Thanhha Lai

Representation: Asian main character
Trigger warnings: Racism

6/10, this was my first historical book (1915 doesn't count since it's a war book) made by a Vietnamese-American author to boot, Thanhhà Lại, so I had high expectations for this and I was honestly quite surprised that I didn't enjoy this due to some issues I've found but I read her other book Inside Out and Back Again since then and would like to read the sequel, where do I begin. It starts off with the main character Hằng leaving Vietnam after the war ended and she arrived in Texas, US ready to start off her new life and that storyline is familiar so I read on to see where it was going. I found her character to be interesting since she speaks English with a Vietnamese accent as can be seen with her dialogue with other characters, speaking of soon she meets a new character called LeeRoy and at first their character dynamic is not the best however they get along towards the end. The plot is kind of slow with nothing much happening in it except those events but there are a few good moments interspersed. Throughout the book Hằng acclimatises to her new life but sometimes I see flashbacks of her back in Vietnam during the war which I liked and the end, let's just say it finishes on a high note.… (mer)

Representation: Asian main character
Trigger warnings: Racism, bullying, death of a father, Vietnam War, displacement, refugee experiences, military violence and war themes

8/10, I was hoping that this would be a good read since it's poetry and written by a Vietnamese-American author to boot so imagine my surprise that this was such an amazing novel, better than the last verse novel I read. The novel's premise was very interesting and realistic, and I could really connect to the main character, Hà. She immigrated from Vietnam to Alabama to escape the Vietnam War, and now she has to adjust to her new life, but it was a struggle to do so, with all the racism, being an outcast, and learning a new language, English. The other characters in Hà's family were enjoyable to read as well, especially the brothers, and I liked seeing the final moments in Vietnam and all the Vietnamese traditions. If you like a novel about immigration and a verse novel, this is the book for you and I can't wait to read the sequel to this novel which has only been just released and my library got that already, so yeah there's that.… (mer)

Representation: Asian main character, side Latina character
Trigger warnings: Animal death, physical injury, abuse, bruises

7/10, I only just heard of this book not so long ago and I was excited to read this and even though I enjoyed this I just wanted a little more from it and this definitely was kind of a step down from Inside Out and Back Again made by the same author; this was a nice read nonetheless, where do I even begin. It starts off again with the main character Hà who is now twelve since this was set only two years after she fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War and now she and her family are living in Alabama. This is all going to change however as Hà's mother discovered that Texas would leave them better off so they packed their bags and moved there much to her dismay. I feel like after this major event the author just doesn't know what to do after this so the story turned into a long drawn out account of the main character's new life in Texas which stretched across most of the book. Hà soon adjusts to living in this new place and makes a new friend in the process called Diggy though I was kind of sad that I wouldn't be seeing Pam again, then again I could only connect to Hà and not the rest of the characters so there's that. I still liked the writing style though, only few books I know have done this and on a positive note the author pulled that off successfully.… (mer)

This book is the sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, which is one of my all time favorite titles to read in my 7th grade English class. Ha's thoughtful and hilarious observations, quips, and poetic storytelling continue in this book with the same prose poems by Thanhha Lai. In this part of the story, Ha is more verbose, adding more detail and more poetry to her observations and anecdotes, which the author says reflects that Ha is acquiring more English and also reflects the author's opinion that "To me, English is so wordy." Lai weaves together Vietnamese and English in the stories and in the style by which her characters describe their lives and experiences in their second year after arriving as refugees in the United States, which includes a move from Alabama to Texas for more work opportunities for her family. We hear about Ha's adjustments to life in junior high and her struggles to find friends and fit in, while also tracking the different paths her mother and brothers take as they continue to build their futures in the United States. The sequel does not include quite as many laugh out loud observations about the struggles of learning English or adjusting to new people, places, and culture, but adds to the story in a heartwarming way.… (mer)