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pilateschick's review against another edition
3.0
Not the proudest era in American History. The premise gets 5 stars, but the writing could have been more exciting. A very sweet book, nonetheless. I would recommend it, especially to anyone unfamiliar with Japanese internment camps. Anyone from here in Utah should look deeper and learn about the camp at Topaz.
randiyo's review against another edition
5.0
So many people complained about the inaccuracies of 1986, however, I did not find these issues to be plaguing or to detract from the overall story at all. Sure, Jamie's editor probably should have caught the fact that the Internet didn't exist in 1986. However, the story of Henry and Henry's friend Keiko in Seattle in World War 2 was a fantastic story of friendship. It's one of the most satisfying books I've read recently. Ignore the small stuff and get sucked into the story.
bridgetisrad's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
4.0
mitskacir's review against another edition
2.0
Listened to this on Audible - had to listen at 2x speed because it was such a slow moving story. The author hasn't mastered the "show don't tell" trick and I found nothing charming in the writing style. I got the sense that this was a book about Asian people written for white people (many cultural/historical aspects were over explained, and character's dialogue/actions often seemed performative).
karensbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Denne boken er helt fantastisk! Den griper deg i nesen og drar deg inn i historien, og du kommer ikke ut før du er ferdig med boken.
Boken skifter mellom nåtid og fortid, på en så elegant og fengende måte at du aldri mister den røde tråden. Men det som var kjipt, var at jeg alltid ble skuffet når de skiftet til nåtid, siden da var boken minst spennende. Fortiden hans var veldig interessant og jeg gledet meg alltid til å lese mer, og få vite om hemmelighetene hans. Mange av dem kom som et sjokk, akkurat slik som jeg liker det ^^
Den er skrevet i 3.persons synsvinkel, og vi får vite hva Henry tenker og føler og det er han vi følger hele veien. Selv om hans tanker kan bli litt kjedelig i lengden. Det å få vite om jentes tanker ville vært veldig gøy.
Jeg liker veldig godt alle karakterene, de er så fargerike og fulle av liv. Historien er vakker, men trist. Det var perioder der jeg kjente at hjerte mitt knuste.
Men jeg liker bøker med action, og det manglet denne boken. Det var en vakker kjærlighetshistorie, men ikke noe spenning så boken får 4. Stjerner fra meg.
Boken skifter mellom nåtid og fortid, på en så elegant og fengende måte at du aldri mister den røde tråden. Men det som var kjipt, var at jeg alltid ble skuffet når de skiftet til nåtid, siden da var boken minst spennende. Fortiden hans var veldig interessant og jeg gledet meg alltid til å lese mer, og få vite om hemmelighetene hans. Mange av dem kom som et sjokk, akkurat slik som jeg liker det ^^
Den er skrevet i 3.persons synsvinkel, og vi får vite hva Henry tenker og føler og det er han vi følger hele veien. Selv om hans tanker kan bli litt kjedelig i lengden. Det å få vite om jentes tanker ville vært veldig gøy.
Jeg liker veldig godt alle karakterene, de er så fargerike og fulle av liv. Historien er vakker, men trist. Det var perioder der jeg kjente at hjerte mitt knuste.
Men jeg liker bøker med action, og det manglet denne boken. Det var en vakker kjærlighetshistorie, men ikke noe spenning så boken får 4. Stjerner fra meg.
kimmaloo's review against another edition
4.0
Reminded me of stories that my grandmother told me about the Japanese internment and how her friends were taken away during that time period.
katiegilley's review against another edition
4.0
“I had my chance.’ He said it, retiring from a lifetime of wanting. ‘I had my chance, and sometimes in life, there are no second chances. You look at what you have, not what you miss, and you move forward.”
This was a lovely little escape about a sliver of life during WWII that I haven’t explored. Henry is a Chinese-American living in Seattle after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He meets a young Japanese-American girl, Keiko, at school and they become fast friends. Through Henry’s eyes, we see the treatment Japanese-Americans endured during the war and how it spilled over to all Asian Americans. Despite their different settings and time periods, this book reminded me a lot of The Stationery Shop, which I also loved!
This book rekindled my interest in several areas: Asian tea culture (which I realize is a vast topic), books about the Asian American experience during WWII, books set in the Pacific Northwest, and cooking Japanese and Chinese food. It set my imagination on fire!
This was a lovely little escape about a sliver of life during WWII that I haven’t explored. Henry is a Chinese-American living in Seattle after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. He meets a young Japanese-American girl, Keiko, at school and they become fast friends. Through Henry’s eyes, we see the treatment Japanese-Americans endured during the war and how it spilled over to all Asian Americans. Despite their different settings and time periods, this book reminded me a lot of The Stationery Shop, which I also loved!
This book rekindled my interest in several areas: Asian tea culture (which I realize is a vast topic), books about the Asian American experience during WWII, books set in the Pacific Northwest, and cooking Japanese and Chinese food. It set my imagination on fire!
carlyxdeexx's review against another edition
4.0
As much as this book essentially unfolded as I’d expected it to, I enjoyed reading it, and following Henry back and forth between his time as a young boy becoming a young man and his life as a father watching his own grown son choose his future. The writing was never too saccharine for me—I appreciated the book’s tone, very matter-of-fact and honest. Henry’s youth occurred during Japanese internment, and this book explores this occurrence and World War II, shedding light on the nuances of racism and oppression. I particularly liked the theme of family ties and influence in this book, seeing Henry’s father in him, watching Henry seeing himself in his own son. Henry’s parents versus Henry as a parent. Families living uniquely. Always a topic I find engaging,
bookturtle5's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0