Inside Out & Back Again -Book Review by Ravana Crimson
Have you read a book about the Vietnam war? I have recently finished a book called Inside Out & Back Again. The book is a historical fiction and is unique because it is written in poems. The book is about Ha who lives with her three brothers and mother in South Vietnam. Her father was sent to a battle 9 years ago and hasn’t returned.
When South Vietnam loses the war to North Vietnam most of the families are able to get sponsored from people who live in different countries. Ha’s family goes to Alabama, America and the book tells about how Ha’s family adapts to the new culture and language that they are not familiar with. Ha’s mother has hardships from working at a factory and getting discrimination and wounds, Ha’s oldest brother, Quang, also gets discrimination while studying and working in mechanics. Ha and the rest of her brothers gets teased by the classmates and gets bullied by their different appearances and accent of English. The book is about how Ha’s family recovers from those problems and difficulties.
It is very interesting because it is written in poems when most books are written in paragraphs. It was a distinctive way to read a book. I thought about the main themes like war, family, and feeling or being different and getting teased or bullied by the dissimilarities. I felt like family is a very important thing in everyone’s life that could make you feel better at hard times.
I recommend this book to kids who are interested in historical fiction and poems. I also thought that this could be a stimulating book for everyone! If you have a chance, make sure to read this provoking and gratifying book!~~