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In the Tunnel
Trapped in an enemy tunnel, a young refugee experiences the Korean War firsthand in this searing story of survival, loss, and hope, a companion to the Freeman Award-winning novel Brother’s Keeper.
Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South Korea. Life in communist North Korea has become more and more unbearable—there is no freedom of speech, movement, association, or thought—and his parents have been carefully planning the family’s escape.
But when his father is abducted by the secret police, all those plans fall apart. How can Myung-gi leave North Korea without his dad? Especially when he believes that the abduction was his fault?
Set during a cataclysmic war which shaped the world we know today, this is the story of one boy’s coming-of-age during a time when inhumanity, lawlessness, and terror reigned supreme. Myung-gi, his mother, and his twelve-year-old sister Yoomee do everything they can to protect one another. But gentle, quiet, bookish Myung-gi has plans to find his father at any cost—even if it means joining the army and being sent to the front lines, where his deepest fears await him.
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year - Outstanding Merit
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Book Riot Best New Book of 2023
Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South Korea. Life in communist North Korea has become more and more unbearable—there is no freedom of speech, movement, association, or thought—and his parents have been carefully planning the family’s escape.
But when his father is abducted by the secret police, all those plans fall apart. How can Myung-gi leave North Korea without his dad? Especially when he believes that the abduction was his fault?
Set during a cataclysmic war which shaped the world we know today, this is the story of one boy’s coming-of-age during a time when inhumanity, lawlessness, and terror reigned supreme. Myung-gi, his mother, and his twelve-year-old sister Yoomee do everything they can to protect one another. But gentle, quiet, bookish Myung-gi has plans to find his father at any cost—even if it means joining the army and being sent to the front lines, where his deepest fears await him.
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year - Outstanding Merit
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
A Book Riot Best New Book of 2023
352 pages, Paperback
First published May 30, 2023
15 people are currently reading
2257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 7, 2023
✰ 3.5 stars ✰
“I believe that most of us want what is best for all people. The only disagreement we have is how to make this happen—the process.”
Yes. You were right, Ahpa. We all want the same things, but we have different ideas of how to make them happen. Uhma just wants to wait for you to come. I want to find you.”
Julie Lee gives an honest, unflinching look to how the life of one boy, Myung-gi's life is forever changed during the Korean War with her latest middle-grade release, In the Tunnel. The story is told in a non-linear narrative alternating between the events leading up to his enlistment in the ROK, the Korean Army, and the days when he is caught buried underneath in an enemy tunnel - a time, which gives him a chance to reflect on his past and the moments that led him to end up in the situation where he found himself trapped in.
“And now here they were—the North and South fighting each other, as if they’d forgotten they were all Korean, forgotten they were all human.”
Myung-gi was a boy after my own heart - he loved to read. He loved it so much that at a time when foreign books were considered illegal, Ahpa, his father, 'the smartest man in the world' in his eyes, would find ways to bring him the banned books that the government strictly frowned upon. He loved immersing himself in their worlds - losing himself to their imagination - so much so, that at a crucial moment when his father needed him most - that if he had been paying attention, rather than 'walking around with his head up in the clouds' - or better said, buried deep inside a book, he could have been able to warn him of the approaching government officials who took him away.
“A few days ago, you asked, ‘What if we never see Ahpa again?’”
She stood there, waiting, her blurry body melting.
“I couldn’t answer because you were asking the wrong question,” he said, trying to wipe the water from his glasses. “It’s not if we see him. It’s when we see him. Because we will see Ahpa again. If we just stick to his plan, then he’ll find us in Busan.”
For Myung-gi, there could be no other outcome: he had decided to believe Ahpa would find them.”
And it is with that guilt, that fierce sense of regret that when he failed to help his father, due to his own interests, that Myung-gi loses the passion that was his driving force for living, 'reading was a luxury of the past' - his only goal in life now being to find a way back to his father and help his family - his mother, Uhma and his younger sister, Yoomee - make ends meet in whichever way he could. He's a young boy, not yet a man, who tries his very best to do everything he can to help his family, sacrificing his own interests and simple joys - almost as if it was a penance for his failure in protecting his father. And what follows is an eternal and internal struggle within him as he tries to make up for this misgiving - that he takes whatever steps necessary to make the wrong right.
“If only I had known before!
Everything in life
is but a lovely
shadow in the corner of the eye.”
—Kim Sowol, Hope
There's a profound feeling of despair and sadness to the scenes when he's trapped in the tunnel - that loneliness that as much as he tried to vehemently push away his love for his books, it is his constant comfort and inner companion during his time there. Each quote that starts off the chapter reflects on his thoughts and feelings - that he thinks back with a sense of longing and regret that as much as he wanted to let go of that part of his life, the memory of those books would never leave him. Along with the understanding that in order for him to move on, to find a way out, he would have to find a way to forgive himself for failing his father. The tunnel is very much a character in itself - the darkness of his confinement and the echoes of strangers on the other side, a part of his presence, but strangely, the voices in his mind of books forgotten long ago, became the source of his only comfort.
“Ahpa would reply with the right answer, as he always did. We have to at least try. We are not animals. We cannot live imprisoned in our own country, never able to speak our minds.
But we’re leaving you behind.
Son, I already told you. Don’t be afraid to go on without me.”
Even if the story was wrought with a sense of longing and loss and a painfully bleak outlook at war - it was still a hopeful one. Julie Lee honestly and realistically portrayed how the refugees of war had to struggle to find a proper balance to their lives after the war - the pains they took to escape to a more promising setting - the grievances of families over the loss of lives, so very innocent and young. But, with a gentle yet kind look she invited us into the life of one Korean boy who got a glimpse of what life was, what it became, and what it could be, if only he allowed his heart to see.
“I believe that most of us want what is best for all people. The only disagreement we have is how to make this happen—the process.”
Yes. You were right, Ahpa. We all want the same things, but we have different ideas of how to make them happen. Uhma just wants to wait for you to come. I want to find you.”
Julie Lee gives an honest, unflinching look to how the life of one boy, Myung-gi's life is forever changed during the Korean War with her latest middle-grade release, In the Tunnel. The story is told in a non-linear narrative alternating between the events leading up to his enlistment in the ROK, the Korean Army, and the days when he is caught buried underneath in an enemy tunnel - a time, which gives him a chance to reflect on his past and the moments that led him to end up in the situation where he found himself trapped in.
“And now here they were—the North and South fighting each other, as if they’d forgotten they were all Korean, forgotten they were all human.”
Myung-gi was a boy after my own heart - he loved to read. He loved it so much that at a time when foreign books were considered illegal, Ahpa, his father, 'the smartest man in the world' in his eyes, would find ways to bring him the banned books that the government strictly frowned upon. He loved immersing himself in their worlds - losing himself to their imagination - so much so, that at a crucial moment when his father needed him most - that if he had been paying attention, rather than 'walking around with his head up in the clouds' - or better said, buried deep inside a book, he could have been able to warn him of the approaching government officials who took him away.
“A few days ago, you asked, ‘What if we never see Ahpa again?’”
She stood there, waiting, her blurry body melting.
“I couldn’t answer because you were asking the wrong question,” he said, trying to wipe the water from his glasses. “It’s not if we see him. It’s when we see him. Because we will see Ahpa again. If we just stick to his plan, then he’ll find us in Busan.”
For Myung-gi, there could be no other outcome: he had decided to believe Ahpa would find them.”
And it is with that guilt, that fierce sense of regret that when he failed to help his father, due to his own interests, that Myung-gi loses the passion that was his driving force for living, 'reading was a luxury of the past' - his only goal in life now being to find a way back to his father and help his family - his mother, Uhma and his younger sister, Yoomee - make ends meet in whichever way he could. He's a young boy, not yet a man, who tries his very best to do everything he can to help his family, sacrificing his own interests and simple joys - almost as if it was a penance for his failure in protecting his father. And what follows is an eternal and internal struggle within him as he tries to make up for this misgiving - that he takes whatever steps necessary to make the wrong right.
“If only I had known before!
Everything in life
is but a lovely
shadow in the corner of the eye.”
—Kim Sowol, Hope
There's a profound feeling of despair and sadness to the scenes when he's trapped in the tunnel - that loneliness that as much as he tried to vehemently push away his love for his books, it is his constant comfort and inner companion during his time there. Each quote that starts off the chapter reflects on his thoughts and feelings - that he thinks back with a sense of longing and regret that as much as he wanted to let go of that part of his life, the memory of those books would never leave him. Along with the understanding that in order for him to move on, to find a way out, he would have to find a way to forgive himself for failing his father. The tunnel is very much a character in itself - the darkness of his confinement and the echoes of strangers on the other side, a part of his presence, but strangely, the voices in his mind of books forgotten long ago, became the source of his only comfort.
“Ahpa would reply with the right answer, as he always did. We have to at least try. We are not animals. We cannot live imprisoned in our own country, never able to speak our minds.
But we’re leaving you behind.
Son, I already told you. Don’t be afraid to go on without me.”
Even if the story was wrought with a sense of longing and loss and a painfully bleak outlook at war - it was still a hopeful one. Julie Lee honestly and realistically portrayed how the refugees of war had to struggle to find a proper balance to their lives after the war - the pains they took to escape to a more promising setting - the grievances of families over the loss of lives, so very innocent and young. But, with a gentle yet kind look she invited us into the life of one Korean boy who got a glimpse of what life was, what it became, and what it could be, if only he allowed his heart to see.
April 25, 2023
This book was beautifully written. I'm not familiar with the Korean environment, but these chapters hit hard. In the Tunnel is a novel filled to the rim with unflinching sorrow, but I loved how the characters were written. This book kept me on my toes and I was thoroughly surprised at how much I enjoyed this.
