I don't think I've ever read a fiction book which tells the story of the internment of Japanese Americans in the US following the bombing of Pearl Harbour during WWII. This is undoubtedly a very important book and it is clear that the author has thoroughly researched the time period and the experiences of people who lived through this horrific and tragically ignored period of history. Whilst I did appreciate the author's attempts at showing the vast and differing experiences of individuals, I felt that the use of a different narrator for each chapter in the book gave a slightly disjointed impression overall. To be honest, I often got confused about which character was which and I found myself less invested in individuals' stories because of this. The book is clearly supposed to be character-driven, as there is no real defining plot line, so I was slightly disappointed by my resulting disinterest in individual characters. Having said all this, I would still recommend this book to people as it covers such an under-explored yet important topic of history that deserves to be remembered in the same way as other injustices. It was incredibly interesting and thought-provoking yet still remained fairly easy to read.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Traci Chee pulls from extensive research and her own family history to craft an immersive, authentic novel of the forced removal of over 100,000 Japanese-Americans to internment camps during World War II. Chee’s decision to have readers experience the novel through the eyes of 14 friends (most of whom are from the same Japantown neighborhood in San Francisco) could have resulted in a confusing, snarled-up mess. Instead, the unique events that each of these teens experience allow readers to get a more comprehensive view of the magnitude of the indignities toward American citizens, the hypocrisy of our government, and the long-term effects of their incarcerations. This is transformative, essential historical fiction that should be in every public and high school library. 

Much appreciation to NetGalley and HMH Books for Young Readers for the advance readers copy.