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Younghee & the Pullocho
Younghee stumbles into a magical world, where the fairy stories of her childhood are real and she can forget about all the frustrations of her everyday life — until her little brother is kidnapped by a goblin. The only way Younghee can save him is by finding a magical plant called a pullocho, but little does she realize the fate of a whole world hangs in the balance.
278 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 12, 2015
2 people are currently reading
337 people want to read
About the author
Mark James Russell
12 books7 followersMark James Russell is writer based in Seoul, South Korea.
He is the author of two non-fiction books, Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music and Internet Culture (2009) and K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution (2014), and the novel Young-hee and the Pullocho (2015).
Mark has lived in South Korea since 1996 (albeit with a few years off, living in Spain and elsewhere), writing about Korean culture, economics, society, and other fun topics for such publications as the New York Times, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. He also spent many years as Korea correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, and Television Asia, among others. In addition, Mark spent several years developing and producing several documentaries about Korean pop culture and history. And he wrote a lot about the rest of Asia, too, from Mongolia, to Japan, to Thailand.
He is the author of two non-fiction books, Pop Goes Korea: Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music and Internet Culture (2009) and K-Pop Now!: The Korean Music Revolution (2014), and the novel Young-hee and the Pullocho (2015).
Mark has lived in South Korea since 1996 (albeit with a few years off, living in Spain and elsewhere), writing about Korean culture, economics, society, and other fun topics for such publications as the New York Times, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal. He also spent many years as Korea correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard, and Television Asia, among others. In addition, Mark spent several years developing and producing several documentaries about Korean pop culture and history. And he wrote a lot about the rest of Asia, too, from Mongolia, to Japan, to Thailand.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 24, 2015
A young Korean girl lost her brother to a goblin in a magical land. In order to save him she took on a quest to find and retrieve a powerful and mythical root called Pullocho.
I found the story enjoyable but had some minor issues with it having to do with plot consistency and filler paragraphs. The story had an epic fantasy feel even though there was a transition from modern world to magical land. In epic fantasy you expect the main character and companions to have moments when they need food and shelter. However in this book it was extended so much it became mundane and a little boring. As for the plot issues, certain things were mentioned but never made sense when I looked at the story as a whole.
Now for the aspects I enjoyed a lot.
There was the fact that this is Fantasy based in Korean folklore and mythology. I really appreciated how each step of Young-Hee's adventures came with a matching Korean folk tale.
As a reader you will be exposed to a few Korean words that absolutely take nothing away from the story. Some I even recognized from watching Korean Dramas.
I loved seeing the main character struggle with her emotions toward her little brother. The brother she loved but also couldn't help dislike because he could be such an annoying four-year old. On top of everything, her life was falling apart with her Dad not being around anymore and her Mom having to do so much to keep things going.
In the end this was a promising story that felt a little under-developed. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. If you like reading fantasy set in cultures other that European, this book is for you. Also the book being a debut Middle Grade novel, I'm definitely interested in reading more work like this one from the author in the future.
In case anyone is interested in the meaning of the Korean words, they are available on the author's website.
I found the story enjoyable but had some minor issues with it having to do with plot consistency and filler paragraphs. The story had an epic fantasy feel even though there was a transition from modern world to magical land. In epic fantasy you expect the main character and companions to have moments when they need food and shelter. However in this book it was extended so much it became mundane and a little boring. As for the plot issues, certain things were mentioned but never made sense when I looked at the story as a whole.
Now for the aspects I enjoyed a lot.
There was the fact that this is Fantasy based in Korean folklore and mythology. I really appreciated how each step of Young-Hee's adventures came with a matching Korean folk tale.
As a reader you will be exposed to a few Korean words that absolutely take nothing away from the story. Some I even recognized from watching Korean Dramas.
I loved seeing the main character struggle with her emotions toward her little brother. The brother she loved but also couldn't help dislike because he could be such an annoying four-year old. On top of everything, her life was falling apart with her Dad not being around anymore and her Mom having to do so much to keep things going.
