Adult Yu is trying to re-write the story of his childhood, but the story begins taking on a life of its own. Part one is young Benny trying to get by alone after the death of his grandmother and, after a social worker tries to intervene, being taken in by a strange neighbor (which was a lot less traumatic in the re-write than in Yu's actual history). Part two takes a surprising turn in which past and present collide. This was okay. I didn't love it but it wasn't terrible. I both disliked and liked the ending, so I don't know how to rate this experience. 3? stars.

This was a really interesting concept and a unique book. The idea and exploration of trauma was really compelling, but the way it all played out really lost me. As the "metafiction" aspects of the book started to build, the narrative grew more confusing and the characters grew harder to connect to. There was little depth to the characters and the plot only grew more frustratign to read. While the frustration is by design as we follow a character losing themself to their battle with their trauma, the overwhelming confusion of the "meta" aspects of the book really took me out of the experience as a reader and I ended up just cruising through the end not really caring much about what happened. While I find this book an fascinating feat of storytelling, I wish it was more captivating.

I chose to read this book because I was wanting something different. Whenever I hear the word 'meta' I know it will be out of the normal. This book provided exactly what I was wanting. I will be honest that it took a little bit of time getting into the novel and understanding what was going on, but once I did, I was met with deep, moving themes that kept me interested.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Double Life of Benson Yu by Kevin Chong is an imaginative contemporary fiction novel beset with gritty realities. The story revolves around 12 year-old Benny, a boy growing up in 1980s Chinatown. When his grandmother, his legal guardian, is hospitalized, he has no choice but to start living with his neighbor Constantine, a white man who believes he is a reincarnated samurai.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, which takes place in Chinatown in the 1980's:

"Every week, on Sundays, this depleted family unit makes their rounds to the markets, for dried scallops, for pea shoots and watercress, for oxtail and roast duck. Everyone knows Poh-Poh. She used to teach Chinese school to half of them in the church basement. Everyone stands up straighter, eyes jittering, the second she appears.
Whenever he’s out with Poh-Poh, the boy worries about seeing kids from his class. Their side-eyes and smirks could strip paint. Those jerks will wait until they’re in the schoolyard to tell the boy they recognize his clothes from gift-shop clearance racks and church donation bins. They’ll ask him where his parents are, as though he hasn’t told them already."

Overall, The Double Life of Benson Yu is a contemporary fiction novel that will appeal to fans of Interior Chinatown. One highlight of this book is how it is an #ownvoices book. I felt like so many details were accurate and could only have been told by someone of Chinese descent. As a reader of Chinese descent, I am so happy to support this author and this book.

I did take off 1 star, because I felt a bit uncomfortable reading about the friendship between the boy and the older man. To the author's credit, I suppose that it is part of the story and was done on the purpose. I took off another star, because I didn't feel invested in the story at the midway point and lost interest. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you want to read novels by authors of color, you can check out this book when it comes out in April!

This was my first book to read by this author but won't be my last! The story and its characters will stick with you long after you finish the story. Highly recommend!

This was a very interesting and provocative read. I thought the writing and plot were amazing. I've never read Kevin Chong's previous novels, but you can tell he's got a gift for complex storytelling. I must admit though, that the first half of this book was stronger than the second half. The tone of this book was very sad and intense. I really felt for Benny (the child version). The subject matter won't be for everyone, but I felt the topic of the lingering effects of sexual abuse were handled tastefully and respectfully. This was a beautiful coming of age story. This book wasn't perfect, but it definitely left a lasting impression on me. This one hit hard. Wow.

Thank you, Netgalley and Atria for the digital ARC.

An interesting convolution of a nested and interacting story -- the main character is writing an autobiographical graphic novel about his own past in 1980s Chinatown, living on his own with a sick grandmother -- and the two stories blend and have impact on each other. Heartfelt and with many important themes woven throughout.

*** Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an ARC of The Double Life of Benson Yu in exchange for an honest review. ***

The Double Life of Benson Yu is a dark coming-of-age novel following the life of Benny, a 12-year-old living with his ailing grandmother in Chinatown. Over the course of the first half of the novel, it becomes evident of an external force (I don't want to spoil it or say more) that has a heavy hand in Benny's fate. The book has a pretty big twist in the second half that carries the novel through the end of the book. A lot of ground is covered in these ~224 pages, including narratives about family, destiny and fate, gentrification, morality and character, boyhood, and the creative process. The novel opens with some trigger warnings, and prior to recommending it I would caution the same; this is not a Boyhood feel-good coming-of-age story. Instead, much like the graphic memoir it references, Fun Home, the story leaves you feeling heavy. An interesting and compelling novel nonetheless, I read it in about a single sitting.

What an incredible read! The narrator, Benson Yu, chronicles the story he’s writing about a kid named Benny - a tale that reflects his own cryptic past. But what happens when Benny’s fictional story suddenly clashes with the narrator’s real one? Chong pens such an emotional and engaging story that is equal parts coming-of-age and family drama, and he does so in such a wonderfully unique and meta way.

That being said, amidst the cool 1980s Chinatown setting and the fun nods to martial arts and graphic novels, this is most definitely NOT an easy or light read. There are plenty of trigger warnings ahead, many of which will not necessarily clean up nicely or fully by the end. As long as you can embrace the challenging messiness along the way, this novel will have a great, emotional impact.

My final recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone who likes contemporary & historical fiction and enjoys deep character studies.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a really interesting book with a unique construct! Yu is writing a graphic novel to try and deal with his past trauma. The auto-biographical characters he writes about become part of his own story in his present. I was engaged throughout and interested in where it was going. This novel made me want to seek out other books by Kevin Chong.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!