Scan barcode
swordjas's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Sexism
akilguru17's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
reflective
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Absolutely formative to my younger self, and on revisiting it for teaching purposes this year, I found it possibly even more packed with meaning. The commentary is evergreen, the mythology is tasteful, and the art is fabulously expressive. The aggressively stereotyped cousin is an example of such imagery being vital to the book's existence, and while it's hard to read, it's completely earned. If this book is being taken up as instructional material in middle and high schools, I can only see this as a good thing.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
maseface's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I'm glad I finally read this book. I'm happy it's now being taught in schools. It's a good way to teach about racism and identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
bookishcb_21's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This graphic novel has been on my TBR list for some time now (after having read “Dragon Hoops” a few years ago) and I’m so happy to have finally picked it up! It will be a Disney+ series this year, so I was thinking this was the right time to pick it up. It follows 3 separate storylines, starting with Jin Wang - he moves to a new neighborhood and is having a hard time fitting in at school/making friends. He does eventually develop a crush on a fellow classmate, but doesn’t know how to approach the situation. The other two storylines eventually start to make sense as the story continues, but I wouldn’t want to give too much away. If you want to find out, you need to pick up this graphic novel for yourself! 📚 I will say the ending was very good, throwing in a plot twist I didn’t see coming and witnessing Jin learn some positive life lessons.
Content Warnings
Minor: Xenophobia, Bullying, and Racism
sleepylit's review against another edition
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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
5.0
One of my favorite books of all time!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
lizard800's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
alyssastellar's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
American Born Chinese is the story of three seemingly-unrelated characters stories. The Monkey King is the all-powerful ruler of Flower Fruit Mountain in an ancient fable. Jin Wang, a Chinese boy (whom I would list as the graphic novel's main character), is new to his neighborhood and the only Chinese-American child at his new school. Chin-Kee, a cousin of Danny, a white boy at Jin Wang's school, and the novel's graphic personification of Chinese stereotypes. In the end, these three stories join together in a way that may surprise you and leave you reflecting on the qualities within yourself that you may find negative.
Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel is most appropriate for students of early elementary school in terms of reading difficulty, but you may want to consider the novel's graphic xenophobia, racial slurs, and bullying when presenting young readers with this text. It may be worth having a personal chat about racism and Chinese culture with your student or child before presenting them with this text or allowing them to run with it alone. For these reasons, I'd suggest guided or instructional reading of this text at ages 7-9, and independent reading at ages 10-14. It is also an enjoyable story though, so if you're older than 14 - have at it!
For me, it was a bit difficult to read through the racial slurs and xenophobia present in Chin-Kee's character, and the moments of bullying in Jin Wang's story. However, this graphic novel was a quick and, at times, hilarious read. It was also one of the only graphic novels that has ever kept my attention, and for that alone, I must praise it. I appreciated the fables in the Monkey King and the exposure to Chinese culture. I also am thankful for Yang's ending in the novel. Without spoiling anything, I think we need more texts like this one.
Gene Luen Yang's graphic novel is most appropriate for students of early elementary school in terms of reading difficulty, but you may want to consider the novel's graphic xenophobia, racial slurs, and bullying when presenting young readers with this text. It may be worth having a personal chat about racism and Chinese culture with your student or child before presenting them with this text or allowing them to run with it alone. For these reasons, I'd suggest guided or instructional reading of this text at ages 7-9, and independent reading at ages 10-14. It is also an enjoyable story though, so if you're older than 14 - have at it!
For me, it was a bit difficult to read through the racial slurs and xenophobia present in Chin-Kee's character, and the moments of bullying in Jin Wang's story. However, this graphic novel was a quick and, at times, hilarious read. It was also one of the only graphic novels that has ever kept my attention, and for that alone, I must praise it. I appreciated the fables in the Monkey King and the exposure to Chinese culture. I also am thankful for Yang's ending in the novel. Without spoiling anything, I think we need more texts like this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
fnreb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, and Xenophobia
ma_bster's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
nannahnannah's review against another edition
4.0
This is a perfect example of how graphic novels are, in fact, real fiction. …I’m actually not sure anyone says that anymore, but if they did, this could be your counterargument!
