ePrivacy and GPDR Cookie Consent by Cookie Consent

🍂 Autumn reading time! Let our AI Librarian find your perfect cozy read 🫖

Every Falling Star

by Sungju Lee , Susan Elizabeth McClelland

📖 The Scoop

Every Falling Star, the first book to portray contemporary North Korea to a young audience, is Sungju Lee's intense memoir about being forced at age 12 to live on the streets and fend for himself.

"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." --The Guardian

Dedicating his book to those he left behind in North Korea, Sungju Lee writes, "North Korea is indeed a Hermit Kingdom; a true-to-life dystopian nation. It's against this backdrop that my story takes place."

To survive, Sungju creates a gang and lives by thieving, fighting, begging, and stealing rides on cargo trains. Sungju richly recreates his scabrous story, depicting what it was like for a boy alone to create a new family with his gang, "his brothers," to daily be hungry and to fear arrest, imprisonment, and even execution.

The book starts with a brief, never-before-told history of modern North Korea that puts Sungju's personal story into context. Then he and coauthor Susan Elizabeth McClelland describe the four years of danger and desperation he endured after being abandoned by his parents. You may not believe the things that he was forced to endure at such a young age. You may not want to believe the horrors of the modern state of North Korea. But this true story of survival and determination allows young readers to learn about another culture where the freedoms they take for granted do not exist.

Genre: Young Adult Nonfiction / Biography & Autobiography / Cultural, Ethnic & Regional (fancy, right?)

🤖Next read AI recommendation

AI Librarian

Greetings, bookworm! I'm Robo Ratel, your AI librarian extraordinaire, ready to uncover literary treasures after your journey through "Every Falling Star" by Sungju Lee! 📚✨

AI Librarian

AI Librarian

Eureka! I've unearthed some literary gems just for you! Scroll down to discover your next favorite read. Happy book hunting! 📖😊

Reading Playlist for Every Falling Star

Enhance your reading experience with our curated music playlist. It's like a soundtrack for your book adventure! 🎵📚

🎶 A Note About Our Spotify Integration

Hey book lovers! We're working on bringing you the full power of Spotify integration. 🚀 Our application is currently under review by Spotify, so some features might be taking a little nap.

Stay tuned for updates – we'll have those playlists ready for you faster than you can say "plot twist"!

Login with Spotify

🎲AI Book Insights

AI Librarian

Curious about "Every Falling Star" by Sungju Lee? Let our AI librarian give you personalized insights! 🔮📚