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thehawk72's review against another edition
4.0
Actual rating 4.5. Literally so cute. Happy heartfelt ending but not over the top or unrealistic.
lovelykd's review
3.0
Hằng travels to Texas in order to reunite with her little brother Linh, whom she hasn't seen since he was taken from her arms--by a man on an American-bound ship sent to war-torn Vietnam on a humanitarian mission--six-years ago.
However, while on her way to reunite with her brother, an odd set of circumstances place Hằng in the company of LeeRoy--a young man on his way to fulfill his dreams of becoming a cowboy and rodeo star.
Together the two find Linh but, once they do, Hằng discovers Linh not only doesn't remember her but has no interest in knowing her; nor does he care about establishing their once-close bond.
Undeterred, LeeRoy and Hằng opt to stay close by and work on the farm of the old rancher who boards Linh's prized horse. While in the employ of Mr. Morgan, Hằng hopes to convince Linh to build a new life in America, this time with her at his side, while LeeRoy decides to furthue pursue a few dreams of his own.
The story is touching.
It's clear Hằng is singular in her desire to have Linh remember where he came from, and you feel empathetic to her need to reconnect with him on a spiritual and familial level, but it is also clear that Linh has found a life he's comfortable living; one that doesn't include the fawning--near maniacal--adoration of this young girl whom he can't place.
Seriously, at times, Hằng's attachment to Linh was a bit creepy. She was always wanting to keep him in her sight, which made sense given how he was taken from her, but was also a bit much after it was clear how uncomfortable she made him in the process.
Also, I was put off by having to interpret what Hằng was saying.
So much of her dialogue was meant to convey an unsteady relationship with the English language--which was to be expected--but the choppy sentences, peppered with what read like a phonetic attempt to parse what broken English, mixed with a heavy Vietnamese accent, would look like only made things confusing.
The way around this was allowing LeeRoy to play interpreter but that didn't make it any less frustrating as a reader because, to be truthful, I kept trying to figure out what Hằng was saying without having to read the "interpretation" which often followed.
Also, there was a point when I wanted Hằng to grow.
She seemed to stay stuck in an unhealthy mindset: all Linh, all the time and she kept a lot inside.
While I could empathize with her need to have Linh be a part of her life, she seemed bent on hijacking his in the process. She wanted to take him away from the only home he'd come to know and couldn't understand how that would've been every bit as traumatic as when he was snatched from her arms.
To the credit of Lai, this is something Hằng eventually comes to understand but it felt like something she could've figured out a lot sooner.
I enjoyed the unlikely friendship of Hằng and LeeRoy. It was the best part of the story and offerd some relief from the heavy issues Hằng was dealing with on an internal level. Issues only the reader was made privy.
Her harrowing journey from Vietnam to America was tough to read but it's the reason I bumped up my rating: there simply aren't enough stories, aimed at this demographic, which discuss how difficult it is to be the refugee of a war-torn country.
Despite its setting--the 1980's--the message is no less relevant today: we aren't considerate enough of those who come to this country looking for sanctuary.
Overall, a nice YA debut and one that will touch more than a few hearts.
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for this Advanced eGalley. Opinion is my own and was not influenced
However, while on her way to reunite with her brother, an odd set of circumstances place Hằng in the company of LeeRoy--a young man on his way to fulfill his dreams of becoming a cowboy and rodeo star.
Together the two find Linh but, once they do, Hằng discovers Linh not only doesn't remember her but has no interest in knowing her; nor does he care about establishing their once-close bond.
Undeterred, LeeRoy and Hằng opt to stay close by and work on the farm of the old rancher who boards Linh's prized horse. While in the employ of Mr. Morgan, Hằng hopes to convince Linh to build a new life in America, this time with her at his side, while LeeRoy decides to furthue pursue a few dreams of his own.
The story is touching.
It's clear Hằng is singular in her desire to have Linh remember where he came from, and you feel empathetic to her need to reconnect with him on a spiritual and familial level, but it is also clear that Linh has found a life he's comfortable living; one that doesn't include the fawning--near maniacal--adoration of this young girl whom he can't place.
Seriously, at times, Hằng's attachment to Linh was a bit creepy. She was always wanting to keep him in her sight, which made sense given how he was taken from her, but was also a bit much after it was clear how uncomfortable she made him in the process.
Also, I was put off by having to interpret what Hằng was saying.
So much of her dialogue was meant to convey an unsteady relationship with the English language--which was to be expected--but the choppy sentences, peppered with what read like a phonetic attempt to parse what broken English, mixed with a heavy Vietnamese accent, would look like only made things confusing.
The way around this was allowing LeeRoy to play interpreter but that didn't make it any less frustrating as a reader because, to be truthful, I kept trying to figure out what Hằng was saying without having to read the "interpretation" which often followed.
Also, there was a point when I wanted Hằng to grow.
She seemed to stay stuck in an unhealthy mindset: all Linh, all the time and she kept a lot inside.
While I could empathize with her need to have Linh be a part of her life, she seemed bent on hijacking his in the process. She wanted to take him away from the only home he'd come to know and couldn't understand how that would've been every bit as traumatic as when he was snatched from her arms.
To the credit of Lai, this is something Hằng eventually comes to understand but it felt like something she could've figured out a lot sooner.
I enjoyed the unlikely friendship of Hằng and LeeRoy. It was the best part of the story and offerd some relief from the heavy issues Hằng was dealing with on an internal level. Issues only the reader was made privy.
Her harrowing journey from Vietnam to America was tough to read but it's the reason I bumped up my rating: there simply aren't enough stories, aimed at this demographic, which discuss how difficult it is to be the refugee of a war-torn country.
Despite its setting--the 1980's--the message is no less relevant today: we aren't considerate enough of those who come to this country looking for sanctuary.
Overall, a nice YA debut and one that will touch more than a few hearts.
*Thank you to Edelweiss+ and HarperCollins for this Advanced eGalley. Opinion is my own and was not influenced
_xsngo's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
3.5
withwings's review
emotional
inspiring
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Absolutely loved this book! It was incredibly moving and well-written. I really learned a lot from it.
spencerdance's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
heollona's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
It had a lot of potential and started out strong but it fizzled out as the book went on