Blog Tour Review: Are You Nobody Too? by Tina Cane

Hi friends, as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours I’m excited to share my thoughts on Are You Nobody Too? by Tina Cane. Thanks to the TBR team for having me on tour and to Make Me A World (Random House Children’s) for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Are You Nobody Too?
Publisher: Make Me A World
Publication Date: 27 August 2024
Genre: Contemporary Middle Grade
Rep: Chinese, Asian, Adoption

Rating:

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📖 SYNOPSIS

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?

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Racism, bullying, pandemic, microaggressions, mentions of miscarriage (in the past)

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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.

“A friend is a gift you give yourself.”

“Never be embarrassed, Emily
Mind over matter, badass.”

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.

“…thinking how estate means wealth in the emotional
sense and about what an intense helpful companion
Emily Dickinson has been to me all these months
How I held her book against my chest
read her poems when I needed a friend…”

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.

“The way ending up in an orphanage
and later landing in a loving home
is fortunate and unfortunate

The way two truths can exist at once
when it comes to feelings …”

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!

“Not every conflict is a problem with a solution
But every story has to end So there has to be
a conclusion Even if it’s not totally resolved”

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!

Tina Cane grew up in downtown New York City during the 70s and 80s, surrounded by artists and writers and musicians, and she draws much of her creative inspiration from that era. The founder/ director of Writers-in-the-Schools, RI, Tina also currently serves as the poet laureate of Rhode Island where she lives with her husband and three children, who are also a major source of inspiration.

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