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2024 APALA Young Adult Honor Book 

“Lee’s powerful memoir explores coming of age as a Korean American teen in New Jersey…The microaggressions and overt aggressions depicted are painful, which makes the resolution, Deb’s return to South Korea and a tentative embrace of her culture, a cautious reconciliation. Filled primarily with digitally created grayscale artwork, Lee’s style has the feel of memory, with some images hazy and others sharp, the suicidal moments and abusive treatment from Deb’s mother fuzzing out and fading to black. Readers seeking realistic depictions of lived teen mental health experiences will find this beautiful work rewarding.”

– School Library Journal, Starred Review

In Limbo

Written by Deb JJ Lee
Illustrated by Deb JJ Lee
Published by Macmillan - First Second

A debut YA graphic memoir about a Korean-American girl’s coming-of-age story—and a coming home story—set between a New Jersey suburb and Seoul, South Korea.

Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she’s felt her otherness.

For a while, her English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes—especially her eyes—feel wrong.

In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. Caught in limbo, with nowhere safe to go, Deb finds her mental health plummeting, resulting in a suicide attempt.

But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.

Primary ISBN: 978125025265
Publication Date: March 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook
Graphic Memoir, Young Adult, Age 14 or older

Community Represented:

Themes: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (New Jersey), United States (New York City NY), South Korea (Seoul)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Immigrant

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

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