This book is so well written and the topic is incredibly important. It's nothing shocking to see how much of US history is left out in schools. I think this book handles teaching the truth of what the US did during WW2 to it's own Japanese Citizens is beyond perfect. It isn't scared to shy away from the truth and Traci Chee writing makes the book feel even more impactful and thought out.

I'm normally not a fan of books written from multiple perspectives like this because I have a hard time keeping things straight. But this book handles it so well and keeps everything very organized. I think my favorite character has to be Tommy as watching his character struggle with his desires, his parents expectations and demands, all while the country he's lived his entire life in, hates him for simply existing, is one of the most impactful. I also loved how his chapter was written in a way to resemble poems.

Absolutely fantastic.
The forced removal and incarceration of Japanese Americans is underrepresented in literature. I’m so glad this book exists to highlight this important atrocity in such a nuanced, personal, and accessible way. These connected short stories bring each character to vivid life and shows how varied their experiences were, but there is also a sense of a central narrative as we move through time and their collective experiences. 

This book taught me so much about the Japanese concentration camps that were created during WW2 because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The author was able to use her own family’s experiences in these camps to depict these character arcs. I didn’t know how far the American government really went to keep Japanese Americans away from the rest of society. In history class this was definitely glossed over and seemed like it really wasn’t that bad. In the beginning I thought that 14 perspectives would be way too much but since all of the characters were friends with each other we still got to learn about most of the characters in each chapter. I absolutely loved the potential romances in this book with Twitchy and Keiko, and Frankie and Bette, it was so cute and heartbreaking at the same time. I just wanted happiness and freedom for these  kids who are Americans but happen to share an ethnicity with people who chose to come after the US. Honestly these concentration camps were eerily similar to what I have learned about what was happening in Germany around the same time. Mas’s storyline where he joins the army to prove his loyalty but not having freedom in the country just aligns with how African Americans were treated at the time. How Japanese people were treated after they were able to go back home is similar to that of Asian Americans today due to the coronavirus. So many of them live in fear because Asian American hate crimes have increased substantially and people blame anybody that is Chinese or “looks Chinese”. 
The friendships in this book were incredible and I was amazed by how they continued to grow closer together when they are in such a tough situation. I really wish that I had a group of friends who will be there for each other no matter where they are in their lives. I loved this book so much and even though it is just a YA book I feel like people can truly learn so much. I can’t wait to learn more.