lizpatanders

Ever since I picked up What My Mother Doesn’t Know in middle school, I’ve had a soft spot for novels in verse. If you tell me about a novel in verse that has gotten rave reviews and has won a major award, such as Inside Out and Back Again, chances are that I am going to pick it up. Although I think that Lai has a talent for creating atmosphere and depicting genuine emotion, this novel did not stick with me.The book is divided into parts, and I never felt as though I was given too few details to understand the story. In terms of plot and characters, I felt that Lai did an excellent job of creating characters that were distinctive. I think Ha’s mother was one of the most realistic characters in the story for me because I could understand why she felt and acted the way she did. However, there were times when it felt as though Lai was so focused on her other characters that Ha’s development got neglected.You wouldn’t know it from my blog, but I’m a big fan of reading poetry, so I like novels in verse. It’s a form that lends itself well to contemporary novels (which Inside Out & Back Again is not) because it allows for luscious descriptions of environments and characters but also works well for those moments where tons of emotion is packed into a few short words. And this book is full of all of those things. Objectively, I found Lai’s writing beautiful but subjectively, it didn’t leave a lasting impression and I’m not sure. Not being able to figure out why I didn’t like this book bothers me, because I like to discuss books intelligently and give solid reasoning behind my feelings.While I can see why some readers will connect with Inside Out and Back Again, that didn’t totally happen for me. Even though I enjoyed my experience reading at the time, I felt unsure of what I had to say or what I really remembered when I sat down to write this review. Regardless, I think Inside Out & Back Again offers a fresh perspective on style on the topic of Vietnam, and is worth taking the time to read.