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The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
When a Korean American teenage artist gets sucked into the world of her own web comic, she must find a way out with the help of a cute boy all while facing off against a villainous corporation. Inspired by the A-ha's "Take on Me" music video.
Mina has become the hero of her own story. Literally.
When Mina Lee woke up on Saturday morning for SAT prep, she did NOT expect to:
1. Nearly be fried by a superhero who turned out to be a supervillain.
2. Come face to face with Jin, the handsome boy of her dreams.
3. Discover a conspiracy involving the evil corporation Merco that she created.
And it’s all happening in her fictional world. Mina is trapped in the story she created. Now it’s up to her to save everyone. Even if it means losing Jin forever.
Mina has become the hero of her own story. Literally.
When Mina Lee woke up on Saturday morning for SAT prep, she did NOT expect to:
1. Nearly be fried by a superhero who turned out to be a supervillain.
2. Come face to face with Jin, the handsome boy of her dreams.
3. Discover a conspiracy involving the evil corporation Merco that she created.
And it’s all happening in her fictional world. Mina is trapped in the story she created. Now it’s up to her to save everyone. Even if it means losing Jin forever.
First published January 23, 2024
About the author
Ellen Oh
20 books1,025 followers*Hi friends! I'm not often on Goodreads so if you want to keep up with me, the best place to do so is on instagram! I'm at elloecho!
Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian 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 We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.
Ellen Oh is a former adjunct college instructor and lawyer with an insatiable curiosity for ancient Asian 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 We Need Diverse Books (WNDB), a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing diversity in children’s literature. Originally from New York City, Ellen lives in Rockville, Maryland, with her husband, three children, two dogs, and has yet to satisfy her quest for a decent bagel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
January 17, 2024
I’m definitely not a fan of the ending bc WHAT??? If we get a sequel I’ll bump this up to 4 stars. It was also a pretty heavy book and I’m kinda just confused. It tried to explain some things but then left some other holes.
TWs for childhood cancer, child death, fatal car accident, death of a parent, medical experimentation
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for an ALC. All opinions are honest and my own.
TWs for childhood cancer, child death, fatal car accident, death of a parent, medical experimentation
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for an ALC. All opinions are honest and my own.
August 1, 2024
OMG OMG OMG PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS A SEQUEL PLEAAAASSSSEEEEEEEEEEE
January 27, 2024
There are so many beautiful parts in this story, and all the characters were really cool and so likable.
Given the concept of the book with the parallel world and all, I am so happy that the story was not over-engineered and complicated, but instead straight forward, and focussed so well on all the character interactions. :)
Given the concept of the book with the parallel world and all, I am so happy that the story was not over-engineered and complicated, but instead straight forward, and focussed so well on all the character interactions. :)
January 4, 2024
I really, really enjoyed this dual timeline/alternate reality YA romance that sees Korean American, teen Mina Lee getting sucked into the world of her own webcomic and unable to figure out if or whether she wants to return to real life. Perfect for comic book fans, this was a pure delight to read and I was sad to see it end, especially with that cliffhanger ending! I really hope there is a sequel in the works!! Many thanks to @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!
April 26, 2024
I want to send a step by step detailed letter to the publisher and ask them what on earth made them decide to use the font they chose in this story.
It was big but not big enough, small but not small enough, bold but not bold enough. A little bit like a secondary love interest.
The story wasn't horrible! Just didn't hit.
It was big but not big enough, small but not small enough, bold but not bold enough. A little bit like a secondary love interest.
The story wasn't horrible! Just didn't hit.
January 16, 2024
3.5 stars.
This story was definitely an interesting one, and for the most part, I liked it. Mina was a fun character to follow and I enjoyed her little mutterings to herself. Though it was never said, she definitely struck me as an introvert who just kept close to a couple of friends. She was definitely resourceful, which proved to be a good thing when she got stuck in her web-comic, and she reacted very differently than I would’ve expected.
The story itself was really intriguing and kept me from putting the book down. There were times when the writing was a little more “tell, not show” than “show, not tell” and it gave me the feel of this being more of a younger YA type of book, which is fine. It was just hard to remember sometimes that the characters were 17 years old rather than 14-15 years old. Maybe it was just me though.