In the end this was a promising story that felt a little under-developed. I enjoyed it but didn't love it. If you like reading fantasy set in cultures other that European, this book is for you. Also the book being a debut Middle Grade novel, I'm definitely interested in reading more work like this one from the author in the future.
In case anyone is interested in the meaning of the Korean words, they are available on the author's website.
February 4, 2024
an entertaining good read though it took me a long time to finish (been hooked with watching movies)
to anyone who would want to read this, i advise you to have an online search engine with you so that you can search for the image of the mythological creatures in this book, it would give everyone a better view of what happens.
please bear with the few misspelled words and some grammatical errors.
reading this book at night was kinda freeky for me since the ghost started to chase young-hee. those ghost really scared me.
i feel happy for young-hee’s kindness, she met and helped few characters during the journey, all those at the cost of losing her path to the pullocho. it was also good that her kindness had also been returned by the one’s she helped. it was actually heart warming.
i was just shocked that she did not recognized the face of the man in the forest does look like her father. it’s like she forgot him all along, heart breaking.
i just hope that all the creatures killed due to gumiho’s scheme would be revived like grandma dol and the jangseungs.
thats all. enjoy reading guys!
to anyone who would want to read this, i advise you to have an online search engine with you so that you can search for the image of the mythological creatures in this book, it would give everyone a better view of what happens.
please bear with the few misspelled words and some grammatical errors.
reading this book at night was kinda freeky for me since the ghost started to chase young-hee. those ghost really scared me.
i feel happy for young-hee’s kindness, she met and helped few characters during the journey, all those at the cost of losing her path to the pullocho. it was also good that her kindness had also been returned by the one’s she helped. it was actually heart warming.
i was just shocked that she did not recognized the face of the man in the forest does look like her father. it’s like she forgot him all along, heart breaking.
i just hope that all the creatures killed due to gumiho’s scheme would be revived like grandma dol and the jangseungs.
thats all. enjoy reading guys!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2015
This would have been five stars, but the beginning was stretched way too long and I found a lot of spelling areas around the middle of the book which annoyed me, though the beginning and end were fine.
But I love adventure in magical worlds and learning a little about the legends and stories of Korea was really refreshing. The world was very colorful and the characters were fun to read and I couldn't wait to see who I'd meet next and what the next part of the journey would be.
I'm usually harsher with kid's books since they're below my typical reading level, but this book was a great exception. A very fun read for those who love adventure and mythical creatures mixed with legends and why not, some modern/western references thrown into the mix.
The "aish jigyeowo" (so annoying) was ---> super annoying <--- since she said it all the time, but thankfully once she gets to Strange Land she keeps it down.
But I love adventure in magical worlds and learning a little about the legends and stories of Korea was really refreshing. The world was very colorful and the characters were fun to read and I couldn't wait to see who I'd meet next and what the next part of the journey would be.
I'm usually harsher with kid's books since they're below my typical reading level, but this book was a great exception. A very fun read for those who love adventure and mythical creatures mixed with legends and why not, some modern/western references thrown into the mix.
The "aish jigyeowo" (so annoying) was ---> super annoying <--- since she said it all the time, but thankfully once she gets to Strange Land she keeps it down.
July 2, 2015
Russell, in his debut middle grade reader, whisks readers from modern day Seoul and into the magical land called Strange Land where Korean mythological creatures live such as the dokkaebi, the Haechi, and dragons. As a lover of unique stories and high adventure, I was instantly captivated with this tale. The main character, Young-hee, uses her wits and determination to undergo a noble quest to save her brother. I have passed on this book to my two sons who I know will love this read. If you are looking for a high adventure with a fresh twist, then this is something you'll want to pick up.
October 22, 2025
Watch my review on YouTube here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3M-VU...
February 21, 2019
Fascinating story. I cant put down the book until i finish it. Very thrilling and exciting.
July 19, 2019
Dino iki aku bakal mbahas buku anak sing judul'e Young Hee lan Pullocho. Sing ga iso boso jowo iso moco ing https://www.instagram.com/p/B0C_MBfAW...
