I don't know what to say that will do this book justice. I loved all of it. Every perspective. How all the stories intertwine with each other. It was difficult to read, but very eye-opening. I feel like we maybe spent a few minutes talking about the Japanese incarceration camps during WW2 in school, so I didn't know anything besides the fact that they existed. Seeing the conditions, what the Japanese went through, the difficult decisions they had to make, it felt so similar to what we still see happening in our world now. Reading historical fiction this year has been hard, because not a lot has changed. We think we've moved forward, and there have been some improvements, but there hasn't been enough.

I will say one thing, I got a bit confused between the characters mid-way through the book, though that was entirely my fault because I did have to put the book down for a bit because life got busy. I think on a reread I wouldn't be that confused, especially if I read it more closely together.

The writing style though...each character has such a unique voice. I am actually in awe at how well it was done. Twitchy's prose was just like him. Fast-paced, jerky, long run-down sentences. It fit so well. And Tommy's told in verse captured his feelings perfectly. Mary's was harsh and to the point. And Mas' was stoic and to the point. I love how we start with Minnow and end with Minnow, and the drawing of the boys at the end was a perfect way to finish the book.

Highly, highly recommend. This is a book that should be read in schools everywhere in high school, instead of us having to read the same old books over and over again.