Review by Brookebenchimol -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley

[Brookebenchimol]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Vanished" by Pejay Bradley.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Vanished by Pejay Bradley is an exceptionally well-written historical fiction novel chronicling the lives of the Korean people during the early 1900s. This novel takes place after the signing of the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty that led to Korea’s occupation by Japan. The book mainly follows mother and son, Lady Sougyon and her son Embon. In the beginning of the novel, we learn through Lady Sougyon the societal and cultural norms of Koreans during that time, particularly how poorly women are treated. The book then shifts focus to her son, Embon. During his time at school, Embon meets like-minded friends who want to help their country get out from under Japanese control. The readers then join Embon on his journey to serve his country in many dangerous ways.

This book is rich with Korean history. The author seems to have firsthand personal experience regarding the atrocities that happened when Japan was trying to seize Korea. The detail the author went into such as the attitudes and fears of the people, made you feel as you were present with them. Her writing about the momentous historical events really did transport you back to that time. I enjoyed reading about historical events such as the March 1st Movement and the death of King Gojong and his wife, the Queen. I ended up doing additional research about these events.

I disliked how the author did not fully introduce the main character, Embon, until about forty percent of the way through the novel. In addition, there were a few times when the dialogue between the characters felt forced and inauthentic. I also wanted a little more from the ending; the story seemed to end so abruptly. I want to see how more of the characters stories ended.

I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. This book is extremely well edited. I learned a lot about Korean history and culture through this book, and I thoroughly enjoyed following the characters through their hardships. I also really liked how all of the characters were in some way connected to each other. I have left this book knowing much more about Korean history.

This book is for people who are interested in history, but more especially Asian history and the Korean Rebellion. There is no sexual content or profane language present in the book. I would not recommend this book to those faint of heart, as this novel does talk about death, assassination, and war casualties.

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The Vanished
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