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Young Adult · September 23, 2020

Review | Almost American Girl

Book Review - Almost American Girl

Summary: Almost American Girl

Almost American Girl is Robin Ha’s graphic memoir detailing her move from South Korea to Huntsville, Alabama. Robin is 14 when she and her mother leave for one of their regular visits to the US. Except, this time it’s not Hawaii or any other vacation hotspot — it’s Alabama. Robin’s mother has been encouraging her to learn English like she has been doing, but Robin is uninterested, preferring to enjoy her Korean comics and spending time with her friends buying stationery and Korean street food.

When they arrive in Huntsville, Robin realizes that her mother is there to visit a man she has been corresponding with. His family welcomes them, but Robin feels out of place since she can neither speak nor understand English. She dreams of returning to Korea when the vacation is over. However, Robin is in for a shocker as her mom announces that she’s marrying this man, and she and Robin are staying put in America. Her whole life changes forever, as she struggles to assimilate, while handling the ups and downs in her mother’s relationship.

The Good

I enjoyed this graphic memoir! I consider myself fairly new to graphic novels and memoirs, but when they’re good, they’re really good. Ha’s illustration style is realistic (which appeals to me) and her storytelling skills are top-notch. I was enraptured by her depictions of Korea and then of the US. She distinguishes between words spoken in Korean and those in English, so readers can feel Robin’s confusion and sense of displacement as she tries to find her place in America.

Another significant part of this story is Robin’s relationship with her mother, and how she also explores her mother’s life before her and how that shapes the choices she makes. Korean culture and family drama also feature in this story. Eventually, Robin is bullied in school and has to learn to stand up for herself. Robin has a distinct boyish style in her teens. That and her race (in a place like Alabama) make her a prime target for bullies. But things begin to look up when she discovers a comic illustration class and finally begins to find kids with similar interests.

Overall: Almost American Girl

Robin Ha’s Almost American Girl is a moving exploration of the joys and misfortunes of immigrant life — especially for a teen. It also examines themes of racism, identity, Korean culture, and the definition of family. Most importantly, though, this memoir is a story of finding home and expression in art, and coming to to understand a parents’ choices, even if they were so different from what we would have wanted for ourselves. Don’t miss the heartwarming afterword of this book. I would highly recommend it to upper middle-grade readers, teens, and adults alike! The Kindle-ComiXology edition is also great if you own an iPad or Kindle Fire.


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almost american girl - robin ha
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More YA Reviews

  • Good Enough by Paula Yoo
  • The Undoing of Thistle Tate by Kate Detweiller
  • No Place Like Here by Christine June

Have you read this book or any good graphic memoirs recently? I really love this format and would love some recommendations!

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Posted In: Young Adult · Tagged: bullying, graphic novels, immigration, set in korea, single moms

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    September 23, 2020 at 11:02 am

    I enjoyed this one as well. I thought Ha did a lovely job illustrating her mother’s strength and her affection for her really showed.

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      September 23, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      It did! It was so moving to read.

      Reply
  2. Nicole Grabner says

    September 23, 2020 at 12:53 pm

    Just ordered! Thank you for all these awesome recommendations! My daughter first began reading with graphic novels and I’m excited to read this one with her after this review! I hope it’s ok to say that I wish you and I could be in a book club together – I really love all your book recommendations! 🙂

    Reply
    • Afoma Umesi says

      September 23, 2020 at 2:06 pm

      Aww!! Thank you so much! 🥰 it’s so nice that you would love to be in a book club together, me too! I hope you and your daughter enjoy this together 😊

      Reply

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✨how ‘bout a little virtual reality?✨

☀️ Addie has reluctantly moved across the country with her dad for his summer job in the virtual reality industry. He's working on research to use VR for therapeutic purposes, such as helping people cultivate empathy. Addie is not into VR, but that starts to change when she meets Matteo another kid on campus, and tries out VR on her own. Eventually, the two find a helpful use for VR that helps other people.

🥽 I loved the illustration style in this one and while I found the VR setting a bit disorienting, I appreciated the unique lens of the story. The graphic novel format works brilliantly for helping readers appreciate the power of VR. I think with text, it would have just been too much “world-building.” This is more engaging and exciting for kids.

🐢 Lo and Behold is a clever middle grade graphic novel about virtual reality, grief, and parental addiction. Readers who enjoy VR will love this one, but as the Author's Note mentions, it will also be a fantastic introduction for those who, like me, aren't familiar with it. A fun summer read with hints of serious themes.

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❤️ I loved this book way more than I thought I would (from the synopsis). Ginny has such a great voice and she isn’t always the most likable character but she’s always real. I loved watching her grow throughout the story.

📍This sweet, unique young middle grade book made my heart grow and ache for Ginny and her family as they navigated a season of change. Features illustrations and a new geography fact in each chapter.

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My name is Afoma and I run a book blog called Reading Middle Grade. I also run a Facebook Group and newsletter related to my blog. In my day job, I’m a freelance writer and editor, with a degree in medicine.

I’ve lived in three continents (born in Nigeria, med school in Ukraine and the Caribbean). I live in Nigeria now with my husband and many, many books 🤭 I love to cook and travel and run. This year, one of my goals is to become a better runner. I’m currently able to run 2K without stopping. 

Even though we don’t have traditional four seasons in Nigeria, the summer months are my favorite. From childhood, they were the one time when my overachieving, perfectionistic self could RELAX. And do nothing! And even now, I try to take time off in the summer to do nothing.

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