Rating: 
Summary: Makes you laugh, and cry, and think.
Review: It's amazing how few words An Na uses to tell so much story. In a series of simple but powerful vignettes An Na manages to distill the entire early life journey of one little girl, Young Ju, as she moves from toddlerhood through to young adulthood, in a strange country, with odd customs, strange people, and a different language. Throughout the book her staunch mother's character and resourcefulness shines through. We see a father's whose early enthusiasm falters as his his pride and and personal weakness overcome him. We see how both Young Ju and her brother react, grow, and model themselves after the things they see in their parents, and how their experiences shape them. There is no padding in this story, every episode serves to reveal some facet of the personality or growth of one of the characters. And nothing happens that is wanton or unmotivated. It's very pleasing to find a story with characters and events so well crafted.I've never known much about Korean culture, but was astonished how easy An Na made it to simply slip into little Young Ju's mind, and to see the world from her perspective. Suddenly it makes complete sense that something as familiar as Coca Cola is now an evil black broth with fish bones that sting the insides of ones mouth and throat. American words are suddenly virtually unpronouncable, and aren't these people odd to have covered all their floors in "blankets"? Another thing that I thought was really well done is how Young Ju's "voice" (or rather her thought landscape) matures subtly but unmistakably through the book. By reading only a few paragraphs at the begining of a chapter you can usually make a fairly accurate guess at her current age, without being explicitly told what it is. An Na amanages to do this without ever being condescending to the immature girl, but on the other hand the youthful voice is not entirely authentic either. It's more of an impressionistic sketch, because adult language is used throughout the book. It works very well though, and adds a lot to the charm. This is one of those books where you feel that the author has spoken out of intimate familiarity with the subject matter. And even though the form is stylized, there is nothing fake about this story. It reveals deep and beautiful things about the characters, and teaches some universal truths about growing up, underprivileged and in alien surroundings. According to the publisher the book is aimed at the "young adult" market, but I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories about growing up, and just generally great writing.
Rating:
Summary: Evolution of a Korean-American
Review: My mother immegrated from Korea when she was in her early 20's and divorced my (American) father in her late 20's. The struggles that Young Ju and her family undergo really struck a cord with me. From reading about how hard her mother worked, I gained even more respect for my mother, who raised two daughters alone. Young Ju has a hard time being the "proper" Korean daughter when the American culture is growing to be a part of her. The is an extremely well written book that flows effortlessly. From the time Young Ju is 4 years old until she leaves for college, the reader experiences the stuggles of becoming Korean-American without forgetting/disrespecting the culture one comes from. Sidebar: It was fun growing up with a Korean mother who didn't understand those wacky American ways. I would find myself, a freshman in high school, telling my mother: "You don't under-STAND. American kids don't HAVE curfews." Ahhh hahaha, I was able to get away with so much.
Rating:
Summary: A Korean-American perspective
Review: Okay, so maybe in reading and rating this book I'm a little biased because I am Korean-American girl, but I thought that it was a good book. The ideas that An Na writes about are so true to Korean culture; the pressure to be perfect; the importance of family; respect; the value of men over women; and dealing with two cultures. The phoenetic spelling of Korean words to English was awkward and I doubt if anyone without knowledge of the Korean language would be able to understand any of it i.e. 'harabugi'(meaning grandfather) 'uhmma'(mom) 'apa' (dad) 'halmoni' (grandmother) 'uhn-nee' (this is a term a girl uses to call another girl who is older than her) 'gomo' (your dad's sister, yes, I realize I could have typed 'aunt', but in Korean there are different words for relatives depending on how they are related to you). I even had trouble trying to understand what the spelling was meant to mean in Korean, but I still think that anyone should read it. The book gives a little insight to the life of a Korean girl growing up in an American society.
Rating: 
Summary: Exquisitely crafted
Review: The first chapter literally took my breath away. I could almost *feel* the words in their original Korean, and when Young Ju later finds the photograph of that day, I returned to read it again with new tears filling my eyes. The child's voice is exquisite--neither saccharine nor too-cute. The interplay between Young Ju, her younger brother, and their abusive father is both heartrending and "true." I would give the book 5 stars for the first few chapters and 3 stars for the end chapters. I didn't like the long time span which, in my opinion, weakened the tight narrative control which is so breathtaking in the beginning.
Rating:
Summary: Compassionate, ugly-beautiful book
Review: This book comes highly recommended. It received the Printz award for young adult literature, and is called a must-read by my writing instructor. On reading it, I can see why. On the surface, the book is about a child-immigrant's experience adapting to life in the United States. It is written more in the style of an adult novel than a YA novel. An Na rightly expects her readers to be able to handle more than a lot of books expect them too. The voice An Na uses to tell her story is fascinating. It begins with Young Ju as a four-year old who speaks no English. Instead of using normal names for things like "toilet paper", she describes them with amazing childlike and unusual words. When she is in America, English dialogue is written how she hears it, not how it is spelled. Wonderful way to show how confusing a new language is. This book is full of touch and smell, as well as sight. She uses vivid descriptions --For just one example, the touch of her mother's rough hands feel like the lick of a cat's tongue. The book covers Young Ju's life from Age 4 to college age, and the voice matures with her, from the child who still believes magical things, like planes fly to heaven, to a woman who is becoming independent and American despite her's fathers wish to keep her Korean-thinking and subservient. This book is truly rich with experience. Nothing is flat. She uses many contrasts. We see her father reading the Korean newspaper avidly and then being stumped completely by a few immigration forms. And it goes on with wonderful details like that. And as for her father, his portrayal is superb. He is a mean-spirited violent alcoholic. Yet he is their father, and at times there are very good times. At times, he worked for the family very hard. We know how he is struggling with a new culture. While there are no excuses for his behavior, we know he was not always like that. I have rarely seen a characterization that shows the destruction of a life as richly, unsentimentally and unsensationally as this. And of course, the other treat of this book is seeing Young Ju change from a girl who watches things happen to a girl who makes things happen. A book well worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: An Amazing Book
Review: This book could have been written a little bit better. But by the end of the book your at the end of your seat waiting for whats going to happen next. Young Ju has so many characteristics of young teenagers in America. She is really tough and takes the responsibilities of mother when her mom is at her work. Her dad is a drunk who can't take care of his family or keep a job. I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to any kids 12 and older because thats when they can realize what she is going through.
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful series of glimpses
Review: This book is a series of carefully crafted moments in the life of a Korean immigrant girl named Young Ju. From the first moment, in which we can assume Young Ju is a baby, to the last, when she is a young woman, we believe her voice and care about her story. The writing is poetic and very real- the images Young Ju uses to describe her world not only make the reader see what she sees, but bring us to feel empathy for her and to want so badly for everything to turn out for her in the end. A poignant and gentle look at a not-so gentle world, this book stayed with me long after I had closed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Terrible
Review: This book is one of those "I'm lost until I find myself" themes that is simply a waste of shelf space. It's incredibly boring and I wouldn't really recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A Step fom Heaven
Review: This book is so warming to the heart. You can feel how Young Ju feels. I would really recomend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Keeps you entertained
Review: This book keeps you entertained, although the stupidity of Young Ju drives is a little annoying.
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