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Continental Drifter
A graphic memoir from debut author Kathy Macleod.
With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.
Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand ... or anywhere.
With a Thai mother and an American father, Kathy lives in two different worlds. She spends most of the year in Bangkok, where she’s secretly counting the days till summer vacation. That’s when her family travels for twenty-four hours straight to finally arrive in a tiny seaside town in Maine.
Kathy loves Maine’s idyllic beauty and all the exotic delicacies she can’t get back home, like clam chowder and blueberry pie. But no matter how hard she tries, she struggles to fit in. She doesn’t look like the other kids in this rural New England town. Kathy just wants to find a place where she truly belongs, but she’s not sure if it’s in America, Thailand ... or anywhere.
224 pages, Hardcover
First published April 2, 2024
12 people are currently reading
899 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 208 reviews
May 23, 2024
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.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2023
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the ARC for this book. Many readers can relate to the main character Kathy as she tries to figure out how she fits into the two different worlds that she inhabits. It accurately captures the age with summer camp insecurities and the challenges of making new friends when you feel that you don't truly belong.
December 6, 2023
I liked getting to know Kathy and her story of living with two different cultures in Thailand and America. Her worries and struggles were expressed in a very believable way. Unfortunately my attention kept drifting in out of this graphic novel so I wouldn't call it a favourite. Some parts felt too drawn out and I struggled with connecting to the visuals. Thanks to NetGalley for making this available for an honest review.
March 31, 2025
A beautiful volume! I savored reading it, especially appreciating the ways in which Kathy’s memories echo and diverge from my own of growing up between my parents’ cultures & homes.
Kathy’s anxieties about friendship at summer camp, her feelings of being on the periphery of her cousins’ ease among each other, and her sensitivities to her family members’ emotional intensities - they all felt so familiar and evocative of being a tween.
I loved the way MacLeod depicts coastal Maine, particularly bc they were an illustrated window into my own childhood visits to extended family in Christmas Cove and Boothbay Harbor.
This was a delight to read!! My favorite page was the one where Kathy talks about how she may remember a moment while still in the act of being in the midst of it all.
Kathy’s anxieties about friendship at summer camp, her feelings of being on the periphery of her cousins’ ease among each other, and her sensitivities to her family members’ emotional intensities - they all felt so familiar and evocative of being a tween.
I loved the way MacLeod depicts coastal Maine, particularly bc they were an illustrated window into my own childhood visits to extended family in Christmas Cove and Boothbay Harbor.
This was a delight to read!! My favorite page was the one where Kathy talks about how she may remember a moment while still in the act of being in the midst of it all.
April 7, 2024
“It’s like wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, is never as exciting as what’s about to come.”
I'd like to thank First Second Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
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I thought the art style was super cute! It was engaging and fun to look at, plus it fit the tone of the book really well. I enjoyed learning about Kathy's story and seeing her grow. Continental Drifter talks about feeling like you don't belong and how much of an impact it is. We follow Kathy as she encounters different experiences in her life that change how she views the world. I would have liked for a few scenes to be drawn out more but overall I enjoyed the pacing of the story. Filled with messages of family, hope, and confidence, Continental Drifter is a story about living as your truest self.
I'd like to thank First Second Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I've also posted this review on Instagram and my blog.
Instagram Post
Blog Post
I thought the art style was super cute! It was engaging and fun to look at, plus it fit the tone of the book really well. I enjoyed learning about Kathy's story and seeing her grow. Continental Drifter talks about feeling like you don't belong and how much of an impact it is. We follow Kathy as she encounters different experiences in her life that change how she views the world. I would have liked for a few scenes to be drawn out more but overall I enjoyed the pacing of the story. Filled with messages of family, hope, and confidence, Continental Drifter is a story about living as your truest self.
