The Last Exiles by Ann Shin is a gripping and emotional journey that will resonate with readers who appreciate historical fiction, particularly those fascinated by the true stories of love, sacrifice, and resilience in the face of authoritarian politics, exile, and the human struggle for freedom and survival.

I was provided with a copy of "The Last Exiles" by Harper Collins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

Ann Shin's novel, "The Last Exiles," offers a poignant glimpse into the lives of a young man and woman in North Korea, who, despite their disparate social backgrounds, discover an enduring connection and love while in university. Jin's visit to his impoverished village reveals the devastating impact of the current political climate on his family, prompting a fateful decision that will irrevocably alter his and Suja's lives. As the two lovers find themselves separated, their determination to reunite leads them on a perilous journey to escape their homeland. Yet, even after leaving North Korea, true freedom remains an elusive and complex goal.

Having resided in South Korea and gained insight into the complex history between North and South Korea, I approached this novel with keen interest in gaining a fresh perspective on the lives of North Koreans. Life within North Korea is a largely concealed reality, as few manage to escape and share their stories. "The Last Exiles" is a compelling narrative told through the eyes of Jin and Suja. The events in the story are deeply unsettling and intensify as the narrative progresses, particularly when Jin and Suja independently escape to China. The challenges they face, even in their newfound "freedom," are traumatic, especially for Suja as a woman.

I found "The Last Exiles" to be an eye-opening tale that fearlessly confronts numerous challenging situations and themes. It underscores that the situation in North Korea is far from the romanticized depictions often found in South Korean dramas, such as "Crash Landing Into You."

I would like to extend my gratitude to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel.

An unflinching look at North Korea under the devastating dictatorship of Kim Jong-il. Told through the trials of two college students, young and in love, who find themselves in dire straits.

Hard to read at times. Sad. Devastating. But proves that love, and a little bit of hope, are all a person needs to survive.

Definitely a must read as a modern day historical lesson. Four stars rather than five solely due to wishing there was an afterward that went into more historical detail and/or explained the research that went into the book.

A powerful story of love and the power to overcome the most oppressive of circumstances. It was extremely eye-opening to read about the lengths North Koreans have to go through, their harrowing experiences to attempt escape & find freedom. This was definitely an emotional journey of love & sacrifice and I found myself truly invested in Suja’s & Jin’s journey.

A thought-provoking, poignant and unflinching novel. —Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee

If Jean Kwok blurbs a book, I know I want to read it.

There are lots of fictional books about Korea, but it's rare to get a story that explores the dynamics of North Korea.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Jin and Suja meet as students at university in Pyongyang, during the last years of Kim Jong-il’s reign. Suja comes from a privileged background, as her father is part of the government’s newspaper and her mother works at a university. By contrast, Jin is from a northern village that has been living in starvation conditions for many years. His scholarship to the university is his only hope to move up in the world. While on break, Jin steals cornmeal to feed his family,an offense that results in a life sentence to one of the country’s infamous prison camps. Suja is sure there must have been a mistake, and she starts to question her previously unshakeable trust in her government and her country. After Jin does the unthinkable and escapes from prison, Suja has to decide if she will stay despite her doubts, or if she will risk everything to find him.

I assumed this would be an interesting story, otherwise I wouldn’t have picked it up, however I wasn’t expecting for it to be so engaging. At times the love story at the center of the story is just a little too sweet, but that offsets some of the more horrific moments: human trafficking, violence, and sexual assault are all important components of the story. This is not Shin’s first project on the subject of people who have defected from North Korea, though it is her first novel. She has interviewed defectors and done research, taking inspiration from their stories. The Last Exiles is a fascinating window into one of the great unknowns of today’s world.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

While the book's setting, North Korea, one of the most isolated countries in the world was intriguing, I couldn't help but want more descriptions of the setting of a place I can never set foot to imagine what the other half of Korea is like. For someone that is pretty familiar with Korea and its history, and the fact that I read many non-fiction books/memoirs, the plot was pretty similar to what I've read before so I found much of it predictable. The characters and plot lacked some depth. Overall, glad that this book exists, but not too different from what's out there already about N. Korea.

This story was shared a part of history that was new to me, North Korean's defecting and illegally crossing to China. There is so much going on in this story on both sides of the border for the two main characters. Each spending time looking for the other and dealing with all the struggle that befalls them on their journey. Arranging their own transport across the border, neither of them know how twisted brokers are and where they'll end up. Sadness is expressed over all the time and suffering they each had to endure. Perfect book for clubs looking for a different perspective.

