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katiegrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this, I like that Chloe tries to call out all the bigoted and racist stuff all the people in her life say.
2017 52 Books, 52 Weeks - book with aliens
2017 52 Books, 52 Weeks - book with aliens
annieliz's review against another edition
4.0
I love that this book defies easy categorization. You almost can't say it's sci-fi without giving the plot twist away. I will say I did not find the main character all that likable.
heathertruett's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
5.0
lindseylush's review against another edition
4.0
Part of my personal Reading Challenge this year was to write a review for all the books I read, so I can't get away with my usual 4 or 5 score without really thinking about why, so here it goes...
I'll admit I got about halfway through this book and thought, "Hmmm... I don't know about this." The plot took a turn that I had kind of anticipated but still found weird and jolting. Looking at others' reviews, this seems to be the biggest complaint against the book. Although it was a little tough for me to get past at first, I have to admit 1) I think kids will love it and 2) if you give it some thought, was a really interesting stance to take on an common message.
So I kept reading, curious to see how this plot was going to play out but a little doubtful all the same and here's what I found I liked about the book:
Chloe and Shelley's characters and their friendship
They're the weird kids. Chloe is a little too loud, a little too harsh, dresses a little too weird, is a little too confident, and doesn't seem to care a flip about it. And Shelley, she accepts all those things about her friend and loves her regardless. Together they are who they are without apology.
Mike Jung's message
After finishing the book and looking back at the big picture, I am fascinated by the stance that Jung takes to address the racism that Chloe faces in her school and community. He also uses the plot to bring attention to the struggles that Chloe faces to understand her own identity. So often these issues are addressed in historical fiction, at least in my experience, and is much more explicit in the plot. Jung's book leads the reader to think about the ways that misunderstandings and assumptions due to ignorance, while unintentional, are a form of racism. Chloe herself struggles to understand this and even to understand why she's so offended when it happens to her, which I think can help the reader relate.
I hope to find an audience for this book among some of my 4th graders. I think it will be unlike anything they've read before.
I'll admit I got about halfway through this book and thought, "Hmmm... I don't know about this." The plot took a turn that I had kind of anticipated but still found weird and jolting. Looking at others' reviews, this seems to be the biggest complaint against the book. Although it was a little tough for me to get past at first, I have to admit 1) I think kids will love it and 2) if you give it some thought, was a really interesting stance to take on an common message.
So I kept reading, curious to see how this plot was going to play out but a little doubtful all the same and here's what I found I liked about the book:
Chloe and Shelley's characters and their friendship
They're the weird kids. Chloe is a little too loud, a little too harsh, dresses a little too weird, is a little too confident, and doesn't seem to care a flip about it. And Shelley, she accepts all those things about her friend and loves her regardless. Together they are who they are without apology.
Mike Jung's message
After finishing the book and looking back at the big picture, I am fascinated by the stance that Jung takes to address the racism that Chloe faces in her school and community. He also uses the plot to bring attention to the struggles that Chloe faces to understand her own identity. So often these issues are addressed in historical fiction, at least in my experience, and is much more explicit in the plot. Jung's book leads the reader to think about the ways that misunderstandings and assumptions due to ignorance, while unintentional, are a form of racism. Chloe herself struggles to understand this and even to understand why she's so offended when it happens to her, which I think can help the reader relate.
I hope to find an audience for this book among some of my 4th graders. I think it will be unlike anything they've read before.
nov_bq's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this book a lot. But the alien identity of the main characters was a bit off. It wasn't realistic at all. Although I really love the friendship in this book. I love how honest and true was the main character to her friend. She didn't hide her true identity at all.
spellingbat's review against another edition
4.0
A girl struggles with getting in touch with her Korean heritage and being the only Korean student at her school, frustrated with parents who won't talk about their experience immigrating or about family history. The discovery that her parents aren't from Korean but actually from another planet which was destroyed makes her feel even more isolate, causing a rift with her best friend and a lot of questioning and self-doubt.
Still very amusing and full of the micro-aggressions people of color deal with on a daily basis from even the most well-intentioned teachers, friends, and co-workers.
Still very amusing and full of the micro-aggressions people of color deal with on a daily basis from even the most well-intentioned teachers, friends, and co-workers.
missprint's review
2.0
An interesting premise, but I'm afraid I couldn't get past two things:
One, the main character was just too unlikeable. I kept hoping she'd improve and she did... a tiny bit. Sometimes. But she kind of reliably kept losing her temper at people, shouting a lot, and treating others badly, and I just wasn't into it.
