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thesupermassive's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Xenophobia
Moderate: War, Violence, and Hate crime
alyssamakesart's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: War, Violence, Hate crime, and Racial slurs
allygator's review
challenging
emotional
informative
medium-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
4.75
This book is nearly perfect. It's a heart-rending depiction of life in World War II-era Japanese internment camps told from the eyes of 14 different Japanese-American teenagers.
The amount of research Traci Chee put into making this as accurate as possible is insane, and it is evident in the quality of the story she tells. You know how close she is to the story and the characters and how important it is to her that their story gets told.
The only criticism that I have is that, because there are so many different perspectives, sometimes it was hard to connect with every character at the same level. The chapters didn't fall into the most common of multi-perspective pitfalls though -- every voice was really distinct and fun to read.
This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about what Japanese-Americans went through during World War II, especially slightly younger audiences and anyone who is less interested in nonfiction.
The amount of research Traci Chee put into making this as accurate as possible is insane, and it is evident in the quality of the story she tells. You know how close she is to the story and the characters and how important it is to her that their story gets told.
The only criticism that I have is that, because there are so many different perspectives, sometimes it was hard to connect with every character at the same level. The chapters didn't fall into the most common of multi-perspective pitfalls though -- every voice was really distinct and fun to read.
This is a must-read for anyone looking to learn more about what Japanese-Americans went through during World War II, especially slightly younger audiences and anyone who is less interested in nonfiction.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Xenophobia, War, Racism, Racial slurs, and Death
dani_reviews's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
Moderate: Deportation, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Gore
Minor: Alcohol
medievalfantasyqueen's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Through the lens of a group of teenagers and youngsters, Traci Chee explores and expounds on the experiences of the Japanese living in America during the height of World War II, where your race and ethnicity determined your loyalty to the USA. In a chilling way, I did not at all expect that I would be finishing the book at this point in 2022, but when I look at the world around me, it does not seemed to have changed much. It is challenging and complex, indeed, to come to the understanding that the victims of war are not only those in the countries and territories ravaged directly by the warfare, but also those belonging to the offensive country, who, well and truly, have nothing to do with the political decisions of their 'leaders'.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
miauts04's review
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and War
Minor: Child abuse
maddietsteele's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This book absolutely destroyed me. My heart was not prepared for the emotional sucker punch that was the consecutive placement of Keiko’s, Twitchy’s, and the All of Us chapter. I cried, hard.
At the start, I was a bit worried about a book with 14 different narrators, and at times it was difficult to keep the stories aligned with the correct characters. However, as the book progressed and travelled outside of the first incarceration camp, it was clear that all the perspectives were needed and each added a new layer to the story.
The emotion and connection between the characters themselves and between the characters and the reader swells as the story progresses. The last 5 chapters absolutely make this book one to remember.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, and War
mnm43's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Death
kaitlinlovesbooks's review
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, War, and Death
Moderate: Racism, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, and Emotional abuse
tesslaah's review
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I found a few parts a bit slow, but really appreciated how Chee makes you feel like you know the characters. Mini-Spoiler: I found myself crying when one of the characters dies because of the way Chee writes about the reactions and emotions of the other characters. I wanted to know more about where all of the characters “ended up” but I think that’s part of the beauty—the openness of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, War, and Grief
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse
Historical fiction about teenagers in a Japanese Internment Camp(s) within the United States