Everything about In the Tunnel breathed aliveness. The hardship that the main character endures is so raw. I loved the way that the chapters breathed through and was so captivating. Julie Lee does not deal with the topics of the Korean War lightly, and there is a lot of historical information woven in here that is truly interesting.
I could definitely feel like this book was breathing and the mood that Julie sets is sombre yet wistful. This book was heartbreaking and tense, yet still wonderfully written and gorgeously put together. The ending was absolutely devastating and I’m glad that the characters had an ending, even if it may not be the perfect finale. The setting is so real, and Julie did an amazing job knitting this work together.
tw: trauma, racism, themes are not described lightly.
> 4 stars
Everything about In the Tunnel breathed aliveness. The hardship that the main character endures is so raw. I loved the way that the chapters breathed through and was so captivating. Julie Lee does not deal with the topics of the Korean War lightly, and there is a lot of historical information woven in here that is truly interesting.
I could definitely feel like this book was breathing and the mood that Julie sets is sombre yet wistful. This book was heartbreaking and tense, yet still wonderfully written and gorgeously put together. The ending was absolutely devastating and I’m glad that the characters had an ending, even if it may not be the perfect finale. The setting is so real, and Julie did an amazing job knitting this work together.
tw: trauma, racism, themes are not described lightly.
> 4 stars
May 17, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House for providing me with an ARC.
In The Tunnel is a historical fiction novel centred on the Korean War, chronicling one boy’s journey around Korea in search of refuge, and also in search of his father. Myung-gi’s life is marked by occupation – first by the Japanese throughout the Second World War, and then by Russia after the Japanese imperialist forces are defeated at the end of the war, and then by the Americans GIs in the South. Using two dual narratives running perpendicular to each other, Lee shows us both Myung-gi as a sixteen-year-old soldier for South Korea, hoping to find his father but trapped in a Chinese enemy tunnel, and then Myung-gi growing up from age nine onwards, eventually meeting as the book comes to a close.
As someone interested in Korea and Korean history, and who studied this period during my schooling (albeit briefly), this book was made for me in every way. It provides a scope of an extremely interesting and overwhelming period of history, detailing an overview of how the major events impacted normal Korean people. This is where that book shines – in the human, emotional element of a family torn apart, of a young boy battling with his grief and his guilt, and trying to become who society says he should be, while wanting nothing more than to shut off. I adored the ending, Lee provided us with hope and a happy ending, while also showcasing reality at its most devastating, giving us an insight into how these are still modern-day problems.
As a children’s book, there was much that Lee was unable to include or go into much depth with, such as the politics at play, and also many of the even more horrendous atrocities that occurred. This is understandable, considering the intended age-range, and the fact that the book is told through Myung-gi’s child-like eyes, and he cannot comprehend or understand much of what is happening to his country and its people. For an average reader, children, and those unfamiliar with this period and looking to learn about it, this book is perfect.
I adored this book, and am sure everyone else will to. Quick, easy, but so absorbing, it is unputdownable.
In The Tunnel is a historical fiction novel centred on the Korean War, chronicling one boy’s journey around Korea in search of refuge, and also in search of his father. Myung-gi’s life is marked by occupation – first by the Japanese throughout the Second World War, and then by Russia after the Japanese imperialist forces are defeated at the end of the war, and then by the Americans GIs in the South. Using two dual narratives running perpendicular to each other, Lee shows us both Myung-gi as a sixteen-year-old soldier for South Korea, hoping to find his father but trapped in a Chinese enemy tunnel, and then Myung-gi growing up from age nine onwards, eventually meeting as the book comes to a close.
As someone interested in Korea and Korean history, and who studied this period during my schooling (albeit briefly), this book was made for me in every way. It provides a scope of an extremely interesting and overwhelming period of history, detailing an overview of how the major events impacted normal Korean people. This is where that book shines – in the human, emotional element of a family torn apart, of a young boy battling with his grief and his guilt, and trying to become who society says he should be, while wanting nothing more than to shut off. I adored the ending, Lee provided us with hope and a happy ending, while also showcasing reality at its most devastating, giving us an insight into how these are still modern-day problems.
As a children’s book, there was much that Lee was unable to include or go into much depth with, such as the politics at play, and also many of the even more horrendous atrocities that occurred. This is understandable, considering the intended age-range, and the fact that the book is told through Myung-gi’s child-like eyes, and he cannot comprehend or understand much of what is happening to his country and its people. For an average reader, children, and those unfamiliar with this period and looking to learn about it, this book is perfect.
I adored this book, and am sure everyone else will to. Quick, easy, but so absorbing, it is unputdownable.
2023
October 15, 2025ANHPI TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Holiday House
May 30, 2023
✨¡Gracias a NetGalley por mandarme una copia avanzada de este libro a cambio de una crítica honesta!
✨Myung-gi es un joven coreano que relata sus vivencias como persona afectada por la guerra de Corea (1950-1953). Cuenta cómo tiene que huir de su casa, ya que la represión en Corea del Norte se vuelve insoportable, cómo junto a su madre y su hermana pasan una verdadera odisea para poder llegar a Corea del Sur -especialmente cuando su padre ha sido secuestrado por la policía secreta norcoreana, y con 14 años tiene que convertirse en el "hombre de la casa"
✨Creo que ha sido un libro que se lee relativamente rápido, ya que los capítulos son cortos, a pesar de que haya saltos temporales constantes - se narra al mismo tiempo la historia de Myung-gi cuando huye de Corea del Norte, así como su alistamiento en el ejército para ir a buscar a su padre. Además, el estilo de narración es bastante ligero, teniendo en cuenta la dureza de los temas que se tratan en la novela.
TW: guerra, muerte, duelo, violencia
✨Myung-gi es un joven coreano que relata sus vivencias como persona afectada por la guerra de Corea (1950-1953). Cuenta cómo tiene que huir de su casa, ya que la represión en Corea del Norte se vuelve insoportable, cómo junto a su madre y su hermana pasan una verdadera odisea para poder llegar a Corea del Sur -especialmente cuando su padre ha sido secuestrado por la policía secreta norcoreana, y con 14 años tiene que convertirse en el "hombre de la casa"
✨Creo que ha sido un libro que se lee relativamente rápido, ya que los capítulos son cortos, a pesar de que haya saltos temporales constantes - se narra al mismo tiempo la historia de Myung-gi cuando huye de Corea del Norte, así como su alistamiento en el ejército para ir a buscar a su padre. Además, el estilo de narración es bastante ligero, teniendo en cuenta la dureza de los temas que se tratan en la novela.
TW: guerra, muerte, duelo, violencia
June 14, 2023
2.5*
Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this ARC.
'In the Tunnel' tells the very real story of a country divided and one family on the run for a better life. The boy, Myung-gi, mourns the loss of his father and vows to get him back. Switching between a North and South divided to a North and South at war, the novel outlines the conflict of post-WW2 Korea.
I liked the historical aspect of this novel, but the execution and structure of this was a tad bit too fast-paced for my liking. I understand that the use of quotes from other literature was symbolic for the chapters, but it irked me the way they were repeated with no (to me) real significance.
I found it difficult to determine the main audience for this, but eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me as I was never emotionally invested in Myung-gi's journey.
Thanks to NetGalley and Holiday House for this ARC.
'In the Tunnel' tells the very real story of a country divided and one family on the run for a better life. The boy, Myung-gi, mourns the loss of his father and vows to get him back. Switching between a North and South divided to a North and South at war, the novel outlines the conflict of post-WW2 Korea.
I liked the historical aspect of this novel, but the execution and structure of this was a tad bit too fast-paced for my liking. I understand that the use of quotes from other literature was symbolic for the chapters, but it irked me the way they were repeated with no (to me) real significance.
I found it difficult to determine the main audience for this, but eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn't for me as I was never emotionally invested in Myung-gi's journey.
September 11, 2023
In this captivating middle grade novel set in North Korea 1945+, right before the Korean War, Myung-gi and his family are separated due to the incoming Soviet Reds who move in after the Japanese leave. Myung-gi does everything he can to get his father back, even if it means he must join the army.
Having lived in Korea and visited the DMZ and toured one of the underground North Korean tunnels, I was able to picture and imagine scenes in this book. Julie is an awesome writer. In this book, chapters alternate with the present and past, which I don't recall reading this type of format. Brilliant! Each chapter also opens with a quote from literature.
Having lived in Korea and visited the DMZ and toured one of the underground North Korean tunnels, I was able to picture and imagine scenes in this book. Julie is an awesome writer. In this book, chapters alternate with the present and past, which I don't recall reading this type of format. Brilliant! Each chapter also opens with a quote from literature.
February 9, 2025
Another day another middle grade book and yes I’m logging it bc I am READING…and anyways it’s probably at the same level of most of the romance books some of you are reading so
Also this is for my multicultural lit class I am not doing this by choice
Also this is for my multicultural lit class I am not doing this by choice
August 10, 2023
After reading My Brother’s Keeper, I knew I had to read this one too. This story is told from the perspective of Myung-gi (a good friend of Sora) and his family struggles amidst the same setting, the Korean War.
Like most families, Myung-gi’s parents have talked about escaping North Korea in search for a better future but before that could happen, his father was captured by the secret police. Not knowing if his father is alive, Myung-gi and the rest of his family decide to escape before he too gets captured. Myung-gi is suddenly given more responsibilities as the only male in the family and the burden gets too much for him. He had to put aside his love for reading, protect his family and at the same time, look for his father.
Being an academic, manning up was no easy task for Myung-gi. He made the painful decision to join the military in search for his father throwing him in the war zone, fearing for his life. Although this is not as heart wrenching as Sora’s story, it still hurts to see Myung-gi make difficult choices for himself and his family. It also gave me a different insight to the Korean War from a male perspective.
