The Fold

Oct 16, 2009 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Cara by: Ash

Shelves: realistic-fiction, sibilings

I didn't even have a chance to put up this book as currently-reading I was that sucked in. That never happens to me. I always put up what I'm reading, but I zipped right through this because I just had to find out what happened to Joyce and her whole decision on the fold.

Not being Korean I didn't know the whole extent of "the fold". The fold is the crease that people have on their eyelids and apparently have the effect of making your eyes look bigger. More importantly though it navigates and c...more I didn't even have a chance to put up this book as currently-reading I was that sucked in. That never happens to me. I always put up what I'm reading, but I zipped right through this because I just had to find out what happened to Joyce and her whole decision on the fold.

Not being Korean I didn't know the whole extent of "the fold". The fold is the crease that people have on their eyelids and apparently have the effect of making your eyes look bigger. More importantly though it navigates and challenges everybody's image of beauty. Should you really go under the knife? Where do you draw the line on what's too much? Should it matter what people think? Can you really judge someone for doing something drastic if it helped to boost their self-esteem? All these questions are presented and give you something to ponder on.

The book starts off with Joyce picking a pimple. Yeah you read right that's how it starts. She just can't face John Ford Kang (aka JFK and her crush) with that on her face. As gross as it sounds it actually pulls you in because this is something that people can identify with. Joyce's Korean family felt so real. The food, mannerisms and gestures felt genuine. Helen her older sister, the "perfect Korean girl", or so it seems is having her own problems as well. Though what is revealed about her is no surprise you can see why it is for Joyce. We are presented with the dilemma of the story when her aunt Gomo wins some lottery money and offers a gift to each of her family members. Joyce gets to get the fold surgery. There is lots of back and forth with this issue. Some people think she should, others that she shouldn't. If the fold will change her life for the better she can endure the pain right? But what if she regrets it and feels like a fake?

The only reason I didn't give the book a whole five star rating is because Joyce could get kind of annoying. She sounded more like a 13 year old girl than a person who was going to enter their senior year. She constantly complained about her older sister and basically obsessed over her looks. I get that it was part of her journey but I don't think she had to be so quite out of touch. I thought the ending was fitting and liked the roles the minor characters played. Definitely worth your time.(less)

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Oct 10, 2009 Ash rated it 4 of 5 stars

Having had a Korean friend when I was younger I already knew about the fold surgery and I also saw it on Oprah. Go ahead and laugh but that is an informational show! The book was interesting and even funny, but it felt slow at times. Joyce also seemed self-centered for most of the beginning.

Joyce wishes she was beautiful. Maybe if she looked more like her sister then the gorgeous John Ford Kang might actually notice her. Her sister Helen is the poster child for the perfect Korean daughter; smar...more Having had a Korean friend when I was younger I already knew about the fold surgery and I also saw it on Oprah. Go ahead and laugh but that is an informational show! The book was interesting and even funny, but it felt slow at times. Joyce also seemed self-centered for most of the beginning.

Joyce wishes she was beautiful. Maybe if she looked more like her sister then the gorgeous John Ford Kang might actually notice her. Her sister Helen is the poster child for the perfect Korean daughter; smart, beautiful, respectful, and responsible, but that's just not who Joyce is. When she finally builds the courage to ask John to sign her yearbook on the last day of school she finds that he doesn't even know who she is. Now Joyce feels worse than ever. But when her aunt Gomo wins the lottery, and she offers all of the family a gift to help improve them, Joyce finally has the chance to be beautiful.

Although I did enjoy reading the book (at least when I had the chance), Joyce just sounded selfish at the beginning. She was always mentioning how Helen was self-centered, and didn't Helen realize that not everything was about her? Maybe I'm just better at reading people, but wasn't it pretty obvious that Helen had bigger problems than whether or not Joyce was going to get to use the car? The beginning dragged on for a while with Joyce debating whether or not she wants the surgery without getting much closer to a decision. Things finally start to pick in the middle.
I did like the honesty of the book though. The relationship that Joyce has with her family and the Korean church community doesn't feel forced. Her best friend Gina sounds shallow from the start, but by the end of the book you see that she's actually a very loyal and trustworthy friend. Her aunt Gomo is easily unlikable the way she blatantly favors Helen over Joyce, but while all her gifts turn out to be a catastrophe you see that her heart is in the right place. For the most part the other characters are given depth but I still think that they could've been drawn out more. The author did a very good job of showing how easily you can be drawn into wanting beauty so much that you're willing to change yourself. By the end I was seriously thinking that it wouldn't be all that bad if Joyce got the surgery, as long as she did it for herself. I also always appreciate when an author can tie in culture without sounding like a social studies book.

The subject of the book really interested me, but I also liked that its message was more about everyones general appearance issues, rather than only on the fold surgery. The book managed to be funny, even though the beginning was slow. I really liked how the ending tied in how the people that love you, like friends and family are always there for you. I was also mostly satisfied with how the crush issues were dealt with. No shattered lives or broken hearts. Always a plus. The ending was believable, and although it was left a bit open it still managed to satisfy me. An interesting and worthwhile read. (less)

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Nov 20, 2010 Esther rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural-international-literat, asian-american, realistic-fiction

Published by 2008 by Putnam Juvenile
Interest Level: 8th-10th Grade

This book follows an Korean-American girl and her family after they are graciously given "gifts" from the girl's aunt that suddenly wins the lottery. The surprise is not the lottery winnings but the effect of those "gifts" that are given and how each family member accepts or rejects them.

I thought that the depiction of this family was detailed, thoughtful, heartfelt, and honest. Each family member had different difficulties that...more

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Mar 08, 2009 The Loft added it

The Fold is the story of Joyce who is plagued by the beauty of her older sister Helen, and her own false sense of plainness. With her best friend Gina, she explores how she would look with an extra “western” fold of skin above her eye. She tries a makeup session and is pleased with the results and even goes to a plastic surgeon, with the money from her Aunt Gomo “Michael”’s (as in too much plastic surgery) lottery winning and has her eyes taped temporarily as well.

But the boy she likes, John For...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Dieuduong rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recently, my sister recommended me to read A Step from Heaven by An Na. After finished reading the book, I totally felt in love with it. So I started reading another book written by the same author which is called The Fold. The genre of this book is fiction. This book is about a Korean-American teenager, Joyce Park. She has a very low self-esteem about her appearance because she is always being compared to her pretty, smart, talented older sister, Helen. At school, Joyce has a crush on this guy...more Recently, my sister recommended me to read A Step from Heaven by An Na. After finished reading the book, I totally felt in love with it. So I started reading another book written by the same author which is called The Fold. The genre of this book is fiction. This book is about a Korean-American teenager, Joyce Park. She has a very low self-esteem about her appearance because she is always being compared to her pretty, smart, talented older sister, Helen. At school, Joyce has a crush on this guy named John Ford Kang but the sad thing is that he doesn’t even know her existent. At the end of her high school junior year, she finally brought up all her courage to ask him to sign her yearbook. But instead, he told her how ugly she is and made fun of her mono-eyelids. In the beginning of her summer vacation, her rich aunt offers to pay for her double eyelids cosmetics surgery. This opportunity might help her to getting more attention that she always wanted. Joyce struggles between the two choices. The first choice is getting surgery, this will improve her appearance in others people and might give her more confident. The second choice is not getting surgery, this way she can keep her true identity and eventually find a new confident in her life. So she decides to spend sometimes in her summer vacation to consider whether or not she should do the surgery. In the novel, Joyce is basically having a conflict within herself because she has to decide whether her appearance is more important than her true identity. The symbol in the novel is the eye because it helps us looking for what we truly want for ourselves. And the theme is that people often judge book just by its cover. The novel was written in narrative writing style and it contains a lot of humor tone. Even though this novel is not as good as the first book I read from this author, I would still recommend to many teenagers because many of them are probably having or maybe facing the same situation as Joyce Park has. (less)

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Apr 10, 2013 Christiana rated it 2 of 5 stars

The Fold is the story of Korean-American Teenager, Joyce Park. Joyce is having a difficult summer. She feels constantly compared to her smart, beautiful, older sister Helen, her crush John F Khang, dosen't even know she exists, and she has to decided if she's going to get "the fold" (an eye surgery, offered to her by her aunt, that will give her bigger, more american looking eyes). For Joyce, it seems like life couldn't get any worse, but as the summer, and the novel unfold, Joyce gains a new pe...more

