Book Review: Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim
The Details
Media Type: Audio Book
Title: Stand Up, Yumi Chung!
Author: Jessica Kim
Narrator: Greta Jung
Publisher: Listening Library
Pages/Length: 6 hours and 4 minutes
Release Date: March 17, 2020
Source: Library Borrow
Add it on: Goodreads | Amazon | Indiebound
One lie snowballs into a full-blown double life in this irresistible story about an aspiring stand-up comedian.
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.
The Narrator
At first I wasn’t sure about Greta Jung’s narration, because her cadence was little slower than I normally like. However as I kept listening, I fell hard for her portrayal of Yumi. She brought this lovable, passionate girl and her whole family to life in a wonderful way. My favorite part was how invested she was in making Yumi’s comedic endeavors really shine. I almost felt like she too practiced in front of a camera while telling jokes. It made me smile.
The Review
Friends, I dare you to read this book and not immediately fall in love with Yumi Chung. Really, I do. As an adult who avidly reads Middle Grade books, it’s a lot of fun for me to find little pieces of my younger self in these stories. When I met Yumi, I laughed at loud how similar the two of us were. Shy on the outside, awkward as can be because of that, and yet so eager to step and be brave and move forward. She made me smile, and this book just flew by.
What really made this whole story was the deep familial love that ran throughout it. Even if Yumi’s parents didn’t understand her love for comedy, even if Yumi made more than a few mistakes, that love was always there. It was so refreshing to see a real family depicted on the page. One who was subject to misunderstandings and arguments. One who would drop everything to take care of one another. It’s hard to explain fully without spoiling anything, but there were a few scenes in this that legitimately made me tear up. The things that parents sacrifice for their children, even if it’s not always understood by those children at the time, are beautiful.
Oh and watching Yumi grow was just the icing on the cake. As she learned how to break out of her shell, and own up to her mistakes, I couldn’t help but cheer her on. Jessica Kim’s emphasis on how running from our mistakes isn’t always possible, or the right answer, was beautifully done here. Again, I’m reigning myself in so I don’t spoil anything. The ending though! Ah, the ending. I adored it!
There’s a reason why Middle Grade books are my happy place, and Jessica Kim just sealed that for me with this wonderful book. Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is one of the sweetest, funniest and most genuine books that I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year. Stories about personal growth, and coming out of your shell, have always been my favorite. What I loved about this book though was that it wasn’t just Yumi that had some growing to do, it was also her family. This lead to some giggles, a few teary sighs, and a lot of smiles.
