Book Review: In the Shadow of the Sun

This book was provided by Kid Lit Exchange (definitely check out their awesome, new website!!!). All opinions are my own. :)

In the Shadow of the Sun by Anne Sibley O'Brien

Review: At a time when North Korea has emerged a one of the most dangerous nations in the world, this June 2017 book by Anne Sibley O'Brien is nothing if not timely. Set in North Korea, 12 year old Mia is on a guided tour with her older brother Simon and their father. During their visit, Mia receives a phone containing horrific photos of starving people, dead babies. She feels a responsibility to get these photographs out to the public, but when their father is arrested for supposedly spying, Mia and Simon decide to run to China, taking the phone, and it's dangerous content, with them. The novel is the story of the incredible hardships they face as they make their way through the North Korean countryside. 

This is an exciting novel with a completely realistic representation of the political and cultural conditions that shape the lives of the people of North Korea. It almost felt as if parts of the novel were excerpts of a journalistic narrative. What I loved about the novel was that Mia's story is interrupted with short vignettes of some of the people whom are associated with Mia and Simon, some more directly than others, such as one of their tour guides, a member of the police force, and a teenager who has been conscripted into the military. These mini-stories give the reader a look into the lives of numerous people living in North Korea and how the current regime affects them and their families. It was fascinating and I have already recommended the novel to some of my students.

Rating: 5/5

Rook Review: When Planets Fall

I was so excited to receive my first physical book mail from KidLitExchange in the mail last week. Book mail is the best mail. :)

When Planets Fall by Abby J. Reed

Review: I was initially drawn to When Planets Fall because the three characters from whose perspectives the story is told all have some sort of disability that sets them apart from others in the novel. Breaker has a prosthetic leg, named Circuit, which causes him back pain where the harness rests and pain where Circuit rubs against the remaining portion of his leg. The prosthetic impacts his mobility, but he does not feel comfortable without it, so he deals with the pain. Malani not only has metal wings that set her apart from everyone else physically, but also has PTSD from when she was kidnapped when she was younger. Luka has debilitating migraines, (and may also be a sociopath) but that only adds to his character. Rather than having characters who were the perfect hero or heroine, the author made Breaker, Malani, and Luka more real by not only ensuring that their disability was discussed and not glossed over, but also that they found ways to cope with these differences, something that I think all readers will.

Even with the storyline and well-developed characters, I did struggle to stay invested at points. Malani is not a sympathetic character; Breaker risked his life, as well as the people in his compound, to free her from the Heron, and she is really mean to him in return, both in her thoughts and actions. Also, some of the vocabulary was a little confusing. Instead of "year," "month," "week," "day," "hour," "minute," and "second," they said "cycle," "monsa," "septdia," "dia," "hora," "min," and "sec." Since they were on a different planet, I understand having different words if they represented different lengths of time, but that did not seem to be the case.

While I struggled initially to get invested in the novel, almost to the point of setting it aside entirely, I powered through and ended up really enjoying the storyline and character development. I really liked how unpredictable everything became near the end and how there was not a happy ending as one would have thought. With the novel ending how it did, I am really excited to see where the author takes the next two novels.

Rating: 3.5/5