet, empathetic young men bound by circumstance. The book’s strongest suit is that it never resorts to cliche, which is often difficult to achieve in a memoir.
But there are occasions when Lee references some detail about life in North Korea, but then moves on without fully expanding on it. It is understandable that he would want to protect those he left behind, but it does at times become frustrating.
Lee has crafted a novel that is both educational (the history of North Korea is explained in an extended prologue) yet gripping, and one that ends with a message of hope.
With a narrative that never feels like it is talking down to its audience, this memoir is an enlightening and poignant read.
----
Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea Hardcover – September 13, 2016
by Sungju Lee (Author), Susan Elizabeth McClelland (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars 30 customer reviews
--
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Gr 6–9—Lee pens his harrowing journey from one of North Korea's city elite to a homeless and hungry vagrant. Lee, an only child, grew up comfortably in the nation's capital of Pyongyang because his father was a well-respected member of the military. Yet with no warning, the boy and his parents were deported to the countryside. Lee, who had known only the strict rituals and decorum of Pyongyang, was initially horrified by life in Gyeong-seong. Mass hunger, public executions, and unemployment were rampant—a stark contrast to the propaganda Lee had been taught his whole life. Forced by starvation, Lee's parents left him in search of commerce or emigration. He fended for himself for almost five years. His struggle is chronicled in a tightly written first-person narrative. Lee would eventually lead a gang of boys who lived by their wiles, stealing just enough to survive. The tension that runs throughout the narrative is somewhat alleviated by the mere existence of the work. Lee provides a summary of the history of Korea and the politics of the famine in North Korea, achieving a great balance between historical context and storytelling. Lee incorporates Korean words throughout the text and defines them with a pronunciation guide in the back matter. VERDICT An excellent inside look at childhood in poverty that will resonate with middle schoolers.—Amy Thurow, New Glarus School District, WI
Review
"A pampered son of the elite survives a nightmarish ordeal in this page-turner of a memoir... This fast-paced story will likely compel its readers to learn more about North Korea after finishing it."(Kirkus)
"A testament to resilence, Lee's story pulls back the curtain on life in North Korea."(Publishers Weekly)
"Lee provides a summary of the history of Korea and the politics of the famine in North Korea, achieving a great balance between historical context and storytelling."(School Library Journal)
"There are lessons about resilience, friendship, and family to take to heart... The ending satisfies and offers some hope."(School Library Connection)
"[Sungju Lee's] sheer determination rings loudest in this rarely heard perspective. Better yet, the memoir is accessible to younger teens first being exposed to complicated global political and conditions."(Booklist)
"An amazing tale of resilience and an interesting history of an area westerners rarely hear about. "(VOYA)
---
Customer reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
30
4.7 out of 5 stars
5 star 80%
4 star 17%
3 star 3%
2 star
0%
1 star
0%
Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer reviewSee all verified purchase reviews
Top customer reviews
4.0 out of 5 starsAmazing story, a little too perfectly written
ByNotagainon October 9, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I have read many books by North Korean escapees. Each one is fascinating and I have enormous sympathy and respect for the problems these people endure. This book adds the interesting perspective of a boy whose parents fell from official grace, causing them to leave Pyongyang and suffer socially. However, the dialogue and events in this book at times feel like they were contrived as afterthoughts, making it feel artificial, and more like a book written by an English speaking co-author who added drama and philosophy, rather than the actual, contemporary experience of a young teen trying to survive during a famine.
This book is excellent and shows you how hard the people of North ...
ByBig Redon November 26, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I've read several books on North Korea and those who have escaped. Sungju Lee deserves every bit of respect and admiration for what he went through to simply survive. This happened in OUR day in OUR time... less than 20 years ago, people were starving to death in North Korea.
This book is excellent and shows you how hard the people of North Korea have it and how we as the rest of the free world need to help and pray for their freedom. This book is a MUST read. Thank you Susan McClelland for your assistance in helping Sungju Lee.
My hear hurts for the North Korean people. This book has pushed me to do more, research more, and pray harder for them.
---
5.0 out of 5 starsTimely Memoir
ByPatricia Tiltonon April 5, 2017
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
This is a very timely book for teens and adults to learn about life in North Korea. It is a memoir that reads like a novel! Sungju Lee lives a privileged life with his father high up in the military. His entire focus on life is to become a general in the army. Then suddenly his father loses his position and the family is banished to the north. Sungju's family his pitched into poverty and barely survive. His parents disappear and he's along. He survives by joining a gang, and soon becomes the leader because of his leadership skills. He manages to escape N. Korea.This is a gripping story about how the privileged are taken care of and how the rest of the country lives in extreme poverty. It is brutal at times. It is well-written and a must read. Could not put this book down. I hope this book gets a lot of attention!