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Apr 02, 2013 Tiffany rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joyce is a teenage Asian-American with a big decision to make. She wants the attention of a boy at school and it seems like she’s going to get her chance when her rich aunt offers to pay for her to get an eye-lid surgery popular among Asian women to make her eyes appear more American. While she has a strong Asian culture around her, it seems like everyone is getting work done! Will she go with the flow as her best suggests or be proud of her eyes as her sister says she should?
I didn’t think I wo...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars

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 littl...more

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Jun 16, 2011 Karin rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: korean-american, self-image, asian-american, concepts-of-beauty, plastic-surgery, young-adult-fiction, realistic, families, body-image, borrowed-from-the-library

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Joyce Park is a Korean-American teenager and she’s totally crushing on this guy in her class – John Ford Kang. After an embarrassing mishap where he signs her yearbook thinking the whole time that she’s some other girl, Joyce feels ugly and unattractive. Around the same time, Joyce’s already wealthy aunt, Gomo, wins the lottery. She announces to the family that she’s going to give everyone a gift – Joyce’s gift is to be plastic surgery to make her eyes look bigger. Up until this point Joyce has...more

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Aug 26, 2010 Latricia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: teen-books, tween-ages-12-14

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. A Korean American teen, Joyce, is offered plastic surgery on her eyes by an Aunt who has come into some lottery money. Joyce has always been the plain sister and is tempted by the surgery which would give her eyes 'the fold'. Joyce debates the idea of getting the surgery with her best friend, Sam (a boy who lives in her apartment building who struggles with severe acne), and her older sister who has always been the pretty and smart one.
Joyce's aunt railroads her a bit and makes appointments with...more A Korean American teen, Joyce, is offered plastic surgery on her eyes by an Aunt who has come into some lottery money. Joyce has always been the plain sister and is tempted by the surgery which would give her eyes 'the fold'. Joyce debates the idea of getting the surgery with her best friend, Sam (a boy who lives in her apartment building who struggles with severe acne), and her older sister who has always been the pretty and smart one.
Joyce's aunt railroads her a bit and makes appointments with a plastic surgeon before Joyce has made up her mind. Her sister thinks she's insane to even consider it, her best friend thinks that she is insane NOT to do it, and Sam won't weigh in - but it's clear he's been crushing on Joyce. At the surgeon's office, Joyce gets some much needed impartial information and gets to see what a difference the surgery will make. The doctor glues her eyelids into place as they would look after the surgery.
The normal teen dramas happen: Joyce's new eyes are a hit and she's rocketed to the in crowd for an afternoon at the beach and her best friend feels left out, she disses Sam, realizes that the 'in' group isn't all it's cracked up to be, learns there is more to her sister than pretty, and eventually makes up with her friend and Sam and her sister.

Thoughts:
Even now after at least a week of thinking about this book I am still unsure of it. There are times in this book that the stereotypes drove me nuts. But as soon as I was about to be truly fed up, Na would lift the curtain and give a peek behind the curtain. Whether it was the pretty and perfect sister who was studying to be a doctor (though it sounded from the text more like a therapist than a doctor), who was hiding the fact that she was 'in love' with her best friend and that she was afraid to come out of the close because she would embarrass the family, or the bossy aunt who everyone thinks is addicted to plastic surgery because she's vain and has had many American husbands, who reveals to Joyce what happened when her first husband brought her to America and how she was treated. The biggest twist was at the end....

SPOILER - for any who care

Joyce decides at the very last second not to do the surgery, but she keeps the glue the doctor gives her because sometimes she might want an adventure. She asks her aunt to give the money to her friend to help her get clear braces instead of regular metal ones. So does substance win over beauty? A very intriguing book which will definitely get readers talking about issues of beauty, family, stereotypes, and lots more.(less)

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Dec 02, 2009 Samantha (Harlequin Twilight's Book Blog) rated it 3 of 5 stars