The story was told in Myung-gi perspective but also provided flashbacks from his military duties trying to survive in the tunnel and also his escape with his family. What I didn’t enjoy were the abrupt jumps from his flashbacks, it made me lose my momentum a few times. I am a reader who thrives on character development and growth and this perfectly showcased Myung-gi’s character from a boy who loves reading and is constantly sheltered by his father to a boy who shouldered on responsibilities in protecting his sister and mother.
Overall, this is a great introduction for middle graders to help them understand the repercussions of war and how it affects families and children. It is important to let them read up on historical events through fictional characters and stories. But I feel that adults would also enjoy reading this. I know I did.
Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the arc.
Like most families, Myung-gi’s parents have talked about escaping North Korea in search for a better future but before that could happen, his father was captured by the secret police. Not knowing if his father is alive, Myung-gi and the rest of his family decide to escape before he too gets captured. Myung-gi is suddenly given more responsibilities as the only male in the family and the burden gets too much for him. He had to put aside his love for reading, protect his family and at the same time, look for his father.
Being an academic, manning up was no easy task for Myung-gi. He made the painful decision to join the military in search for his father throwing him in the war zone, fearing for his life. Although this is not as heart wrenching as Sora’s story, it still hurts to see Myung-gi make difficult choices for himself and his family. It also gave me a different insight to the Korean War from a male perspective.
The story was told in Myung-gi perspective but also provided flashbacks from his military duties trying to survive in the tunnel and also his escape with his family. What I didn’t enjoy were the abrupt jumps from his flashbacks, it made me lose my momentum a few times. I am a reader who thrives on character development and growth and this perfectly showcased Myung-gi’s character from a boy who loves reading and is constantly sheltered by his father to a boy who shouldered on responsibilities in protecting his sister and mother.
Overall, this is a great introduction for middle graders to help them understand the repercussions of war and how it affects families and children. It is important to let them read up on historical events through fictional characters and stories. But I feel that adults would also enjoy reading this. I know I did.
Thank you Netgalley and Holiday House for the arc.
March 4, 2024
An engrossing tale of courage, duty , sacrifice and family - I was absolutely riveted to this book and could not stop reading it! This tale is about the calamities a war brings to the fate and life of families and has been inspired from the life of the war child soldiers of the Korean War. Myung-gi is a growing boy with a younger sister, a clever father who's a businessman and a linguist and a pragmatic mother. Right after Japan loses the war and leaves Korea- the Northern Half of Korea falls in the hands of Russia called the Red Army and this is divided from southern Half by the 38th parallel and is now being called ROKA (Republic of Korea) occupied by the US Army. Both halves of Korea declare war onto each other and admist the chaos , Myung-gi's father gets arrested for being associated with an underground resistance group and the rest of his family has to run with bare minimal survival possessions to Busan - South Korea by crossing the Yellow Sea. The panic struggles , hardships, shocks and trauma exposure accelarates and moulds the innocence of Myung-gi and his sister and is simply heart wrenching . The fact that growing children under the age of twelve are forced to become refugees in their own land and join the Army and fight in the Tunnels dug out by the enemies is an eye opener to the horrific disasters refugee children face at the expense of nations at war over a political power struggle . A terrific read!!!
May 29, 2023
This was another good historical fiction book by this author. I am glad I got the chance to read it.
The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Myung-gi and it does have a dual timeline. It follows Myung-gi from the time before he joins the war to him having to enlist at the age of 16. It’s really sad to read about since he was such a young character and having to go through harrowing events for his family to survive. He had a lot of strength and did a lot to even find his father. I wouldn’t be able to do the things he did.
This author always does a great job of getting the reader emotionally invested in the story. You get invested in the characters lives even if they are around for a short time. The dual timeline does a great job of showing the past and present and how it has effected Myung-gi.
Overall, this was another solid read from this author. I’d recommend it if you like historical fiction.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Myung-gi and it does have a dual timeline. It follows Myung-gi from the time before he joins the war to him having to enlist at the age of 16. It’s really sad to read about since he was such a young character and having to go through harrowing events for his family to survive. He had a lot of strength and did a lot to even find his father. I wouldn’t be able to do the things he did.
This author always does a great job of getting the reader emotionally invested in the story. You get invested in the characters lives even if they are around for a short time. The dual timeline does a great job of showing the past and present and how it has effected Myung-gi.
Overall, this was another solid read from this author. I’d recommend it if you like historical fiction.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for a complimentary earc to review! All opinions are my own.
June 26, 2023
Book Review of In the Tunnel by Julie Lee
https://www.authorcararuegg.com/post/...
4.3 stars and would’ve given 5 stars because the writing was superb, but the epilogue was very disappointing to me and I felt like it was also immoral having a man remarry instead of reunite with his family and really I felt he had no excuse even from a weak-human pov since he knew where they would be/where they would’ve headed, plus seemed very out of character for this person as well. And there were no consequences to this immoral act as well.
But, after this, let me just say: Wow. It has been a long time since I’ve read a book so beautifully written. Lee’s writing-style is so poetic! I can feel, see, taste everything. On top of this, nothing is overdone. There are no long-winded descriptions slowing down the plot. Just enough description to get a sense of the surroundings, character’s emotions, and so forth, but not too much to bore somebody like myself who has a small attention span haha.
I found switching between the past and present tense was really clever, and done in such a way that was not confusing and flowed well.
One qualm I kinda had was when Myung-gi and his sister went to steal corn from the farmer. I’m not sure how I felt about that. I get they were in a foreign land and starving, but was it really necessary? Could they not have asked the bookkeeper they ran into to help them out with food instead? Could they not hunt in those parts—and if not, why? I feel like it’s morally questionable at best (could be wrong though) and wasn’t sure how I felt about Myung-gi mentioning how Alpha would do this, making it appear as a good thing. There were also no consequences following their act of stealing, only a consequence for having gotten lost in the fields. I’m not sure morally speaking if this was okay, and just want to mention it in case other parents see an issue with it or want to discuss with their kids.
This book was fairly dark especially for being geared toward middle grade (I think..?). There were a lot of near death experiences and loss of life. The reality of war and evils of communism were very in your face. A young sensitive reader might want to wait till they are older or skip certain parts.
The characters were well fleshed out. Uhma was such a strong woman, and beautiful mother who made countless sacrifices for her children. There was so much character growth too! The MC started out a bit insecure and cowardly, but really became a strong character toward the end.
(This is a spoiler—>) The epilogue was disappointing and it was not the ending I wanted. I was disappointed that alpha who was portrayed as being so strong and noble “remarried” instead of going to find his lost family both from a moral standpoint but also because you would’ve thought he would’ve sought out his lost family. It wasn’t like he didn’t know where they were going. It seemed very out of character. It’s also disappointing from the MC’s pov. I really wanted him to hear from his father that he was forgiven for not keeping watch, and so forth. I also felt terrible for his mother.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. I purposefully took a long while to read it, actually, because I just did not want to be done. I found it so inspiring—it was helping my own writing. I would often take breaks from reading to work on my own books. I plan on definitely reading more from this author and keeping a lookout for new book releases. She is definitely now one of my favourite authors and this has probably been one of my favourite fictional reads of the year for the writing style perspective, but not for the storyline. It was very dark for MG and even for myself I felt. I get some darkness is a reality, but I would've found a more happy and hopeful ending more gratifying and really all along you expect for them to reunite with their father and it's constantly hinted at in the book and implied it'll happen, and then it never happens, so that was a major letdown as a reader.
This has been posted on my blog at: AuthorCaraRuegg.com
https://www.authorcararuegg.com/post/...
4.3 stars and would’ve given 5 stars because the writing was superb, but the epilogue was very disappointing to me and I felt like it was also immoral having a man remarry instead of reunite with his family and really I felt he had no excuse even from a weak-human pov since he knew where they would be/where they would’ve headed, plus seemed very out of character for this person as well. And there were no consequences to this immoral act as well.
But, after this, let me just say: Wow. It has been a long time since I’ve read a book so beautifully written. Lee’s writing-style is so poetic! I can feel, see, taste everything. On top of this, nothing is overdone. There are no long-winded descriptions slowing down the plot. Just enough description to get a sense of the surroundings, character’s emotions, and so forth, but not too much to bore somebody like myself who has a small attention span haha.
I found switching between the past and present tense was really clever, and done in such a way that was not confusing and flowed well.
One qualm I kinda had was when Myung-gi and his sister went to steal corn from the farmer. I’m not sure how I felt about that. I get they were in a foreign land and starving, but was it really necessary? Could they not have asked the bookkeeper they ran into to help them out with food instead? Could they not hunt in those parts—and if not, why? I feel like it’s morally questionable at best (could be wrong though) and wasn’t sure how I felt about Myung-gi mentioning how Alpha would do this, making it appear as a good thing. There were also no consequences following their act of stealing, only a consequence for having gotten lost in the fields. I’m not sure morally speaking if this was okay, and just want to mention it in case other parents see an issue with it or want to discuss with their kids.
This book was fairly dark especially for being geared toward middle grade (I think..?). There were a lot of near death experiences and loss of life. The reality of war and evils of communism were very in your face. A young sensitive reader might want to wait till they are older or skip certain parts.
The characters were well fleshed out. Uhma was such a strong woman, and beautiful mother who made countless sacrifices for her children. There was so much character growth too! The MC started out a bit insecure and cowardly, but really became a strong character toward the end.
(This is a spoiler—>) The epilogue was disappointing and it was not the ending I wanted. I was disappointed that alpha who was portrayed as being so strong and noble “remarried” instead of going to find his lost family both from a moral standpoint but also because you would’ve thought he would’ve sought out his lost family. It wasn’t like he didn’t know where they were going. It seemed very out of character. It’s also disappointing from the MC’s pov. I really wanted him to hear from his father that he was forgiven for not keeping watch, and so forth. I also felt terrible for his mother.