What I really liked about this book was its focus on handling grief and following your passion in life. Mina really loved art and felt like it connected her to her mom, who had died when she was fourteen, and she wanted to pursue it, but of course her dad wanted her to go study something more practical. Mina creates her web-comic thinking that if she can get a solid following on it, she can convince her dad to let her go to art school.
The grief dealt with in this novel wasn’t just in Mina grieving her mom, but also an old friend who died, yet is alive in her web-comic universe. In a way, she has to grieve her friend again when she goes back to her universe. There were a lot of moments when Mina remembered something her mom said to her, or had a dream of a memory with her childhood friend, and they were sweet and emotional. That’s what I felt was the real juice in this story (other than the cool aspect of being sucked into the web-comic part).
The romance felt kinda “meh” to me because I was more focused trying to figure out how the alternate universe thing works, and I mean, hi… everyone had superpowers. Superpowers over romance any day. Plus, you knew it was doomed from the start because, again, they were in alternate universes.
Overall, this was a fun read. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes web-comics, diverse reads, and alternate universes.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC copy!
This story was definitely an interesting one, and for the most part, I liked it. Mina was a fun character to follow and I enjoyed her little mutterings to herself. Though it was never said, she definitely struck me as an introvert who just kept close to a couple of friends. She was definitely resourceful, which proved to be a good thing when she got stuck in her web-comic, and she reacted very differently than I would’ve expected.
The story itself was really intriguing and kept me from putting the book down. There were times when the writing was a little more “tell, not show” than “show, not tell” and it gave me the feel of this being more of a younger YA type of book, which is fine. It was just hard to remember sometimes that the characters were 17 years old rather than 14-15 years old. Maybe it was just me though.
What I really liked about this book was its focus on handling grief and following your passion in life. Mina really loved art and felt like it connected her to her mom, who had died when she was fourteen, and she wanted to pursue it, but of course her dad wanted her to go study something more practical. Mina creates her web-comic thinking that if she can get a solid following on it, she can convince her dad to let her go to art school.
The grief dealt with in this novel wasn’t just in Mina grieving her mom, but also an old friend who died, yet is alive in her web-comic universe. In a way, she has to grieve her friend again when she goes back to her universe. There were a lot of moments when Mina remembered something her mom said to her, or had a dream of a memory with her childhood friend, and they were sweet and emotional. That’s what I felt was the real juice in this story (other than the cool aspect of being sucked into the web-comic part).
The romance felt kinda “meh” to me because I was more focused trying to figure out how the alternate universe thing works, and I mean, hi… everyone had superpowers. Superpowers over romance any day. Plus, you knew it was doomed from the start because, again, they were in alternate universes.
Overall, this was a fun read. I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes web-comics, diverse reads, and alternate universes.
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC copy!
February 5, 2024
The exposition and dialogue are like being hit repeatedly with a sledgehammer. And while the concept is fun, many of the cooler elements feel like afterthoughts. And the third act has next to no stakes thanks to a hyper-powered character. Also yikes, the main character is perplexingly slow on the uptake half the time.
April 4, 2024
'At that moment, a breeze sent the leaves above Mina fluttering, and she caught the play of light on the ground. She watched it for a long moment, absorbed in its rhythmic motions. It calmed her. There was a Japanese word for this. Her mother had taught it to her. Komorebi.'
I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR SUCH EXTREME LEVELS OF PAIN OMG?
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee ended up being extremely my shit what with the sci-fi elements (BOMI, ILY) and a romance trope that had me in so much pain that it ended up being a surprise fave. Plus, not one, not two, but several X-Men references including one Wolverine one are also my shit. Not a The Princess Bride reference, though akdhak. At least it was 'Inconceivable!' and not 'As you wish'? LOL
There's a very strong touch of grief of losing a parent and the book has an undercurrent of unease throughout. It's all written so well, though and I couldn't help but feel for Mina.
