From the first page, I was taken in and absorbed by Emily's thought. Written poetically, we follow Emily in her journey of going from standing out by being the only Chinese student in a private school visibly, to attending a public school where many look just like her and yet she still cannot fit in. To add to it, she learns of a secret her adoptive parents have been keeping and needs to come to terms with it.

I love the way this book is written. I'm always down for a good middle grade book, but add poetry and I'm so in. I'm definitely going to be looking to read more from Tina Cane!

TL;DR: This was a unique middle-grade contemporary told in verse. The author had a unique way of expressing the main character's experiences during and after the pandemic. It touches upon evergreen themes such as coming-of-age, identity and belonging. Emily was an interesting main character—she's very much a teenager—and I think many young readers whether they're middle schoolers or just starting high school.

Are You Nobody Too? is an interesting middle-grade contemporary that explores topics that are often found in books for young readers, such as identity and belonging. This coming-of-age was told interestingly and I appreciated how the author chose to write the book in verse to reflect our main character's connection with Emily Dickinson's work. Our main character, Emily, discovers Dickinson's complete works by chance at her new school's library and from that moment, we follow how she relates to and processes her own experiences through the poetry. It was a unique telling although I have to admit that it made for a non-linear storyline that made it difficult to truly feel connected to Emily's story. If anything though, I think it could spark an interest in poetry for young readers and it spurred me to want to explore more of Dickinson's work.

A topic that I didn't expect the story to centre so heavily around was Emily's experience during and after the pandemic. I don't think I've read any MG books that explore how it affected young kids and I think, to an extent, the author does a good job of exploring that experience through a young teen's POV. For a good portion of the book, Emily has a self-centred view of how terrible the pandemic was in the ways it changed her life. Yet as the book progresses and she learns of personal losses experienced by the new friends she meets and the teachers she admires, she starts to change her somewhat "blasé" tune to be more understanding. Emily has a rather melancholic voice and there's a great deal of confusion as she tries to process her feelings and mental state, and the heaviness of Emily's emotions does weigh down the story a bit at times.

What I wish had been better explored were the themes of identity and belonging. It's a core part of Emily's journey and yet I found that her journey of coming to terms with her Chinese roots and Western upbringing was not explored in as much detail as I would've expected. However, as she finds her place in this new school and opens up to new friendships, particularly with Grace, she slowly learns to be less conscious about her adoptive parents and family. It was nice to see her take pride in both sides that she belongs to, especially because her parents were fantastic and I loved how supportive and funny they were. Grace's character was also a wonderful addition to Emily's life and her sweet, fun and caring personality brought a much-needed uplifting tone to the story!

Overall, this was an interesting and unique read that I found pleasantly surprising. If you have a young reader who's interested in poetry, I think this would be a great match for them!

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Make Me a World for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I like the connection the character has to Emily Dickinson's poetry. The author has different mentions of other books. The main character may be feeling stress with quarantine (which is a great focus of this book) and new school, but she doesn't let herself be pushed around completely.

(I may be the only one feeling this) I had trouble getting into the format of this verse novel. Having three verses in the same line made it t harder to read, slowed me down. It also didn't fully grab me. Sorry.

Initially enjoyed this read, but there isn't much plot. Am how young readers will respond, especially since I'm struggling to finish it. There's not really a mid point or a lowest of low--at some point I just started wondering, where are we going? The form is interesting but becomes confusing with too much dialogue later.

The pandemic is a huge part of this book--I think that's important but find it odd this isn't part of the description at all, or that there aren't time stamps (future readers will not always have the pandemic as part of their lived experience...). Was saddened and disappointed by how the pandemic was approached at times--Emily's comment about people not going inside because of "pandemic stress" seems dismissive of the legitimate concerns that many of us, even now, continue to risk when exposed to COVID. So I wondered what the book was trying to tell readers about the pandemic?

Can't speak to the trans-racial adoption rep, but did wonder about that and wanted a bit more.

All in all, there is a lot to admire here, but also a lot that I would personally want to see clarified and done different.

Cane, Tina. Are You Nobody Too?. 2024, 9780593567012. $17.99. 320p. Grades 5-8

Description: After being stuck at home learning through her computer due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, she is forced to leave the comfort of what she knows and go to public school in Chinatown. For possibly the first time, Emily is not the only Chinese student at the school. But, that doesn’t mean she feels like she fits in. On top of that, Emily finds out that her adoptive parents have been keeping something from her. Emily works on coming to terms with the complexities of being a Chinese girl adopted by a white family.

Thoughts: This novel was very enjoyable. It handles tough topics like adoption, the isolation of the COVID-19 Pandemic, and finding your place in an approachable manner. There are parts of the novel that are a tad slow, especially in the beginning. This novel encourages readers to think introspectively and reflect. The novel did a great job of showing the complexities of identity and talking about microaggressions such as calling Emily a “banana” in the book. Overall, this is a solid middle-level read that I look forward to adding to the library.

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Novel-In-Verse

Tags: Adoption, Diverse Family Structure, Novel-In-Verse, Identity, Chinese American, Family Life, Interracial Adoption, COVID-19, Microaggressions

I loved this title a lot more than I thought I would. It was something that everyone can relate to but also made you think. Focusing on poetry by Emily Dickinson and understanding how to translate it into something that can be used and understood today was both eye opening and necessary. I believe that some of the best advice has already been written down if we are only willing to look. Focused on friendship and how to live again post pandemic which is something everyone can understand and is still dealing with even three years later.

