This is being said it is perfect for fans of When Stars are Scattered and I’m not sure I agree. This was way more “graphic” than When Stars are Scattered. I was not ready for some of the scenes and Christian undertones. This is definitely an older middle grade book, in my opinion. It was a very difficult read.

So, I feel like I have a lot of mixed opinions about this one. First, I love Deb JJ Lee, they are such an amazing artist -- I love their style of art so much, and this book really helps their work shine through. Second, I really liked the idea of this story -- two refugees that keep finding their way back to each other through their trials and tribulations of escaping North Korea. However, with that being said, I am curious to know more about if this is a common or believable story for a North Korean refugee. A lot of it felt like American and Christian propaganda so I'd like to hear other perspectives on this book

I was drawn in by the art, which was pretty immediately recognizable as Deb JJ Lee's work - everyone who reviewed their graphic memoir, In Limbo, and mentioned wanting a book in color from them, will be excited to see this one! This was a heart wrenching and eye opening read that looks at the difficulties of fleeing North Korea in a way that doesn't shy away from harsh realities while still keeping things totally age appropriate for a middle grade audience. I wasn't familiar with Tina Cho's work before reading this book, so I wasn't expecting the Christian overtones; however, while they are definitely clear and present, I don't think it read as pushy or preachy or like a call to conversion or anything like that, so I'd still be comfortable using this for public library book groups etc. While I'm not sure the topic will immediately draw in a lot of our younger readers, I think the gorgeous art will be enough of a draw to make this easy to sell to them, and once they get into the story, I think it's the kind of book that will be hard to put down. My one complaint is the lack of references. It understand that it's a fictional story, so it doesn't necessarily need them, but I do think that given the topic and the relative lack of knowledge many readers are likely to have on the subject, it would really benefit from some more informational back matter - maybe a note about any research done and/or a list of sources that readers could go to to learn more.