From the Bookshelf of Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge…

The Orphan Master's Son

Adam Johnson

Discussion: Book Discussions

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 60 topics — 958 comments total

Book Discussions

* How to hide spoilers
By Ann · 3 posts · 2139 views

last updated Jun 05, 2016 04:48PM

Water for Elephants
By Ashley Marie · 9 posts · 74 views

last updated Jul 07, 2024 06:18AM

showing 10 of 12 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Aug 24, 2012 Lydia Presley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary, literary, fiction, 2012

Not since reading Wild Swans have I been as deeply affected as I was while reading The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson. The story of Pak Jun Do is a powerful, moving story and opened my eyes to so very much I did not know. I did not know much about North Korea, Kim Jong Il, or really anything that was happening until I got a taste of it in this novel and it's done what every good book strives to do - awakened my curiosity.

This is, in a way, a sort of traveling narrative-type of story. Throu ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jun 11, 2013 MacDuff rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013

This is by far the best book I've read in years.

Jun Do is the only son of the Orphan Master, the man in charge of a house full of boys. Jun Do allocates who eats first, who sleeps in the freezing corners of the room. He goes with the boys into the mines deep beneath North and South Korea, he learns to fight in the dark when even your opponent is blind.

As he falls into adulthood, he starts wearing different identities. He is a spy, he is a fisherman, he is a diplomat. He is able to slip in and ...more

Like · see review

Dec 20, 2011 Jessica Haider rated it really liked it

Shelves: giveaways, fiction

This is somewhat of a timely read since Kim Jong Il is a characther in this novel and he recently passed away. If you've ever wondered how crazy it might be to live in North Korea under Kim Jong Il's regime this book will give you a fictionalized glimpse at that. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The central character's name changes several times over the course of his book but he has quite a life-full of experiences. He spends his boyhood in an orphanage and is then sent to the military where he ...more

Like · see review

Jun 25, 2012 Julianne Dunn rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2014-friends-recommendations

Just couldn't finish it all the way. It's so slow and the "hero" keeps getting in these ridiculous situations. I might try to finish it some other time but not now.

Suggested by Gabby Lindsey ...more

Like · see review