The American Dream? A Journey on Route 66 Discovering Dinosaur Statues, Muffler Man, and the Perfect Breakfast Burrito: a Graphic Memoir

by Shing Yin Khor

As a child growing up in Malaysia, Shing Yin Khor had two very different ideas of what “America” meant. The first looked a lot like Hollywood, full of beautiful people and sunlight and freeways. The second looked more like The Grapes of Wrath―a nightmare landscape filled with impoverished people, broken-down cars, barren landscapes, and broken dreams. This book chronicles Shing's solo journey (small adventure-dog included) along the iconic Route 66, beginning in Santa Monica and ending up Chicago. What begins as a road trip ends up as something more like a pilgrimage in search of an American landscape that seems forever shifting and forever out of place.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Memoir, Nonfiction, Travel, Comics, Biography, Biography Memoir

160 pages, Paperback

First published August 6, 2019

About the author

Shing Yin Khor is a cartoonist and installation artist exploring the American mythos and new human rituals. A Malaysian-Chinese immigrant, and an American citizen since 2011, they are the author of two published books.

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

"There's just something about the mystique and nostalgia of Route 66. It was called 'the Main Street of America'! [Did] you know Steinbeck called it the 'Mother Road'? There's something legendary about [it] that still draws people in . . . " -- Doran Sanchez, U.S. Bureau of Land Management

The American Dream? documents writer / illustrator Khor's spring 2016 road-trip on one of America's earliest interstate highways. In pop culture it's often remembered from the 1946 R&B song written by Pennsylvania native (woot-woot!) Bobby Troup and performed by many artists, an early 1960's TV series bearing the same name, and more recently its use as a setting in the Disney-Pixar hit animated film Cars. Like the lyrics of the above-mentioned catchy song ("Well it winds from Chicago to L.A., more than two thousand miles all the way"), Khor drives through the eight involved states with only her dog as a sidekick, although in a nice change of pace she starts at the West Coast terminus to head east.

As a travelogue documenting some of 66's sights and oddities it's pretty good, if not extremely in-depth at only 150 pages. Then she offers some of her personal beliefs, especially in the latter half, which is fine since it is her book. However, she drifts from the pleasant-sounding "It is changing my preconceived notions . . . of Middle America . . . seeing that truth is a surprise" (in terms of the various nice people she meets while crossing the country) to the tone-deaf final line "Can't let those jerks keep us down", which takes aim at those who have different political opinions than hers . . . although she didn't present moments of anyone actually 'keeping her down' in either her brief biographical segments OR during the several weeks of her safe trip. It sort of smacked of her wanting something bad to happen during the journey to validate her feelings, but nothing did, so she'll . . . just get angry at a possible situation? She had me at the beginning, then she lost me by the finale.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This comics memoir is about Shing Yin Khor’s travel across the country via the iconic American highway, in search for the True America through ghost towns and goofy kitschy Americana such as dinosaur parks. They are Malaysian-American, living and loving it in Los Angeles, but they also have firmly implanted in their brain the cruel dustbowl narrative, The Grapes of Wrath. Inequity is as American as apple pie, and they know it, but they want to see more of the country themselves.

Route 66 runs from Chicago to Santa Monica; since I live in Chicago, I was hoping they spent more time in their story around here, but they seem to have run out of steam (or money), so while the art is colorful and bright and inviting, the story is pretty slim. Lots of drawings of random motel signs, and not much deep reflection, finally. But worth checking out, I’ll say.

“I get my Kicks on Route 66,: Nat King Cole:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCYAp...

[Chad · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic memoir of a trip along the iconic Route 66 through the eyes of an immigrant and her dog. Shing is an artist obsessed with Americana, travelling the byways of a more innocent time in America before the Interstates pushed through our country making the highways and the towns along them obsolete. I think my favorite moments were when she explored the many ghost towns and abandoned shops along the way. You can tell the long trip (especially since she roughed it by sleeping in her car or camping) wears on her towards the end as later states are glossed over even though Missouri and Illinois are two of the states she spent the longest time in. the art is somewhat rudimentary but the water colors are very nice, especially in landscape scenes.

Received a review copy from Zest Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own and in no way influenced by the aforementioned.

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Malaysian American woman road trips with a dog from California to Chicago on old Route 66. They say they were inspired to undertake the journey by John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath, but since they are accompanied by Bug, the Tiny Adventure Dog, and do a lot of camping, I was surprised there was no mention of Travels with Charley: In Search of America.

Passably amusing and informative anecdotes from a unique perspective, but a little on the light side, with stabs at deeper meaning not really finding the mark.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 2 out of 5]

All immigrants come to America with preconceived notions, and we are almost always way off base. Buy me a drink some day, and I'll tell what I expected to find. Spoiler alert - it's no more outrageous than people asking me if I rode a zebra to school - this actually happened. More than once!

