Book Review: Halfway There: A Graphic Memoir of Self-Discovery by Christine Mari
Publisher’s description
A poignant young adult graphic memoir that follows one teen’s year abroad in Japan, as she seeks to reconcile both sides of her biracial identity.
Christine has always felt she is just half: Half American, half Japanese. As a biracial Japanese American who was born in Tokyo but raised in the US, she knows all too well what it’s like to be a part of two different worlds but never feeling as though you belong to either.
Now on the brink of adulthood, Christine decides it’s time to return to the place she once called home. So she sets forth on a year abroad in Tokyo, believing that this is where she truly belongs. After years of feeling like an outsider, now she will finally be complete.
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Except…Tokyo isn’t the answer she thought it would be. Instead of fitting in, Christine finds herself a fish out of water, as being half of two cultures isolates her in ways she’d never imagined. All she can do is try to stay afloat for the rest of the year—still figuring out who she is, what she wants in life, and whether she’ll ever truly be more than halfway there.
Author-illustrator Christine Mari explores what it means to lose and find yourself in this moving narrative of belonging and home.
Amanda’s thoughts
Wow, was this good. In this graphic memoir, Mari recounts what it was like to move back to Tokyo for school at age 19 after having lived in American since age 5. Mari, whose mother is Japanese and father is white, never feels like she actually fits anywhere. She always feels in-between, invisible, on the outside, “half.” She’s not sure how she can ever possibly feel whole. She hopes that college will be a fresh start, a chance to reinvent herself, but she finds she feels as awkwardly in-between there as she did at home. Her Japanese isn’t great and people only seem interested in her because she’s biracial. Insecure and fighting nagging feelings that everyone hates her, Mari isolates herself and ends up feeling more lost and lonely than ever. She pretends to be okay, but that quickly becomes impossible as she spirals deeper into depression, eventually stopping attending classes. By the time she finally reaches out for help, things are dire, but, as always, there is hope and there is help. Through some honest conversations with her therapist and others, Mari begins to work toward accepting herself and feeling like she is enough, no matter her identity or her feelings. The muted color scheme captures her unhappiness and Mari’s illustrations really drive home just how despairing and alone she was at times. Though Mari turns 20 in the story, this book is YA and the themes of fitting in, self-acceptance, and existing between multiple worlds and identities will resonate with readers of all ages. Powerful, affecting, and ultimately hopeful. Just beautiful.
Review copy courtesy of the publisher
ISBN-13: 9780316416658
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date: 10/15/2024
Age Range: 13 – 18 Years
Filed under: Book Reviews
About Amanda MacGregor
Amanda MacGregor works in an elementary library, loves dogs, and can be found on Twitter @CiteSomething.
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Donald says
Your words resonate so deeply! This blog post feels like a conversation with an old friend. Thank you for sharing your wisdom.