Reviews

The Eternal Smile: Three Stories by Derek Kim, Derek Kirk Kim, Gene Luen Yang

jess_mango's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars. This "graphic novel" is comprised of 3 seperate stories. It was a quick read that helped occupy some of my insomniac moments last night.

alex_watkins's review against another edition

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3.0

I liked the illustrations in this book, and thought Gene Yang was totally cool when he came to the library, but I could not love this book. I think it was a bit too clever for its own good. American Born Chinese has some surprised that are quite good and well earned, in that certain story lines are not what they appear. These 3 stories all had some twist that changed the frame of the story, but I don't think any of them earned that twist. Which I think is the all too frequent problem with short stories, they always have to be clever or ironic or have a very pat ending. I don't know how I feel about the separate artist/writer graphic novels. I know that people do that all the time in comic books. But I feel like there is something special about drawing the story that you thought up. Now Gene Yang was pretty self-deprecating when he came, and said the other guy draws way better then him. But I think there is something to his simple drawings, that have character.

danileighta's review against another edition

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5.0

Super weird, but powerful stories about greed. The ratings from others are low, but I have to say I really enjoyed this book. I might not put it in YA, not because of any inappropriate material, but because the subject might not strike them. Check this book out, though. It was a surprise for me.

coleycole's review against another edition

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5.0

This was awesome! More on this at my blog

sparklethenpop's review against another edition

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3.0

This is a 3.5 really. I enjoyed the first and last stories but the second story was only okay.

wrentheblurry's review against another edition

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4.0

I read this when it was initially published, though I don't know what happened to my review. So, I reread it. This was no hardship, as it's a quick read, and I'm a fan of Yang's work.

The artwork is as varied and richly detailed, shaded and colored as his other graphic novels. The three stories are all separate in style and tone, but connected by the main character's each undergoing personal growth as they come to a decision about their lives. The stories are a tad weird, too weird for my 13-year old son to give this title more than 3 stars. I enjoy a good quirky tale, especially one with a heart-warming ending. Recommended!

johnnymacaroni's review against another edition

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3.0

The stories are quirky but I especially love the different styles of illustration throughout.

boob's review against another edition

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5.0

a fun, whimsical read of fiction! The worldbuilding and basis of the stories in this book are really creative. 

amschelly153's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Weird. Beautiful. I’ll be pondering this book for a good bit. Really, really cool.

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meghan111's review against another edition

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3.0

Three stories, each with a twist that changes the shape and twists the concept and breaks the wall... the last is a more subtle twist, and is low-key in the writing style of Adrian Tomine rather than full-out fantasy.