This was a DEEPLY personal debut graphic novel that goes into great depth on the struggles the author had growing up as a Korean born American and never quite fitting into either identity. There's also amazing mental health rep, suicide attempts, therapy and toxic/abusive parental relationships. The drawings too are some of the best I've seen in a graphic novel and I can't recommend this book enough! Perfect for fans of Almost American girl by Robin Ha. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

This story was heartbreakingly powerful. It took me a little while to get into it as the storytelling was a bit unusual for me, but once I was immersed I didn't resurface until I finished it. I think this is such an important story, and it makes me happy that the author chose to tell it. I can heartily recommend this book!

This was a fantastic graphic novel memoir. There were some hard parts to read, mostly regarding the relationship that she has with her mom, but I think that is an important book that everyone should read. Also, I loved the artwork and the colors. It was so nicely done!

Thanks Netgalley and publisher for providing me this graphic novel. I tried to like it but just lost interest with the story unfortunately..

Beautiful art and I enjoyed the exploration of identity. The story was easy to follow and lots of very important representation was present - mental health being the one that gripped me the most.

I loved the art and the transitions between scenes, like polaroids, like snapshots of real life.
The story was very relatable. Growing up I also lived in different countries and sometimes was belittle for many things that I couldn't control. Read te author's note, don't skip it. It's about her life at the moment, and how she's coping with everything. I really liked this graphic novel. I hope to read more of Deb in the future.

This beautiful and vulnerable story is about a young girl, Deborah (Jung-Jin), and their life and family. As a Korean-American it can be difficult to figure out where Deborah fits in. Their teachers can't pronounce their name and their classmates all poke fun at their english, their name and even their single-lidded eyes. Deborah just desperately wants to fit in but their American friends don't always understand their Korean heritage or culture and in order to become more American, Deborah has started to distance themself from their Korean friends. On top of school, Debs home life is a bit complicated with tensions growing with their mother and sadness creeping in around them. Readers will champion Deb as they discover how to handle their mental illness and relationship with their friends and their mother.

Deborah Lee shares the up and downs of her high school years as a child of Korean immigrants in New Jersey trying to navigate school, parental expectations, friendships, figure out her interests, and mental health issues.

I highly recommend reading the author’s note about where she is now with her parents as of publication and her mental health. Both help lend a hopeful note to the end of the book. Deborah struggled a lot with the pressures she felt from her parents to do well in school, her mom’s physical abuse, and the unrealistic expectations she had of some friends. She talks about how that all impacted and was woven into her mental health state. Deborah had her own unique issues, but her story feels very relatable to things teens today face whatever their cultural background. She relates how therapy helps, and how to have healthier friendships. And, as mentioned, there’s a very positive and hopeful note in the back of the book about her relationship with her mom now. Though Deborah’s high school years were not necessarily happy, I feel like the book is ultimately hopeful and could be just the boost of “being seen” or finding hope or “someone else has been there too” that some teens might need. I also appreciated the artistry of the illustrations. You can tell the author has been working on this for 5 years, and she definitely did the right thing in pursuing art. There’s some absolutely stunning artwork in here.

Notes on content: A couple swears, and an illustration of kids jokingly flicking each other off. No sexual content. There is a replication of a naked statue in the artwork at one point. She does relate taking pills in an attempted suicide and that it wasn’t the first time. She does get therapy that helps her get to a much healthier place. Her mom was sometimes physically and verbally abusive.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee feels different. None of her teachers can pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes, especially her eyes stand out. Things get more difficult when entering high school. Violence escalates at home, school work becomes harder and friendships change. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.

In Limbo is a powerful testimony of a young Korean-American girl, lost between two different ways of life, and feeling a foreigner in both of them. Jung-Jin describes her struggles of being accepted, and accepting herself. She shares her hopes and dreams. She shares her fear of rejection, from her family and friends, and her constant fight to become who she really wants to be.

Beautifully illustrated, this emotional graphic memoir touches on strong and difficult topics : racism, mental health, immigration, child abuse, familial pressure. It is a sometimes difficult read, which will talk to readers, teenagers and adults alike. I certainly really enjoyed it.

I loved the artstyle for this book, and I was so intrigued by the stunning cover! It is an incredibly moving and deeply touching memoir. I related a lot to some of Deborah's struggles, and even found myself crying at times. I would love to include this in one of my English classes, because I feel like my students would all be able to find parts to relate to.

I'd definitely recommend this gorgeous memoir! And I'll be keeping an eye out for more books by this artist.

Deb JJ Lee's memoir "In Limbo" is honest, brutal, and beautiful. From the first few pages, I was hooked because of the gorgeous artwork. There were pages I spent many minutes on marveling at the meticulous attention to detail and beautiful splash pages. Lee's narrative is well-structured and engaging, with an honest portrayal of who she was at this point in her life. I think some readers will find this "character" off-putting or "annoying" at times, but I was taken with the realism of who people can be when they're at their most vulnerable. If you can handle discussions of abuse, suicide, and trauma surrounding mental health, then pick this book up for a beautiful story and a well-executed graphic novel!