What I loved about this novel was that unlike others in the genre, it didn't take too long to get into the action. Though I wouldn't necessarily call it fast paced, it's certainly not a slow burn. I found it very interesting learning about North and South Korea as well as their relationship at the time with China. Following the two characters I couldn't help but keep reading beyond my bedtime to see when and how their paths would cross.

I was interested in listening to this title through Netgalley. To my disappointment, the audio would never download even though I tried multiple times. I am unsure if that was due to the Netgalley app on my phone, technology glitches because the app is new or the amount of data needed for download.

Wonderful novel of love and resilience. I wasn’t sure I would like something set in North Korea but I found it fascinating to see what life there is really like. The characters Jin and Suja are very well described and I felt like I really got to know them.

An easy-read take on North Korean defectors in China. Kind of surface level, but an enjoyable read about how propaganda works and the challenges faced by undocumented North Korean immigrants in China. I did appreciate that the book didn't end at "happily ever after" but left them in a realistically hopeful place.

I don't know much about the conditions in North Korea or the dangers of trying to escape the country and regime, so when this book was offered for review, I decided to grab it and am glad I did. The story tells of two young North Korean university students. Suja from a well off family, and Jin a scholarship student from an impoverished village. Even though they came from different backgrounds, they were very supportive of the Supreme Leader and the regime that was ruling their nation, until things happened that changed their lives. When Jin returned home during University break to find his family starving and their last remaining food stolen he was angry and found himself making a mistake that ruined his life. He disappears and Suja does everything she can to find out what happened to him. This action changed both Jin's and Suja's lives. The second half of the story was about defection and escape to China.

Ann Shin writes a story that offers a rare glimpse at life inside the guarded walls of North Korea. It shows how brainwashing, the black market, dictatorship and corruption are rampant while still sharing a story of intense love. It also shone a light on brokers, the lack of honesty and trust when dealing in the underground and black market as well as bringing attention to human trafficking and the mistreatment and dangers for all illegal immigrants to China. I was drawn into Jin's and Suja's story, crying for both of them at times. Suja gave up a good life with her family to find her true love and goes through a lot in that search. She was so strong and courageous, but my heart broke for her. It is easy to judge and say you would never do something, but we see that that innate drive to survive has people doing things they would never do otherwise. Overall, this is a moving story about surviving by any means necessary, highlighting love, sacrifice, resilience and liberty. This book is based on a true story and that made it even harder to accept what these characters went through. This is a debut book and I will watch for more by Ann Shin.

Jin and Suja come from opposite worlds. Jin is the son of a factory supervisor in one of the poorest provinces of North Korea while Suja is the daughter of a high-ranking member of the government’s media. When Jin earns a scholarship to the university in Pyongyang they meet and begin a relationship. Both are committed to the ethos of their Dear Leader, but in The Last Exiles a fateful decision on Jin’s part overturns their lives.

The Last Exiles presents a clear picture of the disparities in North Korea in the 1998. Many of the details will be shocking. What is interesting is how author Ann Shin shows that even within in the capitol city where life is supposed to be one of plenty there is deprivation. Basic clothing needs can’t be met, animal protein is not always available. The façade of a functioning economic engine is stripped as Suja and her mother go to the opening of a brand-new store only to find that it closes within an hour of opening because there is no merchandise left.

Of course, this pales in comparison to Jin’s life where he, his sister, and their parents are crammed into a two-room apartment with no electricity. Food rationing is the norm in everywhere, but in the provinces even the rations have stopped. The government extols the discipline of only needing one meal a day not three. The family survives on a porridge made by stripping the inner bark of pine trees.

These stark facts are initially softened by the new relationship between Jin and Suja. They are falling in love and Jin hopes that his hard work and outstanding grades will earn him a good job, thereby changing his family’s fate. Instead, on a trip home he acts to right a wrong and disappears from all their lives. When Suja learns of this she decides to find him and abandons her comfortable life for the unknown.

It’s at this point the novel loses its grip on me. Shin clearly shows the naivete of people living in an authoritarian regime. High-born Suja proclaims North Korea will prevail because they have nuclear weapons without having any understanding of life outside Pyongyang. She also seems, despite being an excellent student, to have no basic understanding of geography—even of neighboring ally China.

This childlike belief system is exacerbated by the novel’s basic boy-meets-girl theme. Jin and Suja embark on journeys that, while they may mirror true events, come off as implausible to readers living in the free world. The resulting skepticism dulls the impact of the novel’s realities. If you haven’t read any literature from or about North Korea The Last Exiles is a good starting point.

