I learned so much about the political landscape of 1980s South Korea and the Fifth Republic from this, and that alone made it a deeply worthwhile read! “Banned Book Club” is high stakes, inspiring, and also deeply relevant. Highly recommend for both young adult and adult audiences, especially those interested in reading as rebellion, as well as making change. ( )

Recommended: YES
For a history not well known in the US, for a prime example of how graphic novels so well suit memoirs, for a funny and dramatic story

Thoughts:
Graphic novels are so well suited to memoirs and nonfiction. This is a prime example. The art and coloring complements the story perfectly. With the selective colors it focuses exactly on what needs to be focused on. And again, things that are hard to say in words are sometimes better conveyed in images.

The historical aspect of the story is shocking for me, even though I'm relatively well-versed in 20th century Korean history. It's just so hard to imagine that only 40 years ago, the government was aggressively censoring media, and arresting or torturing or killing protestors against the leaders of the country. It's so recent, really. And compared to the Korea I know today, it's so drastically different. Just a few years ago we saw a series of country-wide protests of millions of people for weeks on end succeed in peacefully removing a president who was corrupt. That's absolutely incredible! This book feels so relevant because, really, Kim Hyun Sook's experience is mirrored in the lifestyle changes seen today.

We're able to see Hyun Sook’s personality and character develop as her understanding of the protesters increases. Through the different activities she ends up joining, we get insight into the way the government works. Her tidy good-girl worldview is shattered and she's forced to make a decision about where she will stand.

I have come to think that graphic novels are particularly well suited for memoirs. What is difficult to capture in words, is much easier to convey in images. Graphic novels combine these two together and create a powerful combination That pulls you deeply into the story. Banned book club is a prime example of that experience. ( )

In South Korea in 1983, Kim Hyun Sook goes to college to study literature, but finds herself swept up into a protest movement.

Black-and-white art is clear enough to follow; each character is distinct. There are some scenes of abuse/torture. An epilogue takes place during a reunion in 2016.

Quotes

"You can learn a lot about history by figuring out what people wanted to hide." (43)

"[Chun] doesn't care if we believe him or not. He created such a divide between the people who believe his lies and those who don' that the country is too torn apart to come together and properly oppose him." (63)

"I'm here to learn, same as you. I just want to learn more than what they want us to know." (168)

"So you gotta wonder. Do they ban books because they see danger in their authors, or because they see themselves in their villains?" (170)

"Are you surprised that after all that, we still have to fight the same fights?"
"Not at all. Progress is not a straight line. Never take it for granted." (188) ( )

Charming. A timely tale of protests, corruption, and anti-censorship. I love seeing the youth rise up for what they believe in, and, in the meantime, the artwork is snazzy and fun. There’s even some humor to cushion the fall here and there. A part of me loves that Hoon and Hyun Sook don’t end up together. That’s on you for assuming, sir. But another part thought they would’ve been a cute activist couple. ( )

Yay for another graphic novel to add to my list! One of my 2020 goals was increasing the amount of graphic novels I've read (and have on my shelves) and this book seemed perfect!

Our lead, Kim, goes off to college to learn bright and new things. Suddenly, she's found herself apart of a book club but not just any book club... it reads banned books, which is quite the scandal in South Korea during the 80s. This political true story is an incredible read and I think it's in the perfect format to tell this story.

Reasons why this book is awesome:
1. The cover is wickedly cool and grabbed my attention.
2. Cartoon-y art style that gave it a fun personality.
3. Banned Book Club = super intriguing premise AND ITS A LEGIT THING SO EVEN COOLER.
4. Non-fiction graphic novels/mangas = THE BOMB. Not literally, the cool 80/90s term everybody always used and suddenly didn't use anymore.
5. I always love a good memoir. Graphic novel form is just way cooler.
6. I learned a lot about South Korea from this book and doing a little research about what was going on at the time. BONUS FOR LEARNING!

Overall, this is a truly marvellous story in a great artistic form. I will definitely want to pick up more books by Kim Hyun Sook in the future.

Four out of five stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Iron Circus Comics and Letter Better Publishing Services for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange of an honest review. ( )