Buku iki nyritakno arek wedok sing jeneng'e Young Hee. Young Hee iki sumpek pol karo urip'e sing ngono-ngono se lan makin ngarakno stress pas keluargane mbalik nang Korea. Lah pas dee nggolek cara ben ga stress maneh, dee malah ngilang nang dunyo liyo sing isine makhluk-makhluk sing ono ning dongeng. Lah pas dee ngejak adek'e nang dunyo iku, apesne adek'e diculik karo dokkaebi (goblin e wong korea). Salah siji cara gae adek'e mbalik yaiku dee kudu golek tanduran sing jeneng'e Pullocho. Jare ne tanduran iki berkhasiat pol, iso ngubah dunyo malah, lan angel pol golekane. Demi adek'e, Young Hee budhal nggolek tanduran iku.
Ngangkat cerita rakyat Korea, Buku iki iso ngehibur wong gedhe utawa arek cilik. Aku dewe seneng karo buku iki. Isi ne padet, ngehibur, lan konflik'e ga abot. Masio penulis'e guduk wong Korea tulen, penulis iso madu padan'o cerita rakyat karo kisah'e Young Hee iki. Sing endi, Young Hee iki mlebu nang dunyo dongeng lan dadi tokoh utama ne.
Nang beberapa bab penulis nyelipno cerita rakyat asli. Ono 9 cerita rakyat sing engkok Young Hee ketemu karo tokoh ne lan dongeng'e dadi asli, yaiku:
1. Rubah lan Petani
2. Macan lan Kelinci
3. Palu Sing Nggawe Sugih
4. Pullocho lan Sashin
5. Kodok Ijo sing Licik
6. Bocah Beruang
7. Kelinci lan Raja Naga Banyu
8. Wedok sing nggak iso mandek ngentut
9. Agwi Kwisin Raksasa endas songo lan Si Pahlawan
Awal'e aku sempet ragu karo buku iki gara-gara alur e moro-moro wes tekan adek'e Young Hee diculik, lah aku teros yo bingung kok iso moro-moro tekan kono piye critane. Eh, dadakno alur pancen ngono. Maju - Mundur - Maju. Dadi ora usah bingung yen moco buku iki.
Ono pirang-pirang hal sing gawe aku kurang sreg karo buku iki yaiku tulisan'e sing kecilik'en, paragraf penjelasan'e duowo pol lan bertele-tele, lan Bagian 1-3 pemisahan halaman'e ga pas, pemotongan bagian'e yo ga pas (moro-moro wes mlebu bagian liyo).
Untung'e nang bagian akhir ono plot twist sing garai aku kaget. Pol kaget'e. Aku ga ero kok penulis'e iso kepikiran iku lo. Pokok'e pas akhir-akhir, bagian sing seru metu kabeh.
Teko buku iki, akeh pelajaran sing iso dijupuk lewat kisah'e Houng Hee. Nang buku iki yo akeh quote-quote bijak saka tokoh-tokoh ne. Oh yo, lali ngandani, buku iki nganggo boso inggris (guduk boso jowo lohyo). Tenang boso inggris'e gampil kok, dadi yen awakmu mek ngerti yes no tok yo iso moco iki, pokok'e tau krungu boso ne ae.
Dadi yen awakmu seneng karo genre middle grade, cerita rakyat, fantasi, utowo lagi nggolek fantasi sing crita'e ga abot, iso banget moco buku iki. 4/5 gawe buku iki.
Buku iki nyritakno arek wedok sing jeneng'e Young Hee. Young Hee iki sumpek pol karo urip'e sing ngono-ngono se lan makin ngarakno stress pas keluargane mbalik nang Korea. Lah pas dee nggolek cara ben ga stress maneh, dee malah ngilang nang dunyo liyo sing isine makhluk-makhluk sing ono ning dongeng. Lah pas dee ngejak adek'e nang dunyo iku, apesne adek'e diculik karo dokkaebi (goblin e wong korea). Salah siji cara gae adek'e mbalik yaiku dee kudu golek tanduran sing jeneng'e Pullocho. Jare ne tanduran iki berkhasiat pol, iso ngubah dunyo malah, lan angel pol golekane. Demi adek'e, Young Hee budhal nggolek tanduran iku.