Two, the principle twist. I just... don't think it was necessary. This book could have just been about what it appears to be (at the start) rather than what it ends up being. It was even a great opportunity to teach kids a bit about Korean current affairs and history. But... no.
That said, kids will probably enjoy it all the same.
One, the main character was just too unlikeable. I kept hoping she'd improve and she did... a tiny bit. Sometimes. But she kind of reliably kept losing her temper at people, shouting a lot, and treating others badly, and I just wasn't into it.
Two, the principle twist. I just... don't think it was necessary. This book could have just been about what it appears to be (at the start) rather than what it ends up being. It was even a great opportunity to teach kids a bit about Korean current affairs and history. But... no.
That said, kids will probably enjoy it all the same.
thisgrrlreads's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting way to look at being "other" with a really big twist in the middle. That twist is really hard to believe, and the details did not make a lot of sense to me as a big science fiction reader. I think this book skipped a lot of details in the story that would have made it feel more real. The one stand out is the friendship between Chloe and her best friend Shelley--that was a very good depiction of how insane it feels to be that age, and the problems growing up and learning about yourself can cause in a friendship...and how to handle it appropriately, eventually.
heatherr's review
4.0
"The next person who compares Chloe Cho with famous violinist Abigail Yang is going to HEAR it. Chloe has just about had it with people not knowing the difference between someone who's Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. She's had it with people thinking that everything she does well -- getting good grades, winning first chair in the orchestra, etCETera -- are because she's ASIAN.
Of course, her own parents don't want to have anything to DO with their Korean background. Any time Chloe asks them a question they change the subject. They seem perfectly happy to be the only Asian family in town. It's only when Chloe's with her best friend, Shelly, that she doesn't feel like a total alien."
I don't generally read middle grade fiction but the premise of this story was too cute to pass up. Chloe can't understand why her parents won't talk about Korea. It seems like Chloe knows more about Korea than they do and they were born there. Any attempts to ask questions are quickly shut down with the excuse that it is too painful to talk about it.
When Chloe gets a new teacher who happens to be Korean, she is so excited. Her teacher encourages her to look into her family history. There is even an assignment to ask a relative to tell you about an event in their life and report on it. That's when things start to unravel.
The author shows what it is like to be the only person of a nationality in an otherwise homogeneous community. He shows how books can be a lifeline. There is a great section where Chloe tries to find science fiction books with Asians on the cover and can't do it. The only problem with having that in the book is this:
Yes, Chloe's dad owns a fish store. But you'd think with a big part of the story focusing on the lack of Asian representation in sci-fi (and especially on covers), maybe, just maybe, there could be Asians on the cover?
Even if you don't usually read middle grade, this is a book worth picking up. Chloe is a believable middle schooler in the midst of an identity crisis. Her story is worth the read to understand how microaggressions can add up even if the speaker had the best of intentions.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
Of course, her own parents don't want to have anything to DO with their Korean background. Any time Chloe asks them a question they change the subject. They seem perfectly happy to be the only Asian family in town. It's only when Chloe's with her best friend, Shelly, that she doesn't feel like a total alien."
I don't generally read middle grade fiction but the premise of this story was too cute to pass up. Chloe can't understand why her parents won't talk about Korea. It seems like Chloe knows more about Korea than they do and they were born there. Any attempts to ask questions are quickly shut down with the excuse that it is too painful to talk about it.
When Chloe gets a new teacher who happens to be Korean, she is so excited. Her teacher encourages her to look into her family history. There is even an assignment to ask a relative to tell you about an event in their life and report on it. That's when things start to unravel.
The author shows what it is like to be the only person of a nationality in an otherwise homogeneous community. He shows how books can be a lifeline. There is a great section where Chloe tries to find science fiction books with Asians on the cover and can't do it. The only problem with having that in the book is this:
Yes, Chloe's dad owns a fish store. But you'd think with a big part of the story focusing on the lack of Asian representation in sci-fi (and especially on covers), maybe, just maybe, there could be Asians on the cover?
Even if you don't usually read middle grade, this is a book worth picking up. Chloe is a believable middle schooler in the midst of an identity crisis. Her story is worth the read to understand how microaggressions can add up even if the speaker had the best of intentions.This review was originally posted on Based On A True Story
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