October 17, 2024
Tender story about living as an expat no matter where you are. Kathy MacLeod is biracial and feels a little lost in both of the countries her parents call home. In Thailand, she goes to an English-speaking school and barely eats Thai food, so she feels American. In America, she so clearly doesn't know the current trends or the correct phrases, that she feels awkwardly Thai. This is a lovely story but the point of view sort of blends together with other stories in this vein (in my opinion). Nonetheless, it is very relatable for anyone who spent their teen years longing for some milestone event or other only to realize it wasn't going to be all you'd envisioned it to be in your head.
May 13, 2024
Kathy MacLeod talks about belonging in her new middle grade graphic memoir, Continental Drifter.
Kathy has spent most of her life feeling like she's stuck between two different worlds. Kathy has a Thai mother and an American father, so she's always felt like she doesn't quite belong 100% with either group of people. Kathy and her family spend most of the year living in Bangkok. Her father, mother, older sister, and herself all have their own separate corners of the house, seldom spending time together as a family. Her mother works long hours, while her father is retired from the military, but set in his ways. Kathy has a secret though: she's counting down the days until summer vacation! They are heading back to Maine for the summer to a tiny seaside town where they will visit family, eat local delicacies, and travel the area. Kathy is most excited about going to her first summer camp this year!
Kathy has big hopes that this summer will be when she finally fits in and makes friends. Writing in her diary, she outlines everything she wants to do as well as how she wants her summer to happen. As she and her family leave Bangkok for the twenty-four hour travel journey to Maine, Kathy finds herself getting nervous, but also excited to see what the summer has to offer.
When Kathy arrives at summer camp, she realizes it is nothing what she expected. No matter what she does. she struggles to fit in. She doesn't look like the other kids and doesn't know all the pop culture references. Kathy desperately wants to find a place where she fits in. Having pinned all her hopes on this summer camp, she is devastated when she doesn't instantly click or feel that sense of belonging. If she doesn't belong in America or Thailand, where will she find her place?
This graphic memoir captures the uneasiness of identity that almost all middle grade children go through. Adding on top of that summer camp insecurities and the challenges of making new friends, both at home and abroad, and the author has written a relatable heart-rending story of how feeling like you don't belong can impact your life. The art style was also very cute and relatable to the life of an 11-year-old girl. This was a thoughtful read that walks readers trough feelings of 'otherness'. Continental Drifter doesn't end perfectly with everyone miraculously fixed and places found, instead it gives readers roads through which to go on their own journey of self-discovery.
- Stephanie, Information Services Librarian
Kathy has spent most of her life feeling like she's stuck between two different worlds. Kathy has a Thai mother and an American father, so she's always felt like she doesn't quite belong 100% with either group of people. Kathy and her family spend most of the year living in Bangkok. Her father, mother, older sister, and herself all have their own separate corners of the house, seldom spending time together as a family. Her mother works long hours, while her father is retired from the military, but set in his ways. Kathy has a secret though: she's counting down the days until summer vacation! They are heading back to Maine for the summer to a tiny seaside town where they will visit family, eat local delicacies, and travel the area. Kathy is most excited about going to her first summer camp this year!
Kathy has big hopes that this summer will be when she finally fits in and makes friends. Writing in her diary, she outlines everything she wants to do as well as how she wants her summer to happen. As she and her family leave Bangkok for the twenty-four hour travel journey to Maine, Kathy finds herself getting nervous, but also excited to see what the summer has to offer.
When Kathy arrives at summer camp, she realizes it is nothing what she expected. No matter what she does. she struggles to fit in. She doesn't look like the other kids and doesn't know all the pop culture references. Kathy desperately wants to find a place where she fits in. Having pinned all her hopes on this summer camp, she is devastated when she doesn't instantly click or feel that sense of belonging. If she doesn't belong in America or Thailand, where will she find her place?
This graphic memoir captures the uneasiness of identity that almost all middle grade children go through. Adding on top of that summer camp insecurities and the challenges of making new friends, both at home and abroad, and the author has written a relatable heart-rending story of how feeling like you don't belong can impact your life. The art style was also very cute and relatable to the life of an 11-year-old girl. This was a thoughtful read that walks readers trough feelings of 'otherness'. Continental Drifter doesn't end perfectly with everyone miraculously fixed and places found, instead it gives readers roads through which to go on their own journey of self-discovery.
