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emily_1215 's review for:
This Light Between Us
by Andrew Fukuda
this was,,,bad?
Overall, I'm tired of reading books about WWII. I understand the importance of telling the stories of the temporary detention centers the American government forced Japanese and Japanese American citizens into, but don't read this book and read We Are Not Free by Traci Chee because it's way better.
The writing in this book is really cringey to read, and it feels like Fukuda is trying so hard to be profound and lyrical, but it doesn't work for me. The letters between Charlie and Alex don't build a satisfactory friendship, and I hate that he's "secretly" in love with her the whole time because of course a boy and girl can't be friends in a YA novel. The way Fukuda depicts Native Hawaiian people is also uncomfy to me, bordering on racism in a novel that's supposed to be about how terrible racism is.
Easily the worst book I've had to read in my YA lit class and probably also the worst book I've read this year. It could have been worse, but that doesn't stop it from being bad.
Overall, I'm tired of reading books about WWII. I understand the importance of telling the stories of the temporary detention centers the American government forced Japanese and Japanese American citizens into, but don't read this book and read We Are Not Free by Traci Chee because it's way better.
The writing in this book is really cringey to read, and it feels like Fukuda is trying so hard to be profound and lyrical, but it doesn't work for me. The letters between Charlie and Alex don't build a satisfactory friendship, and I hate that he's "secretly" in love with her the whole time because of course a boy and girl can't be friends in a YA novel. The way Fukuda depicts Native Hawaiian people is also uncomfy to me, bordering on racism in a novel that's supposed to be about how terrible racism is.
Spoiler
Also...killing off the only female character of substance? WTF. Charlie's plotline feels like Jewish trauma porn.Easily the worst book I've had to read in my YA lit class and probably also the worst book I've read this year. It could have been worse, but that doesn't stop it from being bad.