Gene Luen YangReseñas

3.5 stars. Pretty enjoyable

American Born Chinese weaves together three distinct but interconnected storylines that explore themes of cultural identity and self-acceptance. The first storyline follows Jin Wang, a Chinese-American boy navigating the challenges of fitting in at a predominantly white school. The second storyline features the mythical Monkey King, a legendary figure from Chinese folklore, who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and transformation. The third storyline introduces Danny, a popular American teenager who struggles with his Chinese cousin, Chin-Kee, and the embarrassment he brings. As these narratives converge, the characters grapple with issues of identity, stereotypes, and the complexities of belonging in a multicultural society. This book would be suitable in a middle school classroom to facilitate discussions about cultural diversity, stereotypes, and the immigrant experience.

Better than the last. Main metal spirit was a bit strange conceptually but overall solid.

More Avatar is always good, but the book has some issues and didnt totally hit the mark for me. 3.5. I suspect I’ll like some of the next ones more.

Iroh inventing boba before its time was excellent though.

Hopper, Eni, and Josh continue learning from Mr. Bee - who they learn is actually Professor Bee, the founder of the Bee School, upon which Stately Academy was built. Some classrooms remain underground, and Mr. Bee shows them the remaining turtles and programs. Meanwhile, the Dean is onto them, and sends the rugby team to spy on them and capture the turtles - and Mr. Bee! Hopper uses a mini turtle to complete her repetitive Mandarin homework assignment (her Mandarin teacher is also her mom), and the three of them use their coding skills to tie up part of the rugby team. Cliffhanger ending!

See also: Lunch Lady series

This book would be good for advance students. This book is "American Born Chinese" by Gene Luen Yang and published in 2000. This book is about a boy named Jin Wang and he is Chinese, but doesn't want to be because he is in love with an American girl and society has told him that he does not belong with her. There is also the Monkey King who has lived for thousands of years and ends up being defeated. This book goes through the journey of these two characters and the struggles they go through to become undefeated and to get the girl. This book would be good for advanced readers who are not into chapter books or have trouble reading longer books. It also has good culture in it and normalizes being a different culture than those around you and shows kids how to be confident in their culture instead of assimilating to those around them.

What is up with this weird new school? Why are there number 9s all over? Why do the birds have four eyes? New student Hopper and her new friend Emi explore the secrets of their school, and begin to learn coding to unlock the mysteries.

See also: Lunch Lady series by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

This graphic novel gives us a glimpse into someone who may look different from his classmates on the outside, but longs to just fit in. It’s a painful place to be, especially as a kid. Anyone who has felt like they had to hide some part of themselves in order to avoid bullying, will find a kindred spirit here. It’s a chance to step into someone else’s shoes for a moment and hopefully gain some empathy for someone who might be different from you.

Gr 7 Up—Roberta and Tommy Lee's family moves from Chinatown to Metropolis only to encounter threats from the
Klan of the Fiery Kross. The Lees have a friend in Superman, who grapples with his own sense of belonging, but
they'll need more than superpowers to prevent their community from falling under the sway of xenophobia. Nuanced
writing and fluid artwork sell the bombastic moments as well as the heartfelt ones.

Gr 8 Up—Yang's memoir-cum-sports odyssey follows twin narratives: The author, mired in writer's block, returns for
his 17th year as a math teacher at Bishop O'Dowd High School while its basketball squad pursues its first state
championship. This backboard-shattering slam dunk examines art, sports, politics, identity, storytelling ethics, and
more with sharp, animated artwork sure to draw cheering readers out of their seats.

Lunar New Year Love Story is a complex, emotional YA graphic novel about finding love and coming to terms with the history of your family. High school senior Valentina used to love Valentine's Day until a Valentine's Day in high school when she receives a heartbreaking revelation about her mother. Val believes she is cursed since no one in her family has been lucky in love.
One day her grandmother takes her to the Lunar New Year festival and Val meets two cute lion dancers. Val embarks on a journey where she learns about love, friendship, family, loss, vulnerability and trust. The novel explores Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese cultures and some of the challenges faced by immigrants. There are older characters who added wisdom and depth to the story. The paranormal elements brought spookiness and suspense. The beautiful, vibrant artwork really brought the characters to life. I really enjoyed the lion dancing.

