Though some might say she's torn between two continents, Kathy doesn't really feel at home anywhere. She spends most of the year in Thailand with her sister, her Thai mother and her much older American father. Every summer, the family travels to Maine where Kathy loves spending time alone, outdoors. But, this year seems different. Kathy's noticing that her family is not as tightly-knit as other families. They don't seem to enjoy being together, and are very distant with one another. Maybe things will get better when Kathy and her sister go to camp. Maybe there she will make some friends, and discover a place where she truly belongs.

There's so much going on in this fantastic graphic memoir. It was an involving read, and I can't wait to see what MacLeod comes up with next.

A long, meandering sort of story that doesn't come to any real conclusions. The message is stated pretty much at the beginning and the rest of the book restates the idea that MacLeod doesn't feel at home in any culture. It is well illustrated, to be certain, but it's not the most compelling reading.

This graphic novel showed a specific experience that I have never read about before. I love a summer camp story, and this is that and more.

I have been reading a lot of graphic novel memoirs recently. Some have been good, a few great and more stinkers than I would like.

This one was very good to great. It's the story of the author who was in-between worlds, Thai and American, and how growing up she didn't really feel like she belonged in either. It's a running theme I have noticed, that many people who are born with a mixed heritage are confused as to where they fit in. They usually feel as if they are not enough of the one where they are and too much of the other, then when they travel to the other location that they call home, it flips and they are not enough of that and too much of the other that they left.

I did not grow up that way, but it seems like it can be difficult to navigate and come to terms with, especially as a youth, where nothing is easy even if you do "fit in", or look and act like you do anyway. I had a rough middle school life, so can't imagine if I added the label of "outsider" on top of everything else how I would have faired.

So kudos to the author for sharing what must not have been easy to put into words and pictures. I am sure that it will help others who are experiencing the same feelings of alienation as she did when she was growing up.

This is definitely one I will be recommending to our middle grade and up readers at my store. The artwork was pretty, the people feel real. I cared about them all and wanted things to work out for them. And it touches on important topics, fitting in, being understood and finding one's place in the world.

4, I am glad that I had the opportunity to read this one, stars.

My thanks to NetGalley and First Second for an eARC of this book to read and review.

Kathy feels like she straddles two continents, Her mother is Thai and Kathy and her father and older sister live in Bangkok for most of the year, summering in her father's native Maine. While in Bangkok, Kathy doesn't feel Thai enough - she doesn't speak Thai, and she doesn't like Thai cuisine. Yet while in Maine, Kathy feels other as well, especially when people assume she doesn't speak or understand English or that she comes from Taiwan not Thailand. She feels invisible at her three week summer camp where only her camp counselor tries to get to know her. Based on the author's childhood experiences.

This travelogue was long on verbosity, and short on humor. Not necessarily a bad thing, except when the book is touted as being hysterical and witty.

A new graphic novel that explores the idea of belonging and being unique. A young girl has two worlds - her Thai heritage and her American heritage and she struggles to find her place. She loves both worlds and is lucky enough to get the chance to live in both - Maine and Bangkok. As Kathy prepares to spend her summer in Maine she shares how excited she is to be near some of her favorite things - but she also worries about not fitting in. The script is so honest like a conversation with a child. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. The graphics are appealing in beautiful muted colors. I usually don't read graphic novels but this one was an enjoyable read.

This is a memoir about the author's experience being mixed race and trying to find her place between Thailand and the United States, specifically Maine in this story. Her father is older and her mother is his third marriage, so she spend a lot of time with her father, as he's a retired military man, but that at the same time disconnects her with her mother who works all the time. This made me feel really sad for her, as she always seemed to feel alone and left out of situations, especially while at summer camp in Maine when other children would ask questions about her and be ignorant with their responses. I can't say I really enjoyed reading this, but at the same time I can't fault it too much as it's the author's lived experiences and it represents often how people feel 'othered' if they do not have a community they fit into.

This middle grade graphic novel was filled with longing and loneliness… emotions that I feel would resonate with a lot of teens and tweens struggling to fit in. It’s sad, but not too sad… I would say poignant is the right word.

It’s also autobiographical, based on the author’s real experiences! And set in the nineties, a time everyone seems nostalgic about right now.

Kathy spends most of her time in Thailand, where she lives with her mom, dad, and older sister. She actually goes to an international school, though, where kids are from everywhere and mostly speak English. So, that is one environment where she sort of does fit in. Her neighborhood kids, on the other hand, are mostly Thai.

A bigger source of her loneliness, though, comes from her home life. Her parents are both older, and have adult kids from previous marriages. They are both very guarded about their pasts, and during the course of these ruminations, Kathy realizes how little she really knows about either of them.

Eventually, the action moves to Maine, where she spends the summer with her dad’s side of the family. They are warm and inviting, but the area at large has no other Asian-looking people… leaving Kathy to feel self-conscious at stores and restaurants she would otherwise enjoy.

