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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
what a gorgeous and unique memoir. it’s rare that i read graphic novels (and i wish i could remember where i found out about this one), but i’m so glad i decided to read the best we could do. both a heartfelt exploration of generational trauma and an enlightening look at vietnam’s history in the years leading up to independence, i am (perhaps naively) surprised at how much a memoir in illustrated form has been able to teach me and make me feel.
✧ full review on my tumblr ✧
✧ full review on my tumblr ✧
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Similar to Family Style, this graphic novel covers the author's Vietnamese family immigrating to the U.S. Where the stories divert is how much of the parents' history, as well as Vietnam's history, is discussed. The Best We Could Do carries the broken recollection of growing up in Vietnam between 1943 and the late 1970s, also know as the time of World War II and the Vietnam War. Between the complications of political groups and French occupation, the parents' journeys will fill your heart with lead, making their arrival in the U.S., and survival, seem more and more miraculous.
While there is a lot to unpack in the story (especially the historical content), the intertwining narratives chronological order doesn't make the story and facts easier to retain.
I enjoyed the use of watercoloring orange throughout the panels' black and white demeanor. I felt as though the orange emitted warmth, weariness, and anxiety when weaved into the scene. This complemented the story's theme of survival nicely.
While there is a lot to unpack in the story (especially the historical content), the intertwining narratives chronological order doesn't make the story and facts easier to retain.
I enjoyed the use of watercoloring orange throughout the panels' black and white demeanor. I felt as though the orange emitted warmth, weariness, and anxiety when weaved into the scene. This complemented the story's theme of survival nicely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, War
Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Grief
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
I don't often read memoirs, but I thought the premise was interesting enough to break my habit.
I loved getting a perspective of the conflict in Vietnam and Thi Bui's family's journey as refugees.
I will come back and write more.
I loved getting a perspective of the conflict in Vietnam and Thi Bui's family's journey as refugees.
I will come back and write more.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
This is beautifully written. A very poignant story of how her family escaped Vietnam and her life today as an adult. The artwork is beautiful and the writing is powerful. This is probably the second graphic novel i have read and i really liked this one. It made me feel so many emotions (hope, loss, sorrow, fear). I would recommend this one!
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review.
This is what I expected: An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui. In the end those expectations came true, but it took quite a long time for that to be fulfilled. I almost thought it wouldn't happen.
Well this turned out to be better than it was in the beginning. As soon as the stories about Vietnam really took flight, and we saw their journey out of Vietnam it started to get better and better. Still I won't rate this high because I was bored for at least 1/3 of the story.
And really, one birth is more than enough for me, I don't need to see x numbers of gruesome labours. I know it was needed to tell the whole family history, but really. Eventually I started to think the births would just continue all the time.
Also everything was just so mixed together, I am sure it is supposed to make sense, but it was jarring for me to see how we went from present, past, past, present, semi-present, past again and then it stayed past. I know she is interviewing her parents, but still it was a bit jarring.
I didn't quite like the parents, with how they treated their kids (especially when they had boyfriends, I know different values and ideas, but really it just made me want to scream at my screen) nor did I quite approve of the dad's way of raising his kids, if you would call it that. There is something highly wrong if one of your kids hides in a closet for hours, holds his bowels so he doesn't have to poop/pee. And then the other kid is learning all about supernatural stuff and disturbing imagery. What?
Later on, during the Vietnam parts I did see that they were good parents and that thanks to all the things they went through they had their own stiff standards and were still solely focused on impressions and surviving, but those parts of the US had already coloured my view of them.
But I have to say that in the end it was still quite a beautiful memoir. It was sad, it was heartbreaking, it was lovely.
The illustrations were quite nice, and they fitted perfectly with the story. Plus I liked the colourscheme of white and orange.
However I just can't rate this one higher than 2.5 stars.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
This is what I expected: An intimate and poignant graphic novel portraying one family’s journey from war-torn Vietnam, from debut author Thi Bui. In the end those expectations came true, but it took quite a long time for that to be fulfilled. I almost thought it wouldn't happen.
Well this turned out to be better than it was in the beginning. As soon as the stories about Vietnam really took flight, and we saw their journey out of Vietnam it started to get better and better. Still I won't rate this high because I was bored for at least 1/3 of the story.
And really, one birth is more than enough for me, I don't need to see x numbers of gruesome labours. I know it was needed to tell the whole family history, but really. Eventually I started to think the births would just continue all the time.
Also everything was just so mixed together, I am sure it is supposed to make sense, but it was jarring for me to see how we went from present, past, past, present, semi-present, past again and then it stayed past. I know she is interviewing her parents, but still it was a bit jarring.
I didn't quite like the parents, with how they treated their kids (especially when they had boyfriends, I know different values and ideas, but really it just made me want to scream at my screen) nor did I quite approve of the dad's way of raising his kids, if you would call it that. There is something highly wrong if one of your kids hides in a closet for hours, holds his bowels so he doesn't have to poop/pee. And then the other kid is learning all about supernatural stuff and disturbing imagery. What?
Later on, during the Vietnam parts I did see that they were good parents and that thanks to all the things they went through they had their own stiff standards and were still solely focused on impressions and surviving, but those parts of the US had already coloured my view of them.
But I have to say that in the end it was still quite a beautiful memoir. It was sad, it was heartbreaking, it was lovely.
The illustrations were quite nice, and they fitted perfectly with the story. Plus I liked the colourscheme of white and orange.
However I just can't rate this one higher than 2.5 stars.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
sad
slow-paced