I liked this mystery a lot. Set in 14th century Korea, I knew nothing of the time or place of the setting. Hwani and Maewol’s father has gone missing. They work together to solve his disappearance. But he’s not the only one. Thirteen girls have also gone missing. The magistrate says they probably ran away.

And on top of that, there is also the stress of girls being taken to go to the government as tribute girls. The prettiest girls are taken in this way.

It’s twisty and turny and unexpected. I thought it started slowly, but picked up

I don’t think I can adequately describe how much I loved this book, but I’m going to try. This post will be both a review and a reflection on the book. Just to break it down, I’m going to do my best to weave them both together in this whole section, so bear with me here!

The voice alone is haunting, and it sets you up perfectly for the entirety of the book. The whole mood is like walking through a foggy forest and trying to find your way back home. I felt like I could see and feel and smell the forest on Jeju right alone with Hwani. Everything was so real. Hwani really discovers herself and becomes someone I truly admire. She works really hard, and at times I didn’t like her. Her flaws were what made me love her even more, though. It was amazing to be able to see her grow and change throughout the book.

Maewol was such an interesting character. She reminded me of myself in some ways. I’m the youngest of five kids, so it’s easy to get lost in the mix sometimes. I loved her fighting spirit and her determination to take care of herself and Hwani despite their estrangement. Her boldness and intuition is something I wish I had and something I appreciated in her character.

The setting of this book!!! Chills!!! It gave me chills because it was so eerie. Like I mentioned above, the combination of the setting, details, and voice really created a wonderful reading experience. It felt like I was wading through the clues and dead ends with Hwani and Maewol. There were several times where I didn’t know who to trust. I was kept guessing until the very end.

Hur’s writing style lends itself beautifully to this story. I love how she got to the heart of the novel and found Hwani and Maewol at the center. It caught my attention from the very first line and never let go. I’m wondering what I’d have to do to be able to read this book for the first time again…

What I loved most about this book was how it made me think and reflect on the kind of history we learn in U.S. schools. As an adoptee, I often feel disconnected from my heritage because there wasn’t a built in system to necessarily teach me cultural or historical things about China. I love how this novel thrusts you deep into the Joseon era in Korea with nuance and care. It’s a story that is more than just the setting, but it truly makes you think more about the lens of history you’ve learned.

Overall, I highly recommend you read this book and check it out when it releases tomorrow! It’s perfect for fans of true crime and those who are looking for a little more of a darker read, sans romance.

Happy reading,

Sophie 🙂

This was my first time reading a YA set in long ago Korea. I was super interested to read a Korean mystery/thriller and was excited when I won this one.

I don't think the summary on the jacket really does it justice. This is about two estranged sisters that reunite over mystery and tragedy. Watching the girls grow and love each other in a way they never could before made this mystery very special. Also, there is always something about mysteries/thrillers set in times before electricity that really drives up the creep factor. Loved it.

For those of you newer to following this blog, I used to be very very very into kdramas (Korean dramas). I still feel the urge to watch them now, but I just prioritize reading in my free time now. A few months ago, I started really craving a historical Korean drama…and it’s almost like the universe heard me because The Forest of Stolen Girls was sent to me as an e-galley and also really caught my attention around my birthday, leading to me purchasing a finished, hardcover copy.

The way June Hur wrote The Forest of Stolen Girls made all of the events play out in my mind as if I were watching a kdrama without a TV or any other screen present. I will note that I’ve watched quite a few kdramas, which likely helped with the visualization, but for anyone with less or no experience with Korean history (clothes, food, culture, etc.) could do a few Google search to fill any visual gaps.

Hur transported me to the island of Jeju with its rolling hills, crashing waves, and something I had never been aware the island possessed (unless of course this is a nod at the island’s history rather than reflecting its current state)–thick forests. This book definitely gave me some creeped out feelings, which brought me to reading it primarily in the day time. The mystery was also quite good (I wasn’t able to guess what would happen or who was responsible for what)!

I also really appreciated the storyline around the two sisters, Hwani and Maewol. I have a younger sister, so that aspect of The Forest of Stolen Girls really resonated with me and made me feel more invested. I can also say from my experience of being a sister, that the relationship between the sisters in this book were also written very realistically. All in all, I did enjoy The Forest of Stolen Girls and am looking forward to Hur’s next historical YA release, The Red Palace, coming out in January!

