<i>Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

It's always the book. with the gorgeous, colorful, fun covers, isn't it?

<i>In Limbo</i> is a honest, raw, heartbreaking graphic memoir about identity, culture, mental health, friendship, and family. It's incredibly heavy and at times hit a liiiittle too close to home for me, and yet I couldn't help but read it in one sitting. It explores themes of domestic trauma bleeding into other relationships, never being seen as good enough and the self-sabotage that follows, and the deep isolation of feeling lost between two cultures. Truly a beautiful example of art and vulnerability.

TWs: racism, bullying, familial abuse (physical and verbal), self harm, attempted suicide, body shaming

5/5

In Deb JJ Lee’s debut graphic novel, In Limbo is a raw, emotional and intimate portrayal of Lee’s experience and life throughout most of her high school life. Expectations from everyone, her mother’s tough love, new and old friends, fitting in as a Korean vs American, and trying to pursue her passions. These are but a few topics explored and portrayed in this expansive look into Lee’s past.

Personally, I cried almost the entire time. This book hurt me in the most beautiful way. Even though I’m not Korean-American, I related so closely to Lee’s experience as a Filipino-Canadian. I could feel everything on the pages. Her pain was my pain. Her story is my story. I see myself in her and I hope others can see themselves within these pages too.

Interesting use of Korean. Luckily I know Korean so I wasn’t lost, but I could see someone who doesn’t know it to be a bit confused at some dialogue. The Hangul itself was kind of hard to read as it was (I believe) handwritten. I wonder if Lee chose this on purpose instead of using a font to mirror the protagonist’s relationship with Korean by having it “rough” and very organic.

The art was breathtaking from the cover, to the backgrounds to each character. I’m in love with the protagonist’s hair especially and how it was drawn in every frame. I’m also glad that Lee was able to insert so many pictures of Korean culture. The art felt organic and very grounded. It held up well to show the rollercoaster of emotions, and especially the dark times.

I am so so so in love with this novel. I think it’s literature that should be shared with everyone, but mostly asians growing up in the western world.

An amazing look into the life of an Asian American as she struggles with family and friends through her HS experience. We see her struggle with her family, knowing what her passions are, making and losing friends, and dealing with mental health struggles. We learn so much about the Asian experience and pressures they face. An AMAZING graphic novel!

One of the most visually beautiful and emotionally poignant graphic memoirs I've read in a long time! I've been following Lee's art for many years and I was thrilled to receive an advanced reader's copy of this book. I didn't expect it to hit me so hard (I definitely teared up at times) and the illustrations were absolute works of art. This memoir explores identity and transgenerational disconnections in a way that I think will hit anyone hard. I can't wait to revisit it as a physical book, and I recommend this to genuinely anyone - such a powerful and stunning read!

Absolutely five stars for the artwork, because it is exquisitely rendered far beyond anything I would have expected for a graphic novel or comic. Four stars because I found myself invested in the story only to be let down by the ending being unfinished and vague.

This was a heartbreaking, realistic look at one teenager's experiences with racial prejudice/stereotypes, domestic violence, depression, suicide, and self discovery. Deborah's volatile homelife and less-than-stellar school life are brightened briefly by an opportunity to focus on her art and a new friend, but she finds herself struggling time and time again.

While I liked the story, it felt like much of the story was missing...gaps in events and emotions and missing details. So I wasn't surprised to read in the author's notes that she struggled to pare down what was initially a MASSIVE story.

PS...I want the massive story.

A bittersweet memoir about a Korean girl growing up in America. Deb both loses and finds herself on the page as she journeys through high school. I felt a bit disconnected from the narrative at times and this took away from it a bit. But I think the book was beautiful and challenged perceptions I may have previously had about Korean-American individuals. I related to much of Deb's mental struggles, though. I had a very similar journey with a friend as that of Deb and Quinn. I recommend this to anyone who feels alone or felt that way in high school.

I ended up reading this in the space of a morning, while my partner was waking up. Lee speaks incredibly well to the feeling of depression and abandonment fears and body image and issues with your parents, all while doing fantastic art and sequential story telling. The way she lays pages out and draws the eye across them is up there for some of the best I’ve seen in a while, and how she composes them to make you feel the jumbling/numbing effect of your own head space. Pick this up when it comes out, it’ll be on the end of the year and awards lists when it does.

In Limbo is a coming of age graphic memoir dealing heavily with depression, cultural identity, and parental expectations. Jung-Jin is a first generation American who struggles to find similarities in her classmates in New Jersey outside of Orchestra and finds herself simultaneously unable to identify with the citizens of Seoul, when she goes to visit her extended family there. Her mother’s expectations weigh heavily on Jung-Jin, who goes by the name Deborah to Americanize her name, as she struggles with the usual middle school/high school emotional insecurities.

