"In Limbo" is a state of feeling forgotten; or a period of feeling confused, undecided; a feeling of drifting. In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee captures this exact feeling in every page of her graphic memoir. It's emotionally heavy, honest, and a story of exploring one own's identity. I think this novel was great because it really captures the emotional struggle of not knowing where you belong or where you're supposed to go as a person who feels foreign in one own's land. It shows the complexity of making and sustaining friends, mental health, and family issues. I wasn't a total fan of the art style and it was a slow read, but I was hooked throughout.

Wow that was deep... It's the story of Korean immigrants to the States and how they suffer from the change.

It's Deb's journey through high school where she faces racism and other teenage problems along with an abusive mother at home. Deb's fight with depression and social anxiety is so real it made me cry.

The graphics are amazing.

It gets a little slow in the middle and I think the ending was a bit abrupt but the story is a must read for every teenager, every immigrant kid who faced racism or been bullied.

In Limbo is a beautiful memoir following Deborah Jung-Jin Lee's childhood, teenagehood, and the beginning of adulthood life. From the start, I was in love with her illustrations; Deborah's art shares so many emotions that it's impossible not to feel close to her while reading this graphic. This memoir is also heartwrenching: readers discover the struggles of transgenerational trauma, and the difficulties of young children when their parents immigrate to another country which they don't know anything about, except maybe the basis of the language. We also face the deep problem of racism and discrimination in the United States, as well as mental health issues, especially severe anxiety, domestic (psychological) violence, fear of abandonment, and depression. Her anxiety issues really broke my heart, for struggling with the same problem myself, they reminded me of situations I found myself in that were quite similar.

I will definitely recommend this memoir; I am sure it will speak to a lot of readers out there and even help them in noticing that, if they share Deb JJ Lee's mental health issues, they are not alone.

Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for this arc!

In Limbo is about a Korean-American teenager's life in the US and how she dealt with issues such as racism, microaggressions, mental illness, living with a tiger mom, high school in general, and life as a first generation immigrant.

First of all, the cover drew me in immediately. And then reading the synopsis and learning that it's about an Asian-American girl navigating life in the US as a teenager instantly sold me. There were so many things I could relate with the MC/author, such as the MC herself, her immediate family, high school friends, and extended family. It felt like a mix of my personal experiences and my Asian-American friends' experiences. I really like how characters such as the MC's mom, Quinn, and Kate were fully developed. I kind of wished that the author would've expanded more on their experiences with taking medication for clinical depression. It was mentioned a few times but they didn't go into it in detail. At the end, the author mentioned that they had to cut out certain experiences from the final edit. I hope they add some of these in a second book.

Lastly, the art is gorgeous on every page! You can tell that it was a labor of love. I'm glad that the author had a chance to publish their graphic memoir. I hope to read more from Deb JJ Lee in the future!

I always love reading books about Asian people since they are deeply relatable to my life. This graphic memoir feels relatable. For people who want to start reading memoir, but feel intimidated by how thick they might be, this graphic memoir is recommended for them. I'm not really into the art style especially the color since it's sometimes more difficult to read, however for most part of this graphic novel, the gloomy vibes feel great to represent what the main character felt and experienced.

This was a beautiful coming of age story. The artwork was stunning; I studied many pages for their details and composition. I appreciated the honesty of the author, exposing her vulnerabilities and sharing her story of hope and growth.

Concerningly relevant and relatable, In Limbo gives readers a first hand look at what it is like living with depression and anxiety in today’s world. Deborah’s “blue” high school experience not only depicts the difficulties that come with navigating between two cultures, but the pressure teenagers are under to excel at something and everything all at the same time. Joining Deb along her journey as she gives up a hobby she used to love for something else made me grieve my old interest all over again, but seeing her fulfilled by this new trajectory in life gives me hope that some of my own most favorite interests have yet to be discovered!

Thank you to NetGalley, Deb JJ Lee, and First Second Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

AHHHH I never knew I loved memoirs before reading a graphic one! The designs and the graphs. Omg I’m totally obsessed! And the s story? My heart went boom and bam and I cried so much! Really loved it and I need a physical version of this book on my shelf

Thanks to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for the copy of this book.

Wow, Deb, what a debut! In this gorgeously illustrated graphic novel, Deb JJ Lee tells us the story of her teen years as a Korean American in New Jersey and Seoul. There are a LOT of heavy topics in this book, as Deb recounts the racism and microaggressions she experienced, her struggles with mental health, and her life in an unsafe home. This is a magnetic story - I simply couldn’t put it down and was swept away into the dreamlike atmosphere of Deb’s writing and illustrations. I really appreciate that Deb used this medium to tell her story because it is really impactful and unique.

Very heavy themes, gorgeously illustrated. Lee’s memoir of their teenage years describes their struggles with mental illness, parental abuse, and feeling unsure of their cultural identity. The complexity of their relationship with their parents was portrayed strongly, and the trajectory of an intense friendship that falls apart will probably feel relatable to many teenage readers. The muted palette reflects the sense of numbness and sadness in many scenes, but also emphasizes a soft and hopeful beauty in some of the closing illustrations. The panelling is excellent, with some interesting page transitions and lovely backgrounds. The author’s note at the end indicates that the initial draft of the memoir was much longer, and occasionally the flow of the memoir does feel a little uneven, but overall a very moving and interesting story about both the Korean-American diaspora experience and teenage mental health issues.