Summary: The Fold by An Na is the story of Joyce Park and her struggle with self image, love, and family. The last day of her junior year Joyce finds the courage to ask her mega-crush, John Ford Kang, to sign her yearbook. He does sign, but he signs it too the wrong girl, causing Joyce to question herself and if she will ever be beautiful enough to be noticed by John Ford Kang. Already being the middle child with the sister, Helen, which she is always being compared too and never lives up to tha...more Summary: The Fold by An Na is the story of Joyce Park and her struggle with self image, love, and family. The last day of her junior year Joyce finds the courage to ask her mega-crush, John Ford Kang, to sign her yearbook. He does sign, but he signs it too the wrong girl, causing Joyce to question herself and if she will ever be beautiful enough to be noticed by John Ford Kang. Already being the middle child with the sister, Helen, which she is always being compared too and never lives up to that expectation, and the boy, Joyce has trouble trying to keep her head above water at home. Just when her questioning begins, her plastic-surgery-crazed aunt hits the lottery and decides to help each member of the family better themselves. Offering Joyce the chance to get The Fold, a surgery to alter her Asian eyes, Joyce is then sent into a tailspin trying to decide if she wants the surgery or not. Helen can’t believe she would even consider it, her best friend Gina can’t believe she wouldn’t jump at the chance for free surgery, and Joyce hates pain. But the only thing she knows is that she wants John Ford Kang to notice her, to be her boyfriend, no matter what it takes to do so. The question becomes, would she consider surgery without knowing for sure that he will notice her? Or will she make him notice her for who she is?

Review: It was a little hard to get into at first, but after the first couple of chapters it was a pretty good story. It’s something I wish I had read in high school, because almost every high school-er goes through the “would he notice me if I was prettier?” kind of situation. The stories all coincide with one another and eventually all make sense; there is the semi-shocking, but kind of obvious twist with her sister Helen, Gina’s part in everything, the boy next door (literally), the boy of her dreams (there was always that one guy), and the mean girl (we all knew those). And yes, every time they talked about John Ford Kang, they either said the entire name or called him JFK, neither of which I particularly cared for. The ending seemed a bit unsatisfying, at least to me, but overall the story was a good one to tell. Although I did never figure out exactly with “The Fold” was, or how it changed someone’s face, but that’s just me (and yes, I did check Wikipedia, but I still have no idea the difference)!(less)

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Apr 05, 2009 Sandy Yang rated it 5 of 5 stars

Title: The Fold
Author: An Na

After reading the book, A Step From Heaven I was amazed and wanted to read another book written by the amazing author,An Na.
In this book, the protagonist, Joyce, thinks that she is too plain of a girl compared to her perfect sister, Helen. Her sister had it all, popularity, wits, and the beauty. One day, her aunt won the lottery and decided to offer Joyce's family some things that they needed. For Joyce, she offered her the eyelid folding surgery, which was stereot...more

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Feb 13, 2012 Bethany rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-american-childrens-lit

The Fold by An Na was published in 2008 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons. The book tells the story of Joyce Park and her family during the summer after Joyce’s junior year in high school. After her crush, a boy named John Ford Kang, reveals that he doesn’t know Joyce’s name despite being in the same class, Joyce is discouraged, yet determined to catch his eye. Joyce feels intense competition with her older sister, Helen, who seems to outshine her in every way, and Joyce feels frustrated by her seeming in...more The Fold by An Na was published in 2008 by G. P. Putnam’s Sons. The book tells the story of Joyce Park and her family during the summer after Joyce’s junior year in high school. After her crush, a boy named John Ford Kang, reveals that he doesn’t know Joyce’s name despite being in the same class, Joyce is discouraged, yet determined to catch his eye. Joyce feels intense competition with her older sister, Helen, who seems to outshine her in every way, and Joyce feels frustrated by her seeming inability to measure up to Helen in any area. When Joyce’s aunt proposes the gift of plastic surgery so that Joyce can have eyelids with a Western-style crease, Joyce is very tempted to accept the offer and gain a new look and new confidence for her senior year. In the process of making her decision, however, Joyce must carefully examine her role in her family and among her friends and decide whether surface-level perfection is always what it seems to be.
In this novel, An Na confronts the beauty myths and standards that permeate society in many cultures. Joyce’s aunt (Gomo) is portrayed as a plastic surgery fanatic, who has been nicknamed “Michael” (referring to Michael Jackson) by her niece and nephew. Gomo’s need to “perfect” her image is not limited to her own body once lottery winnings enable her to “gift” a perfect image to the rest of her family. Of course, none of these gifts work out as intended, opening the question for readers of whether the pursuit of a perfect exterior is worth the risks. On the other side of the argument, cool girl Lisa Yim embodies the potential benefits of cosmetic adjustments – she exudes extra confidence and has the social following to prove to Joyce that surgery can offer many benefits. Of course, Na eventually reveals that Lisa Yim’s personality is not always as beautiful as her exterior. Other characters, Joyce’s friends, have physical imperfections that are repeatedly described, but have solid internal traits that make them quality friends for her during a tumultuous summer. The book teaches its lesson, though it borders on being didactic in its many examples of how the quest for external perfection only leads to unhappiness. The only character who isn’t really fleshed out in this way is Joyce’s love interest, who is idolized solely for his physical appearance. Readers never get a clear picture of whether John’s insides match his outsides.
The other main theme of the book, competition with a seemingly perfect sibling, will resonate with many readers. Na captures the perspective and frustration of a teenage younger sibling perfectly, and the reader is not allowed to see the “whole picture” in this relationship until the last part of the novel. I was not completely comfortable with how the “perfect” older sister was revealed to be “imperfect,” however. While being gay is considered an imperfection in many families and cultures, I don’t love that this was the way a “perfect” character was taken off her pedestal in a novel centered on a theme of valuing people for who and how they are. Ultimately, Joyce’s family does stand together in valuing Helen for who she is (despite her rejection by their church community), but even this understanding and acceptance of Helen’s sexuality feels unnatural and quickly resolved. Adjusting to the knowledge that a family member is gay could fill its own novel. This component of The Fold felt forced and inauthentic to me.
Na includes many cultural details in her novel. Of course, the main cultural issue is the question of “the fold,” which seems to be dealt with authentically and thoroughly. Since the family owns a Korean restaurant, many food details are included that are part of the everyday lives of Korean families. The role of the church community in the family’s lives mirrored the Korean church communities my friends have joined. The family’s relationship with Gomo touches on the Korean value of honoring members of the family, and the conflicts that sometimes arise surrounding this value feel truthfully presented. John Ford Kang, the love interest, also serves as an interesting cultural presence, since he is half Korean and half Caucasian. He seems to prefer dating Caucasian girls, but is being encouraged to be more in touch with his Korean heritage. He ends up seeming a bit “untouchable” and “exotic” to both groups, indicating that he is not an exact fit in either world – an experience often described by biracial children.
In all, I am not sure I would recommend The Fold for its target audience of high school readers. The question of external perfection at any cost should absolutely be discussed with students in this age group, and the book could be used to begin conversations around that issue. However, students should also be guided to consider whether other issues in the book (such as the family’s reaction to the news that Helen is gay) are given the weight that they deserve. At times, the story feels too light and fluffy for the heavy issues it tries to tackle.
(less)

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Apr 23, 2013 Margaret Herrinton rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really did care for this book. I thought it did not really cover any of the multicultural issues. It was a very superficial storyline.
This book follows the story of Joyce Park who is a Korean high school student. Her wealthy aunt offers to pay for her to have a surgery to add a fold into her eye to give her a more European appearance. She is debating having the surgery, and is weighing the option of having it. She's concerned about the medical aspect and how her aunt is addicted to plastic sur...more

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Feb 22, 2010 bjneary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural-fiction, realistic-fiction, ya

An Na does a superb job of looking into a Korean American teens' life and her concept of family. Joyce is very insecure, loves John Ford Kang (he doesn't even know she exists)and hates being in the shadow of her beautiful, smart older sister, Helen. Joyce's best friend Gina is totally supportive. Joyce's aunt has won the lottery and decides to lavish some of her money on gifts to Joyce's family with some funny, decidedly mixed results. Gomo has decided to pay for Joyce's eye surgery to enhance t...more

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Jan 30, 2009 BAYA Librarian rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic, asian-american

* The Printz Award-winning author here offers a lightweight title about a serious subject: the cosmetic surgery Asian women undergo to achieve a more Western look to their eyes, know as the "double lid fold." Many non-Asians are unaware of this phenomenon, but for Asians and Asian Americans, it's a controversial issue. 16 year old Korean-American Joyce is a believable teen, obsessing over the gorgeous hapa (half Korean, half white) boy who doesn't know she exists, jealous of her beautiful, socia...more

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May 14, 2012 Sandy Wang rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 15, 2013 Clarity rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally at: www.book-babble-101.blogspot.com

Review

After reading just the summary I thought that this book was going to be one of those stories where the nerdy girl falls for the popular (and very attractive) boy and the boy doesn't like her back, but then she gets some sort of extreme makeover and BAM he suddenly likes her so they get together and then live happily ever after. So I was pleasantly surprised when the storyline was a bit more realistic and had more substance than that.

Even thoug...more Originally at: www.book-babble-101.blogspot.com

Review

After reading just the summary I thought that this book was going to be one of those stories where the nerdy girl falls for the popular (and very attractive) boy and the boy doesn't like her back, but then she gets some sort of extreme makeover and BAM he suddenly likes her so they get together and then live happily ever after. So I was pleasantly surprised when the storyline was a bit more realistic and had more substance than that.

Even though I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I thought I would, there was something about the writing style that really irritated me. For about the first half of the book the author made a lot of movie, people and book reference jokes (that weren't even that good), but by about half way she seemed to have run out of jokes so they just stopped. Maybe I just missed something, but I'm pretty sure that there were a few points in the book where characters appeared and disappeared into thin air which left me more than a little bit confused.

Most of the characters were realistic and easy to relate to which is always a good thing. There were one or two characters which came across as superficial and fake, but I think that was the authors intention. I would have liked it if there had been more focus on other characters instead of just Joyce and I'm surprised that the author only briefly touched on Gomo's past and Helen's 'problem'. Compared to everyone else, Joyce's problems seemed rather trivial and by the end of the book she just really started to annoy me.

Reading back on what I've written so far you'd think that I hated the book, but I didn't. Although it was a little slow to begin with I did like how the author kind of gave us an insight on how Asian people feel about their eyes and how much they really notice that they're different. I never even knew that some people went into surgery to get bigger eyes and it has left me wondering how many people actually go that far.

Title and Cover Discussion

I found that both the title and the cover really suit this book. I am a sucker for books with pretty covers and I always judge a book by its cover. This cover and the title hold such significance for the actual storyline of the book which I didn't actually realise until I started reading. (less)

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Nov 02, 2009 Valerie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: realistic-fiction

Alright, I started reading this book with mixed feelings. I'm not Asian so I'm not always conscious of "The Fold" but I have heard of the surgery that thousands of Asians go through each year.

Quick overview: Joyce's aunt wins the lottery and gives all these presents to her family. The aunt decides to give Joyce the surgery to create the fold. The rest of the story goes on with Joyce debating whether to get it or not. Of course other stuff happens too but that is the jist of it.

I was all for Jo...more

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May 26, 2010 Book Sp(l)ot rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, arc

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. oyce is Korean teenager living in California who hasn't ever particularly cared how she looked

"While Gina [Joyce's best friend:] and Joyce were similarly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, Gina knew how to go that extra step, with a nice belt here and a silver necklace there, so that Gina looked put together whereas Joyce felt like she barely hung together.

But then her aunt gives her what could be the opportunity of a lifetime: the fold surgery--a surgery to make her Asian eyes appear more Western....more oyce is Korean teenager living in California who hasn't ever particularly cared how she looked

"While Gina [Joyce's best friend:] and Joyce were similarly dressed in jeans and T-shirts, Gina knew how to go that extra step, with a nice belt here and a silver necklace there, so that Gina looked put together whereas Joyce felt like she barely hung together.

But then her aunt gives her what could be the opportunity of a lifetime: the fold surgery--a surgery to make her Asian eyes appear more Western. After living in the shadow of her perfect, beautiful older sister Helen for so long and having a crush on John Ford Kang the half Asian boy who seems to only date blondes, nothing could be better. Right?

Well, that's what Gina says Joyce isn't so sure.

My take; Between reading the summary on the front flap of the book and the Amazon summary, I'm not really sure what else is actually in the book. Between the two of them it's a bit of a 'Joyce thinks A so she does B and C happens and then D and then there's E but what about F and oh, yeah G'. Of course, there are some other things but I feel like the summaries give you the basic plot points and only the secondary characters stories are left out, if that makes sense.

But that might also be because I don't have a very high opinion of this book. I wasn't overjoyed about reading it in the first place but I did like the first 15 or so pages. After that, however, I felt like information was left out, just little things that would have made the entire story less confusing. I would be reading and have assumed one thing based on how something was or was not said or presented and then something would be said to the contrary. Some of it was based on my assumptions, but some of it just didn't seem to make sense.

I'm not talking about the Korean phrases used, either. Those were fine, it was little things in the story that didn't add up to me. I also don't really feel like there was any character development. I know what this story was supposed to be accomplishing (Joyce growing up, learning to accept herself, deciding whether or not that was with cosmetic enhancement) but I felt like the story just sort of happened with some things thrown in for effect or to just be there and then the ending was stuck in and that was that. When there were changes in the characters they didn't seem to be precipitated by anything, it just happened (noticing a theme here?).

It's quite possible that An Na's writing is just not for me and I'm just finding every possible thing to pick at with this book, but I wouldn't suggest it, sorry. 3/10

(So maybe you shouldn't have stuck with me?...I didn't realise I was going to be so negative) (less)

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Apr 14, 2011 Tessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: yyay

The interactions between Joyce and her siblings and friends were very realistic. The way Gina and Joyce are definitely best friends but are still so obsessed with appearance and their insecurities that they don't manage to really support each other, they just end up supporting each other against the insecurities without denying them.

I honestly couldn't predict whether she would get the surgery (ok, I figured she wouldn't, but Na seemed daring enough to let her go through with it and didn't cond...more

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Nov 30, 2008 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of An Na ever since A step from Heaven. I always recommend them to my students, the themes in the books are quite similar to themes that they (students) deal with on a day to day basis. The Fold delt with the age old dilemma of a teenager: the quest for beauty to catch the perfect guy (or girl). The main character Joyce has a huge crush on JFK (not the president), issues of being the little sister to her perfect older sister Helen, and a generous Aunt who will (with the help of...more

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May 01, 2010 Lisa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: asian-american, childrensandyoungadultfiction

I sought out this book after reading An Na's gorgeous A Step from Heaven, but this one is more of a mixed bag. I enjoyed the scenes of Korean American family and community, and loved most of the supporting characters (Helen, Sam, Gomo, Uhmma and Apa). But Joyce and Gina, and their concerns, just seemed as silly as the characters in any other YA novel about beauty and trying to impress a popular boy. On the other hand, I'm not the novel's target audience, and maybe its messages would resonate mor...more

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Feb 20, 2012 Gwen rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens, middle school, high school, girls

The Fold is the story of a girl who is faced with choosing between becoming the American standard of pretty, or keep with her heritage. This is more than just some story of culture vs. culture. The lead character deals more with the other characters and inner feelings towards getting a procedure that will give her the more American appeal versus how she feels about her traditional heritage. This book might be more relatable to the crowd with a similar East Asian background, but was a decent read...more

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Aug 05, 2010 Crystal rated it 2 of 5 stars

I really love the concept of this novel but I'm afraid I was a little let down by the writing. Joyce seemed mostly reactive, which makes it a bit hard to care about her as much as you want to. I was also not thrilled by the ending because it seemed somewhat predictable and forced like it was tacked on quickly. Other than that, though, I think the author did a good job of making the teenagers sound realistic and I really liked the Korean word dropping. She did it really well and it didn't end up...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Genie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: multicultural, realistic-fiction

As a reader, this book mirrored some of the same experiences that I've experienced or some of my closest Korean-American friends have encountered. It at times engendered a sense of pride, while at other times, it made me totally ashamed of my culture.

However, I believe that An Na did a great job of capturing the Korean-American society. She used a multitude of Korean words, spelling them phonetically, and not translating them into English. It provided a sense of authenticity as I was reading. I...more

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Jun 11, 2010 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

The fold by – An Na, is a really complicated and stressing book because the main character goes through a lot of beauty treatment, because she wants to stand out, be the best, and look beautiful every day, but if Joyce was a real person in life, I bet she would look better without the fold, surgery and doing whatever you are doing to make yourself a more beautiful person only makes you uglier. This also shows that you don't like the way your parents created you, which means you are calling your...more The fold by – An Na, is a really complicated and stressing book because the main character goes through a lot of beauty treatment, because she wants to stand out, be the best, and look beautiful every day, but if Joyce was a real person in life, I bet she would look better without the fold, surgery and doing whatever you are doing to make yourself a more beautiful person only makes you uglier. This also shows that you don't like the way your parents created you, which means you are calling your parents ugly as well. I thought that this book was really good, I can feel what Joyce is going through, especially having a crush on someone who doesn't know anything about you liking him at all, because I've been there and it hurts sometimes to know that you're not getting the attention that you're trying to show or give, but I have someone that I've been loving for almost 4 years now so I am happy. There were points in my life where I was jealous about someone else, who was prettier than me, or had that body that attracted more men, and I look at myself in the mirror, and I always seem to pull out a chunk of fat, lol I am just kidding but, every time when i see beautiful women in magazines, or any where on the internet, I always say to myself, the only reason why she looks beautiful, is because of massive makeup, angles of the pose, and basically technology, and I bet without all of that to help her, she would not look that amazing , and in the story it says: "Joyce pulled out the drawer and reached for her heavy-duty concealer makeup stick."(Pg.3) If I can be in Joyce's world for a day or two, i would tell her that image will always be the first thing everyone will look at instead of getting to know you first, but if you are a good person, with a good personality, that's the most beautifulest thing a girl can have and show even with flaws. Yes the outside matters, but not for long because the hours tick so fast, by the time you know it, you're already ready to go to heaven. I understand that girls like us always worries about our appearance, but sometimes I want to live like a guy sometimes, don't care about my looks, because ladies now and days are the ones that tries to look good for the men anyways. I guess Joyce and I kind of have the same situation going on for example: "Joyce stared at herself int he mirror. She wanted to feel different. She wanted guys to gather around her." (pg.170) but I am not Korean and I don't fold my own eyelids, I grow my own natural lids from my parents and I love it, and i am respecting my body and I don't need any attention from guys to tell me that I am hot or sexy. I also thought this book reflected about women getting breast implant, and lip suction, and it's crazy how women now and days will do whatever it takes to gain those attention. "Ow, ow, ow, owwwww!" Joyce's voice grew louder in proportion to the pain. (pg.254) That reminds me of when i we getting my eyebrows done by my older brother's ex-girlfriend, and it hurt a lot for the first time, but i managed to chill with the pain. We ladies should accept the fact that we are born beautifully natural and changing ourselves with massive equipment will only make us look more fake. Never throw away Natural Beauty.(less)

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Oct 02, 2008 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

OOOKAY

so this book is so Koreanized. like they say konglish sometimes and eat bibimbap and stuff so it was sorta cool reading it.........

Weeeellllll.... Joyce's sister Helen is beautiful,smart, responsible, etc. and EVERYONE loooves her.and joyce hates her for this(typically)

Joyce's aunt wins the lottery and wants to "help everyone in the family.

For Joyce, Auntie offers sangapul plastic surgery which is a surgery for your eyes to make them look bigger by a fold. Joyce doesn't know what to do.

She...more

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Jan 16, 2009 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joyce and Gina are best friends ending their junior year of high school. They are determined to make this summer one of transformation. They want to look better, prettier, to stand out and be noticed. When they go back to school in the fall, they want people to say Wow. Who wouldn’t want that?

What steps are you willing to take to be “pretty”? Joyce’s Aunt Gomo offers her the chance of a lifetime. She will pay for Joyce to get her eyes done. Get her eyes done? Will that work? Is that all she need...more

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Jun 09, 2008 Abby Johnson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Joyce Park has always been overshadowed by her beautiful, smart older sister Helen, but this is the summer that's going to change. Joyce has a plan. First, she's going to get her crush John Ford Kang to sign her yearbook. She'll be effortlessly gorgeous and witty and sign something intriguing in his. Then she'll spend the whole summer improving herself. She'll wash her face every day and figure out some way to slim down her fat knees. When they come back for their senior year, John will remember...more

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