Bloody Seoul

May 27, 2019
Rocky, 16, the emotionally scarred son of a powerful crime boss in Seoul, comes of age in the shadow of gang violence. Abandoned by but devoted to his substance-abusing mother and increasingly suspicious of his brutal father (rumored to have broken the gang’s honor code by torturing competitors excessively), Rocky tries to exert control by bullying and extorting his fellow students. Yet Rocky is full of contradictions—he’s a high academic performer who loves Italian opera and ancient art as much as wielding his knife. Troubled by and sometimes on the receiving end of his father’s despotic leadership style, Rocky grapples with the hurt he has inflicted and attempts to escape from a history of violence while uncovering his family’s painful past. Patel (Jaya and Rasa: A Love Story) presents the sights and sounds of Seoul accurately, though Rocky’s inner dialogue is indistinguishable from an American teenager’s, making the Korean setting feel superimposed. Secondary characters exist in broad caricature, with personalities and sordid secrets reminiscent of daytime television, and violent scenes portray physical and emotional harm that may be intense for the stated age range. But Patel’s choppy, terse sentences reflect Rocky’s precarious emotional state and compulsive behavior, which are explored alongside themes of redemption, self-discovery, and generational trauma. Ages 12–up.

June 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Rocky's an aspiring gangster living in Seoul. His father's the creator and big boss of the Three Star Pa, a major gang that runs their city. Rocky's reaped many benefits from his father's role and has his own loyal gang prepping to take over as the next generation of the Three Star Pa. The novel follows Rocky through his meanderings, both literally and figuratively, as the story is told from his perspective and mostly within his own head. He spends a lot of time walking through his city and in and out of memories, many of which are about his childhood and his mother, who left when he was young. These memories begin to fold into his present and cause him to reevaluate his life. Rocky's rough exterior hides a pain that runs deep. He hurts people while experiencing the same from his father. He is especially brutal to Ha-na, a student at his school, whom he tortures for pleasure until he fears it will break her. This book is not without violence including severe bullying, gang torture, and self-mutilation that may be difficult for some readers. Patel's language is beautifully descriptive and filled with introspection, and she includes detailed, vivid accounts of the city's landscape and food. This is a heartrending tale about the trauma and pain people carry and impose onto others. VERDICT Readers who follow Rocky's inner dialogue and forays through memory will be rewarded with an evocative read.-Kristyn Dorfman, The Nightingale-Bamford School, New York City

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2019
Sixteen-year-old Rocky is the son of one of Seoul's most powerful crime bosses. Not yet old enough to join his father's organization, he runs his own high school gang, terrorizing and bullying the kids at school, until he begins to see the truth of who his father really is. Rocky initially longs to join his father in the Three Star Pa gang's glamorous world of power, danger, and luxury, but when he starts to recognize his father's moral bankruptcy, he begins to question all his assumptions. As his eyes open to his father's alcoholism and dark moods, Rocky unearths memories of his loving mother, who disappeared 10 years earlier. He discovers ugly truths about his parents' relationship and his mother's disappearance and starts digging deeper. Patel's (Jaya and Rasa, 2017, etc.) staccato first-person prose, liberally interspersed with flashback scenes and gratuitous similes, creates an emotional distance for readers. Rocky's personal transformation from brutal bully to lovesick teen may also feel a bit too pat to be entirely realistic, exemplified by his 180-degree change of heart toward the Indian-Korean girl he had been tormenting at school. Rocky's friendships with his gang members, who turn out to be the steadying foundation for his new life, are the strongest element of his journey. Readers who are drawn to the darker side of Korean pop culture will enjoy this archetypal, yet solid, redemption story. (Fiction. 13-18)

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May 15, 2019
Grades 9-12 Rocky knows that one day he will lead Three Star Pa, his father's infamous Seoul gang. With his Older Uncle dead, his Younger Uncle banished, and his mom having left him and his father, Rocky has little interest outside of his future with the gang. He spends his days bullying people in and out of school, especially a girl named Ha-na, who takes the brunt of Rocky's malice. As Rocky digs into the truth of what really happened to his mother?and why?he begins to see his father's true, violent nature. He realizes that gang life might not be what he wants and, with the help of Younger Uncle, attempts to fix his mistakes, no matter the cost. The spare writing style makes this a quick, engrossing read. Some of the action?especially that geared toward Ha-na?depicts the brutal nature of bullying and its effects as Rocky struggles with the cruel compulsions of his daily life. A powerful story about family, redemption, and finding out who you really are.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)