I loved the storyline and the character in this book and think it will be popular with students who like novels in verse, but the prose fell very flat for me

I absolutely adored this quick, sweet story about Anna and her family’s immigration to the U.S. from Taiwan. A classic coming of age story written in verse, In the Beautiful Country re-defines the American Dream and underscores the value of family, kindness, and community.

This is the perfect middle grade text to pair with Jasmine Warga’s Other Words for Home, or even Jean Kwok’s Girl in Translation. Teachers - must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins Kids, and Quill Tree Books for the opportunity to read and review an e-ARC of this title. I thoroughly enjoyed In the Beautiful Country, and thought the novel-in-verse suited the story very well. I think when this style is done best for young readers, it allows you to both linger on moments where you want to, and breeze through where you need more plot and momentum. I found that this work wonderfully captured the sense of betweenness everywhere - between countries, between ages, between homes and many other transient settings. Watching this resilient family find their way against challenges was incredible, because you can feel the disappointment in their setbacks. Like the 10-year-old main character watching her parents get taken advantage of, laughed at, and lied to, you can feel for how they're being wronged but unsure about how to really help. I'm sure this story will really resonate with middle grade audiences, but adults could also benefit from seeing the world through Anna's perspective.

In the Beautiful Country is a gentle and genuine story of one family’s immigration experience. It showcases the courage and resilience that are required for immigrants to create new lives in the US. In the story, young Anna is thrilled when her parents make the grand leap to leave their home in Taiwan to build a new life in America, the beautiful country. When their paperwork is in order, she and her mother join her father in California where she sees her new apartment, beige, their new restaurant, run-down, and her new school, full of people who aren’t looking for a new friend with limited English. When the restaurant is targeted by bigots and struggles to pay the bills, Anna’s parents have to decide if their great risk was worth it. Meanwhile, Anna has to try to see the good in the reality of her new life, or the entire gamble may fail, and she may end up back in Taiwan.

Many novels in verse rely on the poetry to reinforce or add to the plot. In In the Beautiful Country, the poetry is less integral to the story. In fact, it seems less poetic and more spare, sparse, or stripped down. As a result, I am left wishing for more emotion, more characterization, more of the flesh that makes a story feel real. Regardless of the structure, however, this is a lovely story of strength and perseverance. Readers need to see the courage of immigrants, the resilience needed to fail and start again, and the ways that community can help. I recommend this story for middle grade and younger young adult readers and for classrooms studying the immigrant experience.

This is a beautiful novel in verse for middle graders. It can even be used as a read-aloud. I felt what she was feeling and empathized with the character. It is a good look at immigration and the adjustments that are faced.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Novels in verse are popular with middle school students, and this one would make an excellent addition as a whole-class or book club book. The story is relatable and readers will empathize with the struggles faced by Anna and her family.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.

A look at immigration through fiction through the eyes of a teenage girl from Taiwan. As well as how her life and her parent's life is different in America than it was in Taiwan. It was eye opening.

I was originally drawn to this book because I saw that it was set in the 80s, and then I realized that it’s also a novel in verse!
What a beautifully written novel that mirrors parts of the authors past, about a young girl who moved to America with her parents to start a restaurant business.
I couldn’t put the book down- as I kept needing to read on! This is a spectacular new own voices middle grade novel in verse to recommend to everyone I know!

As the granddaughter of immigrants, this book made my heart ache. I have grown up in a very diverse community, but I have heard stories about the struggles of not knowing English and the confusion that comes with learning America is not what you thought. This book is based on the author’s real life experiences, so it feels extremely authentic and real. I adored this book!
The book is told in first person narrative, and it is also a novel in verse. It tells the author’s story about leaving Taiwan for America. She shares how she thought it would be bigger, better, but instead she is teased everyday for being different. Her family struggles too, facing the hardships of running a business and the loneliness of not speaking the language and having no friends or family nearby.
I often struggle with novels in verse because it’s harder for me to understand the story. However, this one was so wonderfully written where I could understand and stay into the story but still appreciate the poetry. Kuo is vulnerable in sharing her story, and she is so relatable! I loved how she did not shy away from telling the hard details. It is so hard, and people can be incredibly cruel.
But she also shared the good things. The friends they made who stayed by them even through difficulties. The closeness of their family who chose to work together and hold true to their values. I appreciated the fact that she was honest to her parents, and I loved the fact that she and her parents had meaningful dialogue. I think too many middle grade novels focus on the mistakes of parents too much and ignore the wisdom they have.
Overall, I loved this book, and it took me less than a week to finish it! She painted a beautiful story about humanity’s resilience, cruelty, and kindness. And she shared the lasting message of choosing to be kind even when others are cruel.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through Netgalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, a positive review was not required.

Jane Kuo's wonderful debut novel in verse, In the Beautiful Country, is heartbreaking, funny, and lovely. Told through the eyes of a young Anna who moves from Taiwan to Los Angeles with her parents in the 1980s, it highlights alienation, determination, family and friendship as Anna navigates her new school, her parents' struggles, and what it's like to help them manage the leap to a very new place as it becomes home. Lessons on holding on to positivity and helping others stand out as helpful reminders in the book and in hard times overall, and Anna is a memorable protagonist to root for from the opening scene.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

In the Beautiful Country by Jane Kuo is a poignant story about an earnest and humble Taiwanese/Chinese family struggling to make America their home. Their story unfolds in flowing free verse inviting the reader to acutely feel each crushing disappointment and each small triumph. Highly recommend.

Wonderful verse novel that is sure to be a hit with my middle school audience. A nice blending between “Inside Out and Back Again” and “Front Desk,” which are both highly popular stories dealing with immigration at my school. The protagonist’s voice is clear and relatable and her situations will resonate with middle schoolers.