I can't really directly quote most of the stuff because spoilers but it all had me yelling OTP SHIT. Jin coming on too strong and Mina being completely ill-equipped to handle it didn't really help, though. HIM TRYING TO [REDACTED] TO HER AND THEN THAT ENDING, I WAS NOT OKAY. I STILL AM NOT
🗣️ You better give us the sequel, Ellen Oh. Imagining dumping, 'A Gen Xer who grew up with MTV, Ellen credits A-ha’s iconic “Take on Me” video as the inspiration for The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee.' in the Acknowledgments and then just stopping there. Nope, I refuse aahh
I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR SUCH EXTREME LEVELS OF PAIN OMG?
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee ended up being extremely my shit what with the sci-fi elements (BOMI, ILY) and a romance trope that had me in so much pain that it ended up being a surprise fave. Plus, not one, not two, but several X-Men references including one Wolverine one are also my shit. Not a The Princess Bride reference, though akdhak. At least it was 'Inconceivable!' and not 'As you wish'? LOL
There's a very strong touch of grief of losing a parent and the book has an undercurrent of unease throughout. It's all written so well, though and I couldn't help but feel for Mina.
I can't really directly quote most of the stuff because spoilers but it all had me yelling OTP SHIT. Jin coming on too strong and Mina being completely ill-equipped to handle it didn't really help, though. HIM TRYING TO [REDACTED] TO HER AND THEN THAT ENDING, I WAS NOT OKAY. I STILL AM NOT
🗣️ You better give us the sequel, Ellen Oh. Imagining dumping, 'A Gen Xer who grew up with MTV, Ellen credits A-ha’s iconic “Take on Me” video as the inspiration for The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee.' in the Acknowledgments and then just stopping there. Nope, I refuse aahh
February 23, 2024
4.2 ☆
I REFUSE THIS ENDING! Joking not joking.
With an interesting concept, k-drama vibes and lovely characters, I couldn't help but enjoy this book. Fits perfectly for young adults as it includes a lot of heavier messages while being a light read. The true star of this book was the themes of grief, and how the characters deal with it.
And I desperately need a sequel, but totally understand the ending as it is. Just gonna cry myself to sleep bye.
Over and out. -Nora<3
I REFUSE THIS ENDING! Joking not joking.
With an interesting concept, k-drama vibes and lovely characters, I couldn't help but enjoy this book. Fits perfectly for young adults as it includes a lot of heavier messages while being a light read. The true star of this book was the themes of grief, and how the characters deal with it.
And I desperately need a sequel, but totally understand the ending as it is. Just gonna cry myself to sleep bye.
Over and out. -Nora<3
March 5, 2024
Okay so the ending gave me chills for some reason, but most of this book just didn’t work for me. However, MARYLAND MENTIONEDDDDD🦀🦀🦀🦀🦀
February 10, 2024
i really liked this! it has a creative concept - the creator getting sucked into her own webtoon and finding out the mc she drew is actually evil and that her old best friend is there - and although honestly i feel like it did go overboard at one point i was still a very fun read and i actually really liked that ending???
July 3, 2024
i was intrigued by the plot and was pleasantly surprised of how much it reminded me of scott pilgrim vs. the world, another one of my favorite comic-related media pieces. i love the korean-american representation, and i didn't seem to have a problem with any of the characters here. the central romance was also cute enough to keep me hooked and rooting for our protagonists. overall, a very short and sweet read, would definitely recommend to comic/webtoon fans <3
February 20, 2024
2.5 - Felt very juvenile for my taste.
February 26, 2024
“Sometimes a face has yet to develop its story; sometimes you have to capture the promise of one.”
Thank you, Ellen Oh, Crown Books for Young Readers, and TBR Beyond Tours for giving me a digital advanced copy of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee in exchange of an honest review.
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee ★★★★
Trigger warnings: bullying, death, human experimentation (mentioned), violence.
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee introduces the titular heroine, a senior high school with big dreams of going to an art school and becoming a successful webcomic artist to prove her skeptical father wrong, finds herself trapped inside the superhero webcomic she has created. As Mina discovers that she is no longer in control of the narrative she builds, she must find a way to correct her mistake and get out of the comic before she becomes fully integrated with all the panels and destroys herself before it's too late.