This memoir is a quick read with beautiful illustrations and clever uses of panels (both in placement of the panels themselves and the art subjects chosen to be displayed in them) to describe the helplessness of depression. It reads as matter of fact—this is what happened more or less—and lets the art speak out about how that felt with minimal explanation at times, which creates a powerful effect.

This is a title I would heavily recommend for YA readers, even some adult ones, especially if they enjoyed Manga titles such as I Want to Eat Your Pancreas and Orange or graphic novels such as American Born Chinese or Blankets.

Thanks First Second Books, Debora Jung-Jin Lee, and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel touches on super sensitive topics and I think it should have some kind of TW.

Reading a book about a young Asian woman in a world where you are ostracized, mistreated or mocked just for being different you know you're going to be different and Deborah showed exactly what that must feel like. I have no complaints in that regard, only that it would be nice to mention the themes that are accompanied by their story.

I really liked the type of art that it has, it is not one that I am used to and even so I enjoyed it and found small details that I loved.

The story is strong, it is raw, and it allows us to observe how a teenager feels in a society where being physically different is sacrilege. Both with their peers and with adults. I think it is complex to criticize THE STORY because... it is the memory of the author, how she and many Asians (in this case she is Korean) Americans feel and the only thing one can do (at least that's what I feel), is read it, try to understand and reflect on what is being read. Why this story exists, when it shouldn't. Why is it so difficult to live with another person who is different from us, who comes from another country, who has different traits, a different culture? Why do we wait for them to change for us to accept them?

I think that as a society we have a lot to learn, and I regret that these books / graphic novels exist, but they are necessary.

You will also find the review at @magui.world (ig) and XIAHPOP (web)

"In Limbo: A Graphic Memoir" by Deborah Jung-Jin Lee was phe-no-me-nal! As a multicultural, mixed-race, and immigrant daughter myself, the title was the first thing that drew me in. "In Limbo" is such a precise way to describe how I felt for most of my life - not fully belonging anywhere and always feeling a little bit foreign. This is the setting of Deb JJ Lee's memoir, which covers her years as a teenager originally from Seoul, South Korea, growing up in New Jersey, USA. Deb JJ Lee is very candid about her mental health struggles and family issues, going as far as detail her own shortcomings and mistakes, which is incredibly brave. "In Limbo" was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, showing how complex feelings of self-love, belonging, family relationships, and friendships really are. I loved the book and am thankful Deb JJ Lee took the time to create this masterpiece. In my own little way, I feel seen in this book. It's a story that needs to be told and needs to be read. The icing on the cake? The drawings are absolutely beautiful!

In Limbo is an graphic biography told from the perspective of South Korean teen Deborah Lee. Not quite fitting in to the United States and unable to relate to her Korean family, Deborah doesn't seem to quite belong to either. Navigating a high school where the teachers can't pronounce her name and her looks seem to stand out, even home isn't a safe haven. Deborah's mother continues to nitpick her weight, her grades, and it seems like there is nowhere else to turn to. Her mental health begins to plummet.
Deborah turns to art as a means of self-healing and a trip to visit family in South Korea gives her a new perspective.
Beautiful drawn while dealing with some heavy subjects. I'd recommend this read, especially for those suffering from mental health issues or just struggling to fit in.

This was pretty decent!
The light colors used on a white background made it difficult to tell sometimes though what was going on... The mental health representation was well done also, very relatable at least to me.

TW: Suicide attempt, suicide ideation, familial abuse.
Thank you to NetGalley, Deb JJ Lee, and Macmillian for an ARC of this graphic memoir. I enjoy the niche of Asian American graphic memoirs such as Trung Le Nguyen's The Magic Fish, Laura Gao's Messy Roots, and Thi Bui's The Best We Could Do. The medium of comics and illustrations provides the opportunity for the storyteller to distort reality and to create images that are difficult to replicate through live-action film and tv. The medium provides a visual texture, and in that regard, Lee's technical work exceeds that. Lee's backgrounds are to marvel at and she creates some cinematic moments. There are some creative transitions as well. I also appreciated that her Dad was supportive of her, though at times he was complicit/complacent about her Mom's abuse. I'm curious if Lee felt that way though.

Now getting onto the cons.

The blurb section comparing Lee's memoir to Bui's work feels unfair to compare in terms of tone, form, and content. Bui's work deals with a heavier subject of Vietnamese refugees who have experienced the historical violence of French colonization and the Vietnam War. That's not to minimize Lee's experience; however; her lived experiences are too dissimilar from Bui's parents to be compared to. Using Bui's work as a shorthand is a disservice to both of their works and weakens Lee's work. Lee's work reminds me of someone like Anna Akana.

Reviewing a memoir can be difficult without devolving into the creator's personal life, but Lee shares a common experience of a middle-class Asian American. Lee's work would appeal to someone in Subtle Asian Traits. Her childhood was a collage of assimilation such as not liking Korean language school, having an abusive mother that wanted her to get the best grades, losing her Korean language skills, double eye-lid surgery, and having an English/Western name. One moment especially is cliche where she finds herself forever stuck in between her American and Korean heritage, where she's too American for her Korean side and too Korean for her American side. This trope specifically is trite.

