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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.
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 Statesaromarrie'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
Graphic: War, Racism, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Violence, Murder, Grief, Hate crime, and Blood
Minor: Death of parent
amina2002's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
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
This book taught me so much about the Japanese concentration camps that were created during WW2 because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The author was able to use her own family’s experiences in these camps to depict these character arcs. I didn’t know how far the American government really went to keep Japanese Americans away from the rest of society. In history class this was definitely glossed over and seemed like it really wasn’t that bad. In the beginning I thought that 14 perspectives would be way too much but since all of the characters were friends with each other we still got to learn about most of the characters in each chapter. I absolutely loved the potential romances in this book with Twitchy and Keiko, and Frankie and Bette, it was so cute and heartbreaking at the same time. I just wanted happiness and freedom for these kids who are Americans but happen to share an ethnicity with people who chose to come after the US. Honestly these concentration camps were eerily similar to what I have learned about what was happening in Germany around the same time. Mas’s storyline where he joins the army to prove his loyalty but not having freedom in the country just aligns with how African Americans were treated at the time. How Japanese people were treated after they were able to go back home is similar to that of Asian Americans today due to the coronavirus. So many of them live in fear because Asian American hate crimes have increased substantially and people blame anybody that is Chinese or “looks Chinese”.
The friendships in this book were incredible and I was amazed by how they continued to grow closer together when they are in such a tough situation. I really wish that I had a group of friends who will be there for each other no matter where they are in their lives. I loved this book so much and even though it is just a YA book I feel like people can truly learn so much. I can’t wait to learn more.
The friendships in this book were incredible and I was amazed by how they continued to grow closer together when they are in such a tough situation. I really wish that I had a group of friends who will be there for each other no matter where they are in their lives. I loved this book so much and even though it is just a YA book I feel like people can truly learn so much. I can’t wait to learn more.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, and Xenophobia
keelin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Domestic abuse
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