Overall rating and opinion of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley

Use this forum to discuss the January 2021 Book of the month, "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley
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Teele
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Re: Overall rating and opinion of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley

Post by Teele »

I reviewed this book as well and gave it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I loved the development of the story and the smooth narrative. My only dislike is the permissive parenting of Embon's mother.
Goodness C N
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Post by Goodness C N »

One vital reason why this book appealed to me is that I could relate to the Korean culture and traditions. This is because I'm a great fan of Korean movies and as such, I've become acquainted with these things. I also love the initiative of Embon and his friends.
Overall, the book was worth my read.
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topdan30
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Post by topdan30 »

Good character development and good storyline is what attracts me to book. And this sure provides that and even talk about Korean historical fact. This book deserves a perfect rating
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Post by Guda Lydia »

I think this is quite a serious and profound read. It not only tells the story of Korea and a cruel Japan through the life of Embom, but also of how unfair and bureaucratic life can be. Unfortunately, Korea's past is still a present in other societies. The book can be used as a reference and learning point.

However, I'm not a fan of the general gradual pace of the story. But it is a worthy read.
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Post by AvidBibliophile »

I felt this book did justice to an important time in history, and I learned a great deal about Korean culture. I did feel like a few of the character arcs and storylines were slightly underdeveloped, but I did find humor in one of the early scenes that described how an American sandwich had the power to dissipate a somber mood throughout an entire royal hall of dinner guests! A few quotes stood out to me as I read, but I particularly liked the truth behind “Your Majesty, there are two things in life that people want to hide but never succeed [at hiding]... ignorance and poverty.” Life can be a struggle in so many different ways, but feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy are clearly universal.
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Drianie
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Post by Drianie »

Upon finishing this novel, I found more to like than dislike. What stood out the most was the historical background during the Japanse Occupation and the in-depth look into Korean culture during that time. Also, the added Korean terminology made the book feel more authentic for me. On the other hand, some of the character development left me wanting more, and the overall ending wasn't as satisfying as I hoped it would be. I also found quite a few errors while reading. Despite this, I'd recommend this novel to readers who enjoy historical fiction. Reading this novel would be time well spent for those who would like to expand their knowledge of Korean culture. I'd rate this novel 3 out of 4 stars.
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MsH2k
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Post by MsH2k »

I rated The Vanished 4 out of 4 stars. The change in point of view annoyed me early in the book, but when it settled into the third-person perspective, nothing hindered my enjoyment of this novel. I learned a lot about Korean history. At one point I had a map of Asia open on my phone as I was reading. I must humbly admit that I didn’t realize Japan was that close to Russia. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction novels with a character focus.
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Post by booksandbutterscotch »

I really enjoyed how the author reflected the political and social climate of Korea. While the story is entirely fictional, the themes within were genuine. I would love to know more as I have so many questions left unanswered. I'm hoping the abrupt ending means we will see another book. I could easily recommend this book to a historical fiction fan, and I would even say someone who enjoys non-fiction would enjoy this story.
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Post by Bian1976 »

The book really inspired me on how gender equality must be critically considered in every aspect of life. Its a nice novel and I'm rating it 3out of 4.
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Caroline Anne Richmond
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Post by Caroline Anne Richmond »

I really enjoyed this book, it is a fascinating Asian historical fiction novel. The author has done a great job of developing great characters and including educational content about Korean history and its struggles with Japan.
The main character Embon, is a brilliant character. He is born into an aristocratic family and raised by his mother. His mother has been abandoned by her husband and strives to bring her son up in a more modern way, away from the strict rules and traditions of Korea.
Being accepted to a prestigious Japanese school, Embon starts a new journey, meeting future revolutionaries. I loved the way the course of his life drastically changes due to the strong belief that Korea should be its own proud nation. The story is full of loyalty, friendship and survival and I commend the author for bringing it so beautifully to the pages, therefore I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
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Post by ciecheesemeister »

I thought that this was a very well-written and complex novel. I learned a lot of things that I didn't know about Korea's struggle for independence from Japan. I gave the book four out of four stars.
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Post by Fleurine_t92 »

At first I read this book, I found the important thing was the years. It was based on historical events so there couldn't be change on the real events and things happen at that time. I start reading the book and then the protagonist who were the married lady of the noble family. She had give birth of the baby at her father's house. Her father was the prince and he might be the landlord at that place. At there, I found the mistake because none of them at that era accepted their married daughter back to their home. They wouldn't accept her back even how she faced the problems. The divorced or else was more worsening for the noble family. Then, she gave the baby named Embon. Later, the king gojong's birthday party invitation to their family. Her father took her to the birthday party and she took her son to there. That was the error too. The royal never accepted their family member who had a child but haven't the partner beside even if the party was private. All I knew about this last king's family, the year inside the book was wrong or may be I mistaken about that. Because the empress was die before the king she couldn't make the birthday party of the king and the king had to stay at Canadian ambassador's residence. As I saw in the novel called gabi. And then, her father and she left the palace and not connecting them anymore. Then, I read she married to another person for her child. So, Embon lived in luxury life all his life time and then he went aboard for studying. His mother was worrying for him always. When he was studying in japan, he was falling in love with japanese girl. But she denied his proposal at last, he felt down and went back to korea. His mother was already set his match via matchmaker lady. So, he married to a woman for fulfilling his mother's will. Then, the plots were change and the prince who loved to stay at luxury life was boring and then he met the revolutionist so he changed his life and get into it. At that time, the plots were random and rush and complexes until the end. I scratch my head for thinking about what the writer mean. I knew they lost their country and lost in time. But the year and events aren't match with real ones including Nanjing. Therefore I rated it 3 out of 4.
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Post by AkothLyn »

This book was perfectly edited with no errors. I would therefore rate this book 4 out 4 stars. Easy flow of story and great characters.
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Post by jamespotter »

As a Korean person, I was enthralled to be reading a book that takes place in Korean history. That being said, the writing detracted from my experience because it was rather dull. Still, I enjoyed being able to live in a different country and era.
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Post by kdstrack »

The author did a wonderful job of weaving cultural and historical aspects into the story. I also enjoyed the way the characters were developed and how their stories came together. It seemed like Sougyon got lost in the shuffle. I would have liked to know more about what happened to her as she remained in Korea while Embon and his friends joined the resistance. Overall, I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars.
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