Overall, I greatly enjoyed this book. I purposefully took a long while to read it, actually, because I just did not want to be done. I found it so inspiring—it was helping my own writing. I would often take breaks from reading to work on my own books. I plan on definitely reading more from this author and keeping a lookout for new book releases. She is definitely now one of my favourite authors and this has probably been one of my favourite fictional reads of the year for the writing style perspective, but not for the storyline. It was very dark for MG and even for myself I felt. I get some darkness is a reality, but I would've found a more happy and hopeful ending more gratifying and really all along you expect for them to reunite with their father and it's constantly hinted at in the book and implied it'll happen, and then it never happens, so that was a major letdown as a reader.
This has been posted on my blog at: AuthorCaraRuegg.com
April 23, 2024
After the Japanese were defeated and driven out of Korea, Myung-gi was able to use his real name again and his family thought it would be safer for them as Christian Koreans. But then the Soviets arrived. Myung-gi's father was able to get a job as the school principal, and he still gave Myung-gi foreign books to read, but now they had to smuggle them in. The family new it was getting more and more dangerous for them in North Korea as the war with the Americans started. They were making plans to escape to Pusan and live in a place their neighbor's relatives had arranged. And then soldiers came and took his father away. They came when Myung-gi was supposed to be watching but was reading instead. Father made his wife and Myung-gi promise to go South with Myung-gi's little sister Yoomee if this happened and meet him in Pusan. They reluctantly carry out the plan, but Myung-gi can't let go of the guilt of what happened to his father. He needs to find him somehow, even if it means becoming a soldier himself and going into the battle zone to find his father.
This is a companion story to Brother's Keeper in that the neighbors who help arrange the location in Pusan in this book are the main family in the other book. Myung-gi is a good friend of Sora and shares books with her. Myung-gi's story is not an easy read for both the war going on and the harsh survival struggles they have, but also for the guilt he carries. The author's note says his story is heavily based on many Korean War survivor's stories of enlisting just to find relatives. It is important that as the Korean War survivors start to pass on we have these kinds of stories to remind us what they went through. I have this marked as both middle grade and YA because Myung-gi's age over the course of the book bridges those two interest levels. He goes from 10 to 16 by the time the book ends. The book is told in chapters that alternate from the present of 16 when Myung-gi is stuck in a collapsed tunnel on the front lines and the past, slowly telling how he ended up there and why. There is an epilogue that provides further hope and resolution to the story, because at 16 there is not all the resolution readers may desire but that resonates with some many true stories from the Korean War I am glad the author chose to end the book that way. It will help readers understand better why so many families still long for North and South Korea to be reunified.
Notes on content:
Language: One or two minor swears, a lot of cries out to God sometimes they are prayers and sometimes not.
Sexual content: Myung-gi and Yoomee return from looking for food and find their mother with a torn dress and beat up. It could be assumed she was assaulted but she tells the kids it was nothing and she's fine.
Violence: Lots and lots of violence in war zones, from Communists before the war and Japanese before that, people are beaten, at one point they try to smash a boy's hand so he won't be conscripted, a bridge is blown up and many refugees are killed (this is a historic event), people drown trying to get to shore from a boat, Myung-gi gets really scratched up trying to dig his way out of the collapsed tunnel, people are shot, etc..
Ethnic diversity: Koreans, Soviets, Americans
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: As mentioned, Myung-gi is dealing with heavy guilt. Myung-gi is trapped for quite a while and it gets serious. Hunger is described.
This is a companion story to Brother's Keeper in that the neighbors who help arrange the location in Pusan in this book are the main family in the other book. Myung-gi is a good friend of Sora and shares books with her. Myung-gi's story is not an easy read for both the war going on and the harsh survival struggles they have, but also for the guilt he carries. The author's note says his story is heavily based on many Korean War survivor's stories of enlisting just to find relatives. It is important that as the Korean War survivors start to pass on we have these kinds of stories to remind us what they went through. I have this marked as both middle grade and YA because Myung-gi's age over the course of the book bridges those two interest levels. He goes from 10 to 16 by the time the book ends. The book is told in chapters that alternate from the present of 16 when Myung-gi is stuck in a collapsed tunnel on the front lines and the past, slowly telling how he ended up there and why. There is an epilogue that provides further hope and resolution to the story, because at 16 there is not all the resolution readers may desire but that resonates with some many true stories from the Korean War I am glad the author chose to end the book that way. It will help readers understand better why so many families still long for North and South Korea to be reunified.
Notes on content:
Language: One or two minor swears, a lot of cries out to God sometimes they are prayers and sometimes not.
Sexual content: Myung-gi and Yoomee return from looking for food and find their mother with a torn dress and beat up. It could be assumed she was assaulted but she tells the kids it was nothing and she's fine.
Violence: Lots and lots of violence in war zones, from Communists before the war and Japanese before that, people are beaten, at one point they try to smash a boy's hand so he won't be conscripted, a bridge is blown up and many refugees are killed (this is a historic event), people drown trying to get to shore from a boat, Myung-gi gets really scratched up trying to dig his way out of the collapsed tunnel, people are shot, etc..
Ethnic diversity: Koreans, Soviets, Americans
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: As mentioned, Myung-gi is dealing with heavy guilt. Myung-gi is trapped for quite a while and it gets serious. Hunger is described.
June 11, 2023
💥🌇🌄In the Tunnel🌄🌇💥
3.5 Stars
Set during the Korean War, In the Tunnel mirrors Brother's Keeper to tell Myung-gi's journey. His story begins at a young age, when he is finally allowed to celebrate who he is as a Korean and is given his true name, Myung-gi. He grows up to be an intelligent reader who forms a friendship with a bold and brave girl named Sora. War tears them apart as they bid their goodbyes, and Myung-gi knows he may never get the chance to confess his feelings to her. As she ventures into the unknown with her brother on her back, Myung-gi forges forward with his family. Now he has escaped North Korea, but is anywhere safe in a war? His father was abducted by the secret police, and Myung-gi feels he cannot rest until he finds his father. Then begins a treacherous journey as he joins the army and gets stuck in the tunnel, his life hanging precariously in the balance.
In the Tunnel by Julie Lee is written in such a way that Myung-gi's pain was felt so strongly by the reader as he wishes for peace. I loved to see events mirror each other in both of Julie Lee's books from Myung-gi's perspective. Myung-gi was always such an intriguing character, and when I got to really know him in this book, it made the interconnected lives and experiences of Sora and Myung-gi's stories more layered. The readers learn very early on in the books that Sora has feelings for Myung-gi, and Myung-gi has feelings for Sora. It felt more like telling than showing because the book doesn't focus a lot on their relationship or their interactions.
Myung-gi was a bookworm, which made his perspective more relatable when characters from the past shared similar interests. I loved to see little details in Brother's Keeper relevant to this book or built upon. There were many quotes from other books, especially classics. I got a lot of book recommendations from Myung-gi, and it was interesting to see how he thought of these quotes in times of hardship and how they were expanded upon in the present scenes. This book's narrative alternated between the past and present. The past scenes did feel staggered and clunky in the beginning before the flow really felt more natural. Still, they provided more context for Myung-gi's character growth.
As stated in the synopsis, Myung-gi goes to fight in the army. This made me believe that this part of the story would be much bigger part. However, we don't actually get to see much of the actual battlefield. I felt a lot like Brother's Keeper focused a lot more on the overall scope of suffering the people went through, showing the destruction caused to people's homes, Sora's life, and the lives of others. In the Tunnel feels like it's caught up in Myung-gi's mind, truly letting the reader feel how visceral his fear is.
I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that at least half of the story took place in a tunnel. I would have much preferred to see what it is like to be an underage soldier on a battlefield. I wanted to see the complicated struggle of how some soldiers were fighting to survive, and not all of them agreed with the values being taught. We got a glimpse into such topics, but I wonder if the plot did not go down a darker route because this is a middle grade book.
Myung-gi had a very interesting character that was different from Sora's. He is burdened by his guilt and feels responsible for many things that happen. The ending was one that I enjoyed. It was realistic and made sense. It was about Myung-gi learning to let go, and the ending truly did stay true to that. I love Julie Lee's books, so I will definitely read her other books if she comes out with anything else!
☑️🆗PLOT
☑️CHARACTERS
☑️PLOT TWISTS
3.5 Stars
Set during the Korean War, In the Tunnel mirrors Brother's Keeper to tell Myung-gi's journey. His story begins at a young age, when he is finally allowed to celebrate who he is as a Korean and is given his true name, Myung-gi. He grows up to be an intelligent reader who forms a friendship with a bold and brave girl named Sora. War tears them apart as they bid their goodbyes, and Myung-gi knows he may never get the chance to confess his feelings to her. As she ventures into the unknown with her brother on her back, Myung-gi forges forward with his family. Now he has escaped North Korea, but is anywhere safe in a war? His father was abducted by the secret police, and Myung-gi feels he cannot rest until he finds his father. Then begins a treacherous journey as he joins the army and gets stuck in the tunnel, his life hanging precariously in the balance.
In the Tunnel by Julie Lee is written in such a way that Myung-gi's pain was felt so strongly by the reader as he wishes for peace. I loved to see events mirror each other in both of Julie Lee's books from Myung-gi's perspective. Myung-gi was always such an intriguing character, and when I got to really know him in this book, it made the interconnected lives and experiences of Sora and Myung-gi's stories more layered. The readers learn very early on in the books that Sora has feelings for Myung-gi, and Myung-gi has feelings for Sora. It felt more like telling than showing because the book doesn't focus a lot on their relationship or their interactions.
