I’m not quite sure what to write about this book by Gene Luen Yang. I liked it — a lot — but it’s one of those that defy description. I’m glad I finally got around to reading it — thanks to the Herding Cats challenge and Dewey’s list. I like graphic novels; the reading experience is so completely different from that of a regular novel. And I appreciate that some stories are told better through the medium. This is one of those stories.

Jin is a first generation Chinese-American, and this is his story. Interspersed with a story about the Monkey King, and a sitcom-like story with a terrible stereotypical Chinese lead, it’s a simple, straightforward tale about a boy trying to balance his desire to fit in with his classmates and his Chinese culture and appearance. It’s a fascinating story, well told, funny, and heartbreaking at the same time.

The only quibble is that the ending felt kind of forced. I could see how it fit, and understood what Yang was working towards… but it still ended too abruptly for me. Other than that, though, I thoroughly enjoyed the journey that Yang took me on.