Review by Mmg8464 -- The Vanished by Pejay Bradley

[Aan Granados]

[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 a historical fiction novel set in early 20th century Korea. It was a time when they were occupied by Imperial Japan.

In the first scene, King Gojong celebrated his birthday dinner with his immediate relatives at the Duksoo Palace. Prince Ansoon, the king's cousin, his daughter, Lady Sougyon, and his son, Dahl were among the guests. The dinner was a dismal affair because the loss of their national sovereignty to a foreign nation was in everyone's minds.

This story is told mostly from the point of view of Lady Sougyon. She dedicated most of her life to her son, Embon. Embon is handsome and very intelligent that he got accepted at Hokkaido Imperial University in Japan. During his stay at the university, he became friends with some radical students who wanted to help liberate Korea.

This is mostly about the life and suffering of the Korean people during the occupation of Japan. The story was an eye-opener for me. I learned a lot about the culture and history of Korea. For instance, I wasn't aware that they had a royal family and social castes.

I was also surprised that slavery was widespread and how poor the country was. Many of the slaves had no names, just "the wife of" or "the mother of"; and sometimes derogatory terms like "dog's poo." There was a big difference in the way of life of the rich people from the poor. I am amazed because, comparing to what Korea is now, they really have come a long way since then.

I liked reading about history, and this is why I appreciate this book so much. I didn't find any grammatical or typographical errors. The author, Pejay Bradley was born and raised in Korea before migrating to the US, which gives credence to the story. If I had to choose anything I didn't like, it would be the character of Embon. I found him to be weak. His mother and other people secretly believed that he would "achieve nothing" and "become a nobody" because he was born in the Year of the Rat. I would have liked that he proved them all wrong. If there is a second book, I hope that his character develops more. However, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book, so I rate this 4 out of 4 stars.

I recommend this to readers of historical fiction novels, but caution those who are sensitive to some violence. This is appropriate for younger readers, as there is no profanity or sexual content.

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The Vanished
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[John Owen]

I've read several reviews about this book and it's currently on my "to read" shelf. I'd like to read about Korea.
Informative review!

[markodim721]

The book really has a fresh topic. I also like that the author made an effort to present Korean culture to readers. It shows a commitment to writing a book.

[MsH2k]

I read this book and enjoyed it as well. I learned a lot about this period in Korean history. Thank you for your thorough review.

[Brandy_Nyongesa]

This seems like an amazing historical novel. The author shows how far Korea has come from the days of slavery. Great review.

[Muna Chizzy]

I love stories related to Korea, and i think i will learn a lot from this book, ranging from their culture and slavery by the Japanese. Thanks for the insightful review.

[Julius J James]

I love the way lady Sougyon dedicated her life to her son.Such is the expression of parental love.I love the book!

[Goodness C N]

I am intrigued by the smooth storyline of this book. It brings to light interesting facts. Congratulations on the book of the day

[Noilaus]

I was equally surprised by how slavery took its roots all around the world. Good review

[danopsyfarm1]

Mother's love is always priceless. This is a good book and will sure want to pick it up for a read. Nice review

[Amynwankwo_]

I love that the book is set in Korea. It would be great to read about it. It sounds like an overall good book and I would definitely be checking it out. Thanks for your review.

[Raymonda onwuka]

Wow! An interesting story on the history and traditions of korea sounds like an interesting one. Thanks for the great review.

[Raymonda onwuka]

Thanks for the great review.
A story on ancient traditionas and history of korea sounds captivating and engaging.

[Hyacinth Bella]

I would love to read more about Korean history since Kpop groups are prevalent nowadays; never thought that their country faced slavery before. Thank you so much for the review!

[Mildred Echesa]

The book cover is so attractive. Korean history doesn't interest me but I will try reading it