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A review by whothehelliskaitlin
The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui
4.0
I do not usually read graphic novels and I typically get bored, but I really did enjoy this one. The color scheming choice is one that I very much applaud; the red added so much to the story. The little artistic choices made to help further the narrative and emotion were also very well done.
The story itself was at once both a heartbreaking and hopeful one. It manages to be both a historically informative novel and an interesting personal narrative in one story while still keeping readers engaged. I only take a star away because I feel as if I have learned more about Vietnam and Bui's family than about Bui herself, which I understand is important in Bui's own journey but for me fell a little flat when she reached the conclusion in the last chapter about accepting the fact that she won't have the same connections and histories as her family but can start anew for her son.
A quick read but one that keeps you invested and will probably teach you more about the Vietnam war than you have ever learned in any U.S. school.
The story itself was at once both a heartbreaking and hopeful one. It manages to be both a historically informative novel and an interesting personal narrative in one story while still keeping readers engaged. I only take a star away because I feel as if I have learned more about Vietnam and Bui's family than about Bui herself, which I understand is important in Bui's own journey but for me fell a little flat when she reached the conclusion in the last chapter about accepting the fact that she won't have the same connections and histories as her family but can start anew for her son.
A quick read but one that keeps you invested and will probably teach you more about the Vietnam war than you have ever learned in any U.S. school.