Myung-gi was a bookworm, which made his perspective more relatable when characters from the past shared similar interests. I loved to see little details in Brother's Keeper relevant to this book or built upon. There were many quotes from other books, especially classics. I got a lot of book recommendations from Myung-gi, and it was interesting to see how he thought of these quotes in times of hardship and how they were expanded upon in the present scenes. This book's narrative alternated between the past and present. The past scenes did feel staggered and clunky in the beginning before the flow really felt more natural. Still, they provided more context for Myung-gi's character growth.
As stated in the synopsis, Myung-gi goes to fight in the army. This made me believe that this part of the story would be much bigger part. However, we don't actually get to see much of the actual battlefield. I felt a lot like Brother's Keeper focused a lot more on the overall scope of suffering the people went through, showing the destruction caused to people's homes, Sora's life, and the lives of others. In the Tunnel feels like it's caught up in Myung-gi's mind, truly letting the reader feel how visceral his fear is.
I wasn't a huge fan of the fact that at least half of the story took place in a tunnel. I would have much preferred to see what it is like to be an underage soldier on a battlefield. I wanted to see the complicated struggle of how some soldiers were fighting to survive, and not all of them agreed with the values being taught. We got a glimpse into such topics, but I wonder if the plot did not go down a darker route because this is a middle grade book.
Myung-gi had a very interesting character that was different from Sora's. He is burdened by his guilt and feels responsible for many things that happen. The ending was one that I enjoyed. It was realistic and made sense. It was about Myung-gi learning to let go, and the ending truly did stay true to that. I love Julie Lee's books, so I will definitely read her other books if she comes out with anything else!
☑️🆗PLOT
☑️CHARACTERS
☑️PLOT TWISTS
November 7, 2025
4.8/5 stars
Coming from the historical setting of the Korean War, Julie Lee uses In the Tunnel to tell an unforgettable story. In In The Tunnel, a young Korean refugee named Kim Myung-gi is trapped in an enemy tunnel during the Korean War. While he waits, his past memories unfold, detailing his family's desperate escape from communist North Korea after his father is abducted by secret police. Through its effective use of a dual timeline, Julie Lee's In The Tunnel makes a powerful and distinct contribution to the historical fiction genre, transcending typical war narratives with its focus on perseverance and memory.
When Myung-gi is 9 years old, the Koreans are liberated from Japanese control. For some, the celebration lasted 2 nights, but for Myung-gi and his family it only lasted one. Korea is soon spilt at the 38th parallel. Russia and China swoop into the northern region, while the United Staes swoop into the southern region. Over several years, new laws and bans are put in place in the north. Likewise to most families, Myung-gi’s parents have discussed and planned out the family’s escape. These plans come almost to a halt when his father becomes captured by the secret police. Following his father’s instructions, the family flees without him, hoping to meet up at Busan. Myung-gi feels guilt because of what happened to his father and can’t let it go. He feels the need to find him somehow, even if it means becoming a solder himself and going into the battle zone to find his father.
I was drawn in by the gradual reveal how Myung-gi got to his current predicament, which is skillfully put into the chapters that aren’t focused on his entrapment. I think that there weren’t many bad scenes. Overall, In The Tunnel was a good book. I was immediately drawn in by the gradual reveal of how Myung-gi got into his predicament. The book expertly weaves in flashbacks, which gave me the necessary backstory without interrupting the tension of his present situation.
Yoomee was my favorite character, not despite her limited scenes, but because of them. Even with fewer scenes, she embodies the enduring hope of a younger sibling, and her presence is a heartfelt reminder of the family Myung-gi is fighting to protect. Overall, I found In The Tunnel to be a good read with very few mistakes.
Readers who enjoy thought-provoking historical fiction and character driven narratives will appreciate In The Tunnel ‘s blend of a real-world setting it’s the persona journey of its protagonist, Myung-gi. The intense and compelling story, which deals with serious issues (war, family separation, loss, etc) beyond the scope of the typical 8–12 age range, is a better fit for readers aged 12 to 14.
Coming from the historical setting of the Korean War, Julie Lee uses In the Tunnel to tell an unforgettable story. In In The Tunnel, a young Korean refugee named Kim Myung-gi is trapped in an enemy tunnel during the Korean War. While he waits, his past memories unfold, detailing his family's desperate escape from communist North Korea after his father is abducted by secret police. Through its effective use of a dual timeline, Julie Lee's In The Tunnel makes a powerful and distinct contribution to the historical fiction genre, transcending typical war narratives with its focus on perseverance and memory.
When Myung-gi is 9 years old, the Koreans are liberated from Japanese control. For some, the celebration lasted 2 nights, but for Myung-gi and his family it only lasted one. Korea is soon spilt at the 38th parallel. Russia and China swoop into the northern region, while the United Staes swoop into the southern region. Over several years, new laws and bans are put in place in the north. Likewise to most families, Myung-gi’s parents have discussed and planned out the family’s escape. These plans come almost to a halt when his father becomes captured by the secret police. Following his father’s instructions, the family flees without him, hoping to meet up at Busan. Myung-gi feels guilt because of what happened to his father and can’t let it go. He feels the need to find him somehow, even if it means becoming a solder himself and going into the battle zone to find his father.
I was drawn in by the gradual reveal how Myung-gi got to his current predicament, which is skillfully put into the chapters that aren’t focused on his entrapment. I think that there weren’t many bad scenes. Overall, In The Tunnel was a good book. I was immediately drawn in by the gradual reveal of how Myung-gi got into his predicament. The book expertly weaves in flashbacks, which gave me the necessary backstory without interrupting the tension of his present situation.
Yoomee was my favorite character, not despite her limited scenes, but because of them. Even with fewer scenes, she embodies the enduring hope of a younger sibling, and her presence is a heartfelt reminder of the family Myung-gi is fighting to protect. Overall, I found In The Tunnel to be a good read with very few mistakes.
Readers who enjoy thought-provoking historical fiction and character driven narratives will appreciate In The Tunnel ‘s blend of a real-world setting it’s the persona journey of its protagonist, Myung-gi. The intense and compelling story, which deals with serious issues (war, family separation, loss, etc) beyond the scope of the typical 8–12 age range, is a better fit for readers aged 12 to 14.
June 3, 2023
This is the first historical children's book I've come across that focuses on the Korean War. Most adults, let alone kids, know anything about it. It's a void that definitely needed filling.
The story alternates between two plot lines. Myung-gi, in 1952, trapped in a tunnel beneath the 38th parallel, dividing North and South Korea. And Myung-gi, in 1945, at the end of World War 2, advancing through the years to his present situation in the tunnel. At the end, the two plots come to together. An interesting technique which I liked.
When Myung-gi is 9 years old, the Koreans are liberated from Japanese control. An excellent book that delves into Japan's control of Korea is When My Name Was Keoko. Instead of this being an end to oppression, it evolves into more of the same as Russia and China swoop into the northern region where Myung-gi lives and the United States swoops into the southern region, dividing Korea at the 38th parallel. For the next 6 years, new laws and bans are put in place in the north until finally Myung-gi's father is fired from his job, arrested, and taken away. Following his father's instructions, the family flees without him, hoping to meet up at designated city. Myung-gi spends the next 3 years hoping to reunite with his father in the refugee camp in the south. With no hope left and feeling responsible for his father's arrest, he joins the Southern army as a way to get back on the northern side and hopefully find his father. And that's how he ends up trapped in a pitch dark tunnel, remembering the life that got him to this point.
This book is very well written. Excellent use of language. Fast paced. At times emotional. It paints a clear picture of the conflict that evolved out of World War 2. It amazes me that a similar dividing wall, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and yet the communist dividing line in Korea still remains. What a terrible situation there. I'm grateful to Julie Lee for writing this book. For other books about more current life in North Korea try Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea or In the Shadow of the Sun.
The story alternates between two plot lines. Myung-gi, in 1952, trapped in a tunnel beneath the 38th parallel, dividing North and South Korea. And Myung-gi, in 1945, at the end of World War 2, advancing through the years to his present situation in the tunnel. At the end, the two plots come to together. An interesting technique which I liked.
When Myung-gi is 9 years old, the Koreans are liberated from Japanese control. An excellent book that delves into Japan's control of Korea is When My Name Was Keoko. Instead of this being an end to oppression, it evolves into more of the same as Russia and China swoop into the northern region where Myung-gi lives and the United States swoops into the southern region, dividing Korea at the 38th parallel. For the next 6 years, new laws and bans are put in place in the north until finally Myung-gi's father is fired from his job, arrested, and taken away. Following his father's instructions, the family flees without him, hoping to meet up at designated city. Myung-gi spends the next 3 years hoping to reunite with his father in the refugee camp in the south. With no hope left and feeling responsible for his father's arrest, he joins the Southern army as a way to get back on the northern side and hopefully find his father. And that's how he ends up trapped in a pitch dark tunnel, remembering the life that got him to this point.
This book is very well written. Excellent use of language. Fast paced. At times emotional. It paints a clear picture of the conflict that evolved out of World War 2. It amazes me that a similar dividing wall, the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and yet the communist dividing line in Korea still remains. What a terrible situation there. I'm grateful to Julie Lee for writing this book. For other books about more current life in North Korea try Every Falling Star: The True Story of How I Survived and Escaped North Korea or In the Shadow of the Sun.
December 8, 2023
In the Tunnel is interesting because it is written from the perspective of North Korean people just before, during, and after the Korean war. More specifically, the novel is centered around Myung-gi, and his family. The family is a humble one that makes decent money and have their own land. However, their life gets uprooted when Communists from the USSR invade the land and frame themselves as liberators against the looming threat that is the United States. A sizable portion of the population is swayed by their promises, but Myung-gi's family is not so easily fooled. In fact, they start to realize things are strange when books are starting to be confiscated in favor of Communist literature. Myung-gi's father, who becomes a principal, recognizes the danger of silencing literature, and begins to smuggle foreign books for Myung-gi. This is especially dangerous, since men begin to either be rounded up for the army, killed, or imprisoned. Once war begins to break out, Myungi-gi's father gets taken, and so Myung-gi and his family decide to try and flee to South Korea. The novel is heavily centered around family values, the ability to exercise personal agency in an oppressive world, and perseverance.
