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internationalreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Blood, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Bullying, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Abortion
unsuccessfulbookclub's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.75
Books are magic in that they can really get you behind someone else’s eyes, and Qian Julie Wang did something so special with this book, not only sharing her experiences but sharing them through her own eyes as a child.
Every story in this book feels so real and immediate. I felt hungry, cold, confused, happy, tired, sad, lonely, elated, scared, angry and all of the other emotions right along with her as she related every detail. I remembered being 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, loving visits to the library, hating trying to fit in at school and dealing with learning how my (very small, very privileged) life worked.
Reading this story, which is simultaneously incredibly relatable and incredibly different from my own, hit me like a ton of bricks. When I closed the book I felt hopeful but also so frustrated by Qian’s experiences. When I feel like that, it helps me to think about what actions I can take to help ensure that no more little girls have to experience hunger, discrimination and hatred at the level that Qian did, so I made a little list for myself:
- I will advocate for free lunch and summer food programs through my local public school system and vote for school board candidates who share my views.
- I will call my legislators and urge them to create long-term, easier ways for young children of undocumented immigrants to achieve citizenship.
- I will continue to avoid fast fashion and invest in clothing and other goods made by people who are earning a living wage.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism
the_literarylinguist's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Medical content, and Vomit
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
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