I got this slightly-battered softcover from the ongoing book sale at the Pelham NH public library, for another release copy. (They have a great selection, and they don't have fixed prices - it's a "pay what you think it's worth" operation!) This book has some marginal notes here and there, apparently from a reader who was analyzing the content; one page was actually torn out and then taped back in, though I don't know if that was an editorial comment or an accident {wry grin}.

I really enjoyed this, with the three different plot-threads that gradually came together. One dealt with the famed "Journey to the West"/Monkey-King legend, another with a Chinese-American kid who's having trouble fitting in at school, and a third - presented in the form of a sitcom, complete with laugh-track playing across the bottom of the panels - showing an extreme-Chinese-stereotypes character called "Chin-kee" paying yet another unwelcome visit on his American cousin.

The Monkey King arc kept pretty close to the original, though with some delightful and intriguing twists here and there. The sitcom arc... well, it was set up as "intentionally blatantly offensive", but still made me cringe - which made the resolution all the more satisfying. The central arc, Chinese-American Jin's story, had lots of very sympathetic scenes about kids wanting to fit in, make friends, find love, etc., whether they have to cope with racism or not. (Much awkwardness ensues there - as well as a few bad decisions that have potentially disastrous effects on our hero's life.)

I enjoyed the way the plot-threads eventually came together. Very good book, this!

[There's a TV Tropes page on the book.]

I left this book in the Little Free Library; hope someone enjoys it!

[See other recent releases in NH here.]

*** Released for the 2019 Oh the Places We Can Go release challenge. ***