Talia's Reviews > The Naked Tree

While I appreciated the perspective of Kyeonga and seeing how war affects her daily life, I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I have not read the original text so I can't really speak to the translation of the graphic novel.

The things I enjoyed were Kyeonga's observations of soldiers and coworkers at the PX, the painful relationship with her mother, and her crush on Ok Huido. The context of this story is really everything, very little actually takes place in the plot. Maybe I was expecting some more action or maybe it was the bleak subject matter, but I felt a little empty after finishing this book. The stark art style of the book contributed to this feeling (I saw another reviewer call it "hollow" which I feel is a good descriptor). The illustrations of others' faces seem to reflect how Kyeonga felt about them, but Kyeonga's own face seemed flat through most of the book. Maybe this indicates that she feels unable to express herself fully due to her surroundings, but I think it took away from her relatability.