Yang did it, he made me actually appreciate sports. I even cried over sports because of this damn book.

Valentina has a special relationship with Valentine's Day until she starts high school. She realized that maybe her lot is to not find love as nothing seems to work out with for those in her family. So many secrets! She thinks her mom is dead, she doesn't know her grandmother. Valentina holds out and finds her way back to dance through lion dancing, and with it connection with a cute boy and his broody cousin.
Quick read, compelling characters and relationship, art that captures emotion and culture.

2.75

Quite a few people I've spoken to about non-superhero graphic novels have recommended this to me, but this just didn't hit home with me like it has with other people. It was an interesting read that twines together three separate stories into one. The first story is based on a Chinese folktale; the second on a young Chinese-American schoolboy; and the last on an American teen whose cousin "Chin-kee" comes to visit from China. The weaving together of the stories was unique, but felt very absurd and almost childlike. I get the point Yang was trying to make but don't think the meshing of stories was overall successful. The story wrapped up very quickly and felt unfinished. The art style was solid although a little bland.
I think this could be a great read for some people, but probably not for everyone. I would still recommend this to certain people, especially if you're looking for some diverse authors or a unique little story!

I adore Gene Lien Yang's graphic novels. They are always comical and light reading even is the topic is serious. His novels are also clean reading, no sex or foul language. I was not aware of his newest title until last week and immediately bought a copy. It is fantastic! This one is about a couple who cannot get it together during their senior year of high school. There are a few magical creatures as characters as befitting a Chinese story.

The publisher's summary: She was destined for heartbreak. Then fate handed her love. Val is ready to give up on love. It's led to nothing but secrets and heartbreak, and she's pretty sure she's cursed—no one in her family, for generations, has ever had any luck with love. But then a chance encounter with a pair of cute lion dancers sparks something in Val. Is it real love? Could this be her chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to live with a broken heart forever?

Yang gives us realistic characters. Valentina, or Val, grew up with just one parent, her father. When she finds out the he lied about her mother' death she stops speaking with him for almost a year. Val's best friend Bernice is also raised by a single parent, her mother. Bernice cannot stand to be without a boyfriend and within 24 hours of a break up she finds a new love. We all knew someone like that when we were growing up. Val is the complete opposite. The boys in the story are typical Chinese Americans while their parents live a very Chinese life in the U. S.

Another reason I enjoy Yang's novels is that they are the same length as a traditional novel. Lunar is approximately 350 pages. This allows him to create full formed characters and an extensive plot. The relationships among the kids in the story revolve around lion dancing. They are all taking a class on how to dance under a lion costume, as you would normally see at the Chinese new year and other special occasions. Val's relationships with two boys generally take place while they are sharing a costume to dance under. Val cannot decide which boy she really loves. A magical dragon has given her one year to find true love. If she fails then she must give the dragon her heart and foreswear future love interests. Val believes that her family will always be unlucky in love and is not sure that she can find true love.

The illustrations by Leuyen Pham are gorgeous. She has used primarily a red and pink color pallet to fit with Val's love of Valentine's Day. There are some panels colored in blues and greens but all the colors are bright as I like them. Her character's faces illuminate their emotions so when there is no dialogue in a panel strip, the reader knows how the characters are feeling.

Lunar New Year Love Story is the perfect Valentine's Day story. It would make a great gift for both kids and adults who like comics.

Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang (illustrated by LeUyen Pham) is a super cute graphic novel about a Vietnamese American girl named Valentina who used to love Valentine’s Day until she learns a family secret. As she works through high school, she learns more about her family and her heritage and finds her way back to love.

