Are You Nobody Too?

by Tina Cane

After years of discomfort as the only Chinese student at her private middle school, Emily transfers to Chinatown's I.S. 23 for 8th Grade and ends up feeling more disconnected than ever. In this coming-of-age novel-in-verse, will Emily be able to find her way or will she lose herself completely?After a year of distance-learning, Emily Sofer finds her world turned upside she has to leave the only school she's ever known to attend a public school in Chinatown. For the first time, Emily isn't the only Chinese student around...but looking like everyone else doesn't mean that understanding them will be easy--especially with an intimidating group of cool girls Emily calls The Five.When Emily discovers that her adoptive parents have been keeping a secret, she feels even more uncertain about who she is. A chance discovery of Emily Dickinson's poetry helps her finally feel seen. . . but can the words of a writer from 200 years ago help her open up again, and find common ground with the Five?

Genres: Middle Grade, Poetry, Novel In Verse, Contemporary, Realistic Fiction, Adoption, Childrens

320 pages, Hardcover

First published August 27, 2024

Reviews

[Emily Masters · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a slow-paced novel in verse that feels authentic to the introverted young teen experience. It doesn’t, however, feel authentic to the international adoptee experience in my opinion— the conversation isn’t nuanced enough for such a sensitive topic. Emily finds out that her parents were pregnant before and lost the baby— and would have named him Emile if he’d survived?? As the conversations around adoptions and especially international adoptions grow, it feels important to ensure media representation grows with it

[Rachel Y · Rating 5 out of 5]

Narrating this gem of a book! 🥲

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one grabbed me right from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down. ive read several books over the last few years that took place during or just after COVID lockdowns...but most of those have felt politicized...like they were trying to make a point with it. This book really captures the reality of it and gives an accurate portrayal of how it impacted everyday people on a small scale instead of a large national one. It wasn't the focus of this story...it was just the setting but it was done so well I feel like I have to mention it.

But I loved so many other things about this too. There's a lot going on here but somehow it never felt like too much...it just felt real and honest and relatable. We've got our main character who was born in China and adopted by a white American couple. She's transitioning from a private school to a public school...going from a school where she was the only Chinese person in her school to a school where the majority of the students are Chinese. So we get to see her struggle with the new environment, to make friends, to fit in...but we also get to see her fall in love with Emily Dickinson and poetry...and I love how the Dickinson poetry is woven into this story. There's also her coming to terms with being adopted and different than everyone else, her dad's job loss at the start of the pandemic and how that's affecting him and the family, being separated from family they used to see all the time, etc.

Not everything gets wrapped up and resolved by the end of the book...but it feels very much like real life and its more about Emily just coming to terms with and dealing with these things...like a snapshot in time. I really loved it and would definitely recommend.

[Lisa Muller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emily, a Chinese girl who was adopted as a toddler by white parents, has recently moved to a new school and is having trouble fitting in. A chance encounter with the poetry of Emily Dickinson's poetry allows her to really think about "fitting in" and friendship. Cane does a nice job of introducing young readers to the poetry of Emily dickinson. I liked the book.

[Christiana Doucette · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read set after the height of the pandemic. I have read a handful set during the pandemic, but this is the first time I have read one set during in-person school. This story follows Emily, an adopted Chinese-American girl whose parents have transferred her away from her beloved Montessori school to a public school in Chinatown. Emily begins to identify with Emily Dickinson, her isolation, her exploration of time, friendship, and hope. I appreciated how the story explored the nuance of being a Chinese-American child with White adopted parents in a school where most of the children have grown up surrounded by their cultural heritage, and the way that builds walls with some of her classmates. I love Emily Dickinson, and the way the author wove Dickinson's poetry into the story was lovely. I also appreciated how it shared portions of an important chinese poet's work, and the scientific work of physicist Chien-Shiung Wu. I enjoyed this read, and will recommend to others.

[Magen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m so pleased with this! Entirely written in verse, it starts relatively slow as our main character Emily sets the stage for us. There’s some pretty intense topics as Emily is an adoptee, returning to school post pandemic to an all new school with different social expectations. Finding the poetry of Emily Dickinson helps her through her inner turmoil. I enjoyed it so much. A creative twist on familiar childhood pains, it’s deeply touching and emotional. I would’ve been obsessed with this as a preteen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Make Me a World for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Dini - dinipandareads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours. Special thanks to Make Me a World for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion. 3 stars

TL;DR: This was a unique middle-grade contemporary told in verse. The author had a unique way of expressing the main character's experiences during and after the pandemic. It touches upon evergreen themes such as coming-of-age, identity and belonging. Emily was an interesting main character—she's very much a teenager—and I think many young readers whether they're middle schoolers or just starting high school.

