Review Inside Out & Back Again

Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Stand Alone

Bookologists Analysis: This book pulls your heart out at the sight of war then mends it back together as you see Ha’s journey through America.

For all the ten years of her life, Ha has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by, and the beauty of her very own papaya tree. But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. Ha and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope.

This is the moving story of one girl's year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

------

So, sorry I haven’t been around for a while because I was rereading the Vampire Academy Series by Richelle Mead. I can’t review them because I’ve already read them and it goes against my morals to review books then I couldn’t give my honest reactions on the plot, character, and writing….

I might get in a filler post in soon though; I’m not sure. This was a real simple book that I read on the side. It’s a bit more juvenile, but it’s still great.

------

Imagine living in a world where you have fresh papaya in your backyard, you could buy 999 grams of pork from an outdoor market in your city, and your country was in a war against Communists in the north.  Now get back in that hole of imagination you have created, now your dumped where you get fried chicken, can’t communicate with your class, and are in the rolling hills of Alabama.  Wham, your life is changed inside out (ha-ha, get it; it’s the title of the book).

This is what happens to Ha (like the laugh, it’s a Vietnamese name). She’s ten years old and her biggest sins are putting her big toe on the ground first and pinching the girl who sits next to her in class. Does she have anything to do with her country being at war with North Vietnam (Communists)? No, but this story is about how war affects everybody and how those changes can affect those people.

Bravery spans all ages and times. Ha is brave because despite being a transplant in a foreign country and land she decides to persevere. Her arm hair is being pulled at school yet she stills stands up to the boy. Family is there for everyone (despite Father who was MIA for about the last seven years). Brothers are there for sister, mother there is for her children. It is heartbreaking to see this story affect the story. The ultimate moral though is that change can help you.

 I just love how this book is written how a ten year old would remember the story (this is based on Thanhha’s experiences). The writing however sometimes is confusing because it is such a juvenile writing style. Though, if your look for an honest book about the Vietnam War from a non-military perspective in a YA/juvenile look this is the best.