A review by rnbhargava
Saints by Gene Luen Yang

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book recontextualizes the events of Boxers through shifting the protagonist role to a notable incidental character that made an impression on the protagonist of “Boxers”. This is a wonderful companion piece. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

If you got anything out of Boxers, you must read Saints right after. They’re in conversation with each other about the nature of Chinese Society during this period and it’s not just about Chinese Good, British Bad. It does this in a fairly younger ages friendly way that could lead to better dialogue about this period and the lasting effects that still inform peoples interactions today.