Reviews

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lại

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hheartbooks's review

4.0

Though it's been over 6 years since I read "Inside Out and Back Again," this book drew me right back in to Ha's life. Though I have little in common with Ha, I love her story and find myself soaking in her culture, her relationships with her mother and brother, and the way she is constantly having to adapt. Moving story that gives students insight into another young one's life.

Note to parents/educators: one allusion to a menstrual cycle.

Thanks to netgalley for ARC.

amandalywarren's review

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5.0

So touching. A perfect sequel to an already moving narrative. The thoughts and emotions that Hà expresses as she endures yet another move and the jarring discomfort of being labeled as different in middle school… My heart breaks and heals and breaks and heals. As our hearts so often did in those fragile middle school years.

The style in which Thannhà Lai framed this story (matching that of its predecessor) is so beautiful. The way the poetry resembles the musical nature of Vietnamese is stunning. And the way we watch as Hà begins to think in English is so enlightening.

This book is so thoughtful and fills me with so much compassion. I can’t wait for this book to get published so I can add it to my shelves. Thank you to the author, HarperCollins, and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

lawbooks600's review

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4.0

Representation: Asian main character, side Latina character
Trigger warnings: Animal death, physical injury, abuse, bruises

7/10, I only just heard of this book not so long ago and I was excited to read this and even though I enjoyed this I just wanted a little more from it and this definitely was kind of a step down from Inside Out and Back Again made by the same author; this was a nice read nonetheless, where do I even begin. It starts off again with the main character Hà who is now twelve since this was set only two years after she fled Vietnam during the Vietnam War and now she and her family are living in Alabama. This is all going to change however as Hà's mother discovered that Texas would leave them better off so they packed their bags and moved there much to her dismay. I feel like after this major event the author just doesn't know what to do after this so the story turned into a long drawn out account of the main character's new life in Texas which stretched across most of the book. Hà soon adjusts to living in this new place and makes a new friend in the process called Diggy though I was kind of sad that I wouldn't be seeing Pam again, then again I could only connect to Hà and not the rest of the characters so there's that. I still liked the writing style though, only few books I know have done this and on a positive note the author pulled that off successfully.