Perpetrator-Victim-Observer,
"A Terrible Prank," a youth novel that depicts school violence from each perspective.
School violence is a constant social issue.
Perhaps because of this, there are many youth novels that deal with school violence.
However, there are only books that contain the story of one person, such as the victim or the perpetrator, like 『A Wicked Joke』, a victim, a perpetrator, and an observer.
There was no book that captured the psychology of three people from an even perspective.
"A Terrible Prank" has been consistently loved by readers, receiving praise for accurately showing the reality of school violence.
It was revised and published as the 25th book in the Viva Vivo series of youth literature.

Excellent composition, excellent psychological portrayal!
The greatest appeal of this book is that the reader comes to understand the perpetrator Kang-min, the victim Jun-seo, and the observer Seong-won.
Kang-min, who was bullied in elementary school and believes that strength is the only way to protect himself; Jun-seo, who wants to be a cool guy and becomes Kang-min's subordinate because he looks cool; and Seong-won, who turns a blind eye to bullying in his class for fear of becoming a victim himself.
These three children are conscious of the crowd (the children in their class), and fiercely defend themselves in their own way, trying to adapt to school life.

Looking at the three children, readers realize that no one can judge that one is at fault, and that, depending on the situation and environment, we too can become Kang-min, Jun-seo, and Seong-won at any time.
In the process, they feel a sense of guilt that no one can be free from what happens in the 'same class', and they become troubled and conflicted.
Without embellishing, but with vivid reality, "What would you have done?" is constantly asked from the perspectives of three people, "A Terrible Prank" makes us look seriously at bullying and school violence, and informs us that the answer lies with the reader.

The power of this book, which gives the reader a sense of responsibility, is due to the structure that looks at the situation from the perspectives of each child, in order: the victim Junseo, the perpetrator Kangmin, and the observer Seongwon, as well as the persistent and delicate psychological description that does not miss even the characters' every breath, glance, or touch.
Here, through wrestling matches and the wrestlers the main characters like, the issues of violence are symbolically represented as strength, justice, and the fight against oneself, allowing readers to view bullying and school violence from a more objective perspective.
As one reader's recommendation said, "A Terrible Prank" is a valuable work that can provide hope in the face of school violence.


A young adult novel that offers the essence of catharsis through relatable characters.
The reason readers like this work is because it gives them a refreshing feeling of pleasure.
The class president who sends an anonymous note to the homeroom teacher asking for help, the kids who hate Kangmin's gang and don't want to see them bully Junseo, the kids who feel sorry for Junseo but can't say anything in front of Kangmin.
Although the children in the book appear briefly as extras, they are the characters who most closely resemble the readers of the book, and thus evoke great empathy.

The children in the class show subtle psychological changes as they see Hyejin, who is bullied but does not cower in front of the bully Kangmin and secretly takes care of the victim Junseo.
Meanwhile, Hyejin starts yelling at Kangmin, who is being abusive, and when Kangmin tries to hit Hyejin in response, Seongwon stops him.
In a tense situation, the class president quickly takes control of the situation, but Kang-min, the bully, feels a growing sense of crisis as the classmates cheer for Hye-jin and Seong-won and hope that the bullying problem will be resolved.
The novel takes a dramatic turn when Junseo, determined to live with a friend who cares about him more than anything else, speaks his mind to Kangmin for the first time.

Looking at Hyejin, the kids in the class think of Seongwon, looking at the kids in the class think of Junseo.
Readers get great joy from seeing them change little by little in each other.
Additionally, by seeing the refreshing and exhilarating ending of 'accomplishing together' what could not have been done alone, you will learn a positive sense of community and gain the courage and strength to actively change things around you rather than just being a bystander to the wrongs that happen.