Review: Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhhà Lại (Spoiler-Free)

Brother Vū chops;

the head falls;

a silver blade slices.

Black seeds spill

like clusters of eyes,

wet and crying.

What rock was I under while everyone else read this as a child?? I was missing out. Big time. Luckily, my friend Rachel amended this.

I've never truly enjoyed a novel told in verse, but this one is spectacular. The use of verse serves a purpose and Lại's writing is exquisite. She conjures such vivid feelings through simple yet impactful language. A child could enjoy this story, but it blooms across the page for adult readers as well.