This Malaysian born author lives in LA, and does realize that the coasts do not America make. What better excuse for a road trip? They pack their car and dog, and set out to explore Route 66, and find what the real America is like. I tend to love travelogues, but this graphic memoir was too fluffy for my tastes. It's rather superficial and lacks any deep dives, and there was much that could have been excavated here. The art is cute and colorful, and though this was in the adult section of my library, it might work better as a YA book.

[Maia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Shing Yin Khor's art for years, and I was so excited when this book was announced! Along with their adorable rescue dog, Bug, Shing sets out to drive the complete historic Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago. Along the way they chat with rangers, bikers, tourists, and the shop and cafe owners that are keeping pieces of American history alive. Shing's voice is warm, personal, and curious. The pages are painted in gorgeous full-color watercolors. The remains of blueline pencil under the finished artwork give the whole book the immediate and intimate feeling of a travel journal. Thoughts on being an immigrant and searching for a homeland are woven through the portraits of kitschy roadside attractions. This book is a quick and highly recommended read.

[Kelly]

Growing up in Malaysia, Shing had seen what life in America was life in the media, and when they immigrated to Los Angles, they were exposed to some of those media features, as well as more through American media. It was the Grapes of Wrath that led them to thinking about American road trips and the idea of the American dream.

This immersive graphic memoir is about a (reverse) trip on Route 66, about nostalgia culture, and what it means to be an American. Shing doesn't shy away from highlighting the racist realities of said nostalgia -- see "American owned" signage at hotels -- while also discussing that alongside the kitsch and stunningly bad replicas of Native American art and culture, their trip led them to seeing and learning more about Native Americans than they had before. There's a lot of fun quirk here, too, including a neat aside about the history of Muffler men. The art is an excellent companion to the text and despite being quite simple, conveys so much in that simplicity.

There are too few road trip books featuring people of color. This is an outstanding one, and Shing's musings about what the American dream means parallel so smartly with what is a small section of their narrative. In Malaysia, they lived in a tourist community and too often saw themselves as background in another person's narrative. In America, they don't know where or how they fit in, but they have the opportunity to be in that same position as the tourists they encountered in their birth country, providing a lot of food for thought. Likewise, the exploration of religion and how it can shift and change through one's life -- sometimes as a means of fitting into who one thinks they should be for others -- is a powerful one.

Shing's memoir was written in the months before the 2016 election. They address this in the end of the book, which makes this an even more fascinating encapsulation of time, as well as a reminder of how much *more* challenging being an immigrant became in just four years.

As someone who has done part of route 66 being an Illinoisan, it was fun to visit some of these places again with Shing. The pink elephant antique shop with all of its massive statues was one of my favorite stops on a state road trip, and seeing it again made me smile.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ben de ehliyetimi road trip yapabileyim diye almak istiyorum valla. 66 değil de 1’i istiyorum ben ama. Ay nasıl güzel olur ya. Yaşlanmadan daha fazla işalla. 🙏🏽

[Bookviper · Rating 2 out of 5]

First off- The illustrations were fantastic. I loved the format of having illustrations and bits of commentary along the journey. The book started off really well; explaining the author's curiosity about a part of Americana that they'd heard of growing up abroad, giving a little history of Route 66, and bits about camping and meeting interesting people along the way. Unfortunately it quickly devolved into canned racism against white Americans. The author hypocritically wants you to feel sorry for how there is still evidence of racism in middle America, but at the same time is completely stereotyping all white, mid-westerners as racists. I'm a white, christian, mid-western born and raised male. I also drove parts of Route 66 last year. I also found the 'American Owned' hotel signs disturbing. I also have been through the 'Have you been saved?' freakishness of West Texas. (I now completely avoid West Texas if I can.) These feelings are not exclusively yours because you're brown. These types of people are a small portion of mid-western American life, yet you're using them to represent the whole. The illustrations showing you're feeling of exasperation and rage at this were exactly how I felt reading this book. Just another example of a closed-minded coaster.

[Loz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating exploration of and reflection on a pivotal piece of American history. I adore Shing's work, and this one shines. Emotional, funny, warm. Great art, love the colors. Bug arguably the best part.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m sure glad that I found this book as I enjoyed traveling with Shing and her dog as she made her journey traveling through parts of the United States and her road trip provided for me, some interesting history. Shing Yin Khor has lived in Los Angeles for ten years after having grown up in Malaysia. Although Shing is now an American citizen, Shing feels that she needs to see more of her new country to actually feel like an American and I thought this was an excellent idea. With some preformed images in her head of America, she now wants to experience America personally, she’s ready to step out of her “Los Angeles bubble” and experience a more historical look at America.

Beginning in California, Shing and her dog Bug, start traveling Route 66 to Illinois. What a fun and brave adventure! She gets lost, she talks about sleeping in her car, she meets up with a biker, she explores a variety of attractions and she meets such a wide variety of individuals. I liked how she provides the brief, interesting facts and commentaries about each of her stops, in the different states that she visits. Her remarks make me want to visit them. She does have her moments where she misses parts of being home but she knows that, she needs this journey. The water-colored illustrations provided just enough color to add to her journey, making this graphic novel an interesting and entertaining read. I read this book as part of the Read for a Better Tomorrow Winter Reading Program Jan 2022. 4 stars

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm laughing at all these adults calling this graphic memoir "too short," "too fluffy," and the like. It is a YA graphic book for goodness sakes! It wasn't written for you. Also all the people rating it low because she mentions the 2016 election in a negative way. Hello? Are you living under a rock to think that travel by a solo brown girl got more dangerous after Trump?

Anyway, I read this delightful book in one sitting while at the library. I'm so glad that I found it. I've never been particularly interested in Route 66 but I was lucky enough to camp across America just after I graduated from college. I don't think there is a better way to see America and meet her people. Reading this brought back lots of great memories of that and of my experience living in foreign countries.

[Steff Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

| Reader Fox Blog |


I have to admit, I'm not really all that invested in Route 66 past its influence on the movie Cars, which I have loved since the first time I ever saw it. My interest in Shing Yin Khor's The American Dream? came more from the fact that it was a road trip story about a young immigrant truly interested in the history of the route. That, in and of itself, is kind of fascinating. And Khor didn't disappoint, both with the wonderfully eye-catching artwork (which includes their absolutely adorable dog called Bug) and a very engaging story. And though I wouldn't ordinarily be much interested in much about Route 66 and what exists alongside it or the American dream, which a large part of me believes is pretty much dead or as close to dead as it could be without being so, I did have a really good time reading it.

I learned a lot about the history of Route 66 while reading this book and I won't say that it left any kind of lasting effect on me, in fact, I don't even remember the majority of it off the top of my head. But there's something amazing about places that really bring out a lot of passion within a person. And you can feel Shing Yin Khor's passion seeping from every single page within this graphic novel. And I didn't just learn about the route, but I learned about the people on it. I learned about the experiences they had as a result of being an immigrant--or basically, just not being white--and it was insightfully eye-opening.

I do find it quite depressing that the experience Khor had would probably be a little harder to have now, as this trip was taken before the racists took over the country and Trump was elected President. But I am glad to know that Khor had the chance to complete this trip and I am glad to have gotten a chance to read her work. There's a lot of amazing and worthwhile things in this novel and I definitely feel as though I left reading this book with something better than what I came into it. And I think this could be a great read for many other people, too.

I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love looking at new things, through eyes that are not mine, and what better way to look at American than through the eyes of someone who was not originally from America.

Though the author has been living in Los Angeles for a number of years, she wants to see the real America, and so decides to take a trip on Route 66.

Back before President Eisenhower created the interstate highway system, those roads that all start with Interstate and an even or odd number, depending on the direction they are going, roads were two lanes, and meandered across the country. Most are gone now, replaced by the Interstate highways, no longer needed.

But Route 66 was the one, as the song says, that stretched from Chicago to L.A. It was one of the longest of the early roads, and it was the one that was heavily used.

And though it is gone, offically, it lives on and is maintained, and people from around the world can be found traveling it to see if they can find the old America.







And so Shing sets out to drive it, and this is her story. It is intersting, and funny and sad, and all those things you want from a road trip.

She meets people along the way, and wild donkeys, and other features of the road. It is a fun trip, and beautifully illustrated.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a graphic novel about a young immigrate girl who decides to drive from the start of Route 66 to the end. Was not an especially interesting book.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was part of a reading challenge, and I have wanted to drive Route 66, so I read it ~ but it was a bit disappointing.
If she had kept to the adventures of the trip, the challenges, the surprises, and a bit of history, it would have been fine, (that's the 2 stars) but... she didn't. (0 stars)
The illustrations were well done.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Growing up in Malaysia, Shing was influenced by sunny and beautiful Los Angeles and the Grapes of Wrath’s search for the American Dream. After living in L.A. for 10 years and having been a citizen for four years, Shing fantasized of driving the Historic Route 66 from Santa Monica, California to Chicago. She believed this ultimate road trip would be her pilgrimage to capture the American Dream. Millions are drawn to the “mystique and nostalgia of Route 66" or Steinbeck’s “Mother Road.” Many families traveled West on Route 66 during the depression. Officially the route was retired from the highway system in 1985, but people have continued to preserve its glory. Accompanied by her dog, Bug, a 10-pound Terrier mix Shing drove from California, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri to Illinois. What an adventure she had from pot holes, dinosaurs, motels, diners, tacky tourist attractions, abandoned buildings and towns, muffler men, and donkeys encountering European tourists and characters on motorcycles, tour buses, and RVs that she lovingly preserved in her graphic memoir.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This graphic memoir recounts Shing Yin Khor’s road trip along the historic and iconic Route 66. Born in Malaysia, but living in Los Angeles, she sets out to to explore the "real America" and to see if she can find if the American dream still exists. She travels alone with just her dog for companionship. She passes through ghost towns and iconic historical landmarks, like wigwam hotels, car statues and dinosaur parks.

