4 ⭐️

In The Beautiful Country was beautiful and simultaneously inspiring and heartbreaking. Kuo's writing and imagery were wonderful with how she painted a picture for us in verse - It was as if we were right there with her. In small little ways, Anna's story reflected mine. It was cathartic and gutting to read but for the most part refreshing to read someone else's words to something I couldn't express. This was a solid read.

This was a beautiful inverse novel that many children can find themselves relating to. The language wasn't difficult to understand, but it was still just as moving. The imagery was great and just a solid contemporary middle grade novel.

In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo is a novel in verse. Anna is an immigrant from Taiwan who is moving to America. Anna dreams of what America will be like. However she is disappointed by the reality of life in America. Her family has a small apartment and she is bullied at school. The novel in verse is easy to read and understand the emotions that Anna is feeling and the troubles she faces. It teaches readers to be resilient and to have courage. Recommended for grades 7-9

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for giving me free access to the advanced copy of this book to read.

I loved this book. It was a fabulous in verse novel and I read it in one sitting. I would absolutely recommend this moving novel to anyone.

In the Beautiful Country is a moving, poignant, and lyrical verse novel about immigration, identity, food and family. Packed with insightful musings about American culture, immigrant assimilation issues, and the woes of racial prejudice, this story isn’t afraid to shed light on pressing issues. It also uncovers the aching loneliness many immigrants have to deal with when they move to a new country. Fans of LaMotte’s Measuring Up, Warga’s Other Words for Home, and Yang’s Front Desk will eat this up.

Though novels in verse usually aren't my thing, this was a really nice read! I think it's perfect for its age demographic, and the type of book that even adults will get something out of. I will definitely be recommending it to patrons at the library!

This is a very relateable story, it was a quick read and written so beautfully. I liked that it took place over the course of a year and showed an honest account of what it's like to struggle while adapting to a new country, language, school, etc. Only negative is the mother character wasn't as fleshed out.

An immigrant story is a solid choice for a verse novel since a lot of the conflict is internal. This is a story of Anna trying to fit in, trying to make a life in a place she feels constantly off balance and discovering that reality isn't living up to her expectations. Kuo presents the reader with a hard view of the immigrant experience: the constant struggle to get my, harsh criticisms from random people, racism and ignorance, the limitations on opportunities. It's a quick read and doesn't get into deep depth but could work well in contrast to a more idealized story and could inspire discussion of the "American dream" and the notion of the US as the land of opportunities.

Really enjoyed this middle grade historical novel in verse about a Taiwanese girl who immigrates to the US with her parents. Anna was such a loveable character and my heart broke for her family. This book explores the concept of the "American Dream" and the cost that it has for many immigrant families. It also touches on race, class, and identity.

Since it's in verse, it's a nice quick read! Although it has a historical setting, those details aren't overpowering and I think many kids today will still relate to Anna's story. I'll be recommending this to fans of Front Desk, Unsettled, and Red, White, and Whole.

In the Beautiful Country, by Jane Kuo, follows Anna, a 10-year-old Taiwanese girl who moves to America with her parents in 1980. Told in verse from Anna's perspective, it shows her perspective leading up to the move, and then her experiences of actually living in the United States while her parents run a restaurant.

There are quite a few things to enjoy about this book. Anna is sweet and clever and spends most of the book just trying to reconcile her preconceptions about what life in America would be like. Her voice feels very young and realistic as she tries to make sense of the racism, bullying, and poverty that she is experiencing for the first time.

I really enjoyed reading how her view of things changes from when she's about to move to America, when she arrives, and then her experiences as she acclimates more to the country. Her changes in perspective feel very natural and real.

Books in verse often just aren't for me, and I found that to be the case here as well. I wish that there had been more to the book; it feels like it ends very abruptly, and I just wish there was more content to the story, which I think might have been achieved if it had been told in prose, which would have allowed for more detail.

This book also felt to me to read a lot younger than most other middle-grade books, which may just be the difference between a 10-year-old protagonist and a 12-13-year-old protagonist. One big issue that I had with the book, which might just be a result of that, was that none of the other characters (who are primarily adults due to Anna having a hard time making friends) have any real distinct personalities; every character feels very bland, which makes the story as a whole feel relatively uninteresting. This is likely just a result of how children don't perceive adults in a lot of depth, but it did make for a less-enjoyable reading experience.

Overall, I think this book is a good choice for upper-elementary and lower-middle-grade readers. It discusses a lot of topics, such as racism, xenophobia, bullying, and hate crimes that are important for children to start to learn about, so learning about them through the lens of somebody their age would likely be fruitful. I wouldn't really say that it has a ton of appeal outside of that age range, but would still definitely recommend it if somebody were looking for a story that covers similar topics. It covers a lot of serious topics in a way that's easy for children to understand, and has an overall uplifting tone despite the seriousness of its contents. Overall, I'm giving In the Beautiful Country 3/5 stars in terms of my enjoyment of it, but 4.5/5 stars in terms of what I think somebody in the right age range could get out of it.

A spectacular novel in verse. My only complaint was that it was too short! I loved the look at "the American Dream" and what happens when the dream you've been sold isn't what you expected. This worked really well in verse (unfortunately not all stories do).

This is a middle-grade book written in verse. It is set in 1980 when 10 year old Anna and her parents immigrate to California from Taiwan. This book showed the harsh realities of the family’s start in California including Anna being bullied by her classmates, the family’s restaurant being vandalized, racism, and the financial difficulties the family faces. However, the family still has hope that the risk they took in coming to America would pay off. The family finds community in a church and the business starts to do better by the end. Overall, I really liked this book and think it would give a valuable perspective to middle grade readers on what it is like to be an immigrant in America. Thank you to NetGalley for the digital ARC and the opportunity to share my opinions on the book!

I received an e-galley of In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told in verse of a young Taiwanese girl who immigrates to America - the Beautiful Country as the literal translation from the Chinese name for America - with her family. Prior to leaving her home in Taiwan, everyone is envious and in awe of this family who is able to leave for something better. Even Anna cannot wait to join her father who had left earlier to go to America to start his business. On arrival though, Anna cannot help but notice that the country is not quite what she had imagined. The palm trees and beaches that are associated with California is nowhere near where she and her family live. The family business is struggling especially as attacks and damage to the property become a recurring event. Even school provides no relief as Anna cannot understand her classmates - but is quite aware when she is being teased and bullied. Anna and her parents struggle to find a sense of belonging in their new home and begin to wonder if this adventure to the Beautiful Country is worth the struggles.

I felt so deeply for Anna and her parents as I read their story told through Anna's perspectives and in verse. I think that there is something quite reflective and impactful through this way of storytelling. I think that Anna's story is one that all can relate to - whether we ourselves or our families had immigrated - the desire for safety, belonging, sense of community, and search of happiness are all things that we strive for regardless of where we call home.

A quick read with an important story that is perfect for middle-grade classrooms. This is an important story about family and perseverance in the face of hard times and those who refuse to understand versus the ones that try.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoy reading verse novels and this is one I'll be adding to my classroom library. I loved the author's note that this is based on her life because I think it helps kids to see that these are real things that happened to real people, as opposed to just a story an author created. The ending felt a bit sudden to me, but overall I liked the book and will be recommending it to students.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This middle grade novel in verse is a gem! Immigration stories are so important, and this one really hit home. Set in 1980, the novel features Ai Shi's family, who have just immigrated from Taiwan to Los Angeles. Ai Shi, or Anna as she goes by in American, is 10 years old. Her parents run a fast food restaurant that can barely stay afloat in its first year. She longs for the America that she had seen on television, which is so different from her reality. She is the only Asian kid at her school and struggles to acclimate to life in the Beautiful Country.

It's a beautiful story of family and perseverance. Reminiscent of Kelly Yang's middle grade books, or Qian Julie Wang's memoir, this novel does not shy away from important issues. Content warnings for racism, bullying, vandalism, and swindling.

I think the thing that struck me the most is that while the book was set in 1980, the underlying themes remain as relevant as ever in 2022. Nearly four decades later, and immigrants still struggle with the different sides of America. It's a land of opportunity for many, but also requires tremendous sacrifice. This novel balances both.

Being middle grade, there was hope woven into the story, even when Ai Shi and her family were going through bleak times. They were shown kindness. Which they then passed on to others.

I truly enjoyed this and can't wait to read more from this debut author!

In the Beautiful Country is a terrific book for older elementary school students. Even though the book takes place in the early 1980s, the topics covered (racism, bullying, poverty, immigration) are all still relevant 40 years later. Any book that helps children develop empathy is a must-read for our family!

This was such a poignant story of hope told in verse. The pain of the author was felt through the words, but so was her hope as the story unfolded in America. It is, yet, another story that needs to be in the hands of students to open their eyes to the lives of others because this story is still relevant today.

The painful truth about immigration for some families. In the Beautiful Country takes the reader on a journey with 10 year-old Anna as she prepared to leave Taiwan for America, and the harsh realities that come when they finally make it to the "Beautiful Country". Anna's entire life changes with one plane flight from Taiwan to California in the 1980's and all the promises of an amazing life came crashing down as her family deals with business (money) problems, and Anna has to learn how to fit in, or become invisible. THe kids make fun of her, she does not understand the language, her clothes are not "right" and her family even forgets her birthday. Things get better, but is it enough to keep the family in America, or should they go back to Taiwan?