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eviie's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heyitsmeg777's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be heartwarming and perfect! As tye main character Ellen is trying to juggle her parents high expectations, get the guy she has a crush on, all while dealing wity racism in her community... It made for a refreshing read.
Although, there were times I wish she would stand up for herself when she was bullied... I felt like she found her voice a little too late. Her getting everything at the end was nice, considering that in real life, it isn't always this way, but nonetheless... I enjoyed reading this book that shines a light on the racism that exists in other places.
Thanks Netgalley, the author and the publisher for granting me the chance to read this book
Although, there were times I wish she would stand up for herself when she was bullied... I felt like she found her voice a little too late. Her getting everything at the end was nice, considering that in real life, it isn't always this way, but nonetheless... I enjoyed reading this book that shines a light on the racism that exists in other places.
Thanks Netgalley, the author and the publisher for granting me the chance to read this book
alannar2422's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this book, seeing it from an asian perspective about how hard it is to look different from everyone else. She really fond her voice at the end and the ending made me sad/happy because it was so bittersweet! I feel like Tomper was embarrassed to be seen with her in the beginning and played clueless whenever his friends called her names which rubbed me the wrong way but it worked out well in the end :) It was a great short story
whitneymouse's review against another edition
3.0
**Thank you to Netgalley and Soho Press for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my rating**
I was unaware this was a reissued book going into it. This book was published the year I was born! A lot has changed since then, however, the author noted in her Afterword that she consciously made the decision not to update the book for a contemporary audience in order to "preserve the history of...the 1990s." I'm sad to find my childhood is becoming Historical Fiction.
I do think that, ultimately, the choice to not update will be an issue for many casual readers. Even as someone who was around during the time period, there were things I had to look up (For example, "dittoed copies". I'm aware that ditto machines exist but I couldn't tell you how they're different from a copier). Otherwise "timeless" books have updated language or technology in order to better meet the reader halfway. I always think of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" as an example of this because the way we deal with some of the issues of the book have changed, therefore the book was updated to better reflect that.
I was also a little concerned that the author states in her Afterword that "the issues that the novel explores --racism, immigration, parental pressure, bullying--have changed for the better --while also continuing on, even intensifying in places." While people perhaps are not as overtly racist as the characters in this book, I do not think it is correct to say that those topics have "changed for the better" since the 90s. They have greatly intensified, especially in the last four years in the US.
To get into the actual content of the book, it was alright. Ellen is a perfectly passable protagonist who is struggling to decide where she's going to college, wanting to get out of her small (and racist) town, dealing with pressure put on her by her parents, and falling in love with a classmate. I do think if this were to be written today it would need to delve much deeper into the issues the book discusses. The issues are explored at a very superficial level with no deeper dive into any of them and what they really mean for the character. The book is very short, so it doesn't have the time to do so. The racism and bullying portrayed in this book is VERY overt. There is no nuance, no microaggressions like we'd be more likely to see now. It is very in your face with the adults doing nothing but saying Ellen is being "too sensitive" for the most part or sometimes even taking part. I think it's important going in to know this as it may shock some readers.
Ellen's friendship with her friend, Jessie, was sweet and briefly hints at the anxiety that comes with growing up in a small town and thinking you'll never leave. I did enjoy the parts about the two of them. Similarly, I thought Ellen's relationship with her mother was sweet. Her father puts a lot of pressure on her to get good grades and attend Harvard, and while you sense that that may be important to her mom, Mrs. Sung also emphasizes that she wants her daughter to be happy wherever she ends up going to college.
While I understand the format of this book is very similar to others of its time period, I can't really give it more than a 3. It felt like more should have been done with the plot. It was very "I have this problem" and then it was fixed with the literary equivalent of a band-aid. The issues were big and the solutions were simple. It never felt like Ellen really learned to overcome her problems. The book is called "Finding My Voice" and it's really "one time she stood up to a bully and immediately resigns herself to things not getting better". I don't get the sense that Ellen is going to continue to call people out on their racism and rude behavior. It's just a little underdeveloped for me. I'm not sure I'd say it fully captures the feeling of what the 90s were like to be called "Historical Fiction", either. It was a decent book and I can see that it was clearly an influence on the YA genre, but it's not one I'd be rushing out to recommend.
I was unaware this was a reissued book going into it. This book was published the year I was born! A lot has changed since then, however, the author noted in her Afterword that she consciously made the decision not to update the book for a contemporary audience in order to "preserve the history of...the 1990s." I'm sad to find my childhood is becoming Historical Fiction.
I do think that, ultimately, the choice to not update will be an issue for many casual readers. Even as someone who was around during the time period, there were things I had to look up (For example, "dittoed copies". I'm aware that ditto machines exist but I couldn't tell you how they're different from a copier). Otherwise "timeless" books have updated language or technology in order to better meet the reader halfway. I always think of "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" as an example of this because the way we deal with some of the issues of the book have changed, therefore the book was updated to better reflect that.