I enjoyed this graphic novel. The art depicted the a slice of long lost America before the Interstates were built making sections of this highway obsolete and many towns along the way abandoned ghost towns. I would love to someday drive along this iconic route - from Chicago to California - and see for myself the "tacky roadside attractions, and tiny abandoned towns, and little diners and motels."
For me this was a fascinating look at Route 66 and I really liked this book, but I'm not sure if a kid would find it as interesting.

[Raina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is the quintessential American experience? Shing Yin Khor grew up in Malaysia, moved to California, and lived in Los Angeles for 10 years before deciding to embark on a solo (plus dog) road trip on Route 66. This graphic memoir is what happened on that journey. Khor’s illustration style is colorful and evocative, using many different page layouts and leaving lots of white space. Khor reflects on the Route 66’s glorification and some of the problematic things encountered along the way. An epilogue acknowledges the fact that this journey was taken before the first Trump presidency, and that the “time when a brown girl of color could drive America fearlessly” may be in the past. Recommended for public and high school library collections.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fantastic book about a woman and her dog traveling on Route 66. I absolutely adored the artwork. It was a gorgeous water color style that really helped capture the feeling of traveling alone and kind of melancholy that can creep in sometimes. I also really loved all the weird and interesting landmarks that she stopped at and all of her friends that made appearances in the book. I really couldn't find anything that I didn't like about this book. This type of cross country drive is something that I have wanted to do as well so it was nice to see someone else do it. There were some good tips for camping in your car as well. I would highly recommend this to anyone who is a fan of travel log or road trip books.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free review copy.

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shing Yin Khor is a Malaysian-American comics artist currently living in LA who decided to explore her feelings about America and its mythology by taking a road trip down Route 66, all the way from LA to Chicago. It's a charming, honest and sweet little graphic memoir that's full of vibrant illustrations of quirky roadside attractions, but also touches on deeper topics like xenophobia, immigration and what it means to be an American. In an afterword, Khor mentions that she took this trip in April 2016, before Trump's election, and poignantly remarks, "This comic feels like a record of a time when a brown girl could drive across America fearlessly."

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced look at this incredible book!

I'm a long time fan of Shing Yin Khor's work, and I was so excited to see The American Dream? available on NetGalley! The book is absolutely beautiful, and very thoughtful. I maintain that a Bug Adventures book would be incredible as well. Highly recommend!

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a quick little read with a great glimpse into America’s complicated past and present as an American immigrant goes on a journey to discover more of America’s past and maybe to feel more included, but also a lot about camping, roadside tourist traps, and the longing for home and a sense of belonging.

[Cristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a graphic travelogue of Old Route 66, this brief tale also asks big questions about what it means to be an immigrant in America. Loved the illustrations by this talented artist, and the story moved quickly along the historic route. The history and personal stories along the journey were fun and deep at the same time. I'll definitely read more by this author.

[Heather Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This would be a phenomenal read for my high school students as well. The appeal of the road trip and the quintessential interaction with all things Americana is captured in this book; however, the approach from an immigrant, atheist, female POV in a post-Trump America is powerful. I am curious about the reception at the middle school and will be purchasing this book for my high school as well!

[Eduardo Santiago · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't prepared for how sweet this would be; nor how insightful or self-aware or funny. There's quite a lot packed into this thin little booklet: self-discovery, American culture (the good, the bad, the tacky), and the bonds that form our relationships and our selves. You will learn, laugh, and be moved.

[Frances · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one - thoughtfully written and beautifully illustrated with art that ranges from cute to lovely. Appreciated the ruminations on road trips and travel writing, as well as the commentary on what was seen along the way.

[Katie Bruell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a lot of fun, but also a thoughtful look at what it means to be an American, and at the concepts of belonging and home. And, of course, the dog Bug reminded me so much of my dog, that of course I was going to enjoy reading it!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this graphic novel. Don't skip ahead. The ending shook me.

[Debi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book barely seems to scratch the surface of the author/illustrator's journey. There are places and logistics and details I would like to hear more about.

It's a drive I've made numerous times, so it was nostalgic to read and look at, yet it was good for me to see the trip through eyes and experiences different from my own.