ambershelf's reviews
1295 reviews

After Bé's mother left, her stepmom's escalating abuse, and her father's illness, Bé finds herself increasingly isolated except for her three-legged kitten Mèo. But just before the US enters the Vietnam War, Bé is drugged, sold, and wakes up with a group of young women, all abducted & kept in an underground bunker. Can Bé and Mèo return to safety and find a new home?

MÈO AND BÉ is a middle-grade story that captures the essence of resilience, self-discovery, and the power of finding one's voice. The heart of the story lies in its focus on Vietnam during the war and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Nguyen provides a poignant portrayal of the emotional, social, and economic challenges faced by Vietnamese people during the period, and is reminiscent of DUST CHILD (Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai), albeit for a younger audience.

Nguyen effortlessly captures the complexities of the human experience, making it accessible and relatable to young readers while still offering profound insights for adult readers. Nguyen's ability to convey not only the hardships faced by the characters but also the themes of resilience and strength left me in awe.

I particularly adore the author's note, where Nguyen describes her experience learning about the Vietnam War through an American perspective and later via a Vietnamese lens. The raw emotions and heartfelt expressions poured onto the pages brought tears to my eyes.

MÈO AND BÉ is an excellent read for those seeking a touching and powerful story of resilience and the indomitable spirit of the human heart. I wholeheartedly recommend this middle-grade novel to both young readers and adults alike.

Thank you to hearourvoicestours for the #gifted copy

Athena Liu and June Hayward attended Yale together and debuted in publishing the same year. But as Athena becomes the rising star in literature, June struggles with her career as a writer. So when Athena dies in an accident, June steals her friend's newly-finished book, The Last Front, a story about Chinese laborers during WWI. June pours her heart and soul into editing and even accepts to rebrand as Juniper Song, just so this history gets told. But emerging evidence threatens to bring her stolen success down, and June discovers how far she'll go to protect her secret.

YELLOWFACE is an unputdownable & entertaining read wildly different from Kuang's previous genres of historical fantasy. It's a thought-provoking and meta-narrative that dives deep into the complexities of identity, publishing, and the nuanced discussion surrounding cultural appropriation.

One of the standout aspects of YELLOWFACE is its exploration of publishing and the issue of whitewashing works by/about people of color. Kuang brilliantly shows this through June's editing of The Last Front, when she makes decisions to make the story more "commercial/accessible" and less "like a chore to read." We all know this is just code for "make it such that white people don't have to Google anything." Reading about this process through a team of white editors & publicists in YELLOWFACE is incredibly meta.

As an Asian author who found success early on, Kuang's writing as a white woman who perceives herself as an ally in YELLOWFACE is another intriguing perspective. In a recent interview, Kuang mentioned why writing from June's POV was so easy. "We all know June. She's not one particular person, but she's the condensed point of all of this negative energy that I've experienced through publishing. She's all the white paranoias, and suspicions, and jealousies, and arrogance that I've dealt with. I know that voice because I hear it constantly. I hear it so much that in a way I've internalized it and it becomes my own worst critic."

This exploration sheds light on the power dynamics within the publishing industry and encourages me to examine the stories that have dominated the market more critically. It's also enraging to see how a talented & prolific writer like Kuang still deals with bullsh*t of undermining her skills and belittling her success. To all the Junes out there, stfu. Our story is not yours to tell, edit, package, or market. And to Rebecca & all the BIPOC writers out there, do your worst

OURS is a seminal book that challenges the dominant narratives in health, wellness, and diet. The book highlights how the field is defined by thin, white, cis women and how research in the area is highly biased toward specific demographics, impacting clinicians, dieticians, and their decision-making.

Wilson examines the stereotype of connecting Black women with gluttony and suggests that we must rewrite and redefine body narratives to be more inclusive. Furthermore, Wilson challenges the notion that eating disorders are about "control," "wanting to be thin," or "for the male gaze." She discusses social injustices, poverty, trauma, etc., as alternative underlying causes for marginalized communities.

Part I of the book isn't as much about the research behind wellness/fitness but Wilson's personal experience working as a dietician. It is worth noting that there is an absence of research on communities of color, making any evidence-based healthcare for POC tough, unhelpful, if not outright useless at times. I hope academics and researchers recognize this limitation and are working on designing inclusive trials to provide more informative care to these traditionally overlooked communities.

In part II, OURS examines popular diet & wellness trends that are, again, centered on whiteness. For instance, Wilson criticizes the idea of "freeing oneself from diet restrictions" and notes that freedom for Black and Brown individuals isn't something they can just "achieve." Similarly, "ignoring the diet police" is impossible for POC since they can't just ignore the actual police in uniforms. Wilson also investigates how Eurocentric diets are considered "healthy" and how white dieticians ignore cultural aspects of different diets with rice, beans, and other ingredients considered "unhealthy."

OURS is a much-needed addition to the body and wellness literature. Wilson's experience working with diverse patients sheds light on the complexity of body issues and the importance of inclusive research & approaches.