This particular year, Kathy and her sister both attend a week of summer camp (albeit at different camps). She is so excited to go, figuring this would finally be her chance to make some American friends! But camp brings more hardship, as many of the local girls have never even heard of Thailand. She does meet one other Asian girl there, and her camp counselor is a source of encouragement and stability for her. She also finds some new activities she’s good at.

The entire story is told/drawn as if it’s in Kathy’s journal, which gives it a very personal feel. The colors are mostly cool, and the drawings simple-looking, which also sets the tone nicely for being a childhood narrative. The seaside scenes in Maine also make me feel ready for summer, so if that’s a vibe you’re looking for… this could be a perfect choice.

This was fantastic. I really enjoyed it. I thought it captured how difficult it is to be torn between two places, to seek out that feeling of inclusion and home, really well. I loved all of the photos after the afterword. It really brought the story together.

*reviewed from uncorrected eARC via netgalley*

children's graphic autobiographical fiction loosely based on author's Luk khreung (half Thai, half white) childhood (224 pages, recommended ages 8-12) - takes place in Bangkok, Thailand (where Kathy lives with her parents and older sister Jennie) with occasional trips to Maine (where her white dad's family lives, plus a trip to the picturesque beach town of Damariscotta and another to the mall in Portland), in 1994, when Kathy is about ten/eleven years old.

Lovely storytelling (Kathy's anticipation for her trip to Maine is palpable!) with a relatable story as an outsider new kid in summer camp, with illustrations that will have lots of appeal to young readers.

In this graphic novel we follow Kathy as she tries to figure out how to fit into two different worlds - her Thai side and her American side.
I really enjoyed this. I think that anyone that's gone through your preteen years can really relate to this. The pacing of the book was really nicely done. I liked that it wasn't all crammed into one summer camp or something like that. We got to really see Kathy by the author taking time and giving us the full story over the course of about a year. The artwork was really well done too.

Continental Drifter is a snapshot of a summer in the life of the author when she was 11 years old. She grew up in Thailand with an American father and a Thai mother and attended an international school. She goes to America in the summer to visit her Dad's family in Maine. This is her struggle to fit in either place, to understand her family dynamics, and to find who she is and who she wants to be.

This book touched on so many topics and at such a vulnerable and questioning age. I really don't think that the author could have done a better job. I appreciated that she touched not only on the things that she disliked about her family and circumstances, but also what she did like. I loved the learning moments she had throughout the book and that she said that she still struggles with accepting herself. The visuals she put out there when the family members were keeping their feelings to themselves was spot on.

Continental Drifter is a fantastic middle grade graphic novel that will find a home with many readers. Everyone knows the struggling of feeling like you don't belong and trying to find your place. Readers will be able to relate Kathy's story and see a piece of themselves in this work.

Lovely graphic novel that resonated with this continental drifter. The author did a great job relaying the feelings of an 11-year-old girl who just doesn't fit in.

Thank you for the ARC.

While Kathy's childhood was much different from mine, there were so many relatable coming-of-age feelings and situations in this nonfiction graphic novel! I think pretty much everyone can find a piece of themselves in Kathy. Identity, family, sense of self, home, and connections play major roles in Kathy's story. The artwork is lovely and really had me wanting to visit both Maine and Bangkok at some point. I also really loved that the author included pictures with captions at the end. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

A poignant memoir of living in a world where you don't fit anywhere, perfect for kids and teens who may also feel similarities of "otherness".

We get to glimpse life in Thailand and Maine through the eyes of 11-year-old Kathy who doesn't feel like she's completely Thai or American and is reminded that she doesn't really fit the image the people around her have for either. She also wrestles with the differences between her family and the others she sees around her, trying to figure out why they are the way they are.

Both the art and the story work together well to convey the world and relationships through the eyes of an 11-year-old. While the memoir doesn't wrap itself up in a neat bow, it is a satisfying and thoughtful read for anyone seeking to understand or see similarities to themselves and feel understood.

Cute book! I think my kids would like it and it would be a nice salve for kids who have had to move.

Continental Drifter is a heartwarming graphic memoir about Kathy, whose Dad is from Maine and Mom is from Bangkok, and how she navigates the feeling of not belonging to either side entirely. We follow Kathy over the course of a year as she's living in Thailand and counting down the days, as she continuously does, until her family's annual summer trip to Maine. This year, Kathy gets to attend a sleep-away camp for the first time, and she's thrilled to escape the suffocating loneliness she feels. Unfortunately for Kathy, those feelings follow her and we see how she learns to accept more parts of herself. This is a great read for all who enjoy graphic novels, and anyone from a mixed background. Thank you to First Second Books and NetGalley for an eARC in trade for my honest review.

Excellent middle grade graphic novel exploring one family’s journey moving between cultures and learning more about themselves. This title could fit with the NEA Big Read theme as well.