Representation:
- the main character, his family, and his best friend are Chinese
- the best friend’s girlfriend is Japanese
American Born Chinese is about three seemingly separate stories that come together in the end:
1). Jin Wang is the only Chinese American kid at his school, and all he wants to do is fit in and get the “All-American girl” of his dreams to notice him. Unfortunately what he gets is the attention of bullies, the racist ignorance of his peers and teachers, and an ever-growing feeling of shame.
2). The monkey king is a character from one of the oldest of all Chinese stories: The Journey to the West. He’s a shapeshifter who has mastered all of the disciplines needed to achieve immortality, but he still isn’t satisfied: as the other immortals point out, he’s still a monkey. This won’t do.
3). Danny is a popular white boy whose life is “ruined” by his cousin’s annual visits. His cousin, whose name is “Chin-Kee”, and who is an outright racist caricature of a Chinese person. Every year Danny feels so embarrassed after Chin-Kee’s visits that he needs to change schools.
This graphic novel was one of the more satisfying reads of this year -- and of last year too. I’m white, so it’s hard for me to comment much on the appearance of the literal racist caricature or how he made me feel. Or how he should make anyone else feel. I’m not an immigrant either, so much of the book’s themes weren’t speaking to me as the audience, even though I could relate it to elements of my life.
Even so, I found the book powerful, especially to be talking about a part of the non-white immigrant experience that isn’t talked about much these days in YA literature (the shame, the embarrassment, and the later acceptance rather than JUST the overwhelming pride). (This isn’t me knocking on one of them; both are important)
From an actual novel standpoint, the story is beautifully crafted. While it starts of fairly slow (and a bit confusing: what does this monkey king have to do with Jin Wang in the US?), by the time things pick up and there’s a feeling that these stories aren’t as separate as you previously thought it’s time to give up going to bed. You’re reading till the end. There’s so much to reflect upon after reading too -- little details you didn’t catch about each story but now see after they came together were purposefully added.
This is a hard book to rate/review, but I’ll have to rate it as I enjoyed it and how I felt after the experience.
Representation:
- the main character, his family, and his best friend are Chinese
- the best friend’s girlfriend is Japanese
American Born Chinese is about three seemingly separate stories that come together in the end:
1). Jin Wang is the only Chinese American kid at his school, and all he wants to do is fit in and get the “All-American girl” of his dreams to notice him. Unfortunately what he gets is the attention of bullies, the racist ignorance of his peers and teachers, and an ever-growing feeling of shame.
2). The monkey king is a character from one of the oldest of all Chinese stories: The Journey to the West. He’s a shapeshifter who has mastered all of the disciplines needed to achieve immortality, but he still isn’t satisfied: as the other immortals point out, he’s still a monkey. This won’t do.
3). Danny is a popular white boy whose life is “ruined” by his cousin’s annual visits. His cousin, whose name is “Chin-Kee”, and who is an outright racist caricature of a Chinese person. Every year Danny feels so embarrassed after Chin-Kee’s visits that he needs to change schools.
This graphic novel was one of the more satisfying reads of this year -- and of last year too. I’m white, so it’s hard for me to comment much on the appearance of the literal racist caricature or how he made me feel. Or how he should make anyone else feel. I’m not an immigrant either, so much of the book’s themes weren’t speaking to me as the audience, even though I could relate it to elements of my life.
Even so, I found the book powerful, especially to be talking about a part of the non-white immigrant experience that isn’t talked about much these days in YA literature (the shame, the embarrassment, and the later acceptance rather than JUST the overwhelming pride). (This isn’t me knocking on one of them; both are important)
From an actual novel standpoint, the story is beautifully crafted. While it starts of fairly slow (and a bit confusing: what does this monkey king have to do with Jin Wang in the US?), by the time things pick up and there’s a feeling that these stories aren’t as separate as you previously thought it’s time to give up going to bed. You’re reading till the end. There’s so much to reflect upon after reading too -- little details you didn’t catch about each story but now see after they came together were purposefully added.
This is a hard book to rate/review, but I’ll have to rate it as I enjoyed it and how I felt after the experience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Antisemitism
re: racism - in particular racist caricatures & racist imagery, proceed with caution