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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
Kind of felt like a combination of ABC's Chinese stories with the unclear message of Saints. I really like Yang's ability to surprise people with twists and surprises in his stories, but sometimes it feels like the message doesn't come together.
I wish I had five cherubs to do my chores and help me along with my destiny (or force me to adhere to it against my will?) I understand what they are metaphorically, but I feel like it would have been more satisfying if they existed just in David's mind as guilt rather than something that he could interact with the physical world.
The fake out ending, while truer to the message, seems unsatisfyingly easy for Dennis. And while the true ending makes more sense, it feels like it goes against the epiphany that Dennis had. Oh well, life is messy, twisted, and convoluted, so maybe that's just how things are sometimes.
The cherubs are cute and Yang always creates side characters that are fun.
I wish I had five cherubs to do my chores and help me along with my destiny (or force me to adhere to it against my will?) I understand what they are metaphorically, but I feel like it would have been more satisfying if they existed just in David's mind as guilt rather than something that he could interact with the physical world.
The fake out ending, while truer to the message, seems unsatisfyingly easy for Dennis. And while the true ending makes more sense, it feels like it goes against the epiphany that Dennis had. Oh well, life is messy, twisted, and convoluted, so maybe that's just how things are sometimes.
The cherubs are cute and Yang always creates side characters that are fun.
Gene Luen Yang is such a wonderful author and I enjoy every book I read by him. This book was very sweet and had a great ending, like all of his graphic novels. I liked all the video game references and medical humor. I can't recommend this author enough.
Video games vs med school? I already knew the correct answer before cracking the spine. I'm a big fan of Gene Luen Yang, and I wish he'd been the artist on this book. I absolutely loved the design of the book. The audio jack and the volume switch on the spine is a wonderful touch.
I'm on a bit of a graphic novel kick. This one was pretty enjoyable. I loved the artwork style and the story was told well with a sparseness of text that makes it stand out from many of these kind of stories.
I good YA graphic novel about Dennis, a young man trying to find his way. Does he want to be a gastroenterologist, as his parents always hoped? Or does he want to be a professional gamer? Why do they want him to be a doctor so badly? And what does he really care about in life?
You can change your mind, as Dennis learns. And that might bring true satisfaction--it lets you know you HAVE chosen correctly for yourself.
You can change your mind, as Dennis learns. And that might bring true satisfaction--it lets you know you HAVE chosen correctly for yourself.
The problem with having read American Born Chinese is that I have to now compare all of Yang's other books to it. This is the first collaboration of his I've read, and I genuinely loved Thien Pham's pared-down art, which I think kicked the story up a notch from the writing itself.
That said I'm a little helpless before stories that explore the experience of immigrant children, especially when they explore, as this one does, a few different stories. I love seeing the diversity of backgrounds among the main character's friends, and really liked everyone. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it.
That said I'm a little helpless before stories that explore the experience of immigrant children, especially when they explore, as this one does, a few different stories. I love seeing the diversity of backgrounds among the main character's friends, and really liked everyone. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
Content Warnings
Minor: Excrement, Death of parent
Tales of medical school, parental guilt and making sense of life with video games. This makes a pretty decent parallel read to Scott Pilgrim because of all the video game referenced/allusions.
I enjoyed this and it's a quick read.
Positives:
Asian-American representation
Themes of living up to your family's expecations vs. enjoying your life and living your dreams, and how hard this can be, especially in repressed families that don't communicate well.
Magical Realism
Friendships
Caveats:
It's straight-male focused. Video gamers who aren't straight males won't see their experiences represented here.
There is a scene where the main character slashes someone's tyres after he gets upset. He never has to deal with the consequences of this action, and never makes amends for it.
Positives:
Asian-American representation
Themes of living up to your family's expecations vs. enjoying your life and living your dreams, and how hard this can be, especially in repressed families that don't communicate well.
Magical Realism
Friendships
Caveats:
It's straight-male focused. Video gamers who aren't straight males won't see their experiences represented here.
There is a scene where the main character slashes someone's tyres after he gets upset. He never has to deal with the consequences of this action, and never makes amends for it.
I wasn't a huge fan of the art, but the story has some really great lessons that people can learn a lot from. It was a bit... odd, though, and at times weirdly contradicting. It wasn't terrible, but not my favorite read.