The Orphan Master's Son

                     By Adam Johnson 

       This book is an epic novel and a thrilling literary discovery. The Orphan Master's Son follows a young man on a journey through icy waters, dark tunnels, and eerie spy chambers. Pak Jun Do is the haunted son of a lost mother- a singer "stolen" to Pyongyand- and an influential father who runs a camp for orphans. There the boy is given his first taste of power. When he is recognized for his loyalty and keen instincts, Jun Do comes to the attention of superiors in the state, rises in the ranks, and starts on a road from which there will be no return.
      Considering himself a humble citizen of the greatest nation in the world, Jun Do becomes a professional kidnapper who must navigate the shifting rules, arbitrary violence, and baffling demands of his Korean overlords in order to stay alive. Driven to the limit of what any human being could endure, he takes on the dangerous role of rival to Kim Jong the Second in an attempt to save the women he loves, Sun Moon, a famous actress.
      Part thriller, part story of innocence lost, part story romantic love, The Orphan Master's Son is also a portrait of a world hidden from view:  a North Korea rife with hunger, corruption, and casual cruelty, but also stolen moments of beauty, and love.
    I liked this book but it was kind of confusing at some parts, so I would give it a 4 out of a 5.

    This is for a reading challenge. Challenge number 5.