Synopses & Reviews
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 Kora 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.
This stunning debut graphic memoir features page after page of gorgeous, evocative art, perfect for Tillie Walden fans. It's a cross section of the Korean-American diaspora and mental health, a moving and powerful read in the vein of Hey, Kiddo and The Best We Could Do.
Review
"[B]reathtakingly meticulous panels in grayish blues and white [elevate this] work to masterpiece status." Booklist (Starred Review)
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"A raw, relatable memoir exploring mental health and immigrant experiences." Kirkus Reviews
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"An emotionally tender, viscerally illustrated look at one teenager's struggles with identity and mental health." Publisher's Weekly
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"Lee's artistic skill is undeniable, and the subtle stylistic changes add depth to both visual and emotional impact of the narrative." Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
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"In Limbo is a tour de force. Stunning from the first page to the last, and totally unforgettable. Upon getting to the end, I wanted to go right back to the beginning to read it again." Tillie Walden, creator of Are You Listening?
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"Deborah Lee is a masterful storyteller who reminds us everyone we meet is an entire world while we are plunged into her own. I clutched my heart as hard as I clutched the pages of In Limbo." Sara Alfageeh, illustrator of Squire
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"In Limbo feels like it tells life as it is, cutting through the stillness and silence between people, without pulling any punches, without varnish, and yet all beautifully observant. It reminded me of many things from my own life, especially early artistic struggle and uncertainty, and issues of Asian displacement and self-image. I'm sure other readers will respond to this deeply; it may well even save a few lives (especially the ones you never hear about) seeing their own feelings so well illuminated." Shaun Tan, creator of The Arrival
About the Author
Deb JJ Lee is a Korean American artist currently living in Brooklyn, NY. They have appeared in the New Yorker, Washington Post, NPR, Google, Radiolab, PBS, and more. Books they have illustrated include The Invisible Boy by Alyssa Hollingsworth (Roaring Brook Press, 2020) and The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho (HarperCollins, 2024). They enjoy reality TV, sparkling water, and pretending to be an extrovert.