Penguin Random House was kind enough to send out a proof copy of Star of the North to me, and asked me to provide an honest review. The cover shown in the image above is a proof copy only.

Star of the North is a page-turning, fast paced novel unlike anything I’ve read before. This timely thriller delves into the alarming reality of life in one of the world’s most feared states, and the truth is terrifying. What is perhaps most alarming is that much of what takes place in the story is based on fact. It seems that so much about North Korea is actually stranger than fiction.

The book provides insight into the daily lives of people living in North Korea; a hereditary Marxist monarchy whose people are basically trapped away and hidden from the outside world. D.B. John’s writing explores how, from a young age, these people are brainwashed and controlled, often through starvation, in order to make them believe that they live in freedom.

The novel begins in 1998, with the kidnapping of a Korean American teenager who is taken from a beach in South Korea by North Korean operatives. Her story is then woven together with several other narrative threads.

In one, we meet a North Korean peasant woman who does what she can to survive life within the world’s most deadly state. Mrs Moon lives and works on a penal farm high up in the mountains of North Korea, and is a really interesting character that I immediately liked. She is a strong female who fights for what is right and provides for others in need as much as she can, even despite her own old age and difficult circumstances.

Twelve years after the incident on a beach in South Korea, we are transported to Washington DC, where we are introduced to the kidnapped teen’s twin, Jenna Williams. She is still searching for her sister. Eventually, Jenna ends up on the radar of the CIA and is approached to collaborate with them. She is instantly drawn to the possibilities that her sister may still be alive in North Korea, and decides she will do absolutely anything to rescue her and bring her sister, Soo-min, home alive. However, doing so will not be easy, and soon Jenna finds herself undertaking a high-risk mission into the heart of the regime.

The third character explored is the high-ranking North Korean official Cho, who compared to the peasants barely surviving in the State, appears to lead a charmed and very comfortable life within the inner-circle of the North Korean operatives. In time, however, it becomes clear that things are not necessarily what they seem, and life changes greatly for Cho as the plot thickens.

As things progress, the novel moves back and forth from one character to the next, breaking each plot line into chapters which move between Jenna, based in Washington DC, and the separate stories of Cho and Mrs Moon, who both reside in North Korea.
Jenna was probably my favourite character, as she was so determined, brave, cunning and intelligent. Many times in the book she puts herself in serious danger during her lifelong search for her twin sister, who she simply will not give up on finding. She is a fantastic heroin that you can really route for in her mission to rescue Soo-min; a woman who has already been through so much and been treated so appallingly. The pacing is perfect, and there are twists around every corner to keep you enthralled and dying to read on. I loved the conclusion, but was also very sad to reach the end of this story. From the moment I started reading, I just could not put this book down and so it’s going to be tough for me to decide what to read next. Following such an enjoyable read it will not be easy.

Ultimately, at the heart of this fantastic thriller is a story about three people at different removes from the regime. All three of their lives connect in unpredictable ways, and in reaching this connection many shocking secrets are exposed about the Kim state.

The novel is revelatory, insightful and undoubtedly timely. This exciting and thought-provoking read seems incredibly relevant and up-to-date regarding what is going on in the world right now. I am giving Star of the North a thoroughly well-deserved rating of five stars, because I found it extremely compelling, entertaining and readable. D.B. John has succeeded in writing an addictive, explosive thriller that you absolutely must read.