DNF at 10%

Sorry, I really tried to read this book. But we are not really meant for each other. Anyway, I want to thank the publisher for sending me an eArc.

WHY DID I LISTEN TO THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS BY JUNE HUR?
The Forest Of Stolen Girls by June Hur was a book that I absolutely HAD to read. After all, I thought The Silence Of Bones – Hur’s debut – was excellent. As for why I went for the audiobook version, the reasoning wasn’t that deep. It was on Volumes and I wanted to get to the book sooner rather than later. And so, with a bit of spare time and some chores to do, I started listening.

WHAT’S THE STORY HERE?
June Hur’s The Forest Of Stolen Girls follows Hwani as she investigates what happened to her father who went missing. You see, her father was investigating this case where thirteen girls had gone missing under pretty similar circumstances. So, it seems a little bit shady that he would go missing as well. As it turns out, Hwani’s past isn’t exactly without issue. Several years ago, Hwani and her younger sister went missing and they were found with no memory of the incident by a scary crime scene. All they remember is that the kidnapper wore a white mask. And so, this story is about how Hwani reconnects with her little sister but also the connection between the missing girls and what happened to her as a young girl.

HOW DID I LIKE THE FOREST OF STOLEN GIRLS?
I find myself wishing that I had read the physical book of The Forest Of Stolen Girls rather than listen to it. I feel like I did not retain much of this book. However, the setting is fantastic and unique. It is set in Korea during the 1400s. Hur is writing what no other author is. Thrillers/mysteries set in historical Korea. I for one love how different it is. I like that I am not getting the same book over and over again with Hur. Her writing flows really well and provides such a sense of time and place.

HOW’S THE NARRATION?
The audiobook is narrated by Sue Jean Kim and is 10 hours and 7 minutes long. Sue Jean Kim is a new to me narrator and I actually liked her narration style quite a bit. This is a book that I listened to at varying speeds – 1.5x to 2x. It was a decent enough listen while getting things done around the house and driving my kiddo to daycare. However, I did not absorb as much of it as I would have liked to. So, if I do end up re-reading, it will not be via audio.

The Forest of Stolen Girls is a YA historical mystery set in 1426 in Korea. That description alone should tell you that you've never read a novel like this. This is a story about two girls, Hwani and Maewol, who go missing only to be found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene. Years later, the girls' father discovers thirteen other girls have gone missing from that same forest and decides to investigate only to go missing himself. Hwani is intent on finding her father and realizes she must look deep in her own memories of what happened years before to make it happen. The characters are written so realistically. The story is incredibly atmospheric. If you're looking for something original in YA fiction, this is the one to check out. Highly recommended!

DNF at 39%

I feel like I’ve DNFd a lot of my books at this percent mark, but that’s usually when I can tell whether or not I’m gonna enjoy a book. And I was actually pretty bored while reading this.

I truly wanted to love this one, but it never kept me engaged. I felt detached from our main character and the mystery didn’t intrigue me at all.

Though one thing I did like was the 1400s setting. I didn’t know that going in, so it was a nice surprise having a different setting represented in a YA mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley & publisher for the eARC copy of this novel. The Forrest of Stolen Girls takes place in Korea during the early 1400s & follows Hwani Min, an 18-year old young woman searching for her father, a detective who is believed to have died while investigating the disappearance of young women on Jeju Island, where the Mins used to live. Hwani’s younger, estranged sister, Maewol, stayed behind living with a Shaman who is training her. As Hwani searches for her father, Maewol insists on accompanying her. The sisters’ strained relationship begins to heal as they unravel the mystery of their father’s disappearance & uncover why 13 young women never returned to their families.

Although the plot lags at times & I found the number of red herrings to be a bit excessive, the characters are sympathetically drawn & the developing relationship between Hwani & Maewol made the novel fairly enjoyable.

This is a story about lost girls.

This was by no means a bad book, but it was really not a book for me. The pacing was incredibly slow, and while the mystery was interesting I found that by the time we got to the point I no longer cared. The tone of the story felt removed from the characters, and I struggled to feel invested in their outcomes. I think it’s possible that this book will be a good fit for readers who are not looking for a thriller, but do enjoy some mystery in their historical fiction.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan for this eARC!

Historical fiction has always been one of my favorite genres to read and I have never read anything like this before. This book was set in the 1400s in Korea and it was super interesting to explore this world with the main character. Despite being the main plot line, I wasn't very interested in the mystery. I was more interested in the characters, since they were all so realistic and it was easy to root for the main character and dislike a lot of the side characters.

