02. Graphic Novel

American Born Chinese By  Gene Luen Yang

Annotation:

The separate and simultaneous self-discovery journeys of Jin Wang,

an Asian American middle school student growing up in a White suburb, and ancient Chinese folk hero . . .

the magical Monkey King!

Recommendation:

It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly what Gene Yang’s cosmic, coming-of-age comic book is – or why American Born Chinese is so great. Yang’s multi-story, multicultural graphic novel draws on traditions as varied as Ancient Chinese mythology and bad TV situation comedy to create an entirely new kind of contemporary fantasy.

Unlike its protagonist, Jin Wang -- the teenage son of Chinese immigrants who is desperate to fit in at his predominantly White school -- the book is determined to assert its uniqueness at every turn. The medium is truly the message here. The story of self-acceptance and self-realization starts out looking like the very sort of cartoon fantasy Jin might be reading during lunch while sitting alone at an isolated cafeteria table; it begins with the crazy-good adventures of the Monkey King.

The force and power of the Monkey King’s story is so great, it pulls you, funny-bone first, into Yang’s novel. The awesome antics, splendidly rendered, make the Monkey King simply irresistible. Although the book moves on to Jin’s journey, the Monkey King stays with us.

Before we can get a handle on Jin’s situation, we’re introduced to the star of yet a third storyline -- Chin-Kee -- a walking collection of negative Chinese stereotypes who is ruining his cousin Danny’s life with his yearly visits.

Somehow, the various people and plotlines in Gene Yang's book are magically transformed into a single, satisfying conclusion.

For all its over-the-top bizarreness, American Born Chinese is an amazingly subtle novel about the cost of pretending to be somebody you are not. The writing is flawless. The pictures are perfect. Yang’s work is a warm, insightful and thoroughly delightful masterpiece of young adult literature.

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Nomination: Yes

Genre Classification: Graphic Novel, Printz Winner, Multicultural, Humor

Citation: Yang, Gene. American Born Chinese. Color by Lark Pien. New York: First Second, 2006. Print.


Gene Yang info:
http://geneyang.com/

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