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kdailyreads's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, War, Blood, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Violence, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Physical abuse, Alcohol, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Vomit
bookishmillennial's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
Gosh, this was incredibly powerful and I am so glad I read it. This historical fictional book has 14 Nisei (first-generation Americans whose parents were born in Japan) kids' narratives who share their perspective of the community climate post-Pearl Harbor and as 100k Japanese Americans are forcibly displaced from their homes into camps.
Their experiences range from covering topics like parent-child dynamics, ruminating on their futures, the push-and-pull between being Japanese AND American, the surveys they were given to either fight for the U.S. Army or to prepare to be sent "back to Japan" if they do not claim "loyalty" to the country they are now living in and/or were born in, and how they try to find reprieve amidst such high racial tensions. I am astounded by the inhumanity with which these folks were treated, but I'm not surprised because as a U.S.ian, I recognize we have put so many groups of people through so much horror and heartache. It's deplorable.
Though I typically have trouble following so many POVs, I didn't have that issue with this collection of interconnected stories. I felt the love, care and connection that was weaved throughout all of these narratives, and thoroughly enjoyed the references to other kids in each POV. Like any found/chosen family, they of course have their inner dynamics and closer groups at play, whether it's envy, admiration, romance, protection, or gratitude. However, what stood out to me most was how genuinely and deeply they cared for each other. Though they endured so much forced change, they tied the SF Bay Area to this group of kids, to this specific family. This is probably not a surprise but I loved Twitchy, and couldn't help but feel so pulled to his story. His ending wrecked me. I sobbed when he saw his fellow friends die in battle, and since he was just a kid, he began to fear for his own mortality. That moment sobered him up like no other, and it was devastating.
I actually used to work at Tanforan Mall in San Bruno, California, (this detention center is noted in the book) and can you believe that I never knew it was where all of these families were forcibly displaced and detained? It sends chills down my spine, realizing how much time I had spent in a place where people were murdered, separated from their families, and had their entire lives uprooted simply because of their ancestry. "The Tanforan Assembly Center served as the unjust detention center for nearly 8,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II in 1942. We want to ensure their stories are remembered and that this injustice is never repeated against any peoples." You can learn more about it here: https://www.tanforanmemorial.org/history
These kids and this story will stay with me forever and I am so grateful to Traci Chee for continuing to write important stories about the challenges that kids have gone through, past and present. TC is a goddamn gift.
Gosh, this was incredibly powerful and I am so glad I read it. This historical fictional book has 14 Nisei (first-generation Americans whose parents were born in Japan) kids' narratives who share their perspective of the community climate post-Pearl Harbor and as 100k Japanese Americans are forcibly displaced from their homes into camps.
Their experiences range from covering topics like parent-child dynamics, ruminating on their futures, the push-and-pull between being Japanese AND American, the surveys they were given to either fight for the U.S. Army or to prepare to be sent "back to Japan" if they do not claim "loyalty" to the country they are now living in and/or were born in, and how they try to find reprieve amidst such high racial tensions. I am astounded by the inhumanity with which these folks were treated, but I'm not surprised because as a U.S.ian, I recognize we have put so many groups of people through so much horror and heartache. It's deplorable.
Though I typically have trouble following so many POVs, I didn't have that issue with this collection of interconnected stories. I felt the love, care and connection that was weaved throughout all of these narratives, and thoroughly enjoyed the references to other kids in each POV. Like any found/chosen family, they of course have their inner dynamics and closer groups at play, whether it's envy, admiration, romance, protection, or gratitude. However, what stood out to me most was how genuinely and deeply they cared for each other. Though they endured so much forced change, they tied the SF Bay Area to this group of kids, to this specific family. This is probably not a surprise but I loved Twitchy, and couldn't help but feel so pulled to his story.
I actually used to work at Tanforan Mall in San Bruno, California, (this detention center is noted in the book) and can you believe that I never knew it was where all of these families were forcibly displaced and detained? It sends chills down my spine, realizing how much time I had spent in a place where people were murdered, separated from their families, and had their entire lives uprooted simply because of their ancestry. "The Tanforan Assembly Center served as the unjust detention center for nearly 8,000 Japanese and Japanese Americans during World War II in 1942. We want to ensure their stories are remembered and that this injustice is never repeated against any peoples." You can learn more about it here: https://www.tanforanmemorial.org/history
These kids and this story will stay with me forever and I am so grateful to Traci Chee for continuing to write important stories about the challenges that kids have gone through, past and present. TC is a goddamn gift.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Hate crime, Classism, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Cursing, Bullying, War, Confinement, Abandonment, Death, Violence, and Xenophobia
bugbatsy's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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? No
3.75
I liked it. I liked some characters more than others and some stories from them were stronger than others. It really does show a bunch of things about the time, about how the Japanese were treated. And it's very sad.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Grief, Violence, War, Physical abuse, and Gun violence
Moderate: Death and Panic attacks/disorders
doreneemi's review against another edition
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Absolutely fantastic.
The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans is underrepresented in literature. I’m so glad this book exists to highlight this important atrocity in such a nuanced, personal, and accessible way. These connected short stories bring each character to vivid life and shows how varied their experiences were, but there is also a sense of a central narrative as we move through time and their collective experiences.
The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans is underrepresented in literature. I’m so glad this book exists to highlight this important atrocity in such a nuanced, personal, and accessible way. These connected short stories bring each character to vivid life and shows how varied their experiences were, but there is also a sense of a central narrative as we move through time and their collective experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Racism
Moderate: War, Racial slurs, Violence, and Grief
eggboy397's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Xenophobia, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Grief, and War
green_amaryllis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Death, Racism, and Grief
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, and Gun violence
Minor: Cursing, Alcohol, and Vomit
allygator's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
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
4.75
This book is nearly perfect. It's a heart-rending depiction of life in World War II-era Japanese internment camps told from the eyes of 14 different Japanese-American teenagers.
The amount of research Traci Chee put into making this as accurate as possible is insane, and it is evident in the quality of the story she tells. You know how close she is to the story and the characters and how important it is to her that their story gets told.
The only criticism that I have is that, because there are so many different perspectives, sometimes it was hard to connect with every character at the same level. The chapters didn't fall into the most common of multi-perspective pitfalls though -- every voice was really distinct and fun to read.
This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about what Japanese-Americans went through during World War II, especially slightly younger audiences and anyone who is less interested in nonfiction.
The amount of research Traci Chee put into making this as accurate as possible is insane, and it is evident in the quality of the story she tells. You know how close she is to the story and the characters and how important it is to her that their story gets told.
The only criticism that I have is that, because there are so many different perspectives, sometimes it was hard to connect with every character at the same level. The chapters didn't fall into the most common of multi-perspective pitfalls though -- every voice was really distinct and fun to read.
This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about what Japanese-Americans went through during World War II, especially slightly younger audiences and anyone who is less interested in nonfiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Xenophobia, War, Racism, Racial slurs, and Death
tesslaah's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.25
I found a few parts a bit slow, but really appreciated how Chee makes you feel like you know the characters. Mini-Spoiler: I found myself crying when one of the characters dies because of the way Chee writes about the reactions and emotions of the other characters. I wanted to know more about where all of the characters “ended up” but I think that’s part of the beauty—the openness of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
Historical fiction about teenagers in a Japanese Internment Camp(s) within the United Statescodyemma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
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: Grief
Moderate: War, Racism, and Racial slurs
aromarrie's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Grief, Hate crime, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent