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Jul 15, 2021pacl_teens rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
"Almost American Girl by Robin Ha is a graphic memoir in which the author describes her life growing up in the United States as an immigrant in the 90s. 14 year old Chuna lived in Korea with her mother for as long as she can remember, and while life was hardly a breeze, she was happy. One day, she goes on a seemingly short vacation to America - only to later find out that her mother is marrying the “friend” they were staying with, and Chuna is going to be living in Alabama permanently. Being suddenly uprooted and placed into a new environment, Chuna feels resentful towards her mother for taking her old life away. She struggles to adapt and feels like an outsider especially due to her inability to communicate in English. Despite trying her best to learn English, attempting to make friends, and even changing her name to Robin to be more “American,” she still feels out of place and would do anything to go back to Korea. But when Robin’s love for graphic art begins to shine, she wonders whether American life is so bad after all. This story was powerful and moving, and an important reminder of how living in America is not always as it is presented. The graphic art was beautiful and it was interesting to see the author’s family relations and perspective on America as a foreign country. As someone who moved from Asia to America myself, I can relate to many of Robin’s experiences and fears about fitting in as an outsider. I would recommend this to anybody who has a similar background as Robin, or is also trying to find their place in the world." -Anushka, Grade 12