Hwani Min travels back to her hometown in this gorgeous, lush mystery set in 1400s Korea. Her father, whom she desperately admired, was a well-known detective and was searching for 13 missing girls in her hometown. After he disappears as well, Hwani decides she must investigate his disappearance. As she begins to uncover the secrets, she comes face to face with her estranged sister and a terrifying ordeal from their past. (I don't want to stay more for fear of spoiling anything).

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the world-building and the characters. There were a lot of twists and turns and the author keeps readers guessing. It was a great mystery, and the setting was atmospheric and very well done. The author had clearly done her research and wrote about this time period so beautifully that I felt fully immersed. It was a beautifully written debut.

Big thanks to the publisher and netgalley for sending me an advanced copy to read and review. I read about 20% of the book and then the audiobook released and I decided to restart it via audio. I was LOVING the book physically reading, but I loved it even more when I listened.

As a Korean (American) bookstagrammer/book reviewer, reading books about my culture through own voices is so important. June Hur did such a fantastic job transporting me to the Joseon Dynasty, a very influential time in Korean history. I enjoyed the narration so much. I even told my mom about this book and we discussed her views of the Joseon period that she learned when she lived in Korea as a child. She found it so fascinating that people are interested in reading about her culture and history. The events that happen within this novel are not far off from reality, which makes your heart feel a bit more crushed.

I felt so close to these characters and really loved that it was more about sisterhood and family (as well as the thrill of a mystery) than romance. Sometimes it's so nice to take a break from reading a story about two people falling in love and just reading about a family coming back together. June Hur has a way of writing that leaves you wanting more with every page. I think those who are not Korean will find a love of this beautiful country through June Hur's masterful writing.

This YA historical mystery is perfect for anyone who wants to learn about Korea, a young woman finding herself and her family, and for young readers who enjoy a thrill without the horror aspects.

Pros
Atmospheric Worldbuilding: From chilling fog to winding villages, June Hur's worldbuilding is atmospheric. Powerful shaman women, free divers by the seaside, forests and cliffs: everything about this book is perfectly woven together to create an atmosphere of unsettling beauty and unease. Crime thrillers and mystery books are not usually so evocative. There is a trend in the genre toward short, terse descriptions, but here, June Hur's beautiful detailing only adds to the mystery itself.

Tantalizing Mystery: There are so few YA mysteries. It is great to have a mystery in YA at all, and this one is wonderfully executed. It has a great hook from the start. The detective work throughout is well-executed. Its sweeping worldbuilding helps bring readers along for the ride. Add to this the evocative setting and the POC cast, and this book stands out. The historical element on top of everything just adds another layer to the good, detective fun. This book was full of sleuthing and high-stakes tension, just as a mystery should be.

Unique Genre Experience: Historical fiction in the YA sphere is relatively rare. Mystery in the YA sphere is also relatively rare. Mixing those two genres makes this something unique. It is a genre mash-up like no other, and Hur manages to execute all the different genre conventions so well. I am not sure I've ever read a book set in historic Korea, and I know I haven't read a YA book set in Korea. That, too, adds to the experience: something new, something different, and something YA definitely needs.

Cons
Detached Voice: The aloof detective is a genre convention, unfortunately. That is, the detective-narrator comes in and observes. Sure, sometimes the investigation can get personal. Sure, the detective cares about the case, but the detective is still a detached, objective voice. That is no different here. While this is fine--and in fact standard in a lot of mystery, it's not something I particularly enjoy myself.

Slow Read: This book is full of deep worldbuilding and evocative writing with beautifully crafted sentences. But all of these features take time to digest, and so reading this book is ultimately a slow wade. It is immersive but time-consuming. While I think it was worth it in the end, it is by no means a light or quick read. It has depth and merit, but it may be too much for some readers to continue to digest.

All Women: Usually I love a cast of strong women. In fact, I love it here. There are women detectives, shamans, informants, servants. Having a cast of almost-all women is just fine, but this book had no real male characters involved in it at all. There were some conveniently-placed men to help or hinder the plot as necessary, but the primary and secondary cast didn't include any major roles for men. It took half of the book before a significant male character did more than play a plot-important role, and even then, that character was largely absent from the ensuing drama. If I noticed this significant lack of important men, others may have a problem with it.

