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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I LOVED this, unexpectedly. I don't have anything clever to say, I just love it.
"I'm a little yellow man" hahahaha.
"I'm a little yellow man" hahahaha.
This was ridiculous and sweet and weird interesting. Sometimes it takes a few tries for us to figure out what we actually want in life. Sometimes we can't see past other people's expectations. This was a really interesting look at those kinds of things.
I have not posted a book review in quite some time or at least it seems like a long time. I just have not been able to find the time needed to get the reading done. Plus, being summer I usually don't read much YA as I just need a break from this genre after reading it all school year.
However, I was excited to read this graphic novel. The cover alone was enough to sell me as it brought back my memories of playing on my Gameboy for hours and hours and hours. Man, how times have changed in the gaming world, but the Gameboy was unstoppable for a long time.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I read it in one sitting one morning when I awoke before the rest of the crew. I sat on my deck with my coffee and breezed right through this. I really became in tune with the main character as he was trying to balance the tough decisions of life - living the life you want or living the life your parents want. As we grow up this is a tough decision. Early on we often think we have everything figured out and that is not always the case. Without parents who knows where some of us would end up. However, as we continue to grow up, leave high school, and enter college we start to understand the world and ourselves. This book does a great job touching upon how we just need to do what makes us happy. As parents it is a good reminder to make sure we prepare our kids to make their own decisions and not try to dictate their lives. Both are very hard.
The illustrations were great. I like the style and art. I enjoyed how as the main character went through the different phases of life it was breached by "Level One, Level Two...." just like in a video game. The dialogue was great. I actually wrote down a few phrases to use in some future blog posts as I found myself really thinking about some of the comments of the characters.
The one thing that I understood why they were there, but got on my nerves after a little while were the angels. It all makes sense when you read, but for part of the reading I was like, "Why are they being used again?" Once you read, then you will understand the meaning behind them and it works well.
This is another great graphic novel. I am slowly enjoying these more and more as I pick these up to read every so often. This is another one that rather surprised me and recommend to anyone. And yes, it did cause me to pull out my old Gameboy from storage and give it a try.
However, I was excited to read this graphic novel. The cover alone was enough to sell me as it brought back my memories of playing on my Gameboy for hours and hours and hours. Man, how times have changed in the gaming world, but the Gameboy was unstoppable for a long time.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel. I read it in one sitting one morning when I awoke before the rest of the crew. I sat on my deck with my coffee and breezed right through this. I really became in tune with the main character as he was trying to balance the tough decisions of life - living the life you want or living the life your parents want. As we grow up this is a tough decision. Early on we often think we have everything figured out and that is not always the case. Without parents who knows where some of us would end up. However, as we continue to grow up, leave high school, and enter college we start to understand the world and ourselves. This book does a great job touching upon how we just need to do what makes us happy. As parents it is a good reminder to make sure we prepare our kids to make their own decisions and not try to dictate their lives. Both are very hard.
The illustrations were great. I like the style and art. I enjoyed how as the main character went through the different phases of life it was breached by "Level One, Level Two...." just like in a video game. The dialogue was great. I actually wrote down a few phrases to use in some future blog posts as I found myself really thinking about some of the comments of the characters.
The one thing that I understood why they were there, but got on my nerves after a little while were the angels. It all makes sense when you read, but for part of the reading I was like, "Why are they being used again?" Once you read, then you will understand the meaning behind them and it works well.
This is another great graphic novel. I am slowly enjoying these more and more as I pick these up to read every so often. This is another one that rather surprised me and recommend to anyone. And yes, it did cause me to pull out my old Gameboy from storage and give it a try.
I love Gene Luen Yang's Printz winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese and I expected Level Up to be another witty and heartfelt coming of age story. In some ways it is, but I was let down by this one.
I think with the cover and the title and the character obsessed with video games, I expected this one to have more of a video game feel to it, ala Scott Pilgrim. But instead, the video game aspect is pushed to the side and instead we get a story about Dennis dealing with his grief over his father and his drive to make his father happy.