Are You Nobody Too? is an interesting middle-grade contemporary that explores topics that are often found in books for young readers, such as identity and belonging. This coming-of-age was told interestingly and I appreciated how the author chose to write the book in verse to reflect our main character's connection with Emily Dickinson's work. Our main character, Emily, discovers Dickinson's complete works by chance at her new school's library and from that moment, we follow how she relates to and processes her own experiences through the poetry. It was a unique telling although I have to admit that it made for a non-linear storyline that made it difficult to truly feel connected to Emily's story. If anything though, I think it could spark an interest in poetry for young readers and it spurred me to want to explore more of Dickinson's work.

A topic that I didn't expect the story to centre so heavily around was Emily's experience during and after the pandemic. I don't think I've read any MG books that explore how it affected young kids and I think, to an extent, the author does a good job of exploring that experience through a young teen's POV. For a good portion of the book, Emily has a self-centred view of how terrible the pandemic was in the ways it changed her life. Yet as the book progresses and she learns of personal losses experienced by the new friends she meets and the teachers she admires, she starts to change her somewhat "blasé" tune to be more understanding. Emily has a rather melancholic voice and there's a great deal of confusion as she tries to process her feelings and mental state, and the heaviness of Emily's emotions does weigh down the story a bit at times.

What I wish had been better explored were the themes of identity and belonging. It's a core part of Emily's journey and yet I found that her journey of coming to terms with her Chinese roots and Western upbringing was not explored in as much detail as I would've expected. However, as she finds her place in this new school and opens up to new friendships, particularly with Grace, she slowly learns to be less conscious about her adoptive parents and family. It was nice to see her take pride in both sides that she belongs to, especially because her parents were fantastic and I loved how supportive and funny they were. Grace's character was also a wonderful addition to Emily's life and her sweet, fun and caring personality brought a much-needed uplifting tone to the story!

Overall, this was an interesting and unique read that I found pleasantly surprising. If you have a young reader who's interested in poetry, I think this would be a great match for them!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Emily was adopted from China by a white couple who live in New York City, and has spent all of her school years in a small Montessory school, Meadowlake. During the pandemic, her father lost his job, and her mother's salary as a teacher at a community college is not enough to pay for the tuition. In ninth grade, she transfers to IS 23, which has a large Asian population and Chinese language classes. Since Emily always felt out of place at Meadowlake, sicne there were few students of Asian descent, it feels comforting at first to be with others who look like her and who don't bully herr because of her ethnicity. Emily struggled with feelings of isolation during the pandemic, and is no longer in contact with her two best friend. She has also cut her hair very short, wears white combat boots, and feels anxious all the time. She feels out of place in the new school as well, since her classmates assume that because she looks Chinese she should know the language. There are some girls who try to be nice to her, but she keeps them at arm's length. She does get to know Grace a bit, and slowly broadens he horizons. Her father, who has been depressed, has some of his photographs exhibited and seems to be on an upwards path, engaging in the community more. This is helpful to Emily as well. Having discovered the poetry of Emily Dickinson, and feeling like it is speaking to her own mental state, Emily does some research into the author and her work, and is able to make more connections to people in her school during this process.
Strengths: Coming out of the pandemic was a strange feeling, and it's hard to remember how things gradually changed. Students have to change schools because of family problems all the time, and having to leave a familiar environment, especially when stressed, can't be easy. Teens are definitely searching for personal identity, and try on lots of different personalities, so Emily's obsession with Dickinson's work make sense. Since this is a novel in verse, it tries to mimic Dickinson's choppy style. There is a lot of discussion about Asian identity, and the term "banana" is discusssed. I was glad to see that by the end of the book, Emily is feeling better about herself. Also, the elderly dog, Keeper, did not die. I was certainly expecting that to happen, so it was a relief when it did not.
Weaknesses: I was surprised that a public school library in New York City would still have books that were "not systemized by computer". This allows Emily to see her teacher's name on a check out card and ask him about the book, but I think that unless a school is SUPER small, the catalog would be online. Reading an entire novel written in Dickinson's breathless style was a challenge.
What I really think: This is more of a Young Adult book because of the pacing and introspective nature, but might be something that fans of Green's The Fault in Our Stars or Chobosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower might like. I will pass on purchase for middle school.