This novel is fantastic. I think students will certainly gain new perspectives from it, since it is not too often that people will hear from this side of history. The defectors. The story placates itself well within the realm that most students will understand that context, but some might not understand right away that there were people in North Korea who were just as oppressed for not believing in the propaganda. The family dynamics are grounded, realistic, and heart-wrenching. This novel will especially speak to the oldest siblings within strongly bonded families. Those that feel like they have to do everything for their family. There is a happy ending, and the protagonist certainly overcomes great adversity. YA audiences will have someone to root for, and that rooting will not be unrewarded.
This novel is fantastic. I think students will certainly gain new perspectives from it, since it is not too often that people will hear from this side of history. The defectors. The story placates itself well within the realm that most students will understand that context, but some might not understand right away that there were people in North Korea who were just as oppressed for not believing in the propaganda. The family dynamics are grounded, realistic, and heart-wrenching. This novel will especially speak to the oldest siblings within strongly bonded families. Those that feel like they have to do everything for their family. There is a happy ending, and the protagonist certainly overcomes great adversity. YA audiences will have someone to root for, and that rooting will not be unrewarded.
August 24, 2024
۱. کتاب موردعلاقهم نبود؛ از اونا که میچسبه به قلبم و تا چند روز دستبردار نیست، ولی دلیلی ندیدم که ازش امتیاز کم کنم.
۲. میشه گفت این کتاب رو از سر ناچاری خریدم؛ چون این همه راه به هوای کتابهای تالیفی کوبیده بودم تا باغ کتاب تهران و آخرسر هر چهار اولویتم به بنبست خوردن. بعد هم من موندم و مجموعه آسیای شرقی (چابا موچی) نشر پرتقال. البته که پشیمون هم نشدم
۳. تا نیمه دوم کتاب برام سوال بود که چرا اینقدر به کتاب "روی شانههای نونا" شبیهه، از اسم شخصیتها گرفته تا فضای داستان و مکانها. تا اینکه وسط ورقزدنام رسیدم به قسمت خاکسپاری یونگسو (که توی کتاب روی شانههای نونا یانگسو ترجمه شده) و تازه فهمیدم که شخصیتهای سورا، یانگسو و جیسو همونن و یه جورایی داستان این دوتا کتاب با هم موازیان. تازه اونجا بود که با کتاب "به دنبال آپا" احساس نزدیکی کردم و با کتاب محبوبم که پارسال خوندمش تطبیقش دادم.
اینکه داستان توی دوتا برهه زمانی پیش میرفت برام جالب بود؛ یکی با جزئیات زیاد، تا حدودی جنونآمیز و لاکپشتی پیش میرفت و اونیکی سریع از رویدادها عبور میکرد. متفاوت بودن و زیبا، انگار هر کدوم یه حرفی برای گفتن داشتن.
آپدیت بعد از پایان کتاب:
میتونستم پیشبینی کنم که پایانش غیرمنتظره باشه، ولی دیگه نه تا این حد. حتی میتونم بگم تا حدی ناامیدکننده بود، ولی نقطهضعف محسوب نمیشه.
فصل آخر از لحاظ نثرش جای کار داشت، هرچند من نسخه اصلی رو نخوندهم که ببینم اشکال از خودشه یا ترجمه. بد نبود، ولی میتونست دلنشینتر باشه.
شخصیت "پسر آدامسی" هم جای کار داشت. میدونم که اگه نویسنده بیشتر ازش مینوشت میتونست خیلی جذابیت داشته باشه، حتی اگه فقط یه کم پیوندش رو با میونگجی محکم میکرد.
و یه چیز دیگه: چرا میونگجی خیلی ناگهانی بیخیال پیدا کردن پدرش شد؟ حتی اینطور نبود که آنچنان تلنگری هم بهش خورده باشه که مثلا باید به زندگی بدون پدرش ادامه بده. یعنی اون که خیلی نزدیک بود، پس چرا یهو انگیزهش که کل داستان رو باهاش میگذروند از هم پاشید؟
۲. میشه گفت این کتاب رو از سر ناچاری خریدم؛ چون این همه راه به هوای کتابهای تالیفی کوبیده بودم تا باغ کتاب تهران و آخرسر هر چهار اولویتم به بنبست خوردن. بعد هم من موندم و مجموعه آسیای شرقی (چابا موچی) نشر پرتقال. البته که پشیمون هم نشدم
۳. تا نیمه دوم کتاب برام سوال بود که چرا اینقدر به کتاب "روی شانههای نونا" شبیهه، از اسم شخصیتها گرفته تا فضای داستان و مکانها. تا اینکه وسط ورقزدنام رسیدم به قسمت خاکسپاری یونگسو (که توی کتاب روی شانههای نونا یانگسو ترجمه شده) و تازه فهمیدم که شخصیتهای سورا، یانگسو و جیسو همونن و یه جورایی داستان این دوتا کتاب با هم موازیان. تازه اونجا بود که با کتاب "به دنبال آپا" احساس نزدیکی کردم و با کتاب محبوبم که پارسال خوندمش تطبیقش دادم.
اینکه داستان توی دوتا برهه زمانی پیش میرفت برام جالب بود؛ یکی با جزئیات زیاد، تا حدودی جنونآمیز و لاکپشتی پیش میرفت و اونیکی سریع از رویدادها عبور میکرد. متفاوت بودن و زیبا، انگار هر کدوم یه حرفی برای گفتن داشتن.
آپدیت بعد از پایان کتاب:
میتونستم پیشبینی کنم که پایانش غیرمنتظره باشه، ولی دیگه نه تا این حد. حتی میتونم بگم تا حدی ناامیدکننده بود، ولی نقطهضعف محسوب نمیشه.
فصل آخر از لحاظ نثرش جای کار داشت، هرچند من نسخه اصلی رو نخوندهم که ببینم اشکال از خودشه یا ترجمه. بد نبود، ولی میتونست دلنشینتر باشه.
شخصیت "پسر آدامسی" هم جای کار داشت. میدونم که اگه نویسنده بیشتر ازش مینوشت میتونست خیلی جذابیت داشته باشه، حتی اگه فقط یه کم پیوندش رو با میونگجی محکم میکرد.
و یه چیز دیگه: چرا میونگجی خیلی ناگهانی بیخیال پیدا کردن پدرش شد؟ حتی اینطور نبود که آنچنان تلنگری هم بهش خورده باشه که مثلا باید به زندگی بدون پدرش ادامه بده. یعنی اون که خیلی نزدیک بود، پس چرا یهو انگیزهش که کل داستان رو باهاش میگذروند از هم پاشید؟
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 3, 2023
Julie Lee again sobers and educates readers with her novel, In the Tunnel. This book is not a sequel to, but a companion that complements Lee’s debut novel (Brother’s Keeper, 2020).
Set during the Korean War, In the Tunnel is the coming-of-age story of studious Myung-Gi, the only and eldest son of a well-to-do family in communist North Korea. Due to several factors, the family is scrutinized by the local authorities and plans to flee South. Unfortunately, their father disappears, and Myung-Gi puts it upon himself to find him. Seasons pass, and Myung-Gi finds himself trapped beneath the earth in a tunnel where his thoughts both bolster and threaten his drive to survive.
In the Tunnel spans several years, and the chapters alternate between Myung-Gi's current predicament and the personal and historical events that led up to it. A sizable portion of Myung-Gi’s flashbacks recount his family's escape to the South. While Brother's Keeper depicts refugees crossing during the winter, In the Tunnel teaches readers about other routes taken and perils faced by refugees who fled during the warmer season. In addition, In the Tunnel sheds light onto war crimes grossly and intentionally omitted from records of “The Forgotten War." This includes pillaging, assaulting of women, forced conscription of child soldiers, civilian massacres, and more.
Amidst all that is published about government and military officials who conducted the Korean War, Lee's novels tell the stories of the War's “ordinary” but resilient victims and survivors, and will be remembered by the Korean War generation's descendants and all who read them.
Set during the Korean War, In the Tunnel is the coming-of-age story of studious Myung-Gi, the only and eldest son of a well-to-do family in communist North Korea. Due to several factors, the family is scrutinized by the local authorities and plans to flee South. Unfortunately, their father disappears, and Myung-Gi puts it upon himself to find him. Seasons pass, and Myung-Gi finds himself trapped beneath the earth in a tunnel where his thoughts both bolster and threaten his drive to survive.
In the Tunnel spans several years, and the chapters alternate between Myung-Gi's current predicament and the personal and historical events that led up to it. A sizable portion of Myung-Gi’s flashbacks recount his family's escape to the South. While Brother's Keeper depicts refugees crossing during the winter, In the Tunnel teaches readers about other routes taken and perils faced by refugees who fled during the warmer season. In addition, In the Tunnel sheds light onto war crimes grossly and intentionally omitted from records of “The Forgotten War." This includes pillaging, assaulting of women, forced conscription of child soldiers, civilian massacres, and more.
Amidst all that is published about government and military officials who conducted the Korean War, Lee's novels tell the stories of the War's “ordinary” but resilient victims and survivors, and will be remembered by the Korean War generation's descendants and all who read them.
January 24, 2024
A North Korean boy refugee fighting for the South Korean army in October 1952 recounts his tale while being trapped in a Chinese-made tunnel.
Myung-gi Kim, a 16-year-old North Korean refugee, fights in the South Korean ROKA (Republic Of Korea Army) so he can find his father, who was captured by some North Korean police when he, his mother, and his little sister, Yoomee, lived in North Korea before escaping to the south. When a grenade exploded near him, sending him flying down the hill and into a Chinese-made tunnel. Trapped in the tunnel, Myung-gi's memories unspool before him like thread while he waits for what fate planned for him.