I don’t know if there’s any other book out there that is SO relatable. The art is stunning and beautiful. It’s realistic with a cartoonish edge to it. The way she is able to bring you into her high school life and set the tone for what she was going through is powerful. I love how there’s Korean phrases that isn’t translated. In some ways, some experiences are reserved for some people and not for others. And I don’t think that’s bad. Not everyone will understand the Korean immigrant life and that’s ok. I’m excited for this to be out in the world!

#netgalleyarc I’m on a graphic novel/memoir kick and this one did not disappoint. I think the author did a great job of showing what kids go through when they leave 8th grade and enter high school. You go from being at the top to going back to the bottom, deal with so many changes, and really start to find out who you are. I also really liked how the story explored the cultural pressure the character went through and it had me thinking about the students at my school who may be struggling with the same pressures. I’ll def be adding this to my HsS library.

A real and raw story of being between worlds, between desires, and finding the solid ground between yourself and the self others expect you to be.

This memoir is quiet. It's quiet in the way that unspoken words fill a room. It is quiet in the way that a gray-blue foggy morning silences a street. It walks you through a world that is deeply intricate and muted by all the things that can feel impossible to say.

I was really pulled in with the phenomenal artwork. Deb JJ Lee is so incredibly talented, and their use of the different styles created a texture and color palette to follow the moods and weight of each scene. I couldn't put it down and read it straight through in one sitting, and then sat with it for some time.

They do not shy away from big topics such as suicide attempts, depression, questioning identities on multiple arenas, complicated family dynamics, being an immigrant in a country and beyond.

It takes a lot for me to want to purchase a physical copy of an e-book I own, but this one will be landing on my bookshelf, as I just <b>must</b> see and hold the art in my hands. ♥

I usually don't read many memoirs, but I was immediately attracted from the illustrations of the cover and so I decided to give it a try and I couldn't be happier, because the inside was just as good as the outside.

It's difficult talking about someone else life, above all when it deals with very hard and difficult topics (even when you feel connected to them) and sometimes I had a hard time reading this because I always felt like Deb experience was very far from mine and yet it hit really close to home.

The pace sometimes seems slower than necessary, but I feel that life sometimes is this way, so it makes sense to follow the flow of it.
It's a hard and deep work that I would approach carefully when dealing with particular subjects, but I'm very glad that I was able to read and connect with this story and I would strongly recommend it.

In Limbo is a beautiful graphic memoir depicting topics such as identity, heritage, friendship, and mental health.

I usually steer clear of memoirs, but when it’s a graphic memoir I can’t resist. What initially drew me in was the gorgeous illustrated cover with its stunning color palette.
Although I didn’t relate to most of Deb’s struggles, the story still hit. I had to remind myself on multiple occasions that this wasn’t fiction. I admire the way the author didn’t shy away from depicting the heavy topics as well.

I will be looking out for further works by this author!

Many thanks to NetGalley and author/publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review

Wow, this book got me really emotional. That's how impressed I am. I usually read fiction, so reading non-fiction is always a very different experience. Whenever I see the words 'Graphic Memoir', I always feel like it's gonna be good. Many illustrators are just so skilled at making memoirs and Deb was no different. It had every element you need to tell a good round story. It was an impactful read and I'm sure that a lot of folks will feel very seen reading this story.
I finished the book feeling so proud of Deb and how far they've come. At the end you get a short update on how they're currently doing, which I thought was a really nice addition.
Thank you Deb for being so open with sharing your story.

I never feel confortable when I have to rate someone else's life, but I loved every piece of this with my entire heart. The author was so sincere and explained so much with her drawings.
I also loved how she add korean in her family's conversations, as a way of explaining her problem also with her identity, her race.
I felt very identified with her, with her confussion, with trying to kepp her mum's expectations about her, but at the same time trying to do what she likes and she prefers. I loved it.

This graphic memoir has a lot of great points and topics in it, but the pace while deliberate is really slow. I found that it had so many great conversation starters and so much amazing content, but I struggled to really "get into" the book. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous and so well-done, but I wish it would have grabbed me more. Overall, I think this graphic memoir would be more suitable for high schoolers than middle schoolers just due to some of the content as well as the pace.

Trigger warnings: attempted suicide, physical abuse, emotional abuse

I’m not one to rate memoirs, as it feels wrong to put a grade on someone’s life, but In Limbo deserves more praise than any book I’ve read this year.

Deb JJ Lee’s newest release had my jaw on the floor the entire time! As soon as I put it down, I wanted to pick it back up and read it again.

The illustrations are breathtaking, and the artist’s struggles with perfectionism and an urge to belong during their high school years are relatable to any reader. However, the most heartbreaking scenes are those that depict the racism that Deb deals with in their everyday life, whether for being Korean at school, or for acting “too white” in their Korean classes.

Please note In Limbo also has scenes involving self harm, emotional/physical abuse, and attempted suicide, as Lee does go into detail about how their mental illness takes a hold in their later teen years.

To conclude, if this graphic memoir does not win awards for being one of the best books of the year, I will fight someone, as this will immediately be placed on the highest shelf in my home.

Many thanks to NetGalley and First Second Books for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.