I read Thanhha Lai’s Inside Out and Back Again years ago, and maybe it was one of the reasons I fell in verse novels (not sure, but I definitely wanted to read more stories in verse after this). When I saw there is a sequel coming, I had to request for the ARC. And to my delight, Thanhha Lai is wowing me again! I am halfway through the book (which is due out on May 9th so not too far out), and have stopped just to write this post though I am guessing I will be done in a bit anyways..

Thanhha’s use of the prose-poem, as she calls it, is superb. In the introduction, she mentions she uses it to better think in Vietnamese while writing in English, and the result – is beautiful, lyrical, and ….well, running out of words here.. I have found myself highlighting so many lines that I simply loved that now the pages seem to have taken on a different color themselves!

A must-read…

Source: Netgalley ARC

I loved Inside Out and Back Again which is the first book in this poetry duology about Vietnamese refugee Hà and her family. So, when I saw the news that a sequel was being written, I jumped on it! Set in the 1970s, this autobiographical novel in verse details how Hà and her family traveled from Vietnam to Alabama to Texas for safety and better opportunities. This is such a beautiful perspective and paints a beautiful picture of resilience and hope. The author perfectly captured feelings of middle school friendships and the desperation to fit in, too. After reading this, I will never be able to look at a Lantana flower the same way either. This makes you adjust your perspective and really consider what the refugee experience must be like.

I did prefer the first book in this series, and I felt like I couldn't follow this one as well. It's been a while since I read the first book, so maybe I was forgetting some things from book one that would have filled in the gaps. Maybe the writing style slightly changed. I'm not sure. This is still an important book about the refugee experience and was beautifully done!

Lai has done it again, this time in a coming-of-age tale of a girl struggling to survive in dual cultures, waiting for the “clouds to touch us ending refugee living.” Beautifully written in prose verse, this is an engaging work for readers middle school and up.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. The book is written beautifully in verse and captures the challenges of moving and settling in to a new place.

Touching continuation of this story. So glad to hear the updated story of this young Vietnamese immigrant. Rich storytelling with moving experiences and descriptions.
Thanks Net galley for the advanced copy !

I was thrilled to see this sequel to Inside Out and Back Again, although it broke my heart nearly as much as the first book! When Hà has to say goodbye to her first real American friend and move to another state, I felt her loss and sorrow. This was a painful but realistic view of a family working hard, moving forward, and not always being together. It was often hard on my heart to read, but so important. And the hope in the end is worth it. An excellent, empathy-building novel in verse.

Thank you for letting me read When Clouds Touch Us. Thanhha Lai has a gift for the verse novel, and this is a fine follow up to Inside Out and Back Again. I appreciated the fine writing and will recommend it to friends that I think will also value it with a recommendation that they read the two in sequence since this book is infinitely better if one has read the first.

Thank you NetGalley for the review copy of When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhha Lai. This is the sequel to the Newbery Honor Inside Out and Back Again based on Lai's experience as a refugee from Vietnam. After feeling somewhat settled after the events of the first book, Ha's mom decides they can be more prosperous in Texas. This is a beautifully told story through free verse that is full of heartache and hope. It was a very nice follow-up, although I did not enjoy it as much as the first. If you enjoy novels in verse, you should try this.

I was so excited when I saw this sequel to Inside Out and Back Again-but I don't feel like you HAVE to read the first book to enjoy this one. It does help to know their story before, but the way it was written was accessible to all. I love Lai's poetry-she has such a great style.

This is the sequel we've all been waiting for. I read Inside Out and Back Again with my class and we always talk about what a sequel will bring so this was exciting. Written with the same beautiful verse as the first book!

Author Thanhha Lai calls this sequel to Inside Out and Back Again “not true historical fiction” because refugees are arriving to host countries to this day. Thank you for #HarperCollinsPublishers and #NetGalley for the advanced copy of this beautiful middle grade novel in verse. The book is dynamic with the journal entries and voice of Ha. Just two years after arriving in Alabama, the family must pick up again and move to Texas for a new job. New state, new experiences, new friends are explored during the first year after moving to Texas.

When Clouds Touch Us is a novel in verse and a story of hope. They are hoping to find safety, hoping to earn enough money, hoping to fit in, and hoping for a better life.

A beautifully written follow up to Inside out and Back again. It’s exciting to learn about what came next for Ha and her family. Every refugee has a different experience and theirs is unique.

This book was much harder to follow than the first one. I would certainly attribute it to the fact that I read this without the audiobook to fall back on. The Vietnamese words are difficult to pronounce and comprehend for someone who doesn’t know the language.

One do the best parts of the book is that it’s clearly written to reflect the thoughts of a young girl.

I love when books are written in verse style. And this book did not disappoint. Although it's the second book in a series, readers do not have to read the first book to understand this book. I will be going back to read the first book though! Highly recommend this book!!!

When Clouds Touch Us is a touching novel told in verse about author Thanhhà Lai childhood experiences growing up in America, refugees of the Việt Nam War. This is a sequel to Inside Out and Back Again. Ha and her family are working hard to try to make a life for themselves in America but it is hard to save money and make a living. Two years after moving to Alabama Hà’s mom decides to leave for Texas to have a better opportunity for all thing’s necessary for her children. Of course with the move comes changes Hà’s older brother stays in Alabama to continue his studies and Hà is forced to leave her only friend she has in America. The verses in this novel make every experience of her life a reality to the reader. From her going to a new school the third sixth grade in thirty days, to her dealing with being an outsider and finally stepping up to be noticed at a class play. The struggle and grit her mom went through to not just provide but help her children thrive in a foreign land. As the novel progresses there is a transition in language for Hà, her Vietnamese brain starts being dominated by her English brain and the verse changes as her vocabulary and usage of the English language grows more familiar. Overall this book was a fascinating read that is a coming of age story of a 12 year old Vietnamese girl navigating the trials and triumphs of becoming herself.

I accessed a digital review copy of this book from the publisher.
The rhythm of the book draws the reader in. While it is a sequel, it is not necessary to read the first book to enjoy and understand this one. The issues of family are clear and make the book relatable.

Another great middle grade book, and a follow up of one of my favorite books!

This is an auto read author for me, and once again, a great book! Im a huge fan of books written in verse, and this one was perfect.

The characters and plot were spot on. I can’t wait to read more from Lai and look forward to whatever she writes.

4.5 stars
It was good to have a bit more from Ha now that she is in the 7th grade and facing puberty which doesn't seem to upset her. She is still fighting English pronunciation. Before, the grammar rules made no sense, now she wonders if mixing both languages in her brain with result in a fight and if English will win. Many readers will think there is no big, emotional action or events in this volume but I see a lot of emotion in living "in between," in being an outsider to this new country still, but now also an outsider to her native world and yo all that her mother saved her from. The mother is always a strong character holding it all together.

So glad for the questions at the start of the book that explain prose poems. Makes us want to express ourselves in the same way. A little bit of magic with words and sentences.

"Unfairness now will turn fair elsewhere; life has a way of balancing."

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to give my honest opinion.

This sequel didn’t match up to the original book. It was just a continuation to Ha and her family’s story. Nothing new or earth shattering happens. I kept hoping that the father would show up. The.family did manage to save up enough to purchase a home to call their own. I love novel in verse but this one just wasn’t for me.

From the author of ‘Inside Out and Back Again’ comes another beautiful book written as a story in verse. While story in verse is not often my first choice of reading, the style fits this story well. This sequel (and the book before) are so well done and the words flow smoothly. This time, Hà and her family have to start over yet again with a new set of challenges to face. This book helped me feel renewed empathy towards immigrants and their continual challenges.

*I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my review.