- Stephanie, Information Services Librarian
March 8, 2025
I'm always looking for new graphic memoirs to share with my students, many of whom come from non-American backgrounds, so my school librarian recommended Continental Drifter. Kathy is half-Thai, half-American, living her school year in Bangkok and her summers in Maine. She begins the memoir dreaming of her upcoming summer, where she feels more accepted than in Thailand, though summer camp in Maine proves anything but, which throws her identity in limbo. Where is home? Who is she? The types of questions I'm sure anyone who moves a lot or comes from culturally different backgrounds sometimes asks themselves. There isn't a straightforward answer to issues of self-identity other than learning to accept who you are, which is an incredibly challenging task for young people, especially those who do not look like the rest of the homogenous population. Kathy does a lot of soul-searching and family investigation to find herself, and even then the waters are still murky. Following her journey of self-acceptance is one of the pleasures of reading this book. I dug the mid-'90s throwback to summer camp, too.
March 8, 2024
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.
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.
January 29, 2024
Thanks to #netgalley for an advanced reader copy! I'm always looking for high-interest books for my high school students. And when they have authentic biracial/bi-cultural/AAPI representation? Even better. This book was so good at illustrating (figuratively and literally) the struggle of biracial and bi-cultural children. As the parent of a biracial child, I try to find representation of this wherever I can. This book was funny, sad, frustrating, and beautiful. I just recommended it to our librarian for purchase.
April 2, 2024
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.
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.
October 31, 2023
Netgalley Arc
This is such a good story! I love graphic novels and stories of how people live. We see Katy, who lives in Thailand and comes to America with her family each summer to visit her dad's side of the family. She even gets to go to sleep away summer camp. She has all these thoughts and feelings on how everything will go and writes about them in her journal. This would be wonderful for a middle school classroom or home library.
This is such a good story! I love graphic novels and stories of how people live. We see Katy, who lives in Thailand and comes to America with her family each summer to visit her dad's side of the family. She even gets to go to sleep away summer camp. She has all these thoughts and feelings on how everything will go and writes about them in her journal. This would be wonderful for a middle school classroom or home library.
June 8, 2024
Kathy lives in Bangkok, Thailand with her Thai mother and American father. She attends an international school where many students are like her--half and half, but she doesn't feel entirely at home in Thailand. Her older sister feels distant, her father is quiet, and her mother seems to be harder on Kathy than she is on her sister. She looks forward to her visits to Maine in the summers because she feels at home there, even if not fully accepted. Even in America, her family looks different than other families that she sees. This year Kathy will be attending summer camp for the first time and she hopes to find the acceptance she is looking for. This story is a quiet one. Kathy's isolation is evident through the art work and the text, as well as her yearning to belong.
June 26, 2024
I really loved this graphic novel memoir. Kathy had a quiet sadness that she carries with her all the time through two different worlds. The author did a great job of bringing that out in the story and the illustrations because it made me feel really sad too. It’s definitely not the typical middle grade graphic novel that is tied up with a bow at the end. This one left me wanting more, but that reflects how Kathy felt as well.
April 17, 2025
Continental Drifter was a short and sweet graphic novel of an 11-year old half-Thai, half American girl who can’t seem to fit in wherever she goes. Living in Bangkok for the school year, she struggles with loneliness at home with her family and longs for the beautiful coastlines of Maine where she spends her summers with family. Come summer, though, she realizes that she doesn’t quite fit in as well in her surroundings as she’d hoped. The memoir explores how it feels to never be enough. I was expecting the story to go a bit deeper than it did but I can still see how some kid reading this would feel so seen!
June 26, 2024
5 Stars
I loved this graphic novel so much and honestly didn’t expect for it to hit me in the heart feels as much as it did. It’s a beautiful memoir about learning to love yourself as you discover who you are during big change. Gorgeous and I can’t wait to reread it again.
