n_g_reader 's review for:

No-No Boy by John Okada

4.5

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is definitely a book that deserves the name of classic - it reminded me a little of Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" book but with actual purpose and voice. It explores the complex feelings of being a "No-No" boy and the various reasons Japanese men chose to answer both "No's". It made me think and reflect on what it means to be American and what that privilege entails, especially in a world where American citizenship is so difficult to defend depending on your name, your skin tone, and your tattoos - similar to Japanese-Americans who were marked as different and dangerous by their name, their skin tone, their eye-shape, and their dark hair. So glad I finally read this book.