A graphic memoir written and illustrated by Deb JJ Lee, describes her teenage years as she navigated mental health, parental expectations in an Asian household, her American and South Korean identities, sexuality, body image, and friendships. Even though I enjoyed the story and learning about someone else's life and an identity different from mine, I struggled to follow the story due to it feeling jumbled and wanting some parts to be explained more.

Trigger and Content Warnings: self-harm, suicide attempts, mental health and illness, racism, verbal and physical abuse from a parent

I don't think I've ever read a graphic novel that felt this personal. It's incredibly personal, incredibly raw. Parts felt incredibly relatable: the pain of being an outcast teen with mental illness, without many friends to turn to. Those struggles topped with those of a young immigrant girl dealing with an overbearing (and at times abusive) mother, relentless bullying, microaggressions, and outright racism... and a cultural identity she feels both distanced from and burdened by. Bicultural, but never wholly accepted by one culture or the other.

It's deeply moving, to be let in so deep into someone else's experience. It's intimate and heavy.

"In Limbo" is a stunning coming-of-age graphic novel that masterfully depicts the difficulties of navigating life as a teenage girl caught between two cultures. The art is gorgeous and perfectly encapsulates the inner life that Deb struggles to let anyone else see. Lee's depiction of living in a diaspora is both incredibly personal, yet instantly recognizable to anyone who's been a part of a marginalized community. "In Limbo" is both heart-wrenching and hopeful, and I can't wait to see what Lee does next.

CW: depression, anxiety, attempted suicide, xenophobia

"In Limbo: A Graphic Memoir" is a beautiful graphic memoir following a Korean-American girl through high school. It deals with themes related to mental health, cultural identity, and intergenerational language barriers. The lush, stunning artwork helps to showcase the trials of growing up, and the inclusion of Korean writing, as someone completely unfamiliar with the language, helped me relate even more to Deborah and how isolated she felt when surrounded by the language.

"In Limbo: A graphic Memoir" comes out on March 7, 2023

This was so beautiful and touching. I loved the art so, so much. I can't wait to put this one on my library's shelves and put it in the hands of teens.

Wow. This book was incredibly deep. Deb goes through so many traumas in her young life and is somehow able to keep going. This book discusses the very misguided ways that media perceives suicide ideation and mental illness in teenagers and shows a heartbreaking look into the process of healing from trauma and finding yourself. Deb is abused by her mother, unable to maintain healthy boundaries and relationships with friends, and suffering from a mixture of mental illness. Through endless work on herself, she's able to find some level of peace and continue to live on through her struggles.

In Limbo is a raw and honest graphic memoir. Feels unfair to review a story that is based on the author’s experiences, but I am grateful thar Deb JJ Lee shared her story with us.

Visually and emotionally stunning.

A gorgeous graphic novel but not easy to digest.

I was attracted to this book because I always love reading about immigration stories and how to feel yourself when you’re torn between your family and a new country. This memoir treats about this but also about bullying,depression/suicide, friendship, the pression put by ourselves and our parents to do well at school…

I love following the author’s journey but as a mother myself, seeing a violent parent is very hard to read and I’m sure it can be very triggering for some readers. It broke my heart to see the poor girl being made feel so little by her own mom while some day she was trying to be supportive of her career choice. Even several suicide attempts didn’t seem to move the mother so much and the dad didn’t do anything to help her.

So, while it was a beautiful read it’s best to know that it’s not a light graphic novel and that it can be triggering. Not a lot of positive happen in the whole book so it’s best to read if you can handle it.

Deb's story is one that will resonate with outsiders everywhere, but especially to those who struggle with their identities as Korean and American. Her story will resonate with people who have attempted suicide, who struggle with their mental health, and with those who have tough relationships with their parents.

IN LIMBO touched me. I do not share the struggle of not being able to relate to a national identity, but I struggle a lot with mental health. Since 16, I have spent more time wishing I was dead rather than enjoying being alive. And I really understand Deb here. I just want to give her teenage self a big hug and tell her it'll be okay. Because in the author's note at the end, it sounds like grown-up Deb really has reached a healthier place in her life where she takes care of herself.

To me, this is a story that is felt more than listened to, if that makes sense. Sometimes I had a hard time understanding what was really going on in some scenes because of the dialogue, but I felt the emotional impacts of the scenes clearly.

I think my favorite part of this graphic novel is just how gentle these heavy topics of identity, mental health, and suicide are treated. There's a certain sense of, as another reviewer stated, resilience that lends a strong sense of hope to this story, because Deb did make it. She survived to tell the story.

I don't know the author personally, but I can't help but feel so incredibly proud of her and happy for where she is now. Thank you for sharing your story, Deb.

Reminscent of Kiku Hughes's Displacement and Tillie Walden's Spinning, this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir explores themes of belonging, expectations, difficult family relationships and more. I highly recommend this title to educate yourself on racism towards Asians. Trigger warning for suicide and abuse.
Thank you NetGalley for providing an ARC.