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readwithev's review against another edition
4.5
Bui talks about how challenging it was to get to know her parents, but she uncovers their origins and begins separating her expectations of them. It felt very healing and vulnerable. Bui delves into her childhood and the things she’s still healing from and beginning to see in differently now that she’s a parent.
Moderate: Blood, Genocide, Miscarriage, War, and Violence
Minor: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, and Colonisation
smalljoys's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, and War
gabriellesimpson's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: War
Moderate: Miscarriage and Pregnancy
Minor: Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Colonisation, and Death of parent
alteirence's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Miscarriage, Colonisation, Violence, Infidelity, Abortion, War, Fire/Fire injury, and Death
daniellekat's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: War, Child death, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Xenophobia, Gun violence, Colonisation, and Miscarriage
booksandboba's review
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Child death, War, Pregnancy, Death, Genocide, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Classism, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, and Physical abuse
Minor: Alcohol
zoracious's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Colonisation and War
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage
an_everyday_penguin's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Grief, Miscarriage, Colonisation, and War
Moderate: Death
lauravreads's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Miscarriage, Violence, War, and Colonisation
Minor: Infidelity, Torture, and Rape
thewordsdevourer's review against another edition
3.25
i personally think the structure can be a lil confusing w/ the frequent back-and-forth and the past-present transitions; there's a lot going on here after all. nevertheless, bui's placing of her familial history against the larger unfolding historical backdrop is great, providing useful context and deeper understanding. my fav thing abt this book, however, is bui's reflections on her family legacy, as well as her familiar feelings of equal gratefulness, resentment and guilt towards her parents. idk if it's simply an immigrant thing but it hits deep..
in terms of the art, i dont find it too eye-catching, not that it's unremarkable but perhaps bc it complements and flows rly well - too well - w/ the story. there's an appropriate level of detail and bui knows when to give her pages space, and the watercolor paints and lineart are nice. sometimes, however, the characters come across as unintentionally comical bc of the overly big head compared to their body; a few of the paneling can be confusing as well.
this is a good graphic novel for those who are interested in not only vietnamese history but also the human impact of its upheaval, the smaller stories of common ppl against the backdrop of historic change.
Graphic: Violence, Colonisation, War, Infidelity, and Racism
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Child death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Mental illness and Fire/Fire injury