Scan barcode
kimiloughlin's review
3.0
What is most impressive about this book is that it being reissued after 28 years with a new foreward*. I feel like the Young Adult genre has really grown in the last 28 years and so a lot of this book may seem dated but at the time that it came out, it must have been revolutionary! Ellen Sung is a senior at a virtually all white high school in Arkin, Minnesota. Ellen deals with racist classmates, disappointed and demanding Korean immigrant parents, and a tough college decision. Throughout it all, she matures and finds her voice, eventually standing up to her classmates and forming a really supportive group of friends.
Without the foreward, it would hard to place this book in time. Because it came out in 1992 and was set at a similar time, it reads contemporarily which is slightly confusing when reading in 2020. The home phones, plaid get-ups, and paper college applications gave a clue but the timeless themes of a teenager maturing and small town racism (fortunately and unfortunately) made it universal. I found some of Lee's character development pretty simplistic with a lot of her focus on the main character, Ellen. I particularly wanted to see a bit more focus on Ellen's parents. The pacing of the book also felt a little sluggish despite it's short nature.
For the audiobook, the narrator Jaine Ye spoke sooooo slowly that I had to increase the speed to 1.2x (and I'm not someone who usually does that) and it still felt slow to me which I think affected my overall opinion on the book's pacing. Because of her slow cadence, speeding it up actually made her voice sound crackly as if it couldn't go any faster which was annoying as well.
Overall, the story was simple but cute but the audiobook edition wasn't my favorite. The cover is also very pretty!
*Unfortunately, in the advanced reader copy of the audiobook I was given to listen to, the foreward was not recorded yet (or not recorded at all??) and so was not included. I look forward to reading (or listening) to it at a later date.
Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen.
Without the foreward, it would hard to place this book in time. Because it came out in 1992 and was set at a similar time, it reads contemporarily which is slightly confusing when reading in 2020. The home phones, plaid get-ups, and paper college applications gave a clue but the timeless themes of a teenager maturing and small town racism (fortunately and unfortunately) made it universal. I found some of Lee's character development pretty simplistic with a lot of her focus on the main character, Ellen. I particularly wanted to see a bit more focus on Ellen's parents. The pacing of the book also felt a little sluggish despite it's short nature.
For the audiobook, the narrator Jaine Ye spoke sooooo slowly that I had to increase the speed to 1.2x (and I'm not someone who usually does that) and it still felt slow to me which I think affected my overall opinion on the book's pacing. Because of her slow cadence, speeding it up actually made her voice sound crackly as if it couldn't go any faster which was annoying as well.
Overall, the story was simple but cute but the audiobook edition wasn't my favorite. The cover is also very pretty!
*Unfortunately, in the advanced reader copy of the audiobook I was given to listen to, the foreward was not recorded yet (or not recorded at all??) and so was not included. I look forward to reading (or listening) to it at a later date.
Thank you to Recorded Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen.
southernbellebooks's review
5.0
I loved this. Sure, at times it felt a little too transparent and cliche but I think that's what makes it so great. I loved Ellen so much and found her bravery in the face of adversity was admirable. She had taken so many racial jabs on the chin and wore it without complaint until enough was enough and people close to her pointed out what was wrong with what they were saying. It was a feel good story and I can't recommend this book enough.
I listened to it as an audiobook and I loved her. I tend to listen to my audiobooks on faster speed and the narrator annunciated well enough that I never got confused or had to re-listen. Excellent.
I listened to it as an audiobook and I loved her. I tend to listen to my audiobooks on faster speed and the narrator annunciated well enough that I never got confused or had to re-listen. Excellent.
barnes_and_nobles_girl's review
adventurous
slow-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
3.0
fluffily's review
4.75
ahh i loved this book!! it was interesting and i appreciated the asian American female voices heard in this book. i do feel like there could have been lesser tropes as well as a longer ending, but i enjoyed this quick read<3
jessg1014's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
gotathingforthings's review
4.0
Check out my full video review: https://youtu.be/WDXow5TPgIg
Finding My Voice follows Ellen Sung, a 17 year old Korean-American in her last year of high school, trying to keep up with her grades to get into Harvard as well as balancing hanging out with friends and her potential new boyfriend.