I loved this graphic novel so much and honestly didn’t expect for it to hit me in the heart feels as much as it did. It’s a beautiful memoir about learning to love yourself as you discover who you are during big change. Gorgeous and I can’t wait to reread it again.
August 1, 2024
“maybe this is the key to making my parents happy - to show that i don’t need anyone else.”
beautifully told story,, another experience in which i have to pretend to not be crying in front of my students.
beautifully told story,, another experience in which i have to pretend to not be crying in front of my students.
February 8, 2025
Winner of the 2025 Asian/Pacific American Award for Children’s Literature! This graphic memoir offers honest, sometimes painful, insight into growing up as part of two cultures and will help anyone who has ever felt lonely in their own family.
July 5, 2025
Phenomenal. MacLeod spoke to me in a way only another biracial child of an Asian mom and white dad could . Was incredibly difficult for me to get through because it made me remember shit I forced into the memory hole due to severe trauma. Wish I had this as a kid.
September 19, 2024
Sad sometimes but sweet throughout. Story of feeling at home / not at home in multiple places.
November 27, 2024
A sweet middle grades graphic novel about a girl who is half Thai and half American. She struggles to fit in anywhere, and struggles with having a strong sense of self and pride in who she is.
Read
April 3, 20253.5 stars
June 26, 2025
LOVED! A charming, heart wrenching memoir about being a biracial, bi-cultural TCK. Kathy does so much with such simple illustrations, and manages to capture complex feelings about belonging in a way that kids can understand but that doesn’t dampen them. Highly recommend!
May 30, 2024
3.75 stars
a collection of moments that just wanted to be seen and heard.
a collection of moments that just wanted to be seen and heard.
October 10, 2024
Very beautifully done
Read
May 12, 2025Awwww I really liked this one!! Very sweet, relatable kids emo stuff and ofc I am a sucker for summer camp stuff too. And I really liked the illustration!!
July 4, 2024
First graphic novel!
March 28, 2025
As the mother of TCK and a teacher of students with dual passport countries, this book really resonated. I can’t wait for my students to read it.
April 17, 2025
I loved the fact that most of it takes place in Downeast Maine which is such a special place to me. Loved it.
August 7, 2024
Kathy shares about growing up not sure where she belonged. Her mom was Thai, her dad was American. They lived in Bangkok, Thailand and she went to an international school. She didn't feel totally at home in Bangkok, so she was counting down the days to their summer trip to Maine and her first summer camp experience. She was sure that camp was where she would fit in. But reality was a bit different.
I absolutely loved this. The students at my international school in Bangkok will totally identify with young Kathy. And even I, as an expat adult, can identify with not feeling like you totally fit in in any one place. It's a totally typical third culture kid experience, put into words and pictures excellently. I will need to buy more copies.
Notes on content:
Language: None.
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Kathy and her sister are mixed Thai/American, most other Americans depicted are white, a wide range of ethnicities at her school, and her housing community is very international.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Some kids/adults make fun of her for being mixed or say she doesn't belong (in both places). Kathy is very insecure, but ends up in a somewhat better place by the end. Her parents are both older and this is not their first marriage, so she talks about how having older parents and step-siblings makes her feel. Her mom was also a bit of a workaholic and if her dad wasn't home, Kathy often felt lonely.
I absolutely loved this. The students at my international school in Bangkok will totally identify with young Kathy. And even I, as an expat adult, can identify with not feeling like you totally fit in in any one place. It's a totally typical third culture kid experience, put into words and pictures excellently. I will need to buy more copies.
Notes on content:
Language: None.
Sexual content: None
Violence: None
Ethnic diversity: Kathy and her sister are mixed Thai/American, most other Americans depicted are white, a wide range of ethnicities at her school, and her housing community is very international.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Some kids/adults make fun of her for being mixed or say she doesn't belong (in both places). Kathy is very insecure, but ends up in a somewhat better place by the end. Her parents are both older and this is not their first marriage, so she talks about how having older parents and step-siblings makes her feel. Her mom was also a bit of a workaholic and if her dad wasn't home, Kathy often felt lonely.
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