I really liked this one! Reminded me a bit of “The Best We Could Do,” though this author has a much better relationship with his immediate family making it a much lighter read. I wish it was longer though since there seems to be a lot to explore between each time jump he makes throughout the text. I especially loved the Q&A portion at the end so that readers get to experience more of the author's personality and perspective.

Thien Pham did an amazing job illustrating the life of what it is like coming from Vietnam to America. After reading this, I had to message my aunt to find out if she had to stay in a refugee camp before someone sponsored her and she said yes. So, this has opened up more questions to ask my Vietnamese family about their history. I also was able to relate to Thien on feeling "not Vietnamese enough". Growing up, it was just my sister, mom, and grandma. I wasn't surrounded by a big family like Linda so my Vietnamese was broken. I was able to understand the language but when it came to speaking it, I had trouble finding the right words I was looking for. I hope that readers will be able to gain a new light on what it is like for immigrants coming to America, because it did for me.

This was an incredible YA graphic novel detailing different aspects of the author's life as a Vietnamese immigrant.

The story is segmented into different periods of his life based on significant foods during these time frames. This was a unique and thoroughly engaging storytelling structure!

Thien's story is an important one, and I'm looking forward to getting a copy for my bookshelf once it releases!

It was very inspiring to see just how hard his parents worked to give him a better life, and his mom is (as is mentioned in the Q&A at the end), is the undisputed hero of the story.

The art within the graphic novel was great as well! Definitely recommend this read!

This graphic memoir really stood out in an increasingly populous field because of its use of food (and its taste and texture, senses that aren't usually forefront in books) as its joining thread. I was only disappointed that there was such a big time jump between the second to last and last chapter because I could've read about Thien's life and his defining meals forever. Overall, it was a beautifully crafted, full circle, and satisfying read!

This is a wonderful graphic memoir that is framed around the memory of various foods and different times in the artist’s life, from his childhood as a refugee to his eventual immigration to the United States. At each age and phase in his life, there are flavors that he associates with various experiences in his life, whether it was the foods his mom made, the first time he tries potato chips, the food at school, or a celebratory meal with his family after finally pursuing citizenship. I think that this would be a wonderful mentor text or springboard for people to think about their own life stories and the different foods that help them remember.