An Na

Quiet and lovely- I never really understood the desire for "The Fold Surgery" before I read this book. An Na's story of a girl who is given the opportunity to change a major part of herself could have been written about _any_ girl in the world, but it is about a Korean teenager, Joyce Park.
Joyce's older sister, Helen, was the shining star of their high school(in looks, popularity, and intelligence- the HS Troika!), and Joyce wants nothing more than to be noticed for herself, not as Helen's show more little sister. Her plan for a summer makeover is incited by her crush on another one of her HS's "Beautiful Ones," John Ford Kang; she wants to be the kind of girl HE notices. Well, he notices her, all right- he just thinks she's someone else completely.
I remember that same sort of desperate longing to be just like everyone else in High School. I even tried changing my makeup and hair and clothes; after getting mocked for trying to fit in, I gave up.
Joyce doesn't give up- Fate has dropped an Opportunity in her path. Her Aunt offers her a gift of Blepharoplasty- to have her undergo san-ga-pu-rhee (the Korean word for blepharoplasty) in order to create a more "open" or "Western" eye- "The Fold" of the title.
Will Joyce undergo the painful surgery to change the way she is perceived by others, or will she continue on the infinitely more painful path of creating inner beauty? show less

This is one of those books that reminds me that high quality writing in children's books exists. That inspires me to write. That causes me to start thinking more poetically, and to walk in another's shoes for several hours. And to turn the last page a little different than I was when I turned the first.

This is one of the most beautiful and poignant books I have read in any category. Although it is a young adult novel, anyone who loves to read would enjoy this book.

The format for the novel is unusual. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of the main character, from her earliest memory through her last day at home before leaving for college.

Each chapter is like a short story, very tight and spare. Although there is no traditional narrative story, there are strong themes running through show more the book to give it forward momentum and a satisfying ending. show less

While I would never say that we have an over abundance of books that deal with racism, I will say that this is only book I know of that deals with racism in which there are no Black or White characters. When a Mexican guitar playing teen comes to work in her family’s business, Mina faces several difficult challenges. Mina lies about her grades so that Uhma (her mother) will really believe that she will attend Harvard. Mina lies about many things. She lies about boys and sex. She is lying show more so much that she is finding it increasingly difficult to figure out who she is, let alone who she wants to be. One truth, however, in Mina’s life is her hearing impaired sister, Suni. Mina struggles with the often-conflicting pulls of her Korean culture, her family, and her personal identity. Students will enjoy this book because the story works. Teachers will appreciate this book because it is a good example of how form serves function. Mina, who can hear, speaks in long, first person passages. Suni, who is hearing impaired, speaks in very short, third person passages that are not always instantly understood. Readers should also appreciate the fact that this book makes it clear that racism is not a term that applies exclusively to Black and White students. Recommended for all high school libraries and mature middle school students. show less