Category: Book Reviews

What a read. This was one of the first YA novels assigned for a class I’m taking this semester, Literature, Pop Culture, and New Media. It made me feel all the feels of being a middle schooler even though it’s been over a decade since I was in Quinn’s shoes. Aside from the plot (which was a joy to watch unfold), the verse here is what really takes the cake. This was a kind of poetry that makes you want to grab a pencil and start writing yourself.

One of my favorite stylistic aspects of this novel was DuBois’ decision to not only write in verse but also to vary her poems’ shapes and forms into those Quinn is learning in class (i.e. “Homework: Diamonte Opposites;” “Tornado;” “Playgrounds”). This not only conveyed Quinn’s growing engagement with the various poetry forms introduced by Ms. Koval but also kept my attention as a reader: I never knew which type of poem to expect when I turned the page. Quinn’s story also reminds me of the ever-present awkwardness of middle school and how many challenges, both natural and human-made, we often face during that discovery phase of life.

I think this novel would be a great addition to anyone’s classroom. Regardless of my future students’ ages and/or reading goals, I see this being a happy edition to our classroom bookshelf (but extra brownie points if I end up teaching middle school). Be on the lookout for a multitude of YA novels over the next few months as my class goes through one to two each week!

This book was such an enjoyable read – I literally couldn’t put it down until it was finished. I’d heard lots of discourse around it, particularly in my education classes this past semester, and went ahead and bought a copy for myself. As an Alabama girl, the novel’s setting drew me in as the plot explores Hà and her mother and brothers’ encounters in Alabama after emigrating from Saigon.

I can see students especially finding connections in this novel’s many characters. Hà interacts with multiple people throughout this novel (TiTi, Miss Xinh, MiSSSisss WaSShington, and Pink Boy, to name a few) while still being grounded in daily interactions with her mother and three brothers. Because we get so much interaction with other characters, albeit through Hà’s perspective, students aren’t limited to connecting with her alone – they might see a friend’s passion for yummy food and cooking in Vu Lee or a love for all of language’s “annoyances and illogical rules. as well as sensible beauty” like MiSSSisss WaSShington. I also think this would be such an ideal novel if you teach in Alabama or one of its surrounding states! I’m really happy I decided to read this, and I imagine teaching this novel would be a blast.

Some poems that stuck with me (mainly because of commentary on language):