Part 1 of a series of graphic novels explaining some of the story between the end of the war at the end of A:TLA and the events of A:LoK. Great artwork that captures the essence of the TV show. The writing is canon, so this is essential for some knowledge of the situation in the Legend of Korra, although the show stands alone. 4 stars have for some minor quibbles: the story is not long and I think it could easily have been released as a single volume. Now, we will need to get the other parts in order to appreciate the story. The other is that the script does make very overt attempts to distinguish the characters (Sokka with plenty of jokes, Toph really in-your-face etc.) I think having watched some of LoK, I am disappointed that this novel is almost more juvenile than the original show, and has not aged with its audience.

WELL HOLY HELL WAS THAT DARKER THAN I ANTICIPATED. My god. Full review to come, but jeez I need a breather.

Recommended:
Unexpectedly, yes. At the start I thought maybe for younger grades, now I'm thinking late middle or later. For a look at a history unknown in American public schools, for the whiplash turns of laughing to stunned silent darkness.

Thoughts:
Well. I certainly learned a bit of history. I laughed, particularly at our little lady being vaguely insulted at being told she had a face like an opera mask. Then abruptly my laughter ended at the conclusion of that interaction. Holy hell.

This story gets you, because you think it won't take such dark turns. At least, *I* didn't. I kept waiting to see the moments that Clarissa said she had to put the book down for a bit due to. Well, I found them.

The art style is lovely, I liked the simplicity that still gave such detail and life to the world and characters. The vibrant colors of the gods and fighting contrasted with the muted sepia colors of their daily lives through the villages. Story-wise, loved it. It ramped up pretty quickly, and felt like little Bao grew up exponentially faster as the story progressed.

Recommended: yep!
for a story about family and identity, for a story about hope, for a lot of pain on the way to happiness

Thoughts:
Wow y'all, I don't know why I ever had reservations thinking I might not like this that much. Past me was an absolute idiot, what about this WOULDN'T appeal to me?? And I was happily proven wrong because it was a delight!

Focusing on the art to start, because it is GORGEOUS. There's so much movement in it, which can be really hard to do without it getting confusing and chaotic, but this just felt beautiful. It was really highlighted in the scenes with the lion dancing where the movements were the focus.

The coloring was masterful as well. So much mood was carried with it, and it made moving from the gray, depressed, dull days to the bright shock of liveliness and community just as impactful for me as a reader as it was to the characters. I was lulled into thinking the gray was all the world had to offer, then turned a page to a vibrant landscape and was reminded of all the good that exists.

Some of the fonts were a bit tough to read, although they did align pretty well with the vibe of the character using them. I loved the way they emphasized characterization even to colors and fonts.

And of course, the story. There's a lot in it, but it doesn't feel like too much. Every thread of story gets proper attention and has me feeling fulfilled and satisfied with it. Her family, friends, love interests, and own internal struggles are all equally shown as important and threaded with one another. It also does not always go in the directions you might expect, and I appreciated the balanced look at romance and interest, especially with younger protagonists.

Acceptance was a big theme of this, although it wasn't always easy to come by. But there is a wide range of people in this book, and all of them are shown as lovable even when they have difficult traits that are highlighted as well. Intentions are given weight, and it was surprisingly nuanced considering the perspective was largely from that of a teenager.

Overall, this was definitely worth reading and I'm so glad I did. I woke up today still thinking about it, and found myself smiling or wincing with memories of moments in the story. I'm glad this story exists. 

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/Q5sRG_19RCc

Enjoy!