I think it is amazing that this book is being rereleased with this new cover so it can find a new audience! I know 30 years is not that long, but I still think it is scary to see the themes and what is happing to Ellen in this book and it is the same themes and events that happens in current YA contemporaries coming out now from Asians authors. It is weird how so little has changed, while at the same time it feels like the whole world has changed. In this book they need to HANG UP the phone physically. And I thought that was both great and weird (not that I’m so young that I never had to hung up a phone before, but you get the point). This book is so relevant to this day, and I think it shows that the market is changing that it is given its second chance! That is great. I really enjoyed Ellen’s story, and I both related to her character while at the same time just enjoying parts of the story that was different from mine. It was cute, fun and short! My biggest problem was the writing, which didn’t flow as much as I wanted it to and made me disconnect from the story several times. However, a solid story and I’m excited for more people to pick it up! 4/5 stars.
Finding My Voice follows Ellen Sung, a 17 year old Korean-American in her last year of high school, trying to keep up with her grades to get into Harvard as well as balancing hanging out with friends and her potential new boyfriend.
I think it is amazing that this book is being rereleased with this new cover so it can find a new audience! I know 30 years is not that long, but I still think it is scary to see the themes and what is happing to Ellen in this book and it is the same themes and events that happens in current YA contemporaries coming out now from Asians authors. It is weird how so little has changed, while at the same time it feels like the whole world has changed. In this book they need to HANG UP the phone physically. And I thought that was both great and weird (not that I’m so young that I never had to hung up a phone before, but you get the point). This book is so relevant to this day, and I think it shows that the market is changing that it is given its second chance! That is great. I really enjoyed Ellen’s story, and I both related to her character while at the same time just enjoying parts of the story that was different from mine. It was cute, fun and short! My biggest problem was the writing, which didn’t flow as much as I wanted it to and made me disconnect from the story several times. However, a solid story and I’m excited for more people to pick it up! 4/5 stars.
pointeshoebookworm's review
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Bullying, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Hate crime and Violence
Minor: Injury/Injury detail and Alcohol
jaygabler's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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? No
5.0
What a simple, affecting story. I can't believe that I hadn't (a) previously read this pioneering YA novel or (b) known it was about growing up in Hibbing, Minnesota! I interviewed the author for the Duluth News Tribune.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Minor: Violence
booktrunks's review
4.0
Synopsis: This book is an own-voices novel originally published in 1992 about Ellen Sung and her experience growing up in an all-white school as the only Asian-American family. We follow Ellen through her last year of high school as she battles school, college applications, romance, and racism.
_________________________________
Thoughts: I have to admit that I didn’t realize this book was originally published in 1992 until about halfway through the book! This is considered to be the first Asian Own Voices novel, and I found it to be a really lovely one. It’s great to see Ellen kind of come into her own, and at the same time it’s a really heartbreaking story. This is a really quick read, and definitely worth it.
_________________________________
Thoughts: I have to admit that I didn’t realize this book was originally published in 1992 until about halfway through the book! This is considered to be the first Asian Own Voices novel, and I found it to be a really lovely one. It’s great to see Ellen kind of come into her own, and at the same time it’s a really heartbreaking story. This is a really quick read, and definitely worth it.
imanewreader's review
4.0
tw/cw - racism, racial issues, parental pressure, bullying
okay. that was important.
it honestly feels like a diary. discussing third culture kids' issues, pressure and fights.
last chapter made me cry.
okay. that was important.
it honestly feels like a diary. discussing third culture kids' issues, pressure and fights.
last chapter made me cry.