Ellen's parents are extremely strict. They desperately want her to get into Harvard like her older, genius sister that they make her quit gymnastics if any of her grades dip below an A. In addition to their unrelenting expectations, Ellen frequently is bullied by racist classmates. At the beginning of her senior year, she struggles to stand up for herself, but, ten months later, she has learned how to stand up to her parents and her racist classmates, earning her a gruesome head injury from a bottle smashed against her temple. She's also learned that while her parents are extremedly demanding, it's because they want what they believe is best for her: to not have racism stop her from succeeding in America. 8th grade me would have absolutely loved this book; however, it seemed a bit low level considering the protagonist is a high school senior, which typically reflects the ideal readers' demographics. Even so, it is a good book for illustrating how to learn to stand up to one's bullies. Alternately, I don't think this book would have been published so easily today because of Ellen's relationship with her parents. While parents today aren't as blockheaded as Disney Channel portrays them, this whole should-I-disobey-my-parents or do-what-they-want cognitive dissonance and resolve that Ellen works out is not realistic to today; usually, these teen protagonists either outwardly defy their parents in all areas of their life, not find some sort of compromise and/or complacency as Ellen does.

I really really love this book and this book was so necessary while I was in a dark place that I just needed to get out and was very needed

I got a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review all opinions are my own.

This book stands the test of times.
I'm not american.
Though I am the child of asian refugees, I live in a much more tolerant country where the racism is more underlying, we usually call it "hyggeracisme" it's a form of racism where the person think that they are being funny or unproblematic.
Which did fit perfectly into the teacher and his casual racism towards Ellen.

It was actually really painful to read about those racist remarks towards Ellen, I think it hits me harder since I'm not used to reading about racism against asians.
Ellens teenage struggles also really fit. And the struggles of having strict parents, and trying so hard to make them proud, and always feeling scared of not being good enough, really hits close to home.

The book isn't that long, so in a way it's an easy read, but the topics felt very heavy and personal to me.

I think that this book is definitely worth a read.

I really liked this story. It was well written and I considered it a fast read. It dealt with some tough topics and I loved how the author showed our main character's growth. It was a good coming-of-age story and I would recommend it to anyone.

Finding my voice was great from start to finish.
Ellen just wants to be normal at her all-white school, but racism has other ideas - as usual.
This book did have its faults - I am not here for the sexism, and the fact that girls can only talk about boys? Like, we have other dimensions to us.
But in all, it was a good read.

I really enjoyed the story, with the themes of racism and the high pressure towards school from Asian parents. Being Asian myself, I could relate to the story, and I really liked the main character's growth through the book. It was a short and fast-paced story and overall, really enjoyable.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I absolutely fell in love with this book and would hands down recommend it to anyone interested or even if you aren’t interested!

This book was just okay for me. I think I might have felt better about it if the afterword had been the foreword. As I started listening, the language and references made me think it was the 80s or early 90s. I listened on Libby and looked at the title details but it didn’t mention this at all. Neither did the Goodreads subscription. After an internet search I found this was published years ago and then it made sense, but I think it was too late.

An Asian-American coming of age story that has lasted the test of time. I appreciate the fact that Marie Myung-Ok Lee didn't update her novel for this latest reprint; you will not find cell phones, laptops or tablets in this story. Even without modern technology, this story about racism and bullying is one to be shared with teenagers today.

I really liked this #ownvoices novel about high school senior, Ellen, who just wants to fit in. She's getting pressure from her parents, racists comments from teachers and students, and has to deal with all the normal teen-age girl drama too. The book is 30-years-old and feels like it was written just yesterday which is a sad commentary on our society with regard to race. A must-buy!

I really like it. Sometimes it`s hard to find their own voices and this is an great example of that. That it`s hard but will be rewarding when you do.

Firstly, I just want to say how gorgeous this new cover is!
The book was originally published in 1992, and follows a young Korean-American girl called Ellen, who grows up in the very white, very small town of Arkin, Minnesota. Despite being originally published almost twenty years ago, it still feels completely relatable. Ellen feels the pressure to live up to the high standards her sister has unwittingly set, and meet her strict parents expectations. She also faces racial slurs and other forms of racism. As a teen, she also wants to push the boundaries and find out who she is and what she wants in life.
I also kind of loved all the 90s references, which made me feel nostalgic. I'm not sure what all the teens these days will make of it, but I enjoyed that aspect a lot.
Overall, a wonderful coming of age book featuring a Korean-American protagonist.

While I didn’t realize when I started this book that it was a reissue from 1992 it still resonates with what is happening in the world today. Even though it wasn’t modernized for new audiences the themes that it addresses are still relevant today and while it does have outdated references it doesn’t jar you out of the story. Ellen Sung is 17 year old senior just trying to get through high school in the small town she lives where her family is the only Korean family in town. She is trying to balance keeping her grades up to get into Harvard, her friends and her potential boyfriend while dealing with bullying at school because she is different. Much of what she is going through is what teens are still going through today. This was a really good read and while short it definitely got the point across.
Thanks to Soho Press and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

When Finding My Voice by Marie Myung-Ok Lee was first published in 1992, it was groundbreaking - the first teen novel by a major publisher featuring an Asian-American protagonist by an Asian-American author. And 20 years later, it still stands the test of time (well, sort of), connecting with adolescents who are trying to figure out where they fit in the world.

The main character is Ellen, an Asian-American living in the very white small town of Arkin, Minnesota. She's got her sister's brainy example to live up to and the sternness and strictness of her parents, not to mention the racial slurs that get tossed her way by her peers and teachers. But all Ellen wants is to be a normal teenager, whatever that means.

This book showcases diversity and how to stand up for yourself, as well as appeals to any kid's broader sense of figuring out their own identity. It hasn't been updated to give it a more contemporary feel, so today's kids will be reading about Ronald Reagan and corded phones and other references that even I, as a child of the late '80s and '90s, didn't get. Hopefully, 2020 readers will be able to look past that.

Finding My Voice is published by Soho Press and is on bookstore shelves now. I received a free e-ARC to review.

I really like the book and the reflection that the main character that she gots from her trying to enter in harvard but also how she reacts to racism comment and stuff like this. But i think that was pretty short. I would have loved that the book got more pages but really felt what the author wanted to share ♡

One thing I didn’t realise when I decided to read 'Finding My Voice' was that it's a reissue of the original written in 1992. I didn't find out until I finished which I'm glad about because I think I would have been a little put off, worried about a generational gap. But actually the fact that I didn't even notice so much proves that this book is timeless. 'Finding My Voice' has a few outdated parts but at its core is a really powerful message of speaking up. I couldn't imagine how pivotal this book was during its first publication. I could relate to Ellen's character a lot, this shy, hard working girl and I think this book sets a different tone to all the BAME books I've read. It's uncomfortable to read with all the racist remarks mentioned and I think that's what makes this book so important.


Overall, 'Finding My Voice' is a short but poignant book that I think is still relevant now. It's timeless.

This book was originally published in 1993. In the afterword the author explains that she chose not to modernize the novel, because she wanted to preserve the past. The feeling of not belonging and self doubt are common struggles felt by teenagers in any time or place. This book will resonate with anyone who ever felt like an outsider in high school.

Ellen Sung is surrounded by a student body who is racially and ethnically different from her. She tries to blend into the background and even goes by an American name, not her Korean name Myong-Ok. It is hard for her to love herself in a period of tremendous change (mentally, physically and emotionally), while also being surrounded by faces whose features do not match her own.

This ARC was provided for review, but in no way affects the following impartial and unbiased review:
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This is a reissue of a novel from 1992!
2,5*
Pros: Set in the early 90s, includes lots of awesome references and it is pretty immersive. Offers a great PoV of being a teenage American-Korean girl living in a small American town. Talks about racism, enabling and microaggressions. Fantastic point on academic grades not being a reflection of someone's worth and success. Important notes on the life of immigrants in the US.
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Cons: Exceedingly stiff flow and writing style. For a book that deals with racism, it is still pretty racist and prejudiced. It also pits women against women.

This is a really gentle, but strong novel about a young girl of Korean descent who struggles with bullying in her small town, dealing with her parents pressured academic expectations of her, and falling in love for the first time. This was written over twenty years ago, but the message still rings true and Ellen's story is just as relevant today as it was then.

The writing feels a bit simple. The story moves along quickly because there isn't much substance. I would have loved to have seen more depth to the characters and their emotions. The story's plot moves quite quickly, but it works. We get to see Ellen's journey over the course of her senior year in high school.

I love the issues that Lee addresses in this story, particularly Ellen's struggles with finding her voice, to stand up for herself against her racist classmates and teachers. I wish the story had been developed more in order to get the full depth of Ellen's feelings and her connections to her friends and, eventually, her boyfriend. Everything is presented at surface level with next to no delving deeper. This story is really important, so I was sad that it didn't take that extra step.

I could not get into this book. It felt so middle school which is not great when it is directed at teens. The cover is also really dull. It feels unprofessional and I just don't like it. Overall this book is lacking and I will not be purchasing it for the library.