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A review by kindredbooks
Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh
emotional
inspiring
fast-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
Sometimes you know before you read a book that you’re going to love it. Sometimes you even get some tissues (or a dry sleeve) ready. Sometimes a book touches your heart, breaks it, and then heals it. Finding Junie Kim by Ellen Oh was all of the above for me.
Based on stories and experiences of her own grandparents and family, and through extensive research into the Korean War, Ellen Oh brings a touching and heartbreakingly sweet novel about a young girl, Junie Kim. It is as much Junie’s story as it is her grandfather Doha and her grandmother Jinjoo. As Junie struggles with her mental health, especially after racist graffiti appears at her middle school, she finds strength and support from her family. Coinciding with a history assignment, Junie begins to listen and record her grandfather’s stories about his experience during the Korean War. His story is one of strength and compassion in the face of so much going wrong. Later, Junie also gets to hear her grandmother’s story and learns the lengths to which her grandmother has protected her family. Finding strength from both grandparents, Junie is able to find the courage needed to face what is going on in her life.
Such a beautiful story and I lost track of how many times I shed tears while reading it. It is at once a story that will break your heart but will also give so much hope that things can be better as long as we stand up and speak up for what is right.
TW: racism, racial slurs, bullying, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, anxiety, war, death, violence, abandonment, gun violence, grief
Based on stories and experiences of her own grandparents and family, and through extensive research into the Korean War, Ellen Oh brings a touching and heartbreakingly sweet novel about a young girl, Junie Kim. It is as much Junie’s story as it is her grandfather Doha and her grandmother Jinjoo. As Junie struggles with her mental health, especially after racist graffiti appears at her middle school, she finds strength and support from her family. Coinciding with a history assignment, Junie begins to listen and record her grandfather’s stories about his experience during the Korean War. His story is one of strength and compassion in the face of so much going wrong. Later, Junie also gets to hear her grandmother’s story and learns the lengths to which her grandmother has protected her family. Finding strength from both grandparents, Junie is able to find the courage needed to face what is going on in her life.
Such a beautiful story and I lost track of how many times I shed tears while reading it. It is at once a story that will break your heart but will also give so much hope that things can be better as long as we stand up and speak up for what is right.
TW: racism, racial slurs, bullying, suicidal thoughts, mental illness, anxiety, war, death, violence, abandonment, gun violence, grief
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Death, Gun violence, and Violence