Review: Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea

Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea by Sungju Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Sungju believes he has a normal life in North Korea. The government has taken care of his needs and his family is comfortable. They are comfortable until his father displeases the government. Now his family is sent out of the city and into a small village where the government does not give support and everyone must fend for themselves. First his father leaves in search for food, then his mother. Left alone, Sungju creates a gang and they travel the countryside stealing what they can and fighting for survival.

Every Falling Star is a memoir geared toward teens and other young readers. Although the events that Sungju survived are not unique to him, they are not the norm for those who have grown up in the United States. In a culture that believes satisfaction should be instant and everyone is entitled to their every desire, this eye opening memoir may be just the nudge for young readers to realize just how good they have it. Unfortunately, many teens won’t pick this up unless they are encouraged by teachers, librarians and other adults.


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