“This is a good book, very funny!”
“I haven't read a graphic novel in quite a while seeing as the computer has sorta taken over my life, though I read this one and I found that although the somewhat confusion caused by switching between stories that eventually come together, I easily became flexible with the graphic novel, becoming used to it, coming to quite enjoy it. The charming humor and randomness of the story line had me laughing a bit. 8D”
“Great book! I'm looking forward to hearing what teens at school think.”
“Did this book remind you of... the Virginia Tech madman? I finished this book shortly before the mass murders at Virginia Tech, and when I heard the killer was Asian this book, and its story, immediately came to my mind, and stayed there throughout all the news coverage. I feel kind of bad that I think this about this book, so I am wondering if anyone else thought the same thing? BTW -- I didn't like this book all that much -- even b/f the events in Blacksburg I found it too discomfiting. ”
“I read this around the time of the VA Tech shooting and had a similar reaction. I liked the book though. I like the way the Monkey King is threaded through the story. I enjoy the idea of looking at traditional folklore to see what it tells us about ourselves and why we re-tell the stories that we do.”
“That is fair enough, but the legend of the Monkey King isn't really an original piece of this book, so it might not be fair to judge an entire book on a folklore that has been around. It sounds like you don't like the tale of the Monkey King and the author's choice to inter-weave it into the story.I will go take a look at your GNs. I have read a few I like so will see what else you have!”
“I'm not a big fan of many graphic novels either, but I have read a few, many of them dealing with adolescent anxiety (check out the graphic novels tag on my shelf). I was particularly interested in this book b/c my family is of Chinese descent. And I totally get how difficult it is to fit in the US culture.I guess I didn't like it because I found the book had an undertone of violence, at least with the caricature character. He was so ugly, and so repulsive, and he made me so uncomfortable. I had a sense of unease whenever he appeared in the book, and I dreaded reading it b/c of that. Besides this, I can't really put my finger on it. The book just me made feel unhappy. ”
“Can I ask what you didn't like about the book? I really enjoyed it, and I am not a big fan of many graphic novels (basically because I don't take the time to 'read' the pictures). I think the art was well done and the story was very realistic. I think so many times teenagers have to struggle with fitting in with the 'American culture' and their family culture. It is a hard thing to balance.”
