Book Review: “Stand Up, Yumi Chung” by Jessica Kim

“Stand Up, Yumi Chung” by Jessica Kim (2020)

Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Comteporary

Page Length: 320 pages (paperback edition)

Synopsis:

On the outside, Yumi Chung suffers from #shygirlproblems, a perm-gone-wrong, and kids calling her Yu-MEAT because she smells like her family’s Korean barbecue restaurant. On the inside, Yumi is ready for her Netflix stand-up special. Her notebook is filled with mortifying memories that she’s reworked into comedy gold. All she needs is a stage and courage.

Instead of spending the summer studying her favorite YouTube comedians, Yumi is enrolled in test-prep tutoring to qualify for a private school scholarship, which will help in a time of hardship at the restaurant. One day after class, Yumi stumbles on an opportunity that will change her life: a comedy camp for kids taught by one of her favorite YouTube stars. The only problem is that the instructor and all the students think she’s a girl named Kay Nakamura–and Yumi doesn’t correct them.

As this case of mistaken identity unravels, Yumi must decide to stand up and reveal the truth or risk losing her dreams and disappointing everyone she cares about. 

Review:

Yumi is a young, shy girl who spends her days at school and evenings helping out at her family’s Korean barbeque restaurant. When Yumi gets roped into a summer camp at a local comedy club that allows her to live her dreams, the opportunity seems too good to be true. She must risk her secret in order to fulfill her goals. When things start to fall apart, what will she choose?

Stand Up, Yumi Chung is a beautiful and empowering middle-grade novel that not only weaves together a tale of immigrant struggles but also is a message about loving yourself. I think many readers (myself included) can relate to Yumi’s struggles of following the path she wants and fighting against the decisions that have been made for her. She’s kind, comical, and has a bright spirit even though she deals with many obstacles in her life. Because of feeling like an outsider at school, she uses her journal full of comic material to escape and find solace in. Comedy is her dream job and readers can see just how much effort she puts into writing and practicing her material.

The comedy club gives a very shy Yumi a place to use her voice to speak up and use her talents. Readers will cheer on Yumi as she grows through her journey of self-discovery and becomes a more confident person. This novel was a very endearing read with a great supporting cast of characters. Most importantly, this novel sends a message of always being true to yourself!

Final Verdict: