Book Review: “The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee” by Ellen Oh

It’s not very often that a books has me looking up a music video, but that’s exactly what happened with The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee by Ellen Oh. That’s because this YA novel is inspired the music video for Aha’s classic song, “Take On Me”. (Yes I knew the song, but I had never looked up the music video.)

The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee [Buy Bookshop Amazon LibroFM] is about a Korean-American teenager named Mina who is kinda goin through it. Her best friend died when they were kids, her mom passed away recently, and she’s struggling with her relationship with her dad. He’s not dealing well with the grief of losing his wife, so he’s traveling a lot, keeping her art put away, and pushing Mina away from pursuing art school.

All that to say, she feels pretty alone outside of her art. But when her best friends tell her that her web comic is kiiiinda boring, she decides to start over with a new idea. She draws her hero like what she imagines her best friend Jin would’ve looked like now if he hadn’t died of cancer at six years old. But something pulls her into her webcomic world and she’s gotta figure out how to fix what she’s broken and get out.

I loved the concept of this one. It’s a fun idea and after seeing the music video, I get where the vibes came from. This book started slow, and I feel like the first act could’ve been condensed a bit to help move things along. Once it got going, it was a fun ride with some unexpected depth. This really hits on grief, cultural identity, adoption, found family, and how your actions impact others. I wasn’t expecting such depth, but I’m so glad it was there.

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Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50082039
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-colliding-worlds-of-mina-lee-ellen-oh/1143660746
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/colliding-worlds-ellen-oh/20111869

About the Author:
Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancientAsian history. She loves K-pop, K-dramas, and eating good food that someone else cooks for her. She is fueled by Diet Coke and Krispy Kreme donuts are her kryptonite. Ellen is a founding member of WeNeed Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’sliterature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, threechildren, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.

Author Links:
Website: https://www.ellenoh.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/elloellenoh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elloecho/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4559822

Tour Schedule: https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/11/27/tour-schedule-the-colliding-worlds-of-mina-lee-by-ellen-oh/