When you start reading a book like this, you expect a cohesive narrative that ends with a satisfying--and maybe even triumphant--conclusion. But real life doesn't work that way very often, and in this case it doesn't work that way at all. That undermines the narrative of this book, of course, which kind of feels like it loses its way after Shin escapes from the camp and ends up trying to make a life for himself in the outside world. That result is sadly only appropriate here, though, because it mirrors Shin's own life. Not a satisfying book, then, but still a fascinating one that's completely worth reading.