The art in this book was very pretty; the style was cute and fit the YA-romance genre well. There was a lot of fluidity to the art and creative page layouts that brought life to the story. The striking use of colors added a lot to the expressiveness and mood of the art too.
The magical elements were incorporated well. They provided a push to get the story going and a time limit that upped the stakes without taking too much focus away from the core of the story which was Valentina's relationships (both romantic and with her family and friends) and her concept of love. "Saint V", the main supernatural element and antagonist started out as a good mix of creepy and sad. I had wondered if there was going to be more to him as the story progressed, but he mostly faded into the background. This did lower the tension a bit, but there was a lot to show with all Valentina's relationships and he did not need to be at the forefront.
The romance was simple and fairly predictable from the start, but I liked that there was time for it to develop and for Valentina to explore her feelings and her options, even looking for other ways to escape her deal with Saint V that still felt in line with the themes of the story.

The unique storytelling of this graphic novel make it very exceptional in its genres. It takes most of the book to understand how the storyline tie together, and I certainly wasn't expecting it to work out as well as it did. Unfortunately I did not love the characters much, although it is a traditional teen story of trying to fit in with the crowd before finding acceptance in oneself. These stories are harder for me to relate to, but I appreciated the style of this one anyway.

Story: 7.0 / 10
Characters: 7.5
Setting: 8.5
Prose: 7.5

This book does not have an ending.

I really enjoyed Val's story. From her joyous childhood memories to numbing disenchantment, her journey of growing up is a mix of youthful whimsy, family stress and strength, images of a boisterous multi-cultural asian community, and illustrations of internal anxieties that border on spiritual horror. Given the title of Love Story, I thought it'd be heavy on romance, but there's an equal emphasis on the love expressed with family, community, friends, and self. Very impressed with how all of the storylines came together, and how the art supports and enhances the emotional narrative.

Tangential Note: I would like to take this moment to gripe about the logo for First Second publishing. It’s mildly misleading for a graphic novel imprint to have a big “01” on the spine of standalone books. I’m sorry, numbers on spines just scream series. Anyway.

**Thanks to BookishFirst for the ARC**

*Spoiler alert*

Valentina Tran lives with her dad; she believes her mother is dead, but discovers that her dad has been lying: her mother left them when Valentina was a baby. Valentina believes that her whole family is cursed in love, and the only way to keep her heart safe is to give it to "Saint V" - first portrayed as an adorable pink cupid, then as an ominous, elongated figure in dark purple, gray, and black. Valentina's best friend, Bernice, doesn't believe in true love either, but her approach is to date lots of people and move on quickly, before anything gets serious.

When Valentina makes a deal with Saint V to find love in one year or give him her heart, she thinks she might have found true love with Les Liu, a rich, popular boy who goes to private school - and, incidentally, is cousins with Jae, who tore up the valentine Valentina made for him in ninth grade homeroom. Valentina begins lion dancing with Les and Jae, and while she loves dancing, she wonders where she stands with Les, who refuses to put a label on their relationship.

Both Jae and Val end up trying to escape their troubles abroad: Jae plans to accompany his (newly sober) mother to Korea, and Val impulsively attends a "golden ladies" church trip to Italy with her grandmother, only to return for Lunar New Year to catch Jae before he leaves.

Quotes

"It's my job to protect you!"
"Protect me from my own mother?!"
"Protect you from getting your heart broken! Like me!" (41)

"Our family unlucky in love." (Grandma, 61)

"Do those photographs convince you?" (Valentine to Valentina, 149)

"You've gotta be stable to be strong, you know?" (Jae to Val, 163)

I don't need true love [to get rid of St. V].
I've got another way. [Lion dancing] (180)

"It makes you feel small, doesn't it? Or maybe it makes you feel like you're a part of something big. Either way, big or small, it always worked. I always felt better" (Jae, 209)

"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay."
"Are you lying?"
"I'm lying." (Bernice and Val, 216)

"No more pain...would mean no more love, right? That's not what I want." (Val to St. V, 239)

"You will hurt your beloved. Or your beloved will hurt you. Or the world will hurt one of you and the other will suffer, simply because you've chosen to love, and sooner or later, the time will come for you or your beloved or your relationship to die."
"So it's best to avoid it all."
"Not true, my dear." (299)