From the creators of Banned Book Club comes a young adult graphic novel about unveiling secrets, confessing your crushes, and finding yourself: all in the mountains of South Korea on Christmas Eve.
It's time for the annual winter camp at Anjeon University. A full weekend, deep in the mountains, with no parental supervision. But this is no ordinary getaway. It is 1980s South Korea where the police are always watching and even the slightest bit of self-expression can lead to arrest. Luckily, it's the only night of the year when generations of Koreans had no curfew, no obligations, and no rules: Christmas Eve.
In the snowy mountains, everyone has a different plan for their one night of freedom. Hyun Sook is trying to restart her banned book club but has to hide from a boy she suspects of being a spy. Taehee and Kiwoo are trying to build up the nerve to confess their feelings for one another, while Suji pines after her crush, ready to risk it all and finally tell someone the secret she's been hiding for her entire life.
Acclaimed creators Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada deliver a cinematic, hilarious, and heartfelt story about the universality of growing up, making friends, and falling in love.
Kim Hyun Sook (she/her) was hunted down by the police for reading banned books in 1980s South Korea. Her Freeman Award–winning graphic novel about the experience, Banned Book Club, has now been banned in Florida. Kim is her family name. You can call her Hyun Sook.
Ryan Estrada (he/him) is the Eisner-nominated co-creator of Banned Book Club, No Rules Tonight, Occulted, Learn to Read Korean in 15 Minutes, and the Student Ambassador series. The best thing he's ever done is marry Hyun Sook. His work can be found at ryanestrada.com.
View titles by Kim Hyun Sook
"Teens acutely aware of the threats to freedom of expression in our current era will be absolutely hooked." —Booklist, starred review
"The charming and colorful illustrations capture the trip’s good cheer while also giving weight to the fear that surrounds the students’ daily lives. Sook and Estrada, the team that created Banned Book Club, deliver well-developed characters that have diverse backgrounds and motivations, with a story that includes affirming queer and trans representation. VERDICT An insightful and empowering graphic novel about the complexities of 1980s South Korea, featuring young people’s pursuit of justice and freedom of thought despite the risks." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada continue creatively collaborating to reveal Kim's inspiring experiences in 1980s Korea during a dangerous, totalitarian regime." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Bright, cheerfully cartoonlike drawings contrast with the serious topics, echoing the students’ balancing act as they pursue ordinary interests, such as romance, while protesting the dictatorship...small details—a girl being harassed by police for wearing a too-short skirt, students cautiously walking to school past menacing troops in riot gear—authentically evoke the stark realities of the era. A vivid portrayal of life under a dictatorship that educates and informs." —Kirkus Reviews
"Sleek panels with comedic flourishes add levity and charm to memories, events, and secrets inspired by the author’s personal experiences, bringing to life a night of romance, friendship, and change amid societal unrest and adolescent upheaval." —Publishers Weekly
“A fantastic story of young love, teen drama, and friendship, but also an important look at…living without freedoms under a dictatorship and how government censorship harms kids.” —Book Riot
From the creators of Banned Book Club comes a young adult graphic novel about unveiling secrets, confessing your crushes, and finding yourself: all in the mountains of South Korea on Christmas Eve.
It's time for the annual winter camp at Anjeon University. A full weekend, deep in the mountains, with no parental supervision. But this is no ordinary getaway. It is 1980s South Korea where the police are always watching and even the slightest bit of self-expression can lead to arrest. Luckily, it's the only night of the year when generations of Koreans had no curfew, no obligations, and no rules: Christmas Eve.
In the snowy mountains, everyone has a different plan for their one night of freedom. Hyun Sook is trying to restart her banned book club but has to hide from a boy she suspects of being a spy. Taehee and Kiwoo are trying to build up the nerve to confess their feelings for one another, while Suji pines after her crush, ready to risk it all and finally tell someone the secret she's been hiding for her entire life.
Acclaimed creators Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada deliver a cinematic, hilarious, and heartfelt story about the universality of growing up, making friends, and falling in love.
Creators
Kim Hyun Sook (she/her) was hunted down by the police for reading banned books in 1980s South Korea. Her Freeman Award–winning graphic novel about the experience, Banned Book Club, has now been banned in Florida. Kim is her family name. You can call her Hyun Sook.
Ryan Estrada (he/him) is the Eisner-nominated co-creator of Banned Book Club, No Rules Tonight, Occulted, Learn to Read Korean in 15 Minutes, and the Student Ambassador series. The best thing he's ever done is marry Hyun Sook. His work can be found at ryanestrada.com.
View titles by Kim Hyun Sook
"Teens acutely aware of the threats to freedom of expression in our current era will be absolutely hooked." —Booklist, starred review
"The charming and colorful illustrations capture the trip’s good cheer while also giving weight to the fear that surrounds the students’ daily lives. Sook and Estrada, the team that created Banned Book Club, deliver well-developed characters that have diverse backgrounds and motivations, with a story that includes affirming queer and trans representation. VERDICT An insightful and empowering graphic novel about the complexities of 1980s South Korea, featuring young people’s pursuit of justice and freedom of thought despite the risks." —School Library Journal, starred review
"Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada continue creatively collaborating to reveal Kim's inspiring experiences in 1980s Korea during a dangerous, totalitarian regime." —Shelf Awareness, starred review
"Bright, cheerfully cartoonlike drawings contrast with the serious topics, echoing the students’ balancing act as they pursue ordinary interests, such as romance, while protesting the dictatorship...small details—a girl being harassed by police for wearing a too-short skirt, students cautiously walking to school past menacing troops in riot gear—authentically evoke the stark realities of the era. A vivid portrayal of life under a dictatorship that educates and informs." —Kirkus Reviews
"Sleek panels with comedic flourishes add levity and charm to memories, events, and secrets inspired by the author’s personal experiences, bringing to life a night of romance, friendship, and change amid societal unrest and adolescent upheaval." —Publishers Weekly
“A fantastic story of young love, teen drama, and friendship, but also an important look at…living without freedoms under a dictatorship and how government censorship harms kids.” —Book Riot