----
4.0 out of 5 starsA story of overcoming all odds and survival
ByRay Wahlon March 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
When Sungju Lee was eleven, his family fell from grace in the North Korean capital of Pyongang. Soon he learned that nearly everything he had been taught, including the infallibility of the regime, had been a lie. His parents were forced to abandon him and he became "ketjabi," an orphaned street boy, or circumstance. This book follows his story as he creates a street gang whose only mission is to survive. This autobiographical story is one of trials, tribulations, and heartbreak; but it's also one of hope and overcoming all odds in the worst possible conditions. While Lee was lucky enough to escape North Korea, this shows what life is REALLY like for the millions of innocent people unlucky enough to be born under North Korean rule.
----
5.0 out of 5 stars
ByBig Redon November 26, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I've read several books on North Korea and those who have escaped. Sungju Lee deserves every bit of respect and admiration for what he went through to simply survive. This happened in OUR day in OUR time... less than 20 years ago, people were starving to death in North Korea.
This book is excellent and shows you how hard the people of North Korea have it and how we as the rest of the free world need to help and pray for their freedom. This book is a MUST read. Thank you Susan McClelland for your assistance in helping Sungju Lee.
My hear hurts for the North Korean people. This book has pushed me to do more, research more, and pray harder for them.
---
5.0 out of 5 starsTimely Memoir
ByPatricia Tiltonon April 5, 2017
Format: Hardcover|Verified Purchase
This is a very timely book for teens and adults to learn about life in North Korea. It is a memoir that reads like a novel! Sungju Lee lives a privileged life with his father high up in the military. His entire focus on life is to become a general in the army. Then suddenly his father loses his position and the family is banished to the north. Sungju's family his pitched into poverty and barely survive. His parents disappear and he's along. He survives by joining a gang, and soon becomes the leader because of his leadership skills. He manages to escape N. Korea.This is a gripping story about how the privileged are taken care of and how the rest of the country lives in extreme poverty. It is brutal at times. It is well-written and a must read. Could not put this book down. I hope this book gets a lot of attention!
----
4.0 out of 5 starsA story of overcoming all odds and survival
ByRay Wahlon March 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
When Sungju Lee was eleven, his family fell from grace in the North Korean capital of Pyongang. Soon he learned that nearly everything he had been taught, including the infallibility of the regime, had been a lie. His parents were forced to abandon him and he became "ketjabi," an orphaned street boy, or circumstance. This book follows his story as he creates a street gang whose only mission is to survive. This autobiographical story is one of trials, tribulations, and heartbreak; but it's also one of hope and overcoming all odds in the worst possible conditions. While Lee was lucky enough to escape North Korea, this shows what life is REALLY like for the millions of innocent people unlucky enough to be born under North Korean rule.
