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Review: The Other Side of Tomorrow

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The Other Side of Tomorrow
Written by Tina Cho
Illustrated by Deb JJ Lee
New York: HarperAlley, 2024. Comics. 

It has been two years since Yunho's mother left North Korea to look for food and work in China. Now 10-years-old, Yunho misses his mother all the time as he's forced to scavenge for iron to sell in order to feed his halmoni. Across town, 11-year-old Myunghee sells vegetables on the street to keep her and her great-aunt alive. Yunho and Myunghee's paths cross at the public execution of Yunho's uncle -- and later that night the two kids separately cross the border illegally from North Korea into China. Yunho reconnects with his omma, and Myunghee is sold into slavery. After a month, Myunghee manages to escape and she crosses paths with Yunho on the street in China -- a moment that entangles their futures. Safety in China is precarious for Myunghee, Yunho, and Yunho's omma -- a stranger in China could turn them over to the North Korean authorities and collect a bounty at any moment -- so the three begin a dangerous journey on the Asian Underground Railroad away from China and to safety.

This graphic novel is unmissable. Yunho and Myunghee's story is filled with excitement, danger, tragedy, and hope. The dual-perspective narrative does a good job of relating the apprehension the two kids have to each other, and it reveals the secrets they are keeping from one another. Deb JJ Lee's illustrations are truly remarkable -- with muted tones, sharp outlines, and dramatic lights and shadows. This is a refined story about a gripping real-life situation that many kids may be surprised to learn exists. 
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