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wrentheblurry's review against another edition
4.0
So far I have yet to read a book by Gene Luen Yang that I don't like. I was drawn to this one not only because he is the author, but the old-school Gameboy cover and video game premise intrigued me. I read this as a bedtime story to my sons (Warren, 12 and Trev, 10) over several nights. We all had some good laugh-out-loud moments, though I was the only one that shed any tears. Trev says he would give it a 3: "I wasn't really into the whole storyline. I liked that it had humor and it was written well."
The story centers around a young man (Dennis) who is trying to find his place in the world. When a group of odd angels show up and announce that his destiny is to enter medical school and specialize in gastroenterology, that's just what he does. Yet Dennis has some father issues to sort through, and just when everything feels like it's going great (he's got friends, he's got a crush, he's rockin' school), he has to make some decisions about his life, and his future.
Better for teens (and close to teens) than tweens, great for late high-schoolers and kids in college, and just fine for adults!
The story centers around a young man (Dennis) who is trying to find his place in the world. When a group of odd angels show up and announce that his destiny is to enter medical school and specialize in gastroenterology, that's just what he does. Yet Dennis has some father issues to sort through, and just when everything feels like it's going great (he's got friends, he's got a crush, he's rockin' school), he has to make some decisions about his life, and his future.
Better for teens (and close to teens) than tweens, great for late high-schoolers and kids in college, and just fine for adults!
kingtess's review against another edition
5.0
An incredible graphic novel about the expectations placed upon a young man by his parents. I was especially drawn to his inner turmoil because (surprise!) I recognize and empathize. I didn't expect such a short book to provoke so much thought, but I'll definitely be chewing over the concepts presented for a good while.
lannthacker's review against another edition
3.0
Not as compelling as American Born Chinese, but an enjoyable read. The angels were a bit of an odd device but I went with it.
magpienicky's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
j45rpm's review against another edition
5.0
Thien Pham's artwork is lovely, and Gene Luen Yang's writing is really powerful. It sneaks up on you--I wasn't expecting to be moved, but I was.
whitneymouse's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't like [b:American Born Chinese|118944|American Born Chinese|Gene Luen Yang|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1317066615l/118944._SX50_.jpg|114515], but I saw this at my local library and thought I'd give Yang another chance. I didn't like this either, so it may just be a mismatch between me and this author.
This was a strange, kind of incoherent story. My issues with American Born Chinese was that the stories didn't all come together until the very end and it felt very slapped together. I had a similar issue with this. The ending was more cohesive with this, where he found he could combine his studies with his passion, but it still was...kind of a let down.
The story is strange. I didn't understand the angel/pac-man ghosts. They were very aggressive and the explanation given for their appearance wasn't satisfactory to me. I also didn't like that there was this dichotomy for most of the book between playing games and succeeding academically. You can do both at the same time, but this presents it as a one or the other choice. I also didn't understand the choice of the character to continue in a field of medicine that clearly made him queasy and uncomfortable.
Overall, it wasn't the right book for me. I'm sure someone will enjoy this, but it felt disjointed and wasn't a book I was super into.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
This was a strange, kind of incoherent story. My issues with American Born Chinese was that the stories didn't all come together until the very end and it felt very slapped together. I had a similar issue with this. The ending was more cohesive with this, where he found he could combine his studies with his passion, but it still was...kind of a let down.
The story is strange. I didn't understand the angel/pac-man ghosts. They were very aggressive and the explanation given for their appearance wasn't satisfactory to me. I also didn't like that there was this dichotomy for most of the book between playing games and succeeding academically. You can do both at the same time, but this presents it as a one or the other choice. I also didn't understand the choice of the character to continue in a field of medicine that clearly made him queasy and uncomfortable.
Overall, it wasn't the right book for me. I'm sure someone will enjoy this, but it felt disjointed and wasn't a book I was super into.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
jacksprat67's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
3.5
meghan111's review against another edition
3.0
Despite the Game Boy cover art, video games are not the main focus of this comic. Instead, they're a clear influence in the artwork and the structure of the story, but the main theme is more about the struggle to figure out what path in life will make you happy and reconcile that with what your parents and family desire for you.
This explores the question of what it means to live up to someone's expectations - in this case, Dennis' father has always expected that Dennis will go to medical school, despite Dennis' interest in and talent for playing video games. After his father dies, Dennis finds himself haunted by four cherubic angels that he remembers from a greeting card his father gave him in middle school. The angels want to keep him on the path to medical school and a career as a doctor in a specialized field of medicine. Will Dennis be able to do what they want?
This explores the question of what it means to live up to someone's expectations - in this case, Dennis' father has always expected that Dennis will go to medical school, despite Dennis' interest in and talent for playing video games. After his father dies, Dennis finds himself haunted by four cherubic angels that he remembers from a greeting card his father gave him in middle school. The angels want to keep him on the path to medical school and a career as a doctor in a specialized field of medicine. Will Dennis be able to do what they want?
mazer_nickham's review against another edition
4.0
Much like American Born Chinese, Gene Luen Yang combines earnest characters and life lessons with expertly drawn and timed humor. This book reads like a combination of Scott Pilgrim and Vera Brosgol's work. It should be noted that this graphic novel does not feature the clean and cartoony look of American Born Chinese and instead opts for more pastels and relaxed line work.