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rkstumblingbear's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and War
beasleysbooks's review
I honestly think I got the gist of it from the synopsis and 8% & I didn’t love the way the pov was written. It’s probably a very good story, but I have others I want to prioritize right now.
rinus15's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
aazim_epub's review
4.0
A heart-rending story of the Korean War. It covered so many topics in this single book and it was riveting.
Junie Kim is a middle-schooler who faces racism every day. When racist graffiti is found on her school's premises, she is shocked - and the journey of her finding her voice begins!
Junie Kim is a middle-schooler who faces racism every day. When racist graffiti is found on her school's premises, she is shocked - and the journey of her finding her voice begins!
erine's review
This story tackles an abundance of challenging topics. From racism and bullying in the present day to Junie's grandparents' stories of the Korean War, to severe depression and suicidal thoughts to illness and loss. I appreciated the way these topics intersected: it's a lot, but there's no question that in reality these all also intersect and must be dealt with by children.
It's a book to be read with care, however. Junie's experience with depression and suicidal thoughts comes on fast and resolves fairly tidily. Her family and friends are supportive, but it's definitely a challenging portion of the story. Her experiences interviewing her grandparents of their experiences during the Korean War don't stint on the horrors either. Ruthless killing, political fear of retribution, child abandonment, and horrifying tortures abound in these stories, sparking Junie's sympathies and reinforcing the need to speak up against hate. The bullying that Junie receives on the bus and at school is portrayed as very aggressive which might not be everyone's experience, but highlights how piercing taunts can be, and Junie's pain increases with the silence of everyone around her.
The history of the Korean War was enlightening for me, and I appreciated the depictions of the friendship conflicts and the frank inclusion of Junie's depression. My biggest struggle was that I listened to this story, and feel I would have enjoyed it more had I read a hard copy. The narrator started off a little slow and staccato, so I tried speeding up the playback. This made the words come across with short phrases and harsh tone. Unfortunately neither was a very pleasurable experience.
#ReadAcrossAmerica2022
It's a book to be read with care, however. Junie's experience with depression and suicidal thoughts comes on fast and resolves fairly tidily. Her family and friends are supportive, but it's definitely a challenging portion of the story. Her experiences interviewing her grandparents of their experiences during the Korean War don't stint on the horrors either. Ruthless killing, political fear of retribution, child abandonment, and horrifying tortures abound in these stories, sparking Junie's sympathies and reinforcing the need to speak up against hate. The bullying that Junie receives on the bus and at school is portrayed as very aggressive which might not be everyone's experience, but highlights how piercing taunts can be, and Junie's pain increases with the silence of everyone around her.
The history of the Korean War was enlightening for me, and I appreciated the depictions of the friendship conflicts and the frank inclusion of Junie's depression. My biggest struggle was that I listened to this story, and feel I would have enjoyed it more had I read a hard copy. The narrator started off a little slow and staccato, so I tried speeding up the playback. This made the words come across with short phrases and harsh tone. Unfortunately neither was a very pleasurable experience.
#ReadAcrossAmerica2022
jillianreadswhatever's review
4.0
A VERY heavy read for kids. Please check trigger warnings!! Made me sob. Great conversation about the Korean War, the current climate of casual racism and mental health in children.
jk_nojoke's review
4.0
This book goes back and forth between present-day Junie and her grandfather before he came to the US from Korea. This is such a great way to get some historical fiction into the hands of kids that might not otherwise read it. Junie is dealing with so many modern problems, the big one being depression. When her mother is afraid to leave her alone, she spends some time with her grandfather who tells her stories of his life back in Korea. Heartfelt and gripping.
serenity667's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
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? N/A
Since I’m not the target audience for this book. I don’t think i can give it a fair rating.
However, i feel it has a lot of talking points and conversation starters that young teens can benefit and relate to.
However, i feel it has a lot of talking points and conversation starters that young teens can benefit and relate to.
jenmangler's review
3.0
I really loved Junie's relationship with her grandfather. I love that she got both of her grandparents to open up about their lives during the Korean War and their struggles building a life here in America. Junie's struggles with depression and suicidal ideation are handled well. Junie and her friends don't always seem like middle school students, and sometimes the way they talk seems like they're speaking in talking points rather than like actual tweens, but I really appreciate how they had each other's backs.
mdevlin923's review
3.0
Junie Kim dreads going to middle school because of the bullies, acts of racism, and the feeling of disconnection from her group of friends. After a series of awful events, Junie thinks about committing suicide...which propels her parents to seek help for her. In order to have Junie around family, her grandparents begin watching her...and Junie uses this opportunity to learn more about their experiences during the Korean War. Junie is stunned by the horrific depictions of war and racism and it gives her the strength to stand up to the racist bullies at her school.
This middle grade fiction is incredibly dark; and I did feel like the suicide plot was contrived to merely further the plot. There were some other minor issues (dialogue was clunky; overall tone of book was very preachy)...but, there are very, very few books about the Korean War, and it was depicted in a way that gave readers a good understanding of events.
This middle grade fiction is incredibly dark; and I did feel like the suicide plot was contrived to merely further the plot. There were some other minor issues (dialogue was clunky; overall tone of book was very preachy)...but, there are very, very few books about the Korean War, and it was depicted in a way that gave readers a good understanding of events.