While the author claims that the inspiration comes from the infamous A-ha's "Take on Me" music video, the plot seemingly leans more toward the typical tropes of isekai genre animes, such as Log Horizon or the recent release The Rising of the Shield Hero, where the protagonist must go on a quest or solve an improbable mystery as the term and condition to return to the real world. And such isekai anime has the tendency to use quests as a metaphor for the coming-of-age journey of the protagonist, as what Ellen Oh does with Mina Lee in her adventure; a rediscovery of self-worth, the things she has lost and can get back, and the things she has to let go—paralleling most key events that Mina experiences in her comic to the reality that she lives in, which makes Ellen succeeding in pushing the narrative to be the metafiction that it aims to be.
The clever use of metafiction points out the complex relationship between artists and the world they create; as written in the novel, artists like Mina become something akin to omniscient deities that can move chess pieces as they see fit, yet, seeing her losing her authority over the universe she's built could also be seen as an interpretation of artists losing their touch or meaning as the burden of expectations reaches their self. It is evident in the way Mina keeps trying to reset the story as how she envisions versus the invisible hands that rework the story as divergent as it is. At the same time, it can also serve as a metaphor for how life can be unpredictable, and there are other paths to follow to get to the goal we have in mind, which fits the theme of coming-of-age and self-discovery that Ellen pushes in this novel.
Mina is vibrant and explosive as a protagonist, shaping herself as the perfect example of a Generation Z teenager who copes with dry humor and creative means to go through their lives. Ellen writes her as someone who never stops thinking, not even when she rests—she always has something fast coming out of her mind, finding ways to deal with the issue at hand, and being a persistently imaginative young adult as she tries to navigate her way out of the isekai world.
On the other hand, I don't find Jin to be as stellar as Mina in this novel. I will not deny that Jin is a charismatic and charming character, a perfectly handsome and friendly person typical of popular kids at school. But it seems that Jin's standing as the other protagonist as well as the main love interest looks clueless and useless most of the time as if Jin is a non-playable character (or NPC) suddenly comes out to life instead of an active, living character of Mina's created world. Therefore, his more engaged role towards the end of the novel feels quite abrupt, and yet, it also ends up with the feeling of him not doing enough to help Mina in saving the world.
The last thing that I feel to be a wasted potential is the appearance of the true villain in the novel that serves as the real obstacle for Mina's mission; she might be the one creating the antagonist, yet as she enters the isekai world, his existence is merely whispers and stories without corporeal form, which makes the mission is slightly too easy to finish. I would have loved an actual showdown between Mina and her constructed villain character, watching how they try to outwit one another as the only people who completely understand the depth of the botched webcomic and how it will severely affect everyone, including Mina as the artist. And accounting for the reveal of Mina's in-story superhero power, I bet it will be a total knock-out. Ellen Oh might be saving all of this for the sequel, per the news she had mentioned, but it is actually unnecessary to wait for every explosive scene to appear in a sequel when the first book still has more than enough potential to squeeze them in.
Nonetheless, The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee is not a disappointing book by any means. It's a delightful reading, packing an energetic punch that keeps the readers entertained in following Mina's journey. Most of all, the twist ending at the end of the novel is enough to form the 'what-if' open ending that leaves to the readers' imagination, and if it's true that there will be a second book, it is adequately exciting to set up more unexpected adventure based on the ending alone.
So, yes, please grab a copy of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee from your nearest bookstore or borrow it from your library, and savor this thrilling isekai adventure of Mina during your leisure time.
August 20, 2024
VART SKA JAG BÖRJA
Dummaste boken jag läst. PUNKT.
Herregud det finns ju typ ingen handling??? Dem pratar hela tiden om handlingen men den händer aldrig?
Och när nåt väl händer så händer det i TRE KORTA KAPITEL??? OCH SEN ÄR DET ÖVER???