Even though the relationships between Lee, Quinn, Kate, and her Mom were central to the graphic memoir, their interiority felt hollow or not developed. The beats between Lee and Quinn feel surface-level. I was interested in learning more about Lee's Mom, yet her backstory isn't all that really developed. I also kept wondering about her family's departure from Korea and the specificities of their moving between places or living in New Jersey. I wondered about the Korean community in New Jersey or how Korean people thought about mental health.

I wish I could say that Lee's closure or resolve with her Mom was thoroughly felt, but it didn't. Part of Lee's memoir could have more details and develop the relationships and characters more such as Quinn, Kate, and her Mom.

I also wished for a different color palette or some more color somehow. I don't think the monochromatic color worked for me. I look forward to seeing Lee's work in the future and seeing what she creates. On a technical level, her illustrations are good though her narrative and writing have room to grow.

This is a very personal and heavy read. The author went through some very difficult times and did not shy away from sharing her experiences through this comic. I recommend looking at trigger warnings before picking up this book.

The illustrations are absolutely stunning and really added a whole new dimension to the story.

This was a really raw and emotional read that represents the feelings of a lot of people who are struggling to find their place and themselves.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

In Limbo is an incredibly moving, and at times very heavy memoir that I couldn't put down. This book follows Lee's teen years, showcasing the combination of not only her specific experiences as a young Korean immigrant—dealing with a mother who asks too much, a cultural identity she feels both distanced from and burdened by, and the relentless racism and bullying she faces—but also the widely-felt pain of being an alienated teen with mental illness and without many friends to lean on.

I related way too well to some of Deborah's struggles, especially with her mental illness and her very small group of friends to whom she attached herself too strongly (leaving her destitute when any one of them pulled away or slighted her in real or imagined ways). There was one moment where she was spiraling into a panic over the idea that her best friend had "replaced" her with other friends, and all I could do was sigh quietly to myself, because gods, hadn't I been there before in my teen years?

Not only that, but watching her struggle with her relationship with her mother was brutal at times. Like I said, this is a heavy read and not much is left to the imagination when it comes to Lee's mother's verbal or physical abuse. Overall, I have to be honest and say that In Limbo is mostly a fairly bleak memoir without a lot of bright spots or hope peeking through, but it is a memoir, and I respect and admire the fact that the author was so honest and didn't sugarcoat things in the end.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

I received a digital arc from NetGalley.

I loved this graphic memoir. In Limbo tells a moving and heart wrenching story of Deb JJ Lee's high school years, from growing up in South Korea to attending high school in the United States. Lee describes her experiences with an abusive parent, mental illness, racism, beginning and ending friendships, and the trials and tribulations of being a teen so viscerally.

The artwork of this book is incredible. The shades of blue that blur or sharpen depending on the memories add a compelling element to these stories. Lee's artwork added so much dimension and breadth to the story. I found myself pausing all of the time just to admire a series of pages.

Overall, it was deeply moving and beautiful to look at. I highly recommend In Limbo and cannot wait to see more of Lee's work in the future.

There isn't much to say other than this is a beautifully illustrated graphic memoir ❤️‍🔥

I read this in one sitting and I was genuinely sad once it was over. I wanted more, and I suppose that could be a con, that this book left me wanting, but I can't fault an author for limiting what they were willing to share with the world.

Lee shares what it was like for her growing up in the states after having moved from South Korea when she was very young. This book presents something that many first-gen Americans go through: not being enough of something. Lee always felt stuck in a limbo of sorts (hence the title), she wasn't American enough, nor did she truly feel Korean.
She also struggled with her mental health from a young age. We get to follow Lee as she tackles high school—the highs and the deep, deep lows. Her estranged relationship with her mother and a complex friendship take center stage, both fundamental in how she comes to better understand her mental illness.

If you are already a fan of graphic memoirs or graphic novels, then don't hesitate in picking this one up. And this might be one of my favorite illustration styles that I've seen yet 😍

Thanks so much to NetGalley and First Second Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this graphic memoir.

I've read quite a few graphic memoirs before, and I have enjoyed reading every one. In Limbo is a great example of the best parts of graphic memoirs: the pure emotion that's conveyed through the unique art style of the artist. It's incredible to see an artist create something that is so uniquely them to share their story with the world.

Deb Lee has created a beautiful story, full of complex emotion and stunning visuals. I cried in many moments, both tears for Deb and for the connection I felt with many of the feelings that Deb expressed. And the title is perfect - limbo is a place for floating, waiting, and being unable to control where you go next. It encapsulates many of the situations very well and I believe that many will read this memoir and understand some aspect of Deb's experience.

I very much enjoyed this book. It was a really eye opening look into how being othered, coupled with mental illness and trauma can impact a person. I felt like these experiences were my experiences and it is not often a book can transport you like that.