[Melissa (Nissa_the.bookworm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🎶 love books written in verse
🤩 are named after someone famous
😬 suffer from anxiety
🏫 ever had to change schools

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

After a year of distance-learning, Emily Sofer finds her world turned upside down: she has to leave the only school she's ever known to attend a public school in Chinatown. For the first time, Emily isn't the only Chinese student around...but looking like everyone else doesn't mean that understanding them will be easy--especially with an intimidating group of cool girls Emily calls The Five.

When Emily discovers that her adoptive parents have been keeping a secret, she feels even more uncertain about who she is. A chance discovery of Emily Dickinson's poetry helps her finally feel seen. . . but can the words of a writer from 200 years ago help her open up again, and find common ground with the Five?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

This was an interesting book written in a unique style. I really enjoyed it. It reminded me not only of Emily Dickinson’s work (as she is mentioned often in this YA novel) but also of Ellen Hopkin’s books as well. It worked well but got a bit tedious at times as well. I enjoyed seeing this perspective though, as I was an adult when the pandemic occurred and I never truly understood how it felt for students during that period. It was nice to see it. I also enjoyed the relationships and secrets throughout the story. This one is perfect for middle schoolers!

[callistoscalling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three of my children started middle school this week and I am feeling all of the feels. We have four children between the ages of 10 and 13 and for half the year two of our children are the same age but when you have a family that was blessed to be brought together through a birth child and then adoption, it’s a story. We have two who are like twins but not so we say we got all of the fun of doubles but without the diaper duty at the same time.
Are You Nobody Too? came into our lives at just the right moment. Told in poetic verse, this book poignantly speaks to middle grade readers and the adults in their lives to address pressing issues that are hitting our youth post-pandemic. I wish someone had named anxiety when I was younger and I am so grateful that it’s something we are talking about with our children and sharing in the books we share with them. Adolescence is an absolutely roller coaster of a time and this book is a beautiful narration of the emotions everyone experiences.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply remarkable in every way! Written in verse, with a focus on Emily Dickinson, Cane skillfully uses this vehicle to address a number of modern issues. I am not a fan of poetry nor Emily Dickinson, but Cane perked my interest with her beautiful prose. Read it for the prose, read it for the story, read it for the issues it addresses or for any other reason, but by all means read it! This is geared towards a young audience, but fully worth reading even for adults. It would also be a wonderful classroom read. There's so much here in this book and I will certainly search out other writing by this wonderful author.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's one of those books that you can't wait to share with others!

[USOM · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

Are You Nobody Too? is a pure delight to read. Emily's story is about friendships and growing older, about getting to know ourselves. Set directly after the onset of the pandemic, it's a story about change and uncertainty. About not knowing how the world works. She's transferring to a new school while her family is still reeling from the effects of the pandemic on their lives and their family. What I loved the most, was reading a story about a girl re-orienting how she sees herself. How she sees her identity as a Chinese American, as a transracial adoptee, and as someone growing older.

[Meg Eden]

The pandemic is a huge part of this book--I think that's important but find it odd this isn't part of the description at all, or that there aren't time stamps (future readers will not always have the pandemic as part of their lived experience...). Was saddened and disappointed by how the pandemic was approached at times--Emily's comment about people not going inside because of "pandemic stress" seems dismissive of the legitimate concerns that many of us, even now, continue to risk when exposed to COVID.

Generally enjoy this read, but there isn't much plot. Am how young readers will respond.

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Are You Nobody Too? is a YA book set in New York as the city emerges from the depths of Covid. The story is told by Emily, an adopted Asian American kid who transfers to a middle school with a focus on Chinese culture. She finds solace in Emily Dickinson poems as she navigates the new school, her identity as an Asian American raised by a white family, and friendships.

In terms of form, the book is written in micro chapters with titles lifted from the final sentence of the previous chapter. It was also written in verse, which I didn’t realize because I listened to the audiobook. The format is interesting given the connection between the protagonist and Emily Dickinson.

[Erica Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very character driven novel-in-verse that explores the complexities of race, from the point of view of a Chinese girl adopted into a white family. I enjoyed the writing and found sections that completely drew me in. And I was particularly enamored with the life lessons that are tucked inside this book—many of which deeply resonated with me.