Ngangkat cerita rakyat Korea, Buku iki iso ngehibur wong gedhe utawa arek cilik. Aku dewe seneng karo buku iki. Isi ne padet, ngehibur, lan konflik'e ga abot. Masio penulis'e guduk wong Korea tulen, penulis iso madu padan'o cerita rakyat karo kisah'e Young Hee iki. Sing endi, Young Hee iki mlebu nang dunyo dongeng lan dadi tokoh utama ne.
Nang beberapa bab penulis nyelipno cerita rakyat asli. Ono 9 cerita rakyat sing engkok Young Hee ketemu karo tokoh ne lan dongeng'e dadi asli, yaiku:
1. Rubah lan Petani
2. Macan lan Kelinci
3. Palu Sing Nggawe Sugih
4. Pullocho lan Sashin
5. Kodok Ijo sing Licik
6. Bocah Beruang
7. Kelinci lan Raja Naga Banyu
8. Wedok sing nggak iso mandek ngentut
9. Agwi Kwisin Raksasa endas songo lan Si Pahlawan
Awal'e aku sempet ragu karo buku iki gara-gara alur e moro-moro wes tekan adek'e Young Hee diculik, lah aku teros yo bingung kok iso moro-moro tekan kono piye critane. Eh, dadakno alur pancen ngono. Maju - Mundur - Maju. Dadi ora usah bingung yen moco buku iki.
Ono pirang-pirang hal sing gawe aku kurang sreg karo buku iki yaiku tulisan'e sing kecilik'en, paragraf penjelasan'e duowo pol lan bertele-tele, lan Bagian 1-3 pemisahan halaman'e ga pas, pemotongan bagian'e yo ga pas (moro-moro wes mlebu bagian liyo).
Untung'e nang bagian akhir ono plot twist sing garai aku kaget. Pol kaget'e. Aku ga ero kok penulis'e iso kepikiran iku lo. Pokok'e pas akhir-akhir, bagian sing seru metu kabeh.
Teko buku iki, akeh pelajaran sing iso dijupuk lewat kisah'e Houng Hee. Nang buku iki yo akeh quote-quote bijak saka tokoh-tokoh ne. Oh yo, lali ngandani, buku iki nganggo boso inggris (guduk boso jowo lohyo). Tenang boso inggris'e gampil kok, dadi yen awakmu mek ngerti yes no tok yo iso moco iki, pokok'e tau krungu boso ne ae.
Dadi yen awakmu seneng karo genre middle grade, cerita rakyat, fantasi, utowo lagi nggolek fantasi sing crita'e ga abot, iso banget moco buku iki. 4/5 gawe buku iki.
January 31, 2018
And Now For Something Completely Different
This is a Korean "Wizard of Oz", and I mean that as a very high compliment.
The basic frame is that of the magical quest. Our discontented 13 year old heroine, Young-Hee, finds her way through a magic portal to an enchanted world where all Korean fairy tales, myths, and magical histories and beings come to life. When her younger brother accidentally falls under the power of a Goblin, Young-Hee makes a deal to find a Pullocho root for the Goblin in exchange for her brother's release. Let the fantasy adventure quest begin.
The book has a thoroughly authentic Korean flavor. Every few chapters a Korean folk tale appears, many of them providing context for the book's action. Young-Hee encounters new and fascinating characters practically on every page.
The book is crisp and fast paced and despite the unfamiliarity to young readers of pretty much all of the characters it is easy to follow the action. Young-Hee starts out as something of a lost soul, (shifting occasionally to brat), but as you might expect she is also on an journey of self-discovery, and she matures during the course of the book into a hardy, resourceful and wiser young women.
Sometimes books like this, founded on another culture's myths, legends, and fantasies, can be hard going, especially for younger readers. Not so here. The author has done a tremendous job of preserving the flavor and authenticity of the individual tales and of the enchanted world while still making it all accessible and understandable. It is remarkably vivid and varied, and these characters compare quite favorably to their more well known western counterparts. This really was a charming, engaging, and rather ripping change of pace.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
This is a Korean "Wizard of Oz", and I mean that as a very high compliment.
