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nighttgarden's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
4.75
I related to Junie a little. Maybe it's cause my name is Juniper. But she was really relatable when <SPOILER>she thought about killing herself.<SPOILER>
Anyways, it's a beautiful book and is educational (in the story and real sense) about the The Korean War.
Anyways, it's a beautiful book and is educational (in the story and real sense) about the The Korean War.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation, Abandonment, Death of parent, War, Violence, Xenophobia, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Murder
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders
caroreads22's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
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? It's complicated
4.0
A painful but beautiful story. Oh does a great job of portraying complex histories and modern issues in an accessibly way for YA readers. I especially appreciated the family relationships, which showed a dynamic I don't often see in YA lit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Xenophobia, Abandonment, and Violence
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Hate crime
pika_chuu's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
5.0
Cried so much while reading. My heart really ached reading this. A must read. Hits a lot of heavy topics in a great way <3 Such a great middle grade book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, War, Racial slurs, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death and Physical abuse
Minor: Torture and Hate crime
library_kb's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
medium-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? No
4.0
There is a lot going on in this story--a current day story dealing with racist incidents at a middle school and bullying, two different experiences of the Korean War, loss of a family member, grief, and depression--but each aspect is carefully and considerately done. I liked the framework of the family history project to tie the threads together. The one thing I wish had happened was that the grandparents' stories were told in first person rather than in third. However, this is minor in comparison with all of the important things this book portrays. I have not read many books which portray middle schoolers dealing with depression, even though there are many who do share that experience and need to see themselves on the page.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and War
tania_mybookishsecret's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Racism, War, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Islamophobia and Death
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, Bullying, Hate crime, Mental illness, Violence, War, Abandonment, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Death
hellodarlinggirl's review against another edition
Too sad, I had to stop before the first family member died in present day. I found the war sickening, but bearable but that hit to close to home. as it hit too close to home with what is happening now in my life. Someday I sincerely hope I am able to finish it, great book otherwise.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying
jackelz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
How can we protect our children from the horrors of the world? And people wonder why I don’t want kids.
Junie Kim faces racism at school and she must decide whether she will stay silent or speak out.
She also learns of her family history and the struggles they faced in Korea during the war; her grandfather’s compassion and her grandmother’s determination were so inspiring. I love how Junie found the strength and courage she needed by sharing their stories.
"Instead of seeing us as these horrible words, see us as people."
This was a tough one; I took it slow and had to take breaks to digest the content. But I do highly recommend reading it, because reading about experiences that are vastly different than our own is how we learn.
Themes: current political climate, the Korean War, mental health, friendship, family, grief, resilience
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Death and War
boardgamegal's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War
bronsonmh's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-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? Yes
5.0
I thought this was a very powerful middle grade novel. Junie is such a great main character. She is a young girl who loves her family, but also suffers from anxiety and depression privately for awhile until she gets help. It is all because of the bullying and racism she faces at school. When she gets an assignment for school to do an oral history project she decides to make a video interview with her grandparents who were both children in the Korean War and how each of them experienced something similar and something different. During this time she helps her friends put something together to teach their fellow students about racism and how it is bad. I like how the author intertwined Junie's story and her grandparents. I think this book is something both middle graders, young adults, and adults should read. If middle schoolers read this I think they should read it with their parents so that there can be an open discussion about everything that happens in the book. From racism, mental health, to the Korean War. I listened this via audiobook and thought it was great.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying
Moderate: War, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Death, and Grief