I was also a little concerned that the author states in her Afterword that "the issues that the novel explores --racism, immigration, parental pressure, bullying--have changed for the better --while also continuing on, even intensifying in places." While people perhaps are not as overtly racist as the characters in this book, I do not think it is correct to say that those topics have "changed for the better" since the 90s. They have greatly intensified, especially in the last four years in the US.
To get into the actual content of the book, it was alright. Ellen is a perfectly passable protagonist who is struggling to decide where she's going to college, wanting to get out of her small (and racist) town, dealing with pressure put on her by her parents, and falling in love with a classmate. I do think if this were to be written today it would need to delve much deeper into the issues the book discusses. The issues are explored at a very superficial level with no deeper dive into any of them and what they really mean for the character. The book is very short, so it doesn't have the time to do so. The racism and bullying portrayed in this book is VERY overt. There is no nuance, no microaggressions like we'd be more likely to see now. It is very in your face with the adults doing nothing but saying Ellen is being "too sensitive" for the most part or sometimes even taking part. I think it's important going in to know this as it may shock some readers.
Ellen's friendship with her friend, Jessie, was sweet and briefly hints at the anxiety that comes with growing up in a small town and thinking you'll never leave. I did enjoy the parts about the two of them. Similarly, I thought Ellen's relationship with her mother was sweet. Her father puts a lot of pressure on her to get good grades and attend Harvard, and while you sense that that may be important to her mom, Mrs. Sung also emphasizes that she wants her daughter to be happy wherever she ends up going to college.
While I understand the format of this book is very similar to others of its time period, I can't really give it more than a 3. It felt like more should have been done with the plot. It was very "I have this problem" and then it was fixed with the literary equivalent of a band-aid. The issues were big and the solutions were simple. It never felt like Ellen really learned to overcome her problems. The book is called "Finding My Voice" and it's really "one time she stood up to a bully and immediately resigns herself to things not getting better". I don't get the sense that Ellen is going to continue to call people out on their racism and rude behavior. It's just a little underdeveloped for me. I'm not sure I'd say it fully captures the feeling of what the 90s were like to be called "Historical Fiction", either. It was a decent book and I can see that it was clearly an influence on the YA genre, but it's not one I'd be rushing out to recommend.
ngreader's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars rounded up to four.
Kay, this book hit so many tropes that I was originally going to give it a 3-star review. BUT THEN I REMEMBERED- this book created the tropes. It was one of the first books starring a Korean-American teenager and for that reason, it hit so many tropes BECAUSE it created the tropes in the first place. I've been lucky to have so many narratives that show many different sides of being Korean-American, but this book opened up the way for those stories to be told.
Kay, this book hit so many tropes that I was originally going to give it a 3-star review. BUT THEN I REMEMBERED- this book created the tropes. It was one of the first books starring a Korean-American teenager and for that reason, it hit so many tropes BECAUSE it created the tropes in the first place. I've been lucky to have so many narratives that show many different sides of being Korean-American, but this book opened up the way for those stories to be told.
Spoiler
contained mentions of teen sex, mild cursing, some kissingbookwyrmjulia's review against another edition
5.0
Pros:
-short, can be read in one sitting
-thorough and well-crafted
-clearly-drawn emotional picture of our protagonist
-nostalgic for high school, college applications, etc
-eye-opening for people who haven't experienced racism
-a perfect polaroid of senior year of high school
Cons:
-it's sad that what Ellen goes through is what real-life Asian American teens go through
-a small amount of the language used is slightly outdated (notably, when discussing teenage bodies and habits) so should be read with that in mind
-none other, you should read it
-short, can be read in one sitting
-thorough and well-crafted
-clearly-drawn emotional picture of our protagonist
-nostalgic for high school, college applications, etc
-eye-opening for people who haven't experienced racism
-a perfect polaroid of senior year of high school
Cons:
-it's sad that what Ellen goes through is what real-life Asian American teens go through
-a small amount of the language used is slightly outdated (notably, when discussing teenage bodies and habits) so should be read with that in mind
-none other, you should read it
marmoset737's review
3.0
Even though this is about a senior in high school - the book reads like the protagonist is 13...
mercipourleslivres's review against another edition
4.0
This is a really slim little novel but I felt it was almost intentionally written that way. Some readers might find themselves dissatisfied at the lack of resolution or plot depth, but in the end, I found it to be a much more realistic portrayal of growing up than many YA novels. In real life, there isn't always a satisfactory resolution to the shit that happens to you. While some of the characters were barely there and had little to do, I didn't mind because in the end it was Ellen's story and her thoughts were all I really cared about. Despite its original publication setting in the 90s, the book felt very timeless to me (outside of the nickname 'Tomper' that was a bit ridiculous) and I'm glad it got a re-release and chance for more readers to discover it.
maria_elisabeth's review against another edition
3.0
Nice and short, growing up story.
Nothing new really, I've read a few very similar books, with asian-american girl with strict parents and finding their strength.
Nothing new really, I've read a few very similar books, with asian-american girl with strict parents and finding their strength.