This is an introspective book. As such, there were some decidedly slow points. And the non-chronological storytelling, which mostly happened early in the book, felt a bit awkward and jarring. But overall, this is a very good book, told from a unique point of view.

[Therearenobadbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the connection the character has to Emily Dickinson's poetry. The author has different mentions of other books. The main character may be feeling stress with quarantine (which is a great focus of this book) and new school, but she doesn't let herself be pushed around completely.

(I may be the only one feeling this) I had trouble getting into the format of this verse novel. Having three verses in the same line made it t harder to read, slowed me down. It also didn't fully grab me. Sorry.

[Jame_EReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

👦🏻reviews: this is an amazing coming of age and realistic fiction about Emily Sofer seeking her identity. The book touched many interesting topics such as adoption, assimilation, acclimation and friendship after moving from private school to PS in Chinatown. The book is written almost like how a poem should be arranged on the page, but I thought the storyline was easy to follow. The message of the book is what makes the storyline interesting and fascinating especially how Emily dealt with her adopted Caucasian-parents in the Chinatown community. Great middle-grade book!

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Are You Nobody Too?: three stars. Distinctive verse format with Dickinson excerpts, but the potentially-interesting plot elements too often felt overshadowed by the main character's undefined-yet-overpowering angst.

The book is set one or two years into the Covid-19 pandemic (with the characters mostly claiming/acting like the pandemic is "over"), which may be a draw for some readers but felt like "ack, too soon" for me.

[Leonard Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was in the middle grade section of my library, but Emily is in 8th grade, and her voice borders on YA navel gazing, which really isn’t my thing. Still it would be tacky to drop the rating because of that, and the writing was good enough that I checked the book out. I don’t remember Perkin’s Criss Cross well, but maybe this book has similar appeal?

[Elizabeth]

I really struggled to get through this book. The style was challenging, which caused me to not be interested in the book. I felt like a struggling school-age reader who claims they hate reading. The conversations in italics was even more difficult. I should've just stopped reading this book shortly after starting it, like I kind of wanted to do.

[Sarah Ressler Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing -written in the poetic style of Emily Dickinson and featuring many of her poems, I loved this officially MG (although great for teen’s and adults too) novel in verse. I suspect it will win awards -so well done and loved how often the closing line of the last one will be the title or be referenced by the next. Absolutely awesome and written by RI poet laureate!

[Ms McKinnon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the creativity of the author with the unique structure of white space within each line and lack of punctuation. Ultimately, it didn't work for me as a reader. I love the idea of weaving Emily Dickinson's words and lines of poetry into a contemporary verse novel, but the structure got in the way for me in terms of enjoyment and at times understanding.

[sundew · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved emily. some of her thoughts were so on point with mine. kinda feel like i should go read poems. or write them.

[Mon Chéri · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is amazing 🤩

[Shafinah J · Rating 5 out of 5]

there is an economy in Tina Cane’s language that resists spectacle.

written in sparse, lyrical verse, Are You Nobody Too maps the inner life of a girl navigating the liminal space between childhood and self-definition; and it delicately traces the quiet tensions of belonging and invisibility as she negotiates with the world to shape her emerging identity. this is a story less concerned with arriving at answers than with honouring the weight of the questions themselves; and Cane, with remarkable restraint, allows these questions to unfold in their own time- often, in exceptionally paced fragments.

as an adult reader, i found this book to be highly affective, even as it remains clear that it was written for an audience at least two decades removed from me. that said, there is bravery in the way Cane trusts her reader’s emotional intelligence regardless of their age and background; as she intentionally eliminates explanatory scaffolding, clarifying gloss; and even a conventional plot and resolution- all to make way for an emotional nuance that will stay with you long after the last page has turned. her verse is spare, but never empty; understated, but never undercharged; and she never overexplains- in a way making this piece almost a manifesto of sorts for how YA fiction ought to be written: subtle, honest, and unafraid to dwell in ambiguity.

all in all, Are You Nobody Too makes for a quiet, powerful, reflective read, no matter how far past adoloscence you are. those who think that young adult books can’t be as literary, rich, and mature as their adult counterparts will be well disabused of their notion after reading this.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book in verse about a Chinese student who is struggling with a post-COVID school change and figuring out her identity and trajectory. I loved the homage to Emily Dickinson (“Are You Nobody?” is my favorite of her poems as a reader and to teach), and verse was the perfect format for Emily’s story.

[Mai H.]

ANHPI TBR

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Make Me a World