Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhá Lai


Hello! I'm Sloane, and I am reviewing Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhhá Lai. I read this book a few years ago, and I really liked it.

Inside Out and Back Again is about a girl named Há living in Saigon, Vietnam during the Vietnam War. The book begins on Tết, the first day of the lunar calendar. Every day, Há gets more news of the war getting closer to Saigon. Há and her family must be prepared to leave their home any day. One day, the war reaches Saigon, and they have to leave everything behind and board a ship to the United States before the Fall of Saigon. After a long journey, they make it to the United States, and fly to Alabama. Há must heal from having to leave her home behind and also experience her new life in the United States, persevering through harsh bullying and hardships.

This is a book in verse, and the descriptions and phrasing of the poetry helps bring the narrative together, and helps convey the intense emotions of Há throughout the story. I like Há's personality and narration, as the book is in first person, so it feels like she is talking to a friend. The storyline is very well written, and each poem adds a new element to the story.

Inside Out and Back Again is an amazing book about hardship and family. I definitely recommend it! Thank you for reading my blog post!

Comments

  1. IsabellaSunday, March 2, 2025 at 12:49:00 PM CST

    Comment written by Naomi:
    Hi Sloane, my parents bought this book for me several years ago, but I never really took the time to read it or even understand what it was about for that matter. However, after reading your post, I might just have to give this book a shot. Thanks for the great blog post!

    ReplyDelete
  2. JuniFriday, March 7, 2025 at 7:09:00 PM CST

    Hi Sloane! I read this book last year, and I also liked the poetry narration. Your post makes me want to reread it. Nice post!

    ReplyDelete

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