American Born Chinese,
by Gene Luen Yang
Square Fish, First Second
Summary: This book is made up of three individual plotlines: the determined efforts of the Chinese folk story hero Monkey King to shed his humble roots and be revered as a god; the struggles faced by Jin Wang, a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in with his white classmates; and the sitcom plight of Danny, an All-American teen so shamed by his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (a purposefully painful ethnic stereotype) that he is forced to change schools. Each story works well on its own, but Yang cleverly comibines these parallel tales into a powerful climax that destroys the hateful stereotype of Chin-Kee, while leaving both Jin Wang and the Monkey King satisfied and happy to be who they are.
Personal Review: I enjoyed the storyline of the book, especially how the three stories tie together in the end. At first I was a little distracted by the pictures, and felt like I was reading a comic book, which made it hard to get the full meaning out of the book. However, I soon realized how much the pictures added to the story. They showed the characters' emotions and reactions. In a world of cartoons and Nintendo, teenagers should be able to read and remain undistracted. This is a good book about accepting everyone, about being happy with who we are, and not trying to change ourselves to “fit” in with everyone else.
Square Fish, First Second
Summary: This book is made up of three individual plotlines: the determined efforts of the Chinese folk story hero Monkey King to shed his humble roots and be revered as a god; the struggles faced by Jin Wang, a lonely Asian American middle school student who would do anything to fit in with his white classmates; and the sitcom plight of Danny, an All-American teen so shamed by his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (a purposefully painful ethnic stereotype) that he is forced to change schools. Each story works well on its own, but Yang cleverly comibines these parallel tales into a powerful climax that destroys the hateful stereotype of Chin-Kee, while leaving both Jin Wang and the Monkey King satisfied and happy to be who they are.
Personal Review: I enjoyed the storyline of the book, especially how the three stories tie together in the end. At first I was a little distracted by the pictures, and felt like I was reading a comic book, which made it hard to get the full meaning out of the book. However, I soon realized how much the pictures added to the story. They showed the characters' emotions and reactions. In a world of cartoons and Nintendo, teenagers should be able to read and remain undistracted. This is a good book about accepting everyone, about being happy with who we are, and not trying to change ourselves to “fit” in with everyone else.
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