This is a graphic memoir where Deb Lee talks about her experiences with family pressure, racism, depression and finding herself as an artist.

It's beautifully drawn and beautifully told and quickly became one of my favourite graphic memoirs I've ever read.

This is an incredibly poignant read and I highly recommend

The author does a lovely job reflecting on their past, touching on the many aspects of their identity: their immigrant descent, their ties to their culture, their connection with their family, their mental health, and their self-discovery. They flex their artistry as they beautifully illustrate the heavier aspects of the memoir. It takes a lot of courage to write and illustrate a memoir and face one's past, and I applaud them for that.

Thanks to Netgalley and First Second Books for providing me with the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really wonderful graphic memoir that follows Lee’s teen years, navigating familial expectations, mental health, cultural identity and waning friendships. The art was beautiful and evocative, I found myself getting lost in it.

I really love coming of age memoirs like this, it can really help us all with understanding one another. Especially when you see the scenes of bullying and abuse, it can be so heartbreaking.

Enjoyable, enlightening, and visually insightful story. The writer used their life to bring the reader into soul that transcends the culture line. The main character shares their trials, personal growth throughout this graphic novel. Individuals that move to a new culture may be able to reflect on similar experiences. Learning from ones struggles especially mental health makes one vulnerable like the various characters. Also, hearing parents acknowledge their short-comings causes one to pause and think about ones similarities to their children and vice versa. If one wants to find out, read this book. Perfect for all ages and sit back and discuss with others.

In Limbo is a moving memoir of a young Korean immigrant as she grows up in the US, often feeling like she’s not enough. The beautiful art helps you feel Lee’s struggle and hardship with school, friends, family and self-identity.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, all opinions are my own!

This was so emotional. The pain that Jung-Jin goes through as an adolescent is so visceral the way it is shown here. So many points in her life where she was looking for something (support, love, herself, etc) and was left lonely and lost and confused. My heart ached. I loved witnessing how she was able to grow into herself and still acknowledge her past and her pain. Recognizing that past relationships, mental health and trauma all make us who we are. Even when we are still Trying to understand

Really liked this book! I haven't read many, if any at all, graphic memoirs and find it such a unique way of telling ones story. It was very heart wrenching and explores some heavy topics. Beautifully done I read it all in one sitting and didn't want to put it down. Highly recommend!

Beautiful and unique artwork - almost photographic in quality. Heavy content in the story, but very moving. High school friendships portrayed with wincing accuracy.

I'm not a huge memoir reader, but I have a soft spot for graphic memoirs. And this is a really good one. The art style and the text worked really well together, making this a really poignant, emotional story. The artwork is really beautiful and invokes a lot of feeling, making this into a story I'm going to need to sit with for a little while.

Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for early access to this digital ARC.

In Limbo: a Graphic Memoir by Deb JJ Lee
Released on March 7th, 2023

4.75 ⭐️

This graphic memoir Deb JJ Lee wrote was beautiful. The art was stunning, the struggles Deb went through are relatable and had me tearing up. It’s deep and emotional with a good message to it. You see the way Deb grows and the steps she takes to make sure she is heading in the right direction in life.

Emotionally gut-wrenching and beautifully illustrated. A recommended read for adult and teenagers alike looking for deep conversations on parental relationships, abuse, and mental health.

Don't you love when a book completely takes over you? This is what Deb JJ Lee's art in this memoir did to me, to the point where I just couldn't put it down!

In Limbo is a memoir that takes place during Deb's High School years. Lee isn't scared to show the most difficult (sometimes graphic) moments of her teenage years, from her struggle to fit in because of her identity - as a Korean-American _ and the abuse and pressure she faces from her mother to her mental health and how it affected her friendships.

I wouldn't say that this memoir brings anything new to the table in terms of memoir about being a child of immigrants, however, the art is incredible and really does make it stand out! I regret having to have read it as an e-book because it meant that I couldn't appreciate the art to its full extent, but I will definitely keep a look out for anything else she decides to release in the future and I will for sure order a copy of this for the store!

I read this graphic memoir in 2 days and it was simply amazing!

It's emocional and relatable from the first to the last page. The cover is beautiful but the inside (...) the inside is just precious .( the message and the art created of course)

I don't have words to describe it., it really hit me hard and I dont have diferent cultures like Jung- Jin (AKA Deborah) .

But all the other problems she's been through, what she experienced in such a young age ... I think everyone probably felt like her in a way or another at some point in life.

A poweful and stuning read that aproches racism, abuse, bullying, mental health and body-shame, that also show us that we can heal if we chase our dreams and what we really love.

I would be very happy if someday this book was edited in Portugal.

TW: suicide attempt, self-harm, microagression, rasiscm, physical abuse, verbal abuse, depression, anxiety, body-shamming.

This is the first book i read this year. The story is about the author life throughout her teen years when she's struggle with microagression she faced, broken relationship with her demanding/abusive mother and feeling left behind by her friends. And also being an immigrant and see how different she is from the others make her self-esteem low.

I like how the story flow. It feels realistic because i could relate with her struggle somehow. We were teenager after all, everyone still figuring out who and what they want to be. The author don't sugarcoating her story. I could feel the pain of being in a uncertainty with no one to lean on.

The art is also mesmerizing with blue color that emphasize the sadness of the story. Thus, this making me love this book so much. I could not wait for the author next project!

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Book for an ARC in exchange for honest review.

This is a beautiful book that, for the most part, accomplishes its task of depicting a life in snippets and memories. Reading the acknowledgements and authors note at the end of the book helped me to understand just how daunting of a task Deb Lee set out for herself when crafting "In Limbo" and I think the only thing I would have wanted more of was explanation and unpacking of some of the moments in her story.

imbo is a beautiful and emotional memoir that centres around Deb JJ Lee’s school years for most of the story. I loved the art style, with detailed panels and a blue-grey hue that underlined the emotional storytelling.

There was a lot in Limbo that I connected with, especially being lost between cultures. Something that underlined my school years because I was always ‘too much of the other’, regardless of which country I was in.

This memoir is heavy, and probably won’t be for everyone. I don’t think enjoy is the right word for how I felt reading Limbo but I am glad I did and I related to a lot in this book.

Thank you to Deborah Jung-Jin Lee and NetGalley for this eARC.

Graphic memoirs have become my new favourite genre/format so I was very excited for this one.

It’s always hard to rate memoirs because they’re based on lived life experience and I don’t think we as reader/consumers are in a position to judge that. I loved the art work and I felt connected to the story. I did have some issues with the pacing and sequencing of things throughout the memoir.


What fell short was the almost pedestrian way in which abuse was portrayed in this memoir. The physical and emotional abuse she was a victim of at the hands of her mother were simply brushed over. Obviously this is based on the author’s own experience but it felt slightly off. Like Deb could just not catch a break her whole life. Her abuse was brushed aside by those around her (even herself) which is made evident by how it was written in this story. The ending was quite abrupt but I guess it made sense.

4/5 🎨
TW: abuse, body shaming, bullying, mental illness, self-harm, suicide attempts, xenophobia

The muted pastels on the cover of #InLimbo by #DebJJLee juxtapose the raw and distressing account of Lee’s years in high school. This graphic memoir paints intimate details of the artist’s struggles with the sense of directionlessness amid parental expectations, her identity as a Korean-American, and her low self-esteem.

The memoir portrays transgenerational fragmentation in the intimacy of a home so powerfully, mostly in the ways that Lee’s mother passive-aggressively vents her frustrations on her family and the unspoken tension that makes it feel like a pressure cooker. Those who come grew up in families with healthy communication would be shocked to witness the cutting sharpness of her mother’s words and actions. To feel powerless, scared, and disrespected by someone you love - that is bound to leave scars.

Lee’s use of paneling is so beautifully nuanced, infusing East Asian culture into a format that requires readers to rethink space and how one tells a story. Pay attention to the subject(s) in each panel, and what it ultimately captures.

The ending feels incomplete, and throughout the memoir, there were some missing details that made me feel like I missed a step. But definitely 5✨ for the thought she has put into her beautiful art, and ∞ for her courage to tell her story through a medium she loves.

Thank you @netgalley and @01firstsecond for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. In Limbo comes out on 7 March 2023.

A raw and personal memoir that is excellently illustrated. I loved the themes but felt that some parts could've been fleshed out more.

Received a free copy on Netgalley.

Thank you First Second and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this book. This at times difficult to get through, painful coming of age memoir focuses on mental illness and dual (Korean and American) cultures. Beautiful artwork adds another dimension to the story.