Thank you! Just downloaded and will read asap! Final review will be shared on scheduled tour date with TBR and Beyond for book tour!

Review will be posted on instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon.

This is a very character-driven novel-in-verse that explores the complexities of race, from the point of view of a Chinese girl adopted into a white family. I enjoyed the writing and found sections that completely drew me in. And I was particularly enamored with the life lessons that are tucked inside this book—many of which deeply resonated with me.

I will say that this is an introspective book. As such, there were some decidedly slow points. And the non-chronological storytelling, which mostly happened early in the book, felt a bit awkward and jarring. But overall, this is a very good book, told from a unique point of view.

This is simply superb in every way! Written in verse, with a focus on Emily Dickinson, Cane skillfully uses this vehicle to address a number of modern issues. I am not a fan of poetry nor Emily Dickinson, but Cane perked my interest with her beautiful prose. Read it for the prose, read it for the story, read it for the issues it addresses or for any other reason, but by all means read it! This is geared towards a young audience, but fully worth reading even for adults. It would also be a wonderful classroom read. There's so much here in this book and I will certainly search out other writing by this wonderful author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's one of those books that you can't wait to share with others!

This is the first book I have read set after the height of the pandemic. I have read a handful set during the pandemic, but this is the first time I have read one set during in-person school. This story follows Emily, an adopted Chinese-American girl whose parents have transferred her away from her beloved Montessori school to a public school in Chinatown. Emily begins to identify with Emily Dickinson, her isolation, her exploration of time, friendship, and hope. I appreciated how the story explored the nuance of being a Chinese-American child with White adopted parents in a school where most of the children have grown up surrounded by their cultural heritage, and the way that builds walls with some of her classmates. I love Emily Dickinson, and the way the author wove Dickinson's poetry into the story was lovely. I also appreciated how it shared portions of an important chinese poet's work, and the scientific work of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. I enjoyed this read, and will recommend to others.

I’m so pleased with this! Entirely written in verse, it starts relatively slow as our main character Emily sets the stage for us. There’s some pretty intense topics as Emily is an adoptee, returning to school post pandemic to an all new school with different social expectations. Finding the poetry of Emily Dickinson helps her through her inner turmoil. I enjoyed it so much. A creative twist on familiar childhood pains, it’s deeply touching and emotional. I would’ve been obsessed with this as a preteen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Make Me a World for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Emily was adopted from China by a white couple who live in New York City, and has spent all of her school years in a small Montessory school, Meadowlake. During the pandemic, her father lost his job, and her mother's salary as a teacher at a community college is not enough to pay for the tuition. In ninth grade, she transfers to IS 23, which has a large Asian population and Chinese language classes. Since Emily always felt out of place at Meadowlake, sicne there were few students of Asian descent, it feels comforting at first to be with others who look like her and who don't bully herr because of her ethnicity. Emily struggled with feelings of isolation during the pandemic, and is no longer in contact with her two best friend. She has also cut her hair very short, wears white combat boots, and feels anxious all the time. She feels out of place in the new school as well, since her classmates assume that because she looks Chinese she should know the language. There are some girls who try to be nice to her, but she keeps them at arm's length. She does get to know Grace a bit, and slowly broadens he horizons. Her father, who has been depressed, has some of his photographs exhibited and seems to be on an upwards path, engaging in the community more. This is helpful to Emily as well. Having discovered the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and feeling like it is speaking to her own mental state, Emily does some research into the author and her work, and is able to make more connections to people in her school during this process.
Strengths: Coming out of the pandemic was a strange feeling, and it's hard to remember how things gradually changed. Students have to change schools because of family problems all the time, and having to leave a familiar environment, especially when stressed, can't be easy. Teens are definitely searching for personal identity, and try on lots of different personalities, so Emily's obsession with Dickinson's work make sense. Since this is a novel in verse, it tries to mimic Dickinson's choppy style. There is a lot of discussion about Asian identity, and the term "banana" is discusssed. I was glad to see that by the end of the book, Emily is feeling better about herself. Also, the elderly dog, Keeper, did not die. I was certainly expecting that to happen, so it was a relief when it did not.
Weaknesses: I was surprised that a public school library in New York City would still have books that were "not systemized by computer". This allows Emily to see her teacher's name on a check out card and ask him about the book, but I think that unless a school is SUPER small, the catalog would be online. Reading an entire novel written in Dickinson's breathless style was a challenge.
What I really think: This is more of a Young Adult book because of the pacing and introspective nature, but might be something that fans of Green's The Fault in Our Stars or Chobosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower might like. I will pass on purchase for middle school.

I had a tough time with this one. In the beginning, It felt like chapters were out of order, which made it feel disjointed and repetitive. While I am extremely familiar -- and quite like to read -- the novel in verse format, the spaces between (rather than line breaks) made it choppy to read.

On the positive side, the inclusion of poetry and its focus was great. The poems provided insight and were very well done. The title fits nicely and keeps the novel tight and focused.

Summary of the book: In this middle grade novel in verse, Emily - a Chinese student - transfers from a private school to Chinatown's I.S. 23 where she faces cliques and feels more different from others than ever before.