Reviews

You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen Oh

Only show reviews with written explanations

whatsthestorywishbone's review against another edition

3.0

I listened to this with Reid (9) as book 2 of our Library’s Bluebonnet book club. It is a series of individual stories that intertwine. Reid LOVED spotting characters from one story to the next (often just by a reference to location or clothing) and we listened to it together over the course of two days. It was a mixed bag for me, but I am having a tough time pin pointing why. I guess I wanted to see more personality from the kids and stories. It obviously tries to deal with some pretty heavy subjects, and I would say succeeds in messaging but sometimes at the detriment to the storytelling resulting in me liking some of the stories better than others. I was surprised that the different author’s voices were not jarring or overly noticeable. However, perhaps if there had been more of a noticeable break in tone the kids would have felt more distinct? I felt it really started off strong with the first few stories, but then some of the characters started to run together and some of the points felt repetitive.

flyingnigiri's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective tense fast-paced

Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

dpearson5257's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful informative 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? No

5.0

Every household should read stories like this! There is so much to learn about kindness and how to just treat people kindly and with respect! The amount of instances that I was able to relate to as a minority simply because I look different, just hurt my heart but I loved how each and every one of these stories uplifted the voices of these kids! So many beautiful take aways with this!!!

Content Warnings

fkshg8465's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I’ve experienced almost every one of these scenarios, both as the recipient of vitriol and ignorance and as the daughter being told to stay small and invisible. The last story had me sobbing. This book exactly demonstrates the emotional burdens we have carried as immigrants who identify as Americans but for whom space only exists when it’s convenient for others.

Content Warnings

bibliomich's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

You Are Here is a collection of short stories written by twelve Asian American authors (and edited by Ellen Oh) who each paint a unique picture of the Asian American experience over the course of a single day in Chicago O'Hare Airport.

What I loved:
- The different formats, tones, and experiences of the stories
- The way the book clearly demonstrates that there is no singular "Asian American experience", though many of the stories have overlapping themes
- The accessibility of the writing and content to middle grade readers, while still addressing some heavy topics

Content Warnings

rpultorak's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful 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

4.0

aielinnae's review against another edition

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5.0

You Are Here: Connecting Flights is a beautiful anthology giving a window into the lives of twelve different fictional East and Southeast Asian kids’ lives of being Asian American in an America after the Covid outbreak while in Chicago’s O’Hare airport during the Fourth of July travel holiday. Each story shows a different perspective and experience that sadly has become more prevalent but they also demonstrate the strength and courage to stand up for themselves, support each other, and to be proud of their heritage.