Out last month, this historical fiction novel follows a young couple named Jin and Suja who are university students in Pyongyang, North Korea. Suja is from a wealthy family who lives in the capital and Jin is from a poor area and attends the university on a scholarship he was awarded based on scholarly merit. Their relationship isn’t widely known due to their varied socioeconomic backgrounds. When Jin goes home and returns with a black eye, Suja knows he’s in trouble. He is arrested shortly thereafter for trying to help his impoverished and starving family. Jin is imprisoned but manages to escape and Suja decides to risk it all, leaving her family behind to search for him.

I really enjoyed reading about North Korea and China as a setting. I have never read anything that takes place in Korea before and I found it to be really interesting. It brought issues to light that I never knew existed, such as sex trafficking of Korean women in China. The love story was a let down for me. The reader really doesn’t get enough time to get to know them and become invested in their story before Jin is imprisoned. I found the characters to be flat in parts and I didn’t really understand why Suja would risk so much for a man who she seemed to barely know. I also found myself questioning the ease of Jin’s escape from a war prison in North Korea.

~ I was provided an ARC copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

The Last Exiles broke my heart, in a good way. I was so enveloped of the tale of Jin and Suja and their journey to be together. Set in the context of North Korean defectors, Ann Shin paints a sad picture of the reality of life for people living in North Korea. I could feel Suja and Jin's idealism and its waning over time, the harsh realities of being a refugee in a country you don't know with a language you don't speak. The unspeakable truths and the harsh realities that women and men make in hopes to survive.

The Last Exiles shares a more in-depth look at the life of people in North Korea. Jin was able to attend the university in Pyongyang on scholarship--giving him many opportunities for a better future for him and his family. Suja came from a prominent family and lives a privileged life. Despite living vastly different lives, Jin and Suja fell in love while studying at the university. While visiting home on break, Jin finds his family starving after being raided by police. He makes an impulsive decision that sets a downward spiral and tears him and Suja apart. A few bad decisions later, both Jin and Suja were in poor conditions both hoping they would see each other again.

It was heartbreaking to read about the struggles of the people in North Korea just to seek sustenance. I was more engaged in this book than I expected to be, so I definitely recommend.

Thank you to Park Row Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

This book was beautifully written and in a short space was able to create two characters in Suja and Jin full of hope and idealism that contrast sharply with the political setting of their home country. Their love story was touching but also heartbreaking as they fall in love, are torn apart, and then through many trials and tribulations, attempt to be reunited.

Additionally, I loved that this story was inspired by Shin’s journeys to China and Korea and the many North Korean defectors she was privileged to meet and learn from. This story was eye opening in many ways about life in North Korea; the xenophobia faced as a defector; the disgusting practice of human trafficking; and so much more. And despite its heavy topics that did make my heart heavy, Suja and Jin’s love story did provide a sense of hope that brought this book home for me.

CW: abuse, violence, human trafficking, sexual violence

Suja lives a moderately prosperous life in North Korea. A university student, she's a intern at NCNA, the paper where her father works. Jin, not so much. He's a scholarship student from a poor family that's eating pine bark. A police raid at his family's building leads him to follow an officer who has taken a pack of cornmeal, which he then steals- and his thievery becomes a cause celebre for the government. He's sentenced to a labor camp but manages to escape and Suja, a very naive young woman, sets off to China to find him. Their journeys are told in alternate chapters. Both are grim. Shinn doesn't pull punches with regard to the economic situation in North Korea (beyond the famine, there'a a memorable scene in a store) or the way refugees are treated. It's a tough tale in spots but realistic. I was struck by how Suja's incredibly stupid and impulsive decision...well, no spoilers but these two are lucky to be alive. Thanks to the Publisher for the ARC. This is a page turner.

The Last Exiles is about two characters, Jin and Suja, who have very different upbringings and privileges in North Korea during the time of great political upheaval. They fall in love at the University of Pyongyang- Jin is a brilliant scholarship student, and Suja is a young journalist from a prominent family. Their futures are bright and full of promise, even for Jin who comes from a family in extreme poverty.

When Jin impulsively commits a crime against the government, he is sent to a North Korean labor camp, which who one ever returns from. He manages a harrowing escape, and this action inspires Suja to defect, leave her privileged lifestyle and look for him in China. While Jin is relegated to working in underground markets, Suja, being a woman, suffers much more dire consequences.

This story is very well-written and was a page turner. Shin does a great job of describing the genuine love and respect these two have for each other, as well as the bleak situations that North Koreans are living under. The propaganda presented in the book was both frightening and disturbing-- I appreciated the character's grappling with it as they slowly discovered the truth. There are a lot of twists and turns in this book, and although the end doesn't seem very plausible, it is based on a true story and events.