Rounded up to 3.5 stars.

I enjoyed this book, though not as much as the first one. I found the uniqueness of the story and the characters in the first book to be more compelling, though I do enjoy the relationship between Lai and her brothers, and the sacrifices her mother made in an effort to give her children a better life are incredible. I also did like the choice to continue in the verse style for this book. I Just didn't feel like there was much of anything that was new in this book, however, I will still likely purchase it for my library.

Overall, When Clouds Touch was interesting to listen to but hard to follow in audiobook format. I also didn't realize that this is a sequel, and I may have understood more if I had read the first book. The style of writing was really beautiful, and I wish I had a physical copy to follow along while listening.

When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lai ; narratedby Brigid Mai Khanh Leahy.
When Clouds Touch Us is a middle grade novel-in-verse story that picks up 2 years after the book, Inside Out and Back Again. Hà has made friends in Alabama, and when her mother decides to move to Texas for a better job opportunity, Hà hates to leave good friends and dreads having to start all over again somewhere else. Her brothers are growing and leaving home or getting nearer to leaving home.


I read the first book just before reading its sequel to help me learn what went on in Hà’s previous years. Both books help us to see what she went through and how lack of communication can cause misunderstanding and possibly lead to worse consequences, if one does not seek to understand.


I enjoyed the story and seeing Hà grow more in this story. The narrator did a fine job voicing Hà’s thoughts. I thank NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to the audio version of this book’s ARC.

This book was beautiful, heartbreaking and haunting. It made me think about the English language and all the English Language learners I have ever taught. The verse is powerful and so lyrical. I think it's the perfect way to tell Hà's story as a refugee escaping the Vietnam War. I also like how her home language weaves through the poetry and the home language structure of words and sentences glides through the pages too. It made me think of the use of English everyday by so many people from other countries and their struggles with a language "filled with hisses".

Hà is getting into a groove and a comfort zone after moving to the US; however, her mom delivers a devastating blow when she announces that they will be moving. Despite Hà and her brothers voting to stay, her mom moves them in hopes for a better job, better housing and better life for their family. Moving proves to be as awful as Hà anticipates.

Anyone who has ever had to move during middle school can relate to this novel. Anyone who has struggled to learn another language can relate to this novel.

I feel like I got wiser from reading this novel. Best life advise: Life has a way of balancing; what is unfair now can lead to fairness later. (paraphrased).

Please read this beautiful novel. It will be nestled on my shelves next to Inside Out and Back Again and I will be using it for book recommendations to my middle schoolers.

A lovely follow up to INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN. I loved seeing the family grow and change. The poetry was evocative and beautiful and a bit different. I liked that.

Touching continuation of this story. So glad to hear the updated story of this young Vietnamese immigrant. Rich storytelling with moving experiences and descriptions.
Thanks to Net Galley for this advanced copy!

Loved this follow-up to Inside Out and Back Again. This book is also written in verse, which the author explains is to signify that the main character (Ha's) thoughts are in Vietnamese, because it is a poetic language. It is written from a first-person perspective, which helped me connect with Ha's changing emotions and ideas. The story touches on a range of subjects, including loneliness, fear, and family. It also shows a sweet relationship between Ha and her mother, who she considers the "anchor" of her family during uncertain times.

Even as someone who hadn’t read the first book, this was effective and impactful both in terms of conveying a migrant/refugee experience and that of general growing up. The writing style did work and communicated Hà’s point of view well, but it did sometimes lend itself to a very rushed pacing, without much time to build a lot of the characters and relationships or dwell on events in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced audiobook copy!

Summary:
In this sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, Hà and her family have worked hard to make a life for themselves in the US, but it hasn’t come easy. Hà has only just started to feel settled when Mother decides that the family will move to Texas for a new job. Relocating again after just feeling secure has left Hà reeling once again, and she works to adjust to her new home.

Review:
This is much more of a slice of life tale than the first story, which makes it a little harder to read on audio. However, I loved the audio because the narrator does great vocal work, and I appreciate being able to hear the Vietnamese that is sprinkled throughout the book (especially for words that I would not know how to pronounce). I did feel that the poetry was a little more disjointed than in the first novel--I think this is sometimes done purposely to illustrate Hà's learning of English, but it was somewhat hard to follow in some parts of the story. I think this is such an important sequel & shows how a refugees story does not just end when they come to a new country--there is so much to learn and understand even a year later. I would definitely recommend to fans of the first novel!

I listened to When Clouds Touch Us on audiobooks. When I started listening to the book I noticed it was written in verse. I felt the book jumped around so much I was confused on whom the protagonist was referring too. I felt the book wasn’t written well and the book was all over the place. The narrator was excellent. I really did enjoy her, I wish I enjoyed the book as much as I liked the narrator.
I actually gave this book a 2.5 and I would not buy this for my book business.

I really enjoyed this sequel to Thanhhà Lai's critically acclaimed, award-winning book Inside Out & Back Again. After reading the first book, I was so invested in Hà's family's stories, so it was lovely getting to read more about her experiences, as well as those of her mother and brothers. I particularly appreciated the way that the author illuminated the real challenges of rebuilding in a new country--learning a new language, adopting elements of a new culture while trying to preserve your own, living up to the expectations of your family while also forging your own path. I did find myself sometimes getting stuck on some of the language and having to re-read sections to make sense of them. (But I also think this was intentional on the author's part. I think she is truly trying to write in a way that mimic's Hà's train of thought as she is learning to speak English.) I have already recommended this book to my students, and I would absolutely include it when developing curriculum for middle grade readers.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperAudio for the advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The rhythm of the book draws the reader in. While it is a sequel, it is not necessary to read the first book to enjoy and understand this one. The issues of family are clear and make the book relatable.

I listened to When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhha Lai before I read her National Book Award winning and Newbery Honor book , Inside Out And Back Again. It's been on my radar for a while now but it's one of those books that's just lived on my TBR shelf.
AFTER listening to the sequel though, I am absolutely jumping in to the first one right away!
When Clouds Touch Us takes up after the events of the first story. Ha is now in 6th grade and her mother's work is not enough to sustain the family's life in Alabama. She recieves word that other Vietnamese refugees are finding success working in a Texas radio factory and suddenly the family faces a big move to Texas.
Ha is devistated not only because she has to leave her best friend and plans for her first ever birthday party but also at the prospect of starting over again after finally becoming comfortable after the upheaval of fleeing Vietnam.
I, sadly. didn't know much about the Vietnam war before reading this book. I grew up when it was pretty recent history and it was never taught in my school, possibly because it was still a raw subject with the adults in my school. After reading, I am encouraged to learn about this time period, not just in terms of American History, but also in terms of the refugee experience.
I loved the way the Vietnamese translated to English gave a unique twist to the phraseology. When Ha spoke about her "rolling shoes party" it took me a minute to figure out she meant roller skates! I think kids will enjoy this as a bit of a critical thinking exercise along with the flow of the story. It adds to the reader's empathy for Ha in that the reader must also decipher the meaning much in the same way Ha needs to understand in reverse.
The audio format of this particular version was helpful with the pronunciation of the Vietnamese words and the Vietnamese pronunciations of English words but I did find myself wanting to see the words written out as well so as to better understand the pronunciation rules, but maybe that's just the teacher side of me!
I would recommend this book for readers in 4-8th grade regardless of whether or not they've read the first book but there are some nods to the first book and some context readers may lack if they're totally unfamiliar with the original story. I really enjoyed this novel in verse and I can't wait to share it and it's predecessor with my students!

I was hopeful that this story would be a great one but had a hard time following along. I understand the author wanted to show Ha's experience as a recent immigrant. However, personally, I was distracted by the writing.

Another touching story by the same author of Inside Out and Back Again. It touches on themes of change, family, and belonging.

Thank you to NetGalley for a chance to listen to this audiobook!