WorldCat User Reviews (2)
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1-2 out of 2 WorldCat reviews |
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More powerful than expected    (2010-11-19)
Not being a reader of graphic novels, I did not expect much from American born Chinese. Instead, I found myself looking at how a person of another culture twists themselves into being something else in order to fit in. Some characters even wanted to avoid being whom they discovered themselves to be.... Read more... Not being a reader of graphic novels, I did not expect much from American born Chinese. Instead, I found myself looking at how a person of another culture twists themselves into being something else in order to fit in. Some characters even wanted to avoid being whom they discovered themselves to be. This is a story of discovering and accepting ourselves. Open this book with the expectation of being challenged to open your mind.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful. Good GN to start with    (2008-09-05)
I did it! I finally read an entire graphic novel! And I'm still alive to tell about it. :)
My friend's 12-year-old daughter recommended it to me, so I figured it had to be pretty good. She knows the whole manga thing confuses me, so she picked a GN that was more... Read more... I did it! I finally read an entire graphic novel! And I'm still alive to tell about it. :)
My friend's 12-year-old daughter recommended it to me, so I figured it had to be pretty good. She knows the whole manga thing confuses me, so she picked a GN that was more like a comic strip with varying sizes of panels--easy enough for me to follow.
This book has three storylines that trade off, and I couldn't figure out whether there was supposed to be one unifying story until almost the very end, but it wasn't hard to track each thread, even when I couldn't see how they would connect. 1) A tale of the Chinese Monkey King, 2) a tale of a lone Chinese American boy making friends with a Chinese boy, and 2) a tale of an American teenager who is embarrassed by his uber-stereotypical Chinese cousin coming to visit. I enjoyed the humor of each, and I was surprised to see a slight religious theme subtly interwoven into the whole--a blend of Eastern and Western.
I also appreciated how fast it was to read. Only 1 1/2 lunch hours required!
Overall, I'd say it's a great GN for teenagers. There are some raging teenage hormones in the story, so I probably wouldn't recommend it to all elementary school kids. And I think I'd actually give it 3 1/2 stars. Were I a big GN fan in general, it would probably get 4 stars. :)
1-2 out of 2 WorldCat reviews |
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