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The Translation of Julian Yu: A Novel
"Hey You, Julian Yu!' That's how 18-year-old Julian Yu's peers relentlessly mock him. If only he could hide away and read, left alone as an irredeemable nerd. With desperation mounting as his junior year draws to a close and young adulthood looms on the horizon, will Julian ever escape the torment?
Will he decipher those enigmas called relationships, whether with his enviably popular older brother who's Ivy League bound, his elegant English teacher with a mysterious Japanese past, or his Jewish classmate turned potential love interest?
Will he reconcile his Taiwanese heritage and broken Chinese with his American upbringing and impeccable English?
And more than anything, will he finally relinquish his innate cynicism for something akin to hope?
The Translation of Julian Yu is a coming-of-age novel for our fractious times about a young Taiwanese-American's confrontations with race, culture, and language, and his search for an identity that transcends it all.
"A poignant and relatable novel that heightens the beauty of everyday life and the heartache of searching for identity."
—Readers' Favorite (5 Star Review)
"An emotionally engaging read from start to finish...especially and unreservedly recommended for high school and community library Teen & YA Fiction collections."
—Midwest Book Review
“Lee's gift for creating real emotion had me invested to the very end. I loved hanging out with these characters.”
—Piper Jean, author of Falling for Korea
"A captivating, lovable protagonist...a heartbreaking and thrilling ending."
—Andra Stanton, author of How Art Heals
"The prose is often lyrical and transformative, as is the subject matter."
—Dyanne Martin, Ph.D., Wheaton College professor of English
Will he decipher those enigmas called relationships, whether with his enviably popular older brother who's Ivy League bound, his elegant English teacher with a mysterious Japanese past, or his Jewish classmate turned potential love interest?
Will he reconcile his Taiwanese heritage and broken Chinese with his American upbringing and impeccable English?
And more than anything, will he finally relinquish his innate cynicism for something akin to hope?
The Translation of Julian Yu is a coming-of-age novel for our fractious times about a young Taiwanese-American's confrontations with race, culture, and language, and his search for an identity that transcends it all.
"A poignant and relatable novel that heightens the beauty of everyday life and the heartache of searching for identity."
—Readers' Favorite (5 Star Review)
"An emotionally engaging read from start to finish...especially and unreservedly recommended for high school and community library Teen & YA Fiction collections."
—Midwest Book Review
“Lee's gift for creating real emotion had me invested to the very end. I loved hanging out with these characters.”
—Piper Jean, author of Falling for Korea
"A captivating, lovable protagonist...a heartbreaking and thrilling ending."
—Andra Stanton, author of How Art Heals
"The prose is often lyrical and transformative, as is the subject matter."
—Dyanne Martin, Ph.D., Wheaton College professor of English
578 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 7, 2024
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5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 11, 2024
Following the life of Julian Yu, a second-generation immigrant to the United States, The Translation of Julian Yu is a beautiful and pondering look at what it means to be Asian in a world dominated by European descendants. Julian is a teen on the cusp of adulthood, drifting between two worlds, and struggling to discover just what it means to be Julian Yu. Faced with bullying at school, curiosity in religion, and his own philosophical questions, Julian finds himself on a journey of inner tumult punctuated by a great love of language.
Lee’s writing style puts me in mind of the Japanese classics such as The Setting Sun by Dazai Osamu or I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki, but with a modern twist, which I found fascinating. As a great lover of language, I found myself sucked into the many scenes of Julian exploring his own native Chinese, and Japanese, Hebrew, and Korean, all brought into his life by his friends and teachers. It really reminds the reader just how powerful language is and how much it can convey with a single word.
Even though the book doesn’t follow the typical story structure, with fast-paced scenes and high tension, the story still flowed well, spooled out in Julian’s day to day, much like real life. The story is a contemplative one, one that makes you sit back and think, and puts into perspective that everyone is the same on the inside, no matter what color they may be on the outside. I also enjoyed seeing Julian’s journey toward religion, seeing that spark come alive within him and how even the smallest influence can lead a person to Christ.
Overall, The Translation of Julian Yu is a book about humanity, and is perfect for lovers of language, culture, and struggling to find their own way through the world.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the author for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Lee’s writing style puts me in mind of the Japanese classics such as The Setting Sun by Dazai Osamu or I Am a Cat by Natsume Sōseki, but with a modern twist, which I found fascinating. As a great lover of language, I found myself sucked into the many scenes of Julian exploring his own native Chinese, and Japanese, Hebrew, and Korean, all brought into his life by his friends and teachers. It really reminds the reader just how powerful language is and how much it can convey with a single word.
Even though the book doesn’t follow the typical story structure, with fast-paced scenes and high tension, the story still flowed well, spooled out in Julian’s day to day, much like real life. The story is a contemplative one, one that makes you sit back and think, and puts into perspective that everyone is the same on the inside, no matter what color they may be on the outside. I also enjoyed seeing Julian’s journey toward religion, seeing that spark come alive within him and how even the smallest influence can lead a person to Christ.
Overall, The Translation of Julian Yu is a book about humanity, and is perfect for lovers of language, culture, and struggling to find their own way through the world.
NOTE: I received a complimentary copy from the author for review purposes only. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Displaying 1 of 1 review