(Sidenote på det, hon blir kidnappad och ingen bryr sig att kolla vad hon har i fickor etc. För det bryr man sig ju såklart inte om, vad spelar det för roll om dem man tillfångatagit flyr liksom)
Huvudkaraktären har såklart typ alla superkrafter någonsin och klarar alla hinder utan minsta problem vilken är så trovärdigt och superkul😃
Och bokens antagonist är med i en scen?? Va hände med honom?? Han ska va den onda i historien och han är med i EN SCEN. Och han gör knappt något där? Den sekundära antagonisten (som dessutom skadar människor enbart för att hennes drömkille inte är kär i henne) är bara med i början för att sen gö comeback typ tre kapitel innan slutet för att "höja spänningen" genom att inte göra någonting och sen ångra sig och bli god.
Sedan är den här boken så himla corny också.
Alla säger och gör så fåniga saker. En favorit är när ett par säger att dem är kära i varandra och nästa mening är "And everyone around them started cheeering" SLUTA.
Påtal om hur den är skriven är den skriven som av en 10åring. Jag fick panik på det under hela boken. Jag har läst självutgivna böcker som haft stavfel pågrund av det faktum att dem inte gått igenom ett förlag, OCH DEM ÄR SKRIVNA BÄTTRE.
Vårat love interest är huvudkaraktärens drömkille hon designat själv, utefter hur hon tror att sin barndomsvän som dog vid 6 års ålder hade sett ut om han växte upp???????? DET ÄR JÄTTESKUMT??? HALLÅ?????
Och slutligen. Hon tar aldrig av sig sin magväska. MAGVÄSKAN ÄR MED NÄR HON GÅR PÅ BAL.
Dummaste boken jag läst. PUNKT.
Herregud det finns ju typ ingen handling??? Dem pratar hela tiden om handlingen men den händer aldrig?
Och när nåt väl händer så händer det i TRE KORTA KAPITEL??? OCH SEN ÄR DET ÖVER???
(Sidenote på det, hon blir kidnappad och ingen bryr sig att kolla vad hon har i fickor etc. För det bryr man sig ju såklart inte om, vad spelar det för roll om dem man tillfångatagit flyr liksom)
Huvudkaraktären har såklart typ alla superkrafter någonsin och klarar alla hinder utan minsta problem vilken är så trovärdigt och superkul😃
Och bokens antagonist är med i en scen?? Va hände med honom?? Han ska va den onda i historien och han är med i EN SCEN. Och han gör knappt något där? Den sekundära antagonisten (som dessutom skadar människor enbart för att hennes drömkille inte är kär i henne) är bara med i början för att sen gö comeback typ tre kapitel innan slutet för att "höja spänningen" genom att inte göra någonting och sen ångra sig och bli god.
Sedan är den här boken så himla corny också.
Alla säger och gör så fåniga saker. En favorit är när ett par säger att dem är kära i varandra och nästa mening är "And everyone around them started cheeering" SLUTA.
Påtal om hur den är skriven är den skriven som av en 10åring. Jag fick panik på det under hela boken. Jag har läst självutgivna böcker som haft stavfel pågrund av det faktum att dem inte gått igenom ett förlag, OCH DEM ÄR SKRIVNA BÄTTRE.
Vårat love interest är huvudkaraktärens drömkille hon designat själv, utefter hur hon tror att sin barndomsvän som dog vid 6 års ålder hade sett ut om han växte upp???????? DET ÄR JÄTTESKUMT??? HALLÅ?????
Och slutligen. Hon tar aldrig av sig sin magväska. MAGVÄSKAN ÄR MED NÄR HON GÅR PÅ BAL.
February 12, 2024
4.3🌟, maybe more. I can’t even speak I’m that shook. THAT ENDING, I haven’t screamed over an ending in a long time to this level. WTF. Read this in one sitting and loved every second of it. So chaotic and so intense. Loved the romance, loved the world, loved it all. Umbrella Academy vibes. Iconic. Wtf I’m screaming. THAT ENDING I JUST … 🫢😫
January 13, 2024
A fun web comic meets real world story. A little slow in the beginning but the second half definitely makes up for it. Much deeper elements to this than expected, including grief, childhood cancer, adoption, and a touch of cultural identity.
June 4, 2024
as someone who loves webtoons, the concept of this book was really fun but the explanation of how mina ended up in her own comic kinda took away some of the whimsy in my opinion. also did not care for the action scene writing lol
April 30, 2024
This is so 'W TWO WORLDS' coded except it happened so fast. Idk how to properly describe it but the whole book felt like it's in a rush or smth???
July 18, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
very very fast paced but cute
very very fast paced but cute
September 26, 2024
so much to say but i have decided to be sparing with my words,,, u truly have to experience this book for yourself and i don’t mean that in a good way
1.5
1.5
January 28, 2024
*Actual rating is 3.5 stars*
Some books are hard to write reviews for. When you either love or dislike a book, it’s usually quite easy to express your thoughts and feelings about it. But the books that just are “fine” are hard. There were times I found myself not caring much for the story, and other times it grabbed my attention. I loved the heartwarming family relationships, and sweet friendships.
But the plot of having the main character Mina Lee being sucked into her own webcomic, and having to navigate an alternative world of superpowers in order to return home had so many cool ideas and was set up for so much action. But most of the time I just found the whole thing a bit slow. This YA contemporary also felt a bit juvenile, at least for me.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc of the book in exchange of a honest review.
Some books are hard to write reviews for. When you either love or dislike a book, it’s usually quite easy to express your thoughts and feelings about it. But the books that just are “fine” are hard. There were times I found myself not caring much for the story, and other times it grabbed my attention. I loved the heartwarming family relationships, and sweet friendships.
But the plot of having the main character Mina Lee being sucked into her own webcomic, and having to navigate an alternative world of superpowers in order to return home had so many cool ideas and was set up for so much action. But most of the time I just found the whole thing a bit slow. This YA contemporary also felt a bit juvenile, at least for me.
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc of the book in exchange of a honest review.
December 22, 2023
3.5⭐️
“This book is dedicated to Diet Coke because I can’t make it a day without you, you monster”
I’ve been trying for the last 24 hours to write this review and the words just haven’t come to me. Mostly because the feels I have about this book are so conflicted and honestly a little confusing bear with me.
Mina Lee is your average everyday teenager, until she’s sucked into the world of her webcomic while waiting for her ride to SAT prep classes. Not only is she sucked into this world but it turns out that her webcomic world is really part of a multiverse, somehow connected to her real life world, and her childhood best friend is alive. Oh and also there are people who have super powers, think XMen and you get the picture on that.
Now there were several things I enjoyed about this book. As a whole I loved Mina’s character, she honestly handled the whole “trapped in my own webcomic” thing way better than I would have. She’s also way more resourceful than I could ever be. She figured out how to get her own stuff into this webcomic world way faster than I would have so shout out to her.
I also think the author did a really great job at handling the topic of grief throughout the book. So many people in Mina’s life are struggling with loss and we see that each person is really going through this grieving process in their own way, even if Mina doesn’t understand.
Where it lost me was the whole romance subplot. I’m sorry, I’m just not convinced that Mina, who is trapped in a world where her dead childhood bestie is still alive, needed to be in any kind of a romance this alternate version of that best friend. It just felt forced and honestly I probably would have liked this more if there was no romance to begin with.
I’m also not sure if it’s the fact that I’ve never experienced public high school (outside of one disastrous try at shadowing a teacher as a grownup) but Mina’s school experiences in both worlds just didn’t work for me. At one point someone poured kombucha on her head which, just felt weird for me.
Overall though I don’t think this is a bad book, just maybe not the right book for me.
Big thank you to PRH Audio for the free audiobook ALC.
“This book is dedicated to Diet Coke because I can’t make it a day without you, you monster”
I’ve been trying for the last 24 hours to write this review and the words just haven’t come to me. Mostly because the feels I have about this book are so conflicted and honestly a little confusing bear with me.
Mina Lee is your average everyday teenager, until she’s sucked into the world of her webcomic while waiting for her ride to SAT prep classes. Not only is she sucked into this world but it turns out that her webcomic world is really part of a multiverse, somehow connected to her real life world, and her childhood best friend is alive. Oh and also there are people who have super powers, think XMen and you get the picture on that.
Now there were several things I enjoyed about this book. As a whole I loved Mina’s character, she honestly handled the whole “trapped in my own webcomic” thing way better than I would have. She’s also way more resourceful than I could ever be. She figured out how to get her own stuff into this webcomic world way faster than I would have so shout out to her.
