Saints by Gene Luen Yang

★★★★

These two graphic novels are paired together and take place in China during the end of the nineteenth century. Saints follows the rebellion from the point of view of a girl from the same village of Little Bao named “Four-Girl.”  Four-Girl is an unwelcome fourth daughter and finds belonging in Christianity, where she renames herself Vibiana.  Through her journey, Vibiana faces danger because of her new religion and she hopes to be like her hero, Joan of Arc.

I really enjoyed both of these books.  The graphic novel format was a great way to tell the story of the Boxer Rebellion.  It allowed for a lot of historical detail to be incorporated into the storyline in a fascinating way.  I loved the author used two separate volumes to tell opposite sides of the conflict.  I thought this was a great way to get young adults to think critically about different views of past periods in history and relate it to the present.  I also thought that the usage of mystical elements added a unique perspective on the events.  I would highly recommend this book to others.

 

Boxers by Gene Luen Yang

★★★★

"What is China but a people and their stories."

These two graphic novels are paired together and take place in China during the end of the nineteenth century.  The first novel, Boxers, tells the story of Little Bao, whose village is being disrupted by the “foreign devils” (the Europeans missionaries and soldiers).  Following in the footsteps of his older brothers, Little Bao trains in kung-fu and becomes a leader in the Boxer Rebellion. 

I really enjoyed both of these books.  The graphic novel format was a great way to tell the story of the Boxer Rebellion.  It allowed for a lot of historical detail to be incorporated into the storyline in a fascinating way.  I loved the author used two separate volumes to tell opposite sides of the conflict.  I thought this was a great way to get young adults to think critically about different views of past periods in history and relate it to the present.  I also thought that the usage of mystical elements added a unique perspective on the events.  I would highly recommend this book to others.

 

A Step from Heaven by An Na

★★★★

"Your life can be different, Young Ju."

Young Ju immigrates with her family from a small village in Korea to the United States when she is just four years old.  After being told that American is “like Heaven,” she and her family quickly learn that their new home does not quite live up to its expectations.  Young Ju struggles to learn English at school and fit into American society even though her parents except her to be a good Korean girl.  Her parents work multiple jobs to support the family and she is constantly reminded that her younger brother is favored because he is the first-born male of the family.  To make matters worse, Young Ju’s father is also an alcoholic and abusive towards the family and eventually; she has to make the decision to call for help when he threatens to kill her mother.  The novel documents Young Ju’s journey of growing up in the United States until she leaves for college when she is eighteen.

I really enjoyed reading this book.  Each chapter focused on a different part of Young Ju’s life and read like a short story, but together they made a very compelling novel.  I loved how the author changed the sentence structure and dialog, as Young Ju was growing up and beginning to understand English.  I was also very interested in learning about the barriers that the characters went through after moving to America and how they each dealt with them in different ways.  The novel had a very powerful message of hope even though their new life was not easy for Young Ju and her family.