~Blurb~
1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani's family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene.
Years later, Detective Min―Hwani's father―learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared from the same forest that nearly stole his daughters. He travels to their hometown on the island of Jeju to investigate… only to vanish as well.
Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village―and collides with her now estranged sister, Maewol―Hwani comes to realize that the answer could lie within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago.
~Book Review & Discussion~
I was excited to start “Forest of Stolen Girls” on two accounts: 1) I was set to teach ESL in South Korea back in 2021, however, due to certain circumstances I didn’t go. When I stumbled on this book while browsing, I was excited to see how Korean history influences literary fiction. 2) I am trying to step out of my comfort zone of fantasy fiction books into other genres.
I give this book a 5/5. I recommend this book to ages 14/15 and up who love mystery and history. One thing to keep in mind as you read the book is that Hwani is only 18 years old and sheltered. Some reviewers didn’t like how Hwani was very biased, immature, and one-track minded. They felt that there was some disconnect with the character because of it. However, as someone who works with older teens, that is exactly how they think and are. I liked that June Hur introduced a very realistic character that underwent good character development by the end of the story. Does Hwani have room to grow? Yeah. I mean who doesn't. But, that doesn’t lessen the growth she did go through.
A few parts did feel rushed. The fast parts made the slower parts feel like trying to scoop freezer-burnt ice cream. Not great, but it’s still tasty. I didn’t take down a star because it also felt realistic to an actual investigation. Sometimes things are moving fast and great, and other times feel excruciating slow. Most crime movies and TV shows don’t accurately depict that.
I felt like I had a slight advantage when reading this book. As I was preparing to teach in South Korea, I was learning a bit of the language. I just wanted to order food in peace, okay? Hur introduced a few Korean words--romanization version anyways-- into the text. If I didn't know the words off the bat, I think I would've been pretty confused during some parts. She does eventually define the words, but some like norigae (노리개) were not defined because it's a traditional clothing accessory. You can draw some conclusions using context clues if you're a good critical thinker, however, it is not obvious what it is. There are also some name modifications, such as adding -ah or -yah to the end of a name, that wouldn't make sense if you didn't know the language or brushed up on your Korean dramas. Hur did include a pronunciation guide-- I love those-- however, I felt like it should've been at the beginning of the book and not the end. But again, personal preference.
The main thing that stood out to me with this book is the messages about siblings and their bonds. I think Hur was trying to emphasize the importance of having a healthy and open relationship with siblings. That, in all cases, you can’t expect their relationship with parents to mirror yours, but it’s still a valid experience. Growing up, I thought my brother had never gone through the same challenges as I did with our parents, only to find out years later, he had different ones that he still carries with him. Our parents made mistakes with us though they tried their best not to. They had never been parents before after all. I’ve rekindled my relationship with my brother much like Hwani did with her sister and I’m thankful for it. We’ve also learned to forgive a few mistakes our parents made too.
As you go to read this book, be prepared to face some generational trauma. Both on the micro scale (parent to child) and macro scale (country to citizen). There were a few parts of the story that I was near tears because I knew the book had some footing in historical fact. The trauma basically all the girls in the book went through would've been too much for me. From finding a parent deceased or knowing the terrible actions a parent is taking on your behalf is nothing a child or frankly anyone should undergo. When you enlarge that on your own country turning you over to another to an unknown but horrible fate, what mentality would that inflict on a woman? or anyone?
Alongside the historical aspects of the book, I like that Hur included the haenyeo (women of the sea). These women were the breadwinners of their family as they dived for seafood. In a world history that was/is consistently patriarchal, I'm glad that Hur included historically accurate strong women to prove that women have always been capable to do "a man's job." I feel this is an important message for all girls and boys of today. Girls can be the breadwinners and the providers alongside boys, just as boys can stay at home and care for the family alongside girls. Both are roles worthy of equal respect and choice.
Reminder: This a personal account where personal opinions are given. Please feel free to comment your response to my review and discussion, however, please remain respectful as I will be to you as you are to me.