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fairhairedwarrior's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
bickie's review against another edition
Story in verse. Chinese girl with a congenital hand deformity was raised by an expat American mother without a visa to stay in China. After 11 years, the mother gets deported, and the girl, Kara, goes to an orphanage. Eventually, she is formally adopted by a Florida family with two other adopted Chinese daughters (and what appear to be two older biological sons). Addresses many different emotions and hurts each step of the way. I wish they didn't misspell (twice) "taut," which is spelled, "taught." I'm not sure how an adoptee would read this book; it is written by a white woman. Age 10+
ems_230's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
carolineinthelibrary's review against another edition
5.0
A beautiful story written in verse about the true meaning of family, being adopted, moving, and experiencing a life that doesn't feel like your own. I thought this was so well written and rich with emotion.
carolann331's review against another edition
5.0
"Don't worry if your new life has been tough.
Remember, it takes a while for a butterfly's wings to dry."
Every once in a while a book comes along that imprints itself in you and changes you forever. This is one of them.
A tender, tragic, relishing story of hope, isolation, adaptation, kindness, and love in a world where harsh political policies have triggered harsh choices and consequences for families and children. Though a fictional story about a young Chinese girl being raised in China as an American, it truthfully tells of ethical decisions faced by many in China since the One-Child policy was placed into effect in 1980. There are many questions about the characters that are answered with flawless timing as the story beautifully unfolds at a perfect tempo, keeping you intrigued, hopeful, and deeply moved. The Author's Note at the end of the book is powerful and added yet another layer of love and understanding to the story.
I borrowed this booked from our local library but it is one of the few that I will buy and place on my own shelf where I will see it, re-read it, and experience it again and again.
Remember, it takes a while for a butterfly's wings to dry."
Every once in a while a book comes along that imprints itself in you and changes you forever. This is one of them.
A tender, tragic, relishing story of hope, isolation, adaptation, kindness, and love in a world where harsh political policies have triggered harsh choices and consequences for families and children. Though a fictional story about a young Chinese girl being raised in China as an American, it truthfully tells of ethical decisions faced by many in China since the One-Child policy was placed into effect in 1980. There are many questions about the characters that are answered with flawless timing as the story beautifully unfolds at a perfect tempo, keeping you intrigued, hopeful, and deeply moved. The Author's Note at the end of the book is powerful and added yet another layer of love and understanding to the story.
I borrowed this booked from our local library but it is one of the few that I will buy and place on my own shelf where I will see it, re-read it, and experience it again and again.
kawarwick's review against another edition
5.0
A wonderful novel in verse! A touching story about love and families.
lawbooks600's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
3.0
Representation: Asian characters
Score: Six points out of ten.
Let me tell you something, this book was a case where the author tried to make a story in poetry about an Asian but got it wrong because of reasons I'll explain later. I saw this book as the last verse novel one of the two libraries has to offer to me so not long after I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I didn't feel comfortable reading it considering the author but even if that wasn't a problem, I could never fully connect to the story. I can't believe this book could win awards either. It starts with the main character Kara whose last name I forgot living with her adoptive mother in China while her stepfather lives in Montana (Did I mention Kara has a birth defect where her right hand is a stump with no fingers and people shame her for it? It's not clear why she had that unless it's from her biological parents.) Kara stays there for a few pages but she longs to visit her father in America but due to some circumstances that never happens when there is an accident; the police sends her stepmother somewhere and now Kara is in an adoption centre or orphanage.
Here is where the flaws surface, I didn't think poetry was the right choice since it looked like the author, like others pressed the Enter key many times and called it 'poetry.' I could never fully connect to Kara as a character even though she's living a live no child should experience nor could I do so to the other people in the narrative. Towards the conclusion of the story the worst flaw appears where Kara's second foster family, the Guernseys, adopt her but I discover they're white except the other adopted children who are Asian. It reeks of white saviourism to me and it didn't help that the author was dissimilar to Kara as well (spoiler alert: she's also white.) It's off-putting at best and inauthentic at worst. I get that the author could write a story like this because she found an abandoned baby and lived in Hong Kong but it wouldn't be problematic if an Asian author wrote it instead. It's such a shame that I could finally find a diverse story only for the author's attributes to ruin it. In the finishing pages Kara goes back to Montana so that her first and second adoptive mothers meet (technically she has gone through two adoptive families and one biological now) ending the novel on a high note. Note to myself that I should read more authentically diverse stories as soon as possible.
Score: Six points out of ten.
Let me tell you something, this book was a case where the author tried to make a story in poetry about an Asian but got it wrong because of reasons I'll explain later. I saw this book as the last verse novel one of the two libraries has to offer to me so not long after I finally picked it up and read it. When I finished it, I didn't feel comfortable reading it considering the author but even if that wasn't a problem, I could never fully connect to the story. I can't believe this book could win awards either. It starts with the main character Kara whose last name I forgot living with her adoptive mother in China while her stepfather lives in Montana (Did I mention Kara has a birth defect where her right hand is a stump with no fingers and people shame her for it? It's not clear why she had that unless it's from her biological parents.) Kara stays there for a few pages but she longs to visit her father in America but due to some circumstances that never happens when there is an accident; the police sends her stepmother somewhere and now Kara is in an adoption centre or orphanage.
Here is where the flaws surface, I didn't think poetry was the right choice since it looked like the author, like others pressed the Enter key many times and called it 'poetry.' I could never fully connect to Kara as a character even though she's living a live no child should experience nor could I do so to the other people in the narrative. Towards the conclusion of the story the worst flaw appears where Kara's second foster family, the Guernseys, adopt her but I discover they're white except the other adopted children who are Asian. It reeks of white saviourism to me and it didn't help that the author was dissimilar to Kara as well (spoiler alert: she's also white.) It's off-putting at best and inauthentic at worst. I get that the author could write a story like this because she found an abandoned baby and lived in Hong Kong but it wouldn't be problematic if an Asian author wrote it instead. It's such a shame that I could finally find a diverse story only for the author's attributes to ruin it. In the finishing pages Kara goes back to Montana so that her first and second adoptive mothers meet (technically she has gone through two adoptive families and one biological now) ending the novel on a high note. Note to myself that I should read more authentically diverse stories as soon as possible.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Deportation, Child death, Abandonment, Body shaming, and Animal death
Full trigger warnings: Death of a pet bird, child and friend from an illness, near-death experience, hospitalisation, body shaming, deportation, child abandonment in the past, adoption, loss of limbmolly_dettmann's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. It was a major depress fest for the better part of this book, but had a happy ending and an even more tear-jerker of an author's note.
donttakemybooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was quite good- interesting, unique, diverse story that was bittersweet and realistic. Reminds me I need to read more middle grade and more novels in verse.