Official Review: The Vanished by Pejay Bradley

María Andrea Fernández Sepúlveda · 01 Jan 2021, 12:57

Anyone interested in Asian history will love Bradley’s offering. The writing evokes the rich setting, the tragedy of the events that transpired, and the depth of the characters’ experiences and feelings. There are several quotable portions, such as this incisive remark from Lady Sougyon: “There are two things in life that people want to hide but never succeed — ignorance and poverty.” These instructions given to Embon and his friends right before a crucial mission sent shivers down my spine: “Don’t get captured alive. If you think you might be, then shoot, shoot as many of them as you can. But save one last bullet for yourself.”

Those are two very powerful quotes. And I liked how you broached the subject of freedom not just from a sociopolitical point of view, but even regarding the position of women in society. You wrote an enthralling review! Congratulations!

Alice Ngugi · Post by **Alice Ngugi** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:00

It is quite unfortunate that this book failed to score perfectly due to lack of perfecting the lovers characters. Nice review

Suzer6440 xyz · Post by **Suzer6440 xyz** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:05

Unfortunately this is not a book I will be reading. Asian history and the Korean War are subjects that do not peak my interest. On the flip side- I thought the review was well thought and and very detailed . Congrats on the BOTD

Suzer6440 xyz · Post by **Suzer6440 xyz** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:08

Unfortunately this is not a book I will be reading. Asian history and the Korean War are subjects that do not peak my interest. On the flip side- I thought the review was well thought and and very detailed . Congrats on the BOTD

PeterRabitt20 · Post by **PeterRabitt20** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:29

I look forward to reading this book because it sounds like it contains so much of the Korean culture. Your review was wonderful.

Post by **Wayne Njoroge** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:30

The book borrows from the history of the Asian culture; to offer a fascinating political drama novel that portrays the drama within dynasties, planned marriages, and conquest.

DANAWEB · Post by **DANAWEB** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:39

This may not be one of my most favourite genre. Therefore, I will skip this for the time being. Nevertherless, your review is very engaging and informative. I enjoyed it a lot!

monicamu · Post by **monicamu** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:41

This sounds like an extremely interesting read. The detailed and thoughtful review makes me want to read it just to see if I agree with the reviewer's thoughts on the ending.

Chigo Nwagboso · Post by **Chigo Nwagboso** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:44

Thanks for a detailed review. I think I'll skip this one because I don't like history.

Lucille27 · Post by **Lucille27** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:46

I am really interesting in the questions this book proposes and how it does so. However, I am afraid of the cultural distance between cultures. I hope to like this book. I'm eager to see how it turns out. Thanks for your review, it was very enticing.

Bles · Post by **Bles** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:48

The Vanished by Pejay Bradley seems like a great read. I'm a lover of historical but I will skip this book for today. Congratulations on the BOTD. Great review!

Sonya Nicolaidis · Post by **Sonya Nicolaidis** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:51

Lovers of historical fiction with a strong foundation in truth will love this book. Although I am a fan of this genre, Asian history has never been of much interest, and I am not sure that this story will hold my attention for very long. Many thanks for your outstanding review, though. Your comments and impressions were much appreciated.

Tim Terry · Post by **Tim Terry** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:52

The story of Embon, and Korea, at the turn of the last century from the previous one, sounds very compelling and historically interesting. I enjoy accurate historical detail and facts so I will certainly enjoy this book. Unfortunately, if one is accurate with history and facts, then certain nations who committed atrocities will look bad. This does not mean that they are necessarily so today, however, this should be seen as a lesson, not only concerning the rapid rise in power of China, but also judgements of European countries for historical so-called atrocities from colonialism. Books like this deserve to be read by a wide modern audience and perhaps history won't repeat itself unnecessarily. An interesting review to read with lots of detail.

MsTri · Post by **MsTri** » 01 Jan 2021, 13:58

I'm sorry , but I don't like historical fiction on the best of days, and I definitely don't want to be "plunged into the sociohistorical landscape of Korea at the turn of the 20th century", so this book's a 'no' for me.

Odette Chace · Post by **Odette Chace** » 01 Jan 2021, 14:04

I'm disappointed to learn that the rest of the book doesn't carry on in the first-person. That would make the reading experience quite jarring. I really enjoyed the portion that I sampled, though, so I will try to carry on with it. Thank you for a beautifully written review!