The basic frame is that of the magical quest. Our discontented 13 year old heroine, Young-Hee, finds her way through a magic portal to an enchanted world where all Korean fairy tales, myths, and magical histories and beings come to life. When her younger brother accidentally falls under the power of a Goblin, Young-Hee makes a deal to find a Pullocho root for the Goblin in exchange for her brother's release. Let the fantasy adventure quest begin.
The book has a thoroughly authentic Korean flavor. Every few chapters a Korean folk tale appears, many of them providing context for the book's action. Young-Hee encounters new and fascinating characters practically on every page.
The book is crisp and fast paced and despite the unfamiliarity to young readers of pretty much all of the characters it is easy to follow the action. Young-Hee starts out as something of a lost soul, (shifting occasionally to brat), but as you might expect she is also on an journey of self-discovery, and she matures during the course of the book into a hardy, resourceful and wiser young women.
Sometimes books like this, founded on another culture's myths, legends, and fantasies, can be hard going, especially for younger readers. Not so here. The author has done a tremendous job of preserving the flavor and authenticity of the individual tales and of the enchanted world while still making it all accessible and understandable. It is remarkably vivid and varied, and these characters compare quite favorably to their more well known western counterparts. This really was a charming, engaging, and rather ripping change of pace.
(Please note that I received a free ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
December 11, 2015
Synopsis- Young-hee hated that her family was back in Korea. They had traveled abroad, but now they were back. Her dad was away and they lived in a run-down apartment. Add her annoying toddler-brother, Young-beom, into the mess, and Young-hee is miserable. But when she finds a doorway into a magical world, her life starts to turn around. When she brings Young-beom there, however, he gets tricked into being held captive by a goblin. To save him, Young-hee must go and travel to find a mysterious magical root called a pullocho. The only problem is that a pullocho hasn’t been seen in centuries…
What I Thought- This was a good book. Young-hee is a marvelous main character. You can really see how her character changes throughout the book, but it is subtle until the end then you realize the growth of the character. The book is a nice solid story with an interesting plot. I found some editing errors in the text throughout the story that are slightly distracting and a few instances where I thought some of the words in the story could be cut. I enjoyed the realistic writing style of Mr. Russell. I liked that he threw in a few Korean words into the story as it is based on Korean folklore. The story was compelling and the world created by Mr. Russell was exciting and described vividly. This was a cool multi-cultural story that many kids would enjoy. This is a debut MG story for Mr. Russell, I’d be quick to pick up his next.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
What I Thought- This was a good book. Young-hee is a marvelous main character. You can really see how her character changes throughout the book, but it is subtle until the end then you realize the growth of the character. The book is a nice solid story with an interesting plot. I found some editing errors in the text throughout the story that are slightly distracting and a few instances where I thought some of the words in the story could be cut. I enjoyed the realistic writing style of Mr. Russell. I liked that he threw in a few Korean words into the story as it is based on Korean folklore. The story was compelling and the world created by Mr. Russell was exciting and described vividly. This was a cool multi-cultural story that many kids would enjoy. This is a debut MG story for Mr. Russell, I’d be quick to pick up his next.
*NOTE* I got a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Read
September 26, 2018A story the whole family will enjoy. Even with modern Korea as its backdrop, Young-Hee and the Pullocho has the feel of a classic fairy tale that begs to be read aloud! If you love fantasy, and fairy tales and want multicultural books, put this on your list! Keep reading to see the full review.
February 7, 2019
It has a good story, but I don't like the main character. Young-Hee is rude and feeling that everything that happen to her is annoying. Because she always feels annoyed with everybody I can't enjoy her journey. Yeah, I know that she is only a girl and just move out to a new town and has to deal with her new life, but there is no significant character development.
The good thing is I like the tale of Korean folklore and the setting of Strange Land in this book.
The good thing is I like the tale of Korean folklore and the setting of Strange Land in this book.
June 14, 2019
I love this book, I can read many Korean folklores that is related with the main plot. And it looks like Alice in WOnderland with the upgrade version because the story has the twist more
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews