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abbeyhar103's review against another edition
3.0
This guy is more of a 3.5 star rating. I liked it much more than I thought I would, actually. Read it for my book club this month, and this is an example of why I love book club so much - I read many books that I wouldn't otherwise be interested in - and end up enjoying them. This would be a great book for a middle school or early high school english class to read.
booksconnectus's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of the best books I've read in a long time.....made me so thankful for what I have...made me want my kids to read it....I think it should be required reading for every teen in high school. I will give it to my daughter to read and I'd like to see our teen book club read it. Our children take their education and thier entire lives for granted-and so do us adults. This book will make you re-think it all...it touches on so many things relevant to all our lives-immigration, poverty, education, family loyalty...a huge reminder to treat others with kindness even if they are different from us and a lesson for us-whether you be an adult, child, teacher, librarian or store clerk- to keep in mind that we have no idea what others are going through and that just by offering a little kindness instead of indifference-or down-right rudeness or meanness-you could change a life, or at the very least add a ray of sunshine. Perhaps reading this book will open a heart or two. Maybe a few will look at others that they meet who are different than they are with new eyes-see them as people just like themselves and maybe even open a path to friendship and understanding. It's a hopeful book.
shellsywellsy's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I loved the depictions of this book, but by 2/3 of the way through I realized there wasn’t really any plot except for the fact I knew Kim would succeed. I hated the ending—it just felt so….trite I guess? Really predictable. I don’t know if the characters were at all like able. Kind of fell into the trope of Asian “model minority”. I thought I’d like this book more but ultimately it fell flat for me.
iris_lu's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eggbeater's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
It hurt to read about the struggles of a mother and daughter who come to the U.S. from Hong Kong and wind up in a sweat shop. They suffer so much injustice in silence. I have to wonder how often that really happens. It also makes me question where my clothes are coming from. I respected Kimberly's choices. It was a sad book, but it was good.
rachelellyn's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this peek into an immigrant's life and struggles here in America. Kim's voice at first in very broken English, gets stronger and stronger as she grows, yet her deep Chinese values define her.
apol27's review against another edition
amazing book and great bookclub discussion!
cemoses's review against another edition
5.0
This book was much better than I expected. It is a modern tough immigration to America story which I did not think happened so much in the nineteen seventies with more social programs.
michelleloretta's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this- super interesting story about a Chinese girl who immigrated in the 80s with her mom to Brooklyn and works her a** off in school to finally get them out of the sweat shop life (fiction- but based in very real experiences). The writing was a little flat- but the story was fascinating. Hard to believe people live like this.