Initially, this book caught my eye when I was browsing in a bookstore with a friend. I picked it up and began reading it (something I never do in a store), and found myself intrigued. I didn't buy it because I don't buy books I haven't read before, but did get it from the library. Upon completing it, I was very glad that I hadn't bought it...This historical novel is set in China in the 1930s, and portrays two girls, Pearl and May, who consider themselves modern Shanghai girls-- until their father tells them that he's gambled away the family fortune and that they must travel to America to become Chinese brides. However, then the war begins as Japanese bombs start falling on their beloved Shanghai... The girls' flight from China brings them together in a way that nothing else ever could.
Unfortunately, despite all of their trials, I never really got to the point where I could care about what happened to the characters. Perhaps it was done intentionally by the author to represent the Chinese aversion to touching, but overall, the book seemed flat, empty, and depressing, and the ending left me dissatisfied. I didn't realize it was over until I turned the last page and found that there wasn't any more ("That's it?" I thought). There seemed like there should be another chapter at least, because there were a lot of loose ends. Not really worth reading; much less actually buying.
When I first learned of the Holocaust, I was in eighth grade, and I would not have been able to handle this book at that time in my life. (In other words, if you are a middle school teacher, I do not recommend this book for your students.) This may be a graphic novel, but it's not light reading, and it's not for children. However, it can be important reading for adults. This was my second time through it. Maus, written by Art Spiegelman, is an account of the Holocaust as told by his father Vladek. The Jews are represented by mice, the Germans are cats, and the Americans are dogs. Because the people in it are in animal form (so you can identify their nationality more easily), the graphic horror of the actual events are a bit easier to take, yet they don't lose their poignancy. (The majority of the really nasty stuff happens off-panel, or "offscreen.") The way that the subject matter is handled hits the reader hard, because it's presented in an unexpected way. It breaks through any desensitization you may have built up and shows you just how gruesome the Holocaust really was-- a good lesson for humanity to keep in mind so that we can make sure it never happens again. In this day and age, I think that breaking down our desensitization to real events like this and 9/11 is a good thing... so I recommend this book "to adults only."
