Reviews with content warning for Bullying - In Limbo

This is a graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl's coming-of-age. I didn't love it as much as I expected, but it’s a solid 3.5 star for me, and I would recommend it to anyone. Deb JJ Lee's narrative of being a Korean-American with immigrant parents in a suburban New Jersey area addresses racism and the feeling of not truly belonging anywhere, and I think the last one is something we all can relate to. It was hard to read about Deb's experience, especially with their mum (who was emotionally and physically abusive), but the interactions with their dad were heartwarming, though he was complicit/complacent about their Mom's abuse. I also could relate to quite a few of Deborah's problems, particularly their mental health issues and their limited number of friends.

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bookdrunkard78's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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poemsandponds's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

This book did its job well. Too well, actually. I left it feeling that same heaviness that pervades the entire book, basically feeling depressed. I knew this book was about mental health and the cultural reckoning that happens growing up an immigrant in America, but I guess I wasn't expecting it to be so graphic in certain ways. Honestly, I think this book is slightly mis-represented in the synopsis and marketing. First of all, it's marketed as a YA book, but it felt a lot more adult in terms of tone and content. Kids should definitely be allowed to read it, since a kid who's struggling with the same mental health and home life issues could see that they're not alone. But I strongly feel that on the whole, this isn't a YA book. Also, the synopsis makes it sound a lot more hopeful and lighthearted than it actually is?? There aren't many moments of levity to break through the gloom, so this book in reality is pretty dark. The author does such a good job of setting that mood, which covers every part of their life in a blue grey cloud. I wouldn't say that I liked it. But I actually don't think it's a book you're supposed to enjoy. I felt a sense of detachment from the story since the author themselves was so detached from their life and emotions due to trauma. Because of that it's not a story that could ever be a favorite for me or that I'd ever want to read again, even though graphic memoir is my thing. All in all, it is a well done book, but it isn't for everyone. If you get triggered by reading about graphic depictions of suicide attempts, depression, self harm, and child abuse, this isn't for you.

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matildahasopinions's review against another edition

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emotional reflective fast-paced

5.0

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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

3.5

Absolutely stunning art. The way Lee fully fleshes out backgrounds, filling them up, and the use of space on the page are gorgeous. Sadly, the story fell flat for me. The narrative was too choppy and major themes never felt fully formed, just fragments of Lee’s formative years. While this didn’t quite work for me, I’ll definitely still check out more of Lee’s work.

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librariana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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