This book occurred in North and South Korea from 1945 to 1952. This book is informative about life after the Japanese left Korea when the Soviets came in and what life was like in North Korea. The first time I heard about the war between the two Koreas was in the Korean drama I'm currently watching called Crashlanding on You (by the way, it's pretty good). I felt terrible for what was going on with the North Koreans. This book also piqued my interest in the Korean War. Did you know that the Koreans had to call themselves Japanese names when the Japanese occupied Korea?
Myung-gi was a bookish and intelligent character like me. He was also determined to prove himself and protect his family at all costs. Yoomee was mischievous and a good artist. Myung-gi and Yoomee's Uhma (Korean for mom) were hardworking. Their Ahpa (Korean for dad) was also determined and wanted to raise his family as best as possible.
Give this book to history buffs who love an emotional and fantastic story.
Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
Myung-gi Kim, a 16-year-old North Korean refugee, fights in the South Korean ROKA (Republic Of Korea Army) so he can find his father, who was captured by some North Korean police when he, his mother, and his little sister, Yoomee, lived in North Korea before escaping to the south. When a grenade exploded near him, sending him flying down the hill and into a Chinese-made tunnel. Trapped in the tunnel, Myung-gi's memories unspool before him like thread while he waits for what fate planned for him.
This book occurred in North and South Korea from 1945 to 1952. This book is informative about life after the Japanese left Korea when the Soviets came in and what life was like in North Korea. The first time I heard about the war between the two Koreas was in the Korean drama I'm currently watching called Crashlanding on You (by the way, it's pretty good). I felt terrible for what was going on with the North Koreans. This book also piqued my interest in the Korean War. Did you know that the Koreans had to call themselves Japanese names when the Japanese occupied Korea?
Myung-gi was a bookish and intelligent character like me. He was also determined to prove himself and protect his family at all costs. Yoomee was mischievous and a good artist. Myung-gi and Yoomee's Uhma (Korean for mom) were hardworking. Their Ahpa (Korean for dad) was also determined and wanted to raise his family as best as possible.
Give this book to history buffs who love an emotional and fantastic story.
Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚
June 19, 2023
absolutely crushing.
This book is based on truly deplorable actions taken by both sides during the Korean War, and for that I can only commend it. Very well handled, extremely well thought out. So, so sad.
I don't have a good relationship with my dad, and my heart just hurt reading about Myung-gi's love for his Ahpa who in his eyes can do no wrong, his Ahpa who wants good and is put through so much because of it. Heartbreaking and yet grounded in a reality that is the truth for so many people.
Myung-gi's character hurt as well, just because of how much he goes through and how much you want him to learn from his mistakes and struggles, but he just can't yet. his heart can't open up to the possibility. love the contrast between his love of books and his fear of letting himself enjoy them when he associates reading with his greatest failure.
I've recently been on the lookout for books for youth that are intentionally written without super happy, everything-is-solved endings, because books are safe places to explore and comprehend that sort of helpless sadness where there is yet no solution, and I think that's so important to share with people of all ages. This one definitely fulfills that space. I'm going to be telling everyone I know about this book.
very well done.
This book is based on truly deplorable actions taken by both sides during the Korean War, and for that I can only commend it. Very well handled, extremely well thought out. So, so sad.
I don't have a good relationship with my dad, and my heart just hurt reading about Myung-gi's love for his Ahpa who in his eyes can do no wrong, his Ahpa who wants good and is put through so much because of it. Heartbreaking and yet grounded in a reality that is the truth for so many people.
Myung-gi's character hurt as well, just because of how much he goes through and how much you want him to learn from his mistakes and struggles, but he just can't yet. his heart can't open up to the possibility. love the contrast between his love of books and his fear of letting himself enjoy them when he associates reading with his greatest failure.
I've recently been on the lookout for books for youth that are intentionally written without super happy, everything-is-solved endings, because books are safe places to explore and comprehend that sort of helpless sadness where there is yet no solution, and I think that's so important to share with people of all ages. This one definitely fulfills that space. I'm going to be telling everyone I know about this book.
very well done.
June 26, 2023
Opening line: "This is the end."
In the Tunnel is a historical fiction novel set during the Korean War and chronicles one boy's timeline alternating between his present, and past spanning across seven years of his life. The book opens with Myung-gi at sixteen years old, having just enlisted in the south Korean army so that he can head north to try and locate his father when suddenly, he is trapped in an enemy tunnel approximately 20-30 feet underground. Then it shifts to him at nine years of age detailing the facts surrounding the Japanese and later Russian rule of Korea. The dual timeline points help provide the historical details of how Korea was separated in half and how the oppressive occupations that the country endured by the Japanese, Russians and Americans impacted the Korean people during the war and are still impacting them now. I love how the story draws you into Myung-gi's life. How details are shared slowly as to how he ended up trapped. He's such a wonderful main character. I adore his love of books, the way he can get lost in a story. I was so saddened that he lost his passion for reading when his family and country were torn apart. Both Myung-gi and his sister Yoomee showed such strength and resilience in everything that they endured. This is truly a story of survival as the majority of the time their country was being ruled by someone else. There was a constant state of fear of being seen as anti-communists, being taken in the middle of the night or being made to join the fight for a side you didn't even believe in. Then there was their escape and traveling across harsh terrain, the hunger and fear that they could be caught and killed at any moment. You really get vested in Myung-gi and hope he and his family will reach Busan and the perceived safety that it will provide. I really liked the way that Lee seamlessly incorporated all the historical facts into the story, while always centering it on Myung-gi.
I felt the story is both powerful, sad, emotional and depicts hardships, heartbreaking moments, feelings of loss, helplessness, sorrow and guilt. I learned so much about the Korean War and felt it was so impactful in the way that it details all the hardships facing the Korean people. It's told with compassion and realistically through the eyes of the main character. The book banning is something that really stuck out to me and I thought kids of today can relate to how it's something still happening. Myung-gi's escape to Busan presents a glimpse at a brighter future for him but is accurate in acknowledging his continued separation from his father by the boundaries that split the country in two. I also loved the authors note so much. Lee explains her hopes for the story, and she spoke of the Korean families that ended up being separated into the North and South, and how even to this day there are lingering questions about what had happened to them. She expressed the grief and guilt that accompanied the separation and explained how the people were able to move on with their lives. Finally, I really appreciated all of the literary quotes that punctuated the chapters where Myung-gi was trapped in the tunnel. They included such authors as Kim Sowol, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Thoreau, Steinbeck, Kim Yeongnang and Enrich Remanque to name a few. As I said, this is a very impactful story and I would highly recommend this book to middle graders that have read the authors Brothers Keepers, are interested in the Korean War, or who love historical fiction. Definitely put this on your not to be missed list.
In the Tunnel is a historical fiction novel set during the Korean War and chronicles one boy's timeline alternating between his present, and past spanning across seven years of his life. The book opens with Myung-gi at sixteen years old, having just enlisted in the south Korean army so that he can head north to try and locate his father when suddenly, he is trapped in an enemy tunnel approximately 20-30 feet underground. Then it shifts to him at nine years of age detailing the facts surrounding the Japanese and later Russian rule of Korea. The dual timeline points help provide the historical details of how Korea was separated in half and how the oppressive occupations that the country endured by the Japanese, Russians and Americans impacted the Korean people during the war and are still impacting them now. I love how the story draws you into Myung-gi's life. How details are shared slowly as to how he ended up trapped. He's such a wonderful main character. I adore his love of books, the way he can get lost in a story. I was so saddened that he lost his passion for reading when his family and country were torn apart. Both Myung-gi and his sister Yoomee showed such strength and resilience in everything that they endured. This is truly a story of survival as the majority of the time their country was being ruled by someone else. There was a constant state of fear of being seen as anti-communists, being taken in the middle of the night or being made to join the fight for a side you didn't even believe in. Then there was their escape and traveling across harsh terrain, the hunger and fear that they could be caught and killed at any moment. You really get vested in Myung-gi and hope he and his family will reach Busan and the perceived safety that it will provide. I really liked the way that Lee seamlessly incorporated all the historical facts into the story, while always centering it on Myung-gi.
I felt the story is both powerful, sad, emotional and depicts hardships, heartbreaking moments, feelings of loss, helplessness, sorrow and guilt. I learned so much about the Korean War and felt it was so impactful in the way that it details all the hardships facing the Korean people. It's told with compassion and realistically through the eyes of the main character. The book banning is something that really stuck out to me and I thought kids of today can relate to how it's something still happening. Myung-gi's escape to Busan presents a glimpse at a brighter future for him but is accurate in acknowledging his continued separation from his father by the boundaries that split the country in two. I also loved the authors note so much. Lee explains her hopes for the story, and she spoke of the Korean families that ended up being separated into the North and South, and how even to this day there are lingering questions about what had happened to them. She expressed the grief and guilt that accompanied the separation and explained how the people were able to move on with their lives. Finally, I really appreciated all of the literary quotes that punctuated the chapters where Myung-gi was trapped in the tunnel. They included such authors as Kim Sowol, Charles Dickens, Edgar Allen Poe, Thoreau, Steinbeck, Kim Yeongnang and Enrich Remanque to name a few. As I said, this is a very impactful story and I would highly recommend this book to middle graders that have read the authors Brothers Keepers, are interested in the Korean War, or who love historical fiction. Definitely put this on your not to be missed list.
July 16, 2023
Trapped in an enemy tunnel, a young refugee experiences the Korean War firsthand in this searing story of survival, loss, and hope, a companion to the Freeman Award-winning novel Brother’s Keeper.
Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South Korea. Life in communist North Korea has become more and more unbearable—there is no freedom of speech, movement, association, or thought—and his parents have been carefully planning the family’s escape.
