A review by leeeeeds
Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Beautiful just beautiful. Am I still crying? I received the sequel to this book as a gift from my sister. Upon realizing it had a first part I ordered this book immediately. I love the idea of this being written in verse. The last time I read a children’s book in verse was Out of the Dust, a book I enjoyed very much. Something about verse makes feelings and emotions just jump right off the page. Now, I felt for Hà, I wasn’t bullied as much as a kid but I felt the struggles of learning English as a second language, and just being a child in a new country with new customs. I would have been elated to have read this book as a child. I hardly ever read stories about kids like me, let alone any Vietnamese ones. So important to keep circulating these kinds of stories and elevating BIPOC authors. I’m an adult and often I read kids books as I hope to one day write some of my own. This book was exemplary and truly deserving of its accolades.