Quick Book Review - American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

An award-winning graphic novel, American Born Chinese offers a realistic portrayal of the life of a young boy of Chinese descent. Parallel stories play with the idea of Chinese stereotypes and retell a folktale relevant to the theme of being happy with your true self. The three pieces come together at the end in a surprising way, and the result is a powerful book.

Quick Book Review - The Dreaming by Queenie Chan

Amber and Jeanie are twin sisters accepted into their aunt's exclusive boarding school. But strange things abound. They must pretend to be sisters born a year apart because the Vice-Principal won't let twins attend the school, a strange darkness engulfs the grounds each night, and the girls are constantly plagued by the dreams of trees dripping blood. However, when one of their friends disappears in the middle of the night, things go from strange to downright terrifying. The dark lines of the manga art style are especially well-suited to conveying the bleak and creepy setting. I thought The Dreaming did a great job of building a scary atmosphere, and it ended on a classic cliffhanger sure to make you seek out the next volume.

Quick Book Review - Boy Kills Man By Matt Whyman

When I first saw the title, I thought this book would be about a school shooting or something of that sort. It's actually about young assassins in Colombia, a life that the author assures us is based on reality. Sonny and his best friend Alberto have grown up together for nearly all of their 13 years. When Alberto begins to take jobs from a local crime lord, Sonny wants a part of the lifestyle - the money and the power - even as he sees the toll it takes on his friend. I've been trying to think of the right word to describe the overall effect of Boy Kills Man, and "unsettling" is the best I can come up with.