But when his father is abducted by the secret police, all those plans fall apart. How can Myung-gi leave North Korea without his dad? Especially when he believes that the abduction was his fault?
Set during a cataclysmic war which shaped the world we know today, this is the story of one boy’s coming-of-age during a time when inhumanity, lawlessness, and terror reigned supreme. With only each other, Myung-gi, his mother, and his twelve-year-old sister Yoomee do everything they can to protect one another. But gentle, quiet, bookish Myung-gi has plans to find his father at any cost—even if it means joining the army and being sent to the front lines, where his deepest fears await him.
Myung-gi knows war is coming: War between North and South Korea. Life in communist North Korea has become more and more unbearable—there is no freedom of speech, movement, association, or thought—and his parents have been carefully planning the family’s escape.
But when his father is abducted by the secret police, all those plans fall apart. How can Myung-gi leave North Korea without his dad? Especially when he believes that the abduction was his fault?
Set during a cataclysmic war which shaped the world we know today, this is the story of one boy’s coming-of-age during a time when inhumanity, lawlessness, and terror reigned supreme. With only each other, Myung-gi, his mother, and his twelve-year-old sister Yoomee do everything they can to protect one another. But gentle, quiet, bookish Myung-gi has plans to find his father at any cost—even if it means joining the army and being sent to the front lines, where his deepest fears await him.
September 1, 2025
In the Tunnel gives a sobering view into life during the Korean War through the eyes of a teenage boy.
What I Liked:
-Lee did a nice job writing Myung-ge's internal struggles. They felt realistic and were understandable.
-Lee also did a nice job showing the awfulness of war, while keeping everything tactful and appropriate for younger readers.
-Yoomee was a fun character. I would have liked to see a little more of her.
What I Struggled With:
-I would have appreciated more setting details. I had a hard time mentally building the landscape and knowing what things were supposed to look like. Some more small details, like their clothes' style, what the buildings looked like, technology, etc., would have helped a little.
-The transitions between young Myung-ge and sixteen-year-old Myung-ge threw me off a little since sixteen-year-old Myung-ge's chapters are written in present tense, while young Myung-ge is written in past tense. Once I got into the rhythm of the tense switches, it didn't bother me though.
Overall:
If you're looking to get a glimpse into what the Korean War was like, consider In the Tunnel.
What I Liked:
-Lee did a nice job writing Myung-ge's internal struggles. They felt realistic and were understandable.
-Lee also did a nice job showing the awfulness of war, while keeping everything tactful and appropriate for younger readers.
-Yoomee was a fun character. I would have liked to see a little more of her.
What I Struggled With:
-I would have appreciated more setting details. I had a hard time mentally building the landscape and knowing what things were supposed to look like. Some more small details, like their clothes' style, what the buildings looked like, technology, etc., would have helped a little.
-The transitions between young Myung-ge and sixteen-year-old Myung-ge threw me off a little since sixteen-year-old Myung-ge's chapters are written in present tense, while young Myung-ge is written in past tense. Once I got into the rhythm of the tense switches, it didn't bother me though.
Overall:
If you're looking to get a glimpse into what the Korean War was like, consider In the Tunnel.
August 4, 2023
WOW, as soon as I started this book, I was drawn into the author's story and the world in North Korea in the 1950's. The author did an excellent job with retelling real life stories from people who actually lived and went through the Korean War as a child/adult.
We meet Myung-gi as a young child living in North Korea during the very beginning of the Korean War. His family is doing pretty well and not going through any lack of food like some other families. But then his dad runs into some trouble. And Myung-gi wants to find out what happened to his father.
The story flip flops from the past to the present day in the book, which is super easy to follow as a reader and not confusing at all. I was unable to put the book down the entire time as I read it! Myung-gi's story is that interesting and I highly recommend that all ages need to read this book and learn a little bit about another time and place in the current world!
And that ending wraps up everything and also got me right in the feels. I will be following this author from now on to read more of her work in the future.
We meet Myung-gi as a young child living in North Korea during the very beginning of the Korean War. His family is doing pretty well and not going through any lack of food like some other families. But then his dad runs into some trouble. And Myung-gi wants to find out what happened to his father.
The story flip flops from the past to the present day in the book, which is super easy to follow as a reader and not confusing at all. I was unable to put the book down the entire time as I read it! Myung-gi's story is that interesting and I highly recommend that all ages need to read this book and learn a little bit about another time and place in the current world!
And that ending wraps up everything and also got me right in the feels. I will be following this author from now on to read more of her work in the future.
January 20, 2024
“You can repay me by living a good life. Take care of yourself and your children.” Wow, I loved that. How many times do we think, I can never repay the gifts given or sacrifices offered to me? And yet we can: by living a good life. Ultimately, that’s what Myung-gi’s Korean War quest to find his father and find his own purpose is all about: how do I live a good life? How do I best care for those around me? By confronting his deepest desires, questions, fears, and hopes in the pain and darkness of a war tunnel, he discovers that a good life is founded on other-oriented love, freedom in forgiveness, and joy in sharing one’s gifts and talents with others.
As a side note, one of my favorite parts while Myung-gi battles despair in the tunnel occurred when a little mouse crept into Myung-gi’s hand and let himself be held. Feeling the rapid beating of the mouse’s heart, the warm fuzzy fur, and tickling of the whiskers brought hope and communion to Myung-gi. I love it when God allows other creatures of nature into our darkness to remind us of Light. Mice often creep into the pages of children’s stories and this mouse was kindred spirit of those other little literary visitors.
As a side note, one of my favorite parts while Myung-gi battles despair in the tunnel occurred when a little mouse crept into Myung-gi’s hand and let himself be held. Feeling the rapid beating of the mouse’s heart, the warm fuzzy fur, and tickling of the whiskers brought hope and communion to Myung-gi. I love it when God allows other creatures of nature into our darkness to remind us of Light. Mice often creep into the pages of children’s stories and this mouse was kindred spirit of those other little literary visitors.
October 4, 2024
This book is about a boy who is trapped in a tunnel. Most of the book is his flashbacks, which tell the story of the book Brother's Keeper from his perspective (Myung-gi's) instead of Sora's. I think that it is not necessary to have read Brother's Keeper to read this and it's not repetitive either.
The story is that Myung-gi and his family flee North Korea during the Korean war. Myung-gi joins the South Korea army, even though he's only 15-16 years old.
Content considerations: swearing and some war related gore.
Here are some quotes:
"That's because you have a great mind, son. Great minds don't quibble over details. Great minds think in big pictures." P. 222
"forgiveness does not mean forgetting or diminishing wrongs or foregoing justice... Acknowledgement of people and their experiences is as important as love and forgiveness in establishing peace." P. 329
At least one typographical error:
"butwho knew which was best?" P. 270 (missing space between words)
The story is that Myung-gi and his family flee North Korea during the Korean war. Myung-gi joins the South Korea army, even though he's only 15-16 years old.
Content considerations: swearing and some war related gore.
Here are some quotes:
"That's because you have a great mind, son. Great minds don't quibble over details. Great minds think in big pictures." P. 222
"forgiveness does not mean forgetting or diminishing wrongs or foregoing justice... Acknowledgement of people and their experiences is as important as love and forgiveness in establishing peace." P. 329
At least one typographical error:
"butwho knew which was best?" P. 270 (missing space between words)
September 25, 2025
Another great read by Julie Lee, where I was choked up throughout.
Notable lines:
"Ahpa had always said that books were their window to the world. But for Myung-gi they were more than that-they were his world. They let him live in other times. They let him see other places-places beyond his country's borders, where armed soldiers now stood guard to make sure no one left. These books ... they let him feel things. He even loved the hefty weight of the thickest ones, as satisfying as a sack of rice."
"Maybe that was the only real thing: the certainty of being here one minute and gone the next."
"Why did he and his family have to be born at this time and place? Were there boys in the world who would never live through war? How much control did they really have over their own lives?"
Notable lines:
"Ahpa had always said that books were their window to the world. But for Myung-gi they were more than that-they were his world. They let him live in other times. They let him see other places-places beyond his country's borders, where armed soldiers now stood guard to make sure no one left. These books ... they let him feel things. He even loved the hefty weight of the thickest ones, as satisfying as a sack of rice."
"Maybe that was the only real thing: the certainty of being here one minute and gone the next."
"Why did he and his family have to be born at this time and place? Were there boys in the world who would never live through war? How much control did they really have over their own lives?"
April 25, 2023
A boy's journey to search for his father who goes missing during wartime in 1945 Korea, this is a story of hardship and growing up while trying to stay alive.
I first read Brother's Keeper last year and it was a wonderfully told story of two young children's struggle to survive the travel to Busan alone during wartime. In the Tunnel is a story that takes place mostly parallel to Brother's Keeper, with some of the same characters. Both these books show a very human account of what happened during the Korean War between North and South. Both books are a history lesson and heart-felt story all in one.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel. It's good for all ages.
I first read Brother's Keeper last year and it was a wonderfully told story of two young children's struggle to survive the travel to Busan alone during wartime. In the Tunnel is a story that takes place mostly parallel to Brother's Keeper, with some of the same characters. Both these books show a very human account of what happened during the Korean War between North and South. Both books are a history lesson and heart-felt story all in one.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel. It's good for all ages.
May 29, 2023
What a truly amazing book about a part of history that I know almost nothing about. Too little attention is paid to the conflicts in both Korea and Vietnam. How are we to learn from the mistakes of the past If we know so little about them. This book went along way towards opening my eyes to the political turmoil that resulted in the Korean War. The characters were well developed. The story was cohesive, and the dual timeline that ultimately met in the end, kept a good level of tension that kept the story going. I am so grateful that I found this book and I will definitely pass it on to others.
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