----
5.0 out of 5 stars
I am a mother of two boys and was left heartbroken for the loss of Sungju's childhood and for the loss of parental joy his paren
ByKindle Customeron May 1, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I am an American living in S. Korea for two years now and have read a few different books about N. Korean defectors, probably a dozen individual stories in total. Sungju Lee's story is a must. It parallels the other accounts I have read, and yet is told in a 'delicate' manner (or as delicate as possible when describing hardships and tragedies). It is written for young adults to understand and also for more mature readers to appreciate. I am a mother of two boys and was left heartbroken for the loss of Sungju's childhood and for the loss of parental joy his parents had to endure. N. Korea is completely closed off from the rest of the world. Information is controlled, children are brainwashed from a young age and even the 'elite' families living in Pyongyang are not safe. It is truly a horrifying place to be born. Escaping from N. Korea is not only dangerous but costly. N. Koreans crossing over into China are considered illegal visitors and subject to being sent back to N. Korea. The most astounding, to me, is that this is not history, but current events. As I sit here typing this review, people in N. Korea are enduring unbearable pain and hardship. For the fortunate ones able to find safety and refugee in S. Korea, it is another long road. They must unlearn all they were taught and relearn a new way of thinking and integrate into an entirely new culture. There is gain but there is tragic loss as well. Their identity is stripped and fear is a constant undercurrent. I urge you to buy this book, gain information about N. Korea. Perhaps after reading this book you will be motivated to learn more and also contribute to the bringing N. Korean refugees to safety. I know I am!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsI enjoyed this book
BySwissMisson April 25, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I liked a lot of things about the book. One thing is how the author made me enjoy this book, because I read involuntary for school, but it kept me on my toes at points, and I had emotions for when things happened in the book. For once I was able to really understand and follow what it was saying and it created the effect that made me want to continue reading, even if I didn't want or have to, it made me really satisfied and I am very happy that you have done things like help North Koreans in china to places safer, that they can live without worry. I hope you will eventually find your mom and continue to impact the community and other people, and even encourage others to do the same. Thank you for sharing this experience.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
ByKindle Customeron May 1, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I am an American living in S. Korea for two years now and have read a few different books about N. Korean defectors, probably a dozen individual stories in total. Sungju Lee's story is a must. It parallels the other accounts I have read, and yet is told in a 'delicate' manner (or as delicate as possible when describing hardships and tragedies). It is written for young adults to understand and also for more mature readers to appreciate. I am a mother of two boys and was left heartbroken for the loss of Sungju's childhood and for the loss of parental joy his parents had to endure. N. Korea is completely closed off from the rest of the world. Information is controlled, children are brainwashed from a young age and even the 'elite' families living in Pyongyang are not safe. It is truly a horrifying place to be born. Escaping from N. Korea is not only dangerous but costly. N. Koreans crossing over into China are considered illegal visitors and subject to being sent back to N. Korea. The most astounding, to me, is that this is not history, but current events. As I sit here typing this review, people in N. Korea are enduring unbearable pain and hardship. For the fortunate ones able to find safety and refugee in S. Korea, it is another long road. They must unlearn all they were taught and relearn a new way of thinking and integrate into an entirely new culture. There is gain but there is tragic loss as well. Their identity is stripped and fear is a constant undercurrent. I urge you to buy this book, gain information about N. Korea. Perhaps after reading this book you will be motivated to learn more and also contribute to the bringing N. Korean refugees to safety. I know I am!
Comment|Was this review helpful to you?YesNoReport abuse
5.0 out of 5 starsI enjoyed this book
BySwissMisson April 25, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I liked a lot of things about the book. One thing is how the author made me enjoy this book, because I read involuntary for school, but it kept me on my toes at points, and I had emotions for when things happened in the book. For once I was able to really understand and follow what it was saying and it created the effect that made me want to continue reading, even if I didn't want or have to, it made me really satisfied and I am very happy that you have done things like help North Koreans in china to places safer, that they can live without worry. I hope you will eventually find your mom and continue to impact the community and other people, and even encourage others to do the same. Thank you for sharing this experience.
---
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome Novel, a Must Read
ByAlisa C.on October 3, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
All I knew about North Korea was what I read in news articles. This book was amazingly eye opening. It's very well written, I felt that I was truly watching this all unfold.
Sungju Lee is an incredible person, who lived through horrors, yet turned it all towards trying to make the world a better place. His humbleness is remarkable and I send out a prayer that he finds that one last thing he's desperately seeking.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
ByAlisa C.on October 3, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
All I knew about North Korea was what I read in news articles. This book was amazingly eye opening. It's very well written, I felt that I was truly watching this all unfold.
Sungju Lee is an incredible person, who lived through horrors, yet turned it all towards trying to make the world a better place. His humbleness is remarkable and I send out a prayer that he finds that one last thing he's desperately seeking.
---
5.0 out of 5 stars
A 'Must Read'
Byelashepon October 18, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I really liked this book, though disturbing and sad. It gave you a glimpse into the hardship and suffering of the North Korean people and sadly most of them do not even know it is happening as they blindly follow their own regime. However, to me, the biggest surprise in the book was that the story starts in 1999 - you would think I took place in another time. It is unbelievable that this is taking place right now in North Korea - in this day and age no one should have to live in such horrid conditions and suffering.
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Byelashepon October 18, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I really liked this book, though disturbing and sad. It gave you a glimpse into the hardship and suffering of the North Korean people and sadly most of them do not even know it is happening as they blindly follow their own regime. However, to me, the biggest surprise in the book was that the story starts in 1999 - you would think I took place in another time. It is unbelievable that this is taking place right now in North Korea - in this day and age no one should have to live in such horrid conditions and suffering.
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