Rating
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8/10

Those who loved the girl-of-many-hats main character in Eloise Jarvis McGraw's Mara, Daughter of the Nile will like this cunning new lead. Anyone who appreciated the strong female character in a world of dangerous men features in Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle will love the life-and-death stakes for these two sisters.

"Look at everything around you from a distance, and you'll find the way back home."

I absolutely loved this book! The Forest of Stolen Girls was beautifully written but also so incredibly heart breaking. I found the relationship between Hwani and Maewol to have such an organic flow and growth, nothing felt as if it was forced, rushed or just thrown in there for story. You are able to see each of them grow in their own way as well as growing together.

The story itself was captivating from the first chapter for me. I loved being able to read the way Hwani was processing through all of her thoughts regarding her Father, the disappearance of the girls, the masked man and her sister. Both Hwani and Maewol are very young so of course some of their decision making has you shaking your head but it's supposed to! They are learning about themselves, they are learning about their family. It's all about solving the past in the present and working towards what is wanted in the future.

I would absolutely recommend this book for a friend looking for a good YA Historical Mystery Thriller.

"Doing what is right, it is so utterly terrifying. And yet so freeing"


**I will also be sharing to my Instagram page once I have taken a photo of the book.**

I really tried to get into the story but I could not. I am not a reader who requires a deep plot that moves quickly as long as the characters are well-developed. I just could not connect with anyone in the book which left me wanting for either a connection to character or storyline but with neither being present I had to abandon at the 1/2 way point. I read aloud to my husband and when I finally suggested we abandon he all too eagerly responded that we should try something else. He experienced the same lack of connection.

This historical fiction took me back in time and gave me sense of being directly in front of the characters as they told their story. This is a great read and does come with some trigger warnings.

Excellent book. I loved that I couldn't figure out the mystery. The story is so detailed but not so much so that you can't follow along. The entirety of the story you're attempting to figure out this mystery that is so tightly woven into so many of the characters lives. I love that this stuck to just mystery and didn't add in Romance or anything else. I love the Asian culture and background to this story. We need more stories like this. Highly recommend this author and this particular book.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends in exchange for an honest review.

Set in 1426 Korea, Hur unfurls the mystery of the island of Jeju where 13 young women have gone missing in the forest. Some have reported seeing a person in the woods wearing a mask and carrying a sword, but local authorities have decided to not look into the disappearances since "girls go missing, it happens" is the mindset of the men running the island.

But when Hwani's father goes missing when investigating these disappearances, she returns to the island of her birth in disguise to try and find out what happened. In doing so she reunites with her younger sister that was left behind, and has to face the ugly reality of being a young woman in a country that trades girls for financial gain and power, giving them as tribute to the ruling class. Can Hawni solve the disappearances before she becomes just another name on the list of missing girls?

This is a slow moving story, but stick with it because it pays off. The mystery took a few turns to make it interesting and the dynamic between Hwani and her sister Maewol was really good. I'll admit that this is a history I don't know much about so it was fascinating to learn a little about Korean (Joseon) culture in the 1400s.

I received a free e-ARC of The Forest of Stolen Girls thanks to Fierce Reads in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

When I got the email that I’d won an arc, I was so excited. I’m a sucker for historical fiction, but what’s even better is that this is also a mystery-thriller. The synopsis had me hooked.

We follow Hwani, who, as a child, was found unconscious in the forest, with her sister. They don’t remember a thing about the incident except that their captor had a white-painted mask. This event tore their family apart and most fled the hometown. Years later, she travels back to her estranged home to find her father who went missing while investigating the disappearance of 13 missing girls. Reuniting with her sister, Hwani must look to her past in order to discover the truth.

First, I have to say: Hur can tell a story. I haven’t read her other works but this as an intro to her writing was perfect. The way she crafted this slow burn mystery-thriller was so magnificent. She left her hints and clues all over, but with such subtly that it was almost enough to be disregarded.

I loved the dynamic between Hwani and Maewol. It was such a realistic interpretation of a sister relationship. They had underlying resentment of each other but also fierce love and loyalty. So representative of a sisterly bond, I think.

The ending of the book was totally unexpected for me. I was guessing during the story–and not correctly–at what was going to happen. Maybe I’m getting rusty? Or Maybe Hur’s writing is just that good. Either way, the build-up of the book was so worth the shock factor.

I urge all of you to read this book. It’s a historical fiction book, yes, but you don’t feel like you’re reading a book about history. It’s engaging, it’s interesting, and it keeps you wanting more. You’re not going to want to put it down. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy.