Book Review of The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat

 

1.      Bibliography

Soontornvat, C. 2022. The tryout. (Cacao, J.). Graphix. ISBN: 9781338741308

2.      Plot Summary

We follow the story of the author and how she was raised in a small town in Texas.  She explains how she went through a journey to find herself and believe in what she could do.  Christina and her best friend Megan decide they want to try out for the cheerleading squad.  When they don’t make the team, they must decide what they want to do with their lives and what direction they want to go.  Christina’s family owns an Asian-American restaurant and has a loving family.  With the support of her family and friends she realizes what she is good at and how it changed her as a person but also made her stronger. 

3.      Critical Analysis

Christina is an American, but her father is from Thailand, she struggles with her culture in a small Texas town.  Her best friend is Megan who also has a father who immigrated to America.  The two are bound by this and have been best friends since the third grade.  Christina is a typical seventh grader who is struggling with fitting in at school.  Students everywhere will be able to connect to Christina in some way.  The story is very believable and relatable to students in middle school.  Dealing with school pressures to fit in and dealing with people being bullied is all things students may have delt with.  Christina’s quest is to first make the cheerleading squad at school because she is afraid, she will lose her best friend if she doesn’t.  In the end she realizes that even if you go in different directions and have different interests, the people who care about you will always be there for you.  Since this takes place in Texas at a middle school, you are immediately making the story relatable to students.  Since this book is a graphic novel, you can see in the illustrations that the characters have big feelings and emotions.  As we move along in the story you have the dilemma with involving a culture that you are born into but not that you were raised in.  There is also the battle between two friends and realizing that they are going in different directions in their lives and how you deal with those emotions.  This book is a story about the author and how she was raised and what she went through.  The fact that this was based on a true story makes it even more relatable and intriguing for students to learn how a middle school girl figured out how to learn from herself and believe in herself and others.

4.      Review Excerpt(s)

“Soontornvat’s lived and emotional experiences come through loud and clear….Cacao’s manga-inspired artwork captures every nuanced emotion. . . . Readers of this empowering graphic memoir will want to invite Christina to sit at their table to share food, stories, and the secrets to self-confidence.” ― School Library Journal, starred review

 

"The art is delightfully expressive, and the characters’ personalities shine in each panel. A standout addition to any graphic autobiography collection." ― Booklist

5.      Connections

*I would challenge the students to write about a time they felt they might have failed at something but ended up learning something about themselves in the process.

*I would have the students look at other books by Christina Soontornvat and see how this book differs or is similar.

-The last mapmaker

-Legends of Lotus Island

-A wish in the dark