As soon as I saw this memoir, I knew I had to read it. I love Deb's art! I was introduced to her work in college and was mindblown by how good it was. I still have her "Koi Girl" series hanging on my wall, and I love using her "Koi" Google Meet background at work.

"In Limbo" is about Deb's experiences growing up, facing racism, loneliness, and mental health struggles. I really admired Deb for following their own path, from quitting orchestra to committing to art. The art on every page was beautiful, and made this memoir truly unforgettable.

This was a biography about Deborah who is Korean but is always moving. She was bullied her entirely childhood. Her mother, (who I think have some kind of disorder) used to scream and beat her. Her mother had this whole plan for her, To play violin, take classes she didn't liked, keeping good grades... But being good at all that was very difficult duo to her life at home and the bullying at school. After trying to kill herself, she star to go to therapy. And there she realizes that she is not alone in the word. That having more friendship circles means that you have more pillars to support you when one falls.

⚠️This graphic novels have some triggers ⚠️ but for that was really important for the autor to draw these scenes. The story is perfect and several times I identified myself in certain situations.

I really wanna say thanks to the author an NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review. Debbie you are gold. I understand your difficulty in making friends, considering that I am the same way

A gorgeously written and illustrated graphic memoir. A coming-of-age memoir of a Korean American girl navigating her family, friends, and identity. I couldn't put this one down and needed to purposefully slow my pace so I could really take in and appreciate the details.

The smallest details were the best part of this memoir for me, little things that remind you you're neither here nor there, that you're not fully accepted by one group and not fully accepted by the other. I'm not Korean but I could relate to and appreciate so many of the experiences Deb had like, going to the Korean dentist and desiring friendships that may not be reciprocated. The journey of her becoming a young woman that is more comfortable in her own skin was fascinating to witness through these pages.

I also loved that this graphic memoir used the Korean written language in this book, not always with translation. Even though I couldn't read these parts, I thought it was genius. Some words or phrases can't be translated but also, that the people who need to understand this will get it and not everyone is privy to those feelings.

Content warnings: suicidal ideation, familial abuse

this was really good and just-rightly nuanced. the art style was emotional in a way i can’t describe and i overall appreciated this so much.


- thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Love love loved this book! So raw and so brave, one of my favourite graphic novel memoirs for sure! I really loved the way diaspora was explored and portrayed through the author's personal lens as well as their mental health struggles and other issues like high school life, and other growing pains.

I got sucked into this one because of it's beautiful cover and artwork throughout the book and stayed for the raw honesty with which the author delved into a part of her life, as well as the opportunity for compassion and empathy for our younger selves/ our lowest points in life.

I really really loved this one.

The art style of "In Limbo" definitely won me over, however the strongest point of the graphic novel is definitely its story and main character's development; Deb's trajectory felt deeply personal, relatable and empowering.

In Limbo: A Graphic Memoir by Deb JJ Lee is like an onion - it's layered, detailed, textured.
It's a story that put a knot in my stomach when I read it and generated a lot of sensations, feelings and pinched my heart hard enough to make me cry on countless occasions.
Deb JJ Lee's way of narrating is hypnotic, but at the same time it is suffocating and she is able to make the reader feel what Deb is feeling at every moment.

This is such a beautifully done graphic memoir. I really like the illustration style and it feels so personal. I really appreciated hearing the perspective of a child who is a Korean immigrant and the struggles that come with that. Despite not being one myself, Deb JJ Lee masterfully makes herself so relatable. It is so important to talk about mental health and it was a privilege to hear her journey. I have no doubt there are great things coming from this author in the future.

In this intimate graphic memoir, Deborah Jung-Jin Lee depicts her experience emigrating from South Korea to the US and growing up in an education system that amplifies one's otherness rather than embraces her uniqueness. Deb's English isn't perfect, her teachers can't pronounce her Korean name, and she's self-conscious about the shape of her eyes.

Even in supposedly safe spaces, she's not considered Korean enough at Korean school, and her fights with her mom at home continue to escalate. Deb is caught in limbo as her mental health plummets.

While labeled as a YA memoir, IN LIMBO touches upon extremely heavy topics of child abuse and suicide that readers should check before picking up. A debut with gorgeous art and profound messages, Lee portrays her struggles with "assimilation" as she leans on art, therapy, and friendships to navigate her teenage years. IN LIMBO is a beautiful work that examines the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, and is a book everyone should read.

