Really interesting novel! Some of it was a little far fetched and rang a bit like "American saviour" type trope. Other than that, it was super fast paced and enjoyable. I hope there will be more to read about Mrs. Moon in the future... she was amazingly well written and complex.

Really good thriller

One of my favorite books that I've read recently: felt like it combined a lot of my favorite genres in a refreshing, compelling way. North Korea! Political-ish thriller! CIA and diplomatic drama! Worthwhile and relevant to read before or after: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea.

This book has been, for me, one of the best books that I have read in recent years. It is set primarily in North Korea during the reign of Kim Jong-Il, and centres around three protagonists whose stories run parallel before converging in an enthralling and exciting way.

I hope the author is planning a sequel because there is definitely more to be written!

It’s a page turner and one that I did not want to put down! If you read nothing else this year, read this. You won’t regret it!

Tout d'abord, il est important de noter en préambule que mon intérêt pour les Corée n'est pas à faire. Et après des années à être obnubilée par leurs histoires, leurs langues, je reste toujours aussi secouée en lisant sur la Corée du Nord. L'Etoile du Nord est tout sauf une exception.

L'auteur nous embarque dans un suspense bien ficelé, des intrigues consistantes, des personnages attachants, attendrissants, compréhensibles aussi. Et plus que tout, une Corée du Nord effrayante. De par sa politique, sa police, ses camps, mais plus que tout, par sa justesse. Pas de haine injustifiée, de clichés, juste des personnes qui s'adaptent et survivent, dans un monde empli de culte de la personnalité.

De plus, il est à relever que ce livre est hautement addictif, et ce particulièrement puisque le changement régulier de point de vue permet de maintenir le rythme sans une seule pause.

Enfin, je me dois de laisser une remarque quant aux notes de l'auteur. En bonne passionnée, je n'ai pu qu'apprécier les sources, les explications supplémentaires... Et pour n'importe quel lecteur, elles sont le parfait moyen de finir marqué par ce livre ne serait-ce qu'en se rendant compte que les événements sont basés sur des faits réels.

This is one of the best novels I’ve read this year. I absolutely loved everything about it—from the mix of realism and fiction, the disparate stories of the three main characters, and all the wild little plots working in the background. In the past, I’ve been mostly disappointed by fiction I’ve read about North Korea, and it was so wonderful to finally find a book that was not only intensely readable (at some points I had to force myself to put it down), but very well written. I’m not usually a fan of books that switch perspectives, but I found I really liked the three main characters here. While they each represented certain a class, they were by no means caricatures. They each had such well-constructed worlds around them and I loved taking in all the details. I also really liked how this author set the story in the recent past; it was surprising and exciting for me to be able to recognize certain real-world characters and events. (Even more exciting when I assumed certain things were complete fiction only to look them up and realize they were actually real!) As for the liberties the author took with certain facts, I think they panned out rather well, and didn’t take away from the story for me. I am really looking forward to reading this author’s other work. If he chooses to write a sequel to Star of the North (which it looks like he is), I’m completely on board. I loved the book as a stand-alone novel, but I definitely would not say no to reading more.

Excellent story and well researched!

Wow. I feel emotionally drained after that rollercoaster of a book - certainly one of the best (if not the very best) books I've read this year. I think because of it's similarity to defector memoirs, it feels real, but the narrative is propelled by twists and suspense used to make the story more gripping and recognisable as a work of fiction. I really liked all of the main characters that were in this book (although Jenna was a bit bland), and so was heartbroken so many times. The ending was also perfect, in my honest opinion but I don't want to spoil anything... highly recommend!♡

With amazing timing this book is published just as Kim Jong Un makes his visit to South Korea. A fascinating book that provides stunning insight into the hidden forbidden country that is North Korea.
Brilliantly written this book is complex but the entwining stories keep you hooked