I wanted more about the angels but instead they seemed to come and go and never really connect with the story. I also wanted a bit more humor-while there are moments of humor, the tone of Level Up is much more serious.
It's still a good graphic novel and I'm continualy impressed with Gene Luen Yang's work, but I had hoped for a bit more.
I think with the cover and the title and the character obsessed with video games, I expected this one to have more of a video game feel to it, ala Scott Pilgrim. But instead, the video game aspect is pushed to the side and instead we get a story about Dennis dealing with his grief over his father and his drive to make his father happy.
I wanted more about the angels but instead they seemed to come and go and never really connect with the story. I also wanted a bit more humor-while there are moments of humor, the tone of Level Up is much more serious.
It's still a good graphic novel and I'm continualy impressed with Gene Luen Yang's work, but I had hoped for a bit more.
a wonderful YA graphic novel about a young man coming to terms with his destiny and what he really wants to do. if anyone out there thinks there's no YA lit for teen boys, this proves them wrong.
2.5 stars - this was an okay story but I think I was hoping for something with a different ending. Yang had several different story ideas going here but I felt the conclusions to all of them were a bit too easy.
I also think that part of the problem is that 'American Born Chinese' was just so good, I can't help but compare every thing he does now to that book and they tend to fall short. This had some similar themes of the immigrant-born child trying to adapt to American society, but in the end, I feel like it fumbled.
I also think that part of the problem is that 'American Born Chinese' was just so good, I can't help but compare every thing he does now to that book and they tend to fall short. This had some similar themes of the immigrant-born child trying to adapt to American society, but in the end, I feel like it fumbled.
This was fantastic! It reminds me a lot of Scott Pilgrim, and I'll use it as such in a paper I'm planning. This was a great read.
This book is amazing! It blends funny with serious, such as destiny and broken promises. Everyone has a turning point, in Dennis's case it's all about whether he's going to do what he wants to do, like video games, or what his father told him he had to, be a doctor of gastroenterology, which, humorously enough, Thein Pham couldn't pronounce. He purposely messed it up to mess with Gene Yang though. I went to the book signing since it was close by and i loved american born chinese. They're a really good pair and work well together. Gene is perfectionistic and Thein is there to lose stuff and make stuff less pristine and perfect. If the whole book were up to Gene he would've done it SO much more perfectionistic and you wouldn't have the other qualities. The one that come close to heart and hit home. This is a must read!
There is not much to say except I love Gene Luen Yang's work and how he conveys a life message of who we are and what we come aspire to be as human beings.
This book is about a boy named Dennis who as a child wanted to do child things like playing video games and was never allowed in his home because of his parents strict rules and beliefs when it comes to video games. Then when he graduates from High School, his father passes away and he finally buys a game console and falls in love with video games but doesn't know how to balance his college studies. Plus he has to deal with the pressure of his parents wanting him to become a doctor and not accepting what makes him truly happy.
The story was short and simple which is what I needed and overall love the concept on how life can be like a video game, trying to pass each level as the difficulty increases. Dennis reminds me of every child who have in the past wanted to pursue a particular dream that did not meet the parents expectations and either throws away that precious dream or fights back and explore where life will guide us. At the end of the day, you have to deal with your life and your source of happiness and should be in a job that makes you happy instead of killing yourself just for the sake of wealth.
This book is about a boy named Dennis who as a child wanted to do child things like playing video games and was never allowed in his home because of his parents strict rules and beliefs when it comes to video games. Then when he graduates from High School, his father passes away and he finally buys a game console and falls in love with video games but doesn't know how to balance his college studies. Plus he has to deal with the pressure of his parents wanting him to become a doctor and not accepting what makes him truly happy.
The story was short and simple which is what I needed and overall love the concept on how life can be like a video game, trying to pass each level as the difficulty increases. Dennis reminds me of every child who have in the past wanted to pursue a particular dream that did not meet the parents expectations and either throws away that precious dream or fights back and explore where life will guide us. At the end of the day, you have to deal with your life and your source of happiness and should be in a job that makes you happy instead of killing yourself just for the sake of wealth.