I read the first chapter of the book and then had to put it down for a few weeks。 During that time， the four main characters percolated in the back of my mind and I formed an opinion of what type of story it was going to be。 When I finally got back to the book， I read the rest of it in one sitting。 Boy was I wrong。 Turning Red is an exuberant story that starts off like an ordinary story about the middle grades。 It is easy to read and the quirky main character， 13-year old Mei， is both charming a I read the first chapter of the book and then had to put it down for a few weeks。 During that time， the four main characters percolated in the back of my mind and I formed an opinion of what type of story it was going to be。 When I finally got back to the book， I read the rest of it in one sitting。 Boy was I wrong。 Turning Red is an exuberant story that starts off like an ordinary story about the middle grades。 It is easy to read and the quirky main character， 13-year old Mei， is both charming and relatable。 Before long， however， just like the protagonist herself， the story tackles several big issues and doesn't hold back。 The result is an interplay of fantasy and reality， the burden of cultural and societal expectations， cartoon humor， memorable characters with all the awkwardness of those growing years and an assortment of messy relationships。。。 all set into riotous motion by a mysterious ancient gift。。。 or is it a curse？ At certain points， I found myself growing uneasy and uncertain about the plot - and that is the beauty of the writing。 It embodies so well the discomfiture and uncertainty associated with coming of age at the intersection of cultures。 If Turning Red makes you uncomfortable， maybe it's because it is successful in its execution。 。。。more