I also think the author did a really great job at handling the topic of grief throughout the book. So many people in Mina’s life are struggling with loss and we see that each person is really going through this grieving process in their own way, even if Mina doesn’t understand.
Where it lost me was the whole romance subplot. I’m sorry, I’m just not convinced that Mina, who is trapped in a world where her dead childhood bestie is still alive, needed to be in any kind of a romance this alternate version of that best friend. It just felt forced and honestly I probably would have liked this more if there was no romance to begin with.
I’m also not sure if it’s the fact that I’ve never experienced public high school (outside of one disastrous try at shadowing a teacher as a grownup) but Mina’s school experiences in both worlds just didn’t work for me. At one point someone poured kombucha on her head which, just felt weird for me.
Overall though I don’t think this is a bad book, just maybe not the right book for me.
Big thank you to PRH Audio for the free audiobook ALC.
March 14, 2024
This was such an interesting YA read! I was super intrigued by how the webcomic world collided with real life. There was a lot going on in this book, but it all worked together in a really neat way. I also adored the romance tied into the story as well. If you like alternate universes, superhero action, and stories that focus on family relationships this is one you should enjoy.
Thank you Crown for sending me this copy for review.
Thank you Crown for sending me this copy for review.
August 6, 2023
What a super cute book! Went a lot deeper than I thought it was going to, especially dealing with aspects of grief. I hope there's a sequel. But it summarized a fun web toon perfectly!
January 25, 2024
Inspired by the groundbreaking A-Ha! Music video for “Take on Me”, this book combines webcomics, art, teen romance, loss, physics, and multiverse theory, simultaneously mocking and embracing the tropes.
Mina, a Korean-American girl whose mother died a few years ago, is struggling as her senior year begins. Her father doesn’t want her to go into art—her mother’s profession—and seems to be erasing her mother’s memories from their lives. To prove that she has what it takes to be a successful artist, Mina decides to publish a webcomic. Her first attempt is boring. She doesn’t want to embrace the typical tropes—like love triangles—and her friends give her some tough love.
Her second attempt is…inspired. The characters jump into her mind, including a grown-up version of a childhood friend who died.
And this is where the multiverse comes in.
Oh gives us just enough scientific explanation for us to willingly go along for the ride, without sciencing us to death.
What I really enjoyed about this story is that the alternate universe characters know that they are not who they were before the comic started. They don’t know why they are suddenly compelled to do things that are outside their previous norm. Mina, shocked that she is responsible for their unhappy circumstances, helps them to fight against the compulsions that she created, while trying to fix the problem and allow them to be themselves again. By doing this, she learns the lesson herself—she needs to stand up to her father about her choices for her future.
The solution to the problem is maybe a little frustrating. Mina is able to bring the tools she needs to fight her bad guys to life just by drawing them. It does make the eventual escape from them a bit too simple. On the other hand, Mina is also called on to make a great sacrifice—an understandable and needed one, but heartbreaking nonetheless.
The final solution toward getting her back to her own reality was a little to close to The Wizard of Oz for my comfort.
There were a few continuity errors in my ARC. Mina is lactose intolerant, but she eats cheese sticks and things with butter. On the other hand, when she orders a milkshake, she only dips her French fries in it because “that’s the only way I can have a milkshake.”
Overall, I felt like the story was engaging, the dialogue and description were solid, and the characters who were supposed to be believable, were believable.
And…did Oh leave the door open for a sequel?
Possible Objectionable Material:
Some violence of a comic-book nature. An over-the-top villain who does medical procedures on teens. Teenage cursing—mild. Teenage making out, also mild. No sex. A same-gender couple.
Who Might Like This Book:
Fans of webcomics and comics in general will probably find this an enjoyable read. Although the protagonist is female, I think it will be equally engaging to boys.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
Mina, a Korean-American girl whose mother died a few years ago, is struggling as her senior year begins. Her father doesn’t want her to go into art—her mother’s profession—and seems to be erasing her mother’s memories from their lives. To prove that she has what it takes to be a successful artist, Mina decides to publish a webcomic. Her first attempt is boring. She doesn’t want