In Limbo was really raw and emotional for me. The relationships between the characters were really complex, and I was constantly rooting for main character Deb to find her place and find her people. I should’ve noticed that the author and the main character are both Deb and that this was an autobiographical work, but I only realized it once I got to the author’s note at the very end, and this made the whole story even more complex.

I related to Deb in more ways than one, but the experience of immigrating to the United States as a child and the resulting feeling of never feeling like you belong in the US or in your home country was spot on.

I enjoyed the artistic style and I also liked how the stories took place over many years, with some flashbacks included as well.

“Just be careful ‘cause when you apologize that much, it all becomes white noise and loses its meaning.”

QUICK RECAP 🖊️
In Limbo tells the story of Korean immigrant Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee and the struggles she faces growing up in a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking graphic novel memoir.

FINAL THOUGHTS 💭
I cannot accurately describe the feels I felt while reading this. My heart ached for this girl. While I could never ever understand the extent of what she faced growing up there were some points that hit home for me.

4 stars

[TBA: I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

I found this graphic memoir moving. It comes across as an honest account of what is was like for Deb to grow up as a Korean-American teenager in New Jersey - mental illness, family issues, and friendship turmoil included.

The artwork was very pleasant to look at - it was calming, in a way, despite the sometimes heavy content.

Some scenes made me well up, as they hit close to home, and I really felt for Deb. It's not often that a graphic novel impacts me like that.

Overall, In Limbo is a well-done coming of age story which I will surely revisit in the future. I recommend!

First, a huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Deb JJ Lee crafts a graphic memoir that is heartbreaking and touching. Deb's struggles with mental health and her rigid relationship with her mother are incredibly relatable and realistically portrayed. The art style is simple and does a fantastic job of connecting to and emphasizing the tone of the story. This story is especially prevalent in its addressing of the impact of hate crimes on Asian culture and community and many can benefit from reading it.

Note: I was given a copy of this graphic novel to review from NetGalley. Thanks NetGalley!

This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The art is simple, and yet perfectly conveys the tone and mood of the story overall. I really empathized with Deb and her mental health struggles, as well as her difficulties at home with her mother. I definitely think this Graphic Novel is a must read, and especially with all the hate crimes occurring towards those of any Asian culture, this should be required reading. A few of my questions were left unanswered, and the book ended abruptly for me. I really enjoyed it, nonetheless and am proud of Deb for writing such a personal story that I'm sure many can relate to as well.

I enjoyed this coming of age memoir. The artwork was really well done and worked really well because it evoked the emotions the author was conveying without needing color.

Thank you Netgalley and First Second Books for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I've long been enamored with Deb JJ Lee's work and was excited to finally read their debut graphic novel. In Limbo is a raw and honest recollection of defining moments in their adolescence, and it doesn't shy away from sharing all the ugly consequences that often accompany healing from trauma and working through situations involving mental health. Although In Limbo's art is exquisite, it sometimes came at the cost of clear storytelling; however, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed In Limbo, and I'm looking forward to Deb JJ Lee's next work.

This is a YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl struggling with her sense of 'otherness' as well as suicidal ideation brought on by school, her home situation, and changing friendships. It felt like it was in conversation with What My Bones Know, so if that memoir resonated with you, you should definitely pick this one up. It presents similar themes, but aimed at teens. The art is also very beautiful - gave me Tillie Walden vibes. It's out March 7th, so now's a great time to ask your libraries to purchase it!

A touching memoir. And the drawings were amazing. I could feel~ all the emotions from the drawings, especially the ones with landscape and cityscape. Hauntingly beautiful and sorrowful and so sad. High school can be such an emotional
roller coaster of emotions and the way that it was portrayed in this graphic memoir was done in a very realistic and believable way.

*Received and read an ARC

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of this book!

What a moving memoir! From not fitting in, to finding bits of yourself in the place you were born, to the divides between child and parent, In Limbo really resonated within me. The art style is simple yet beautiful and I could almost imagine being in the book itself!

This was an interesting graphic novel of an emigrant young lady trying to find hersself in the United States. I found Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee's character to be missed understood and a sad way of intergrating your old life and traditions from your former country to the new. Adapting can be hard but rewarding all the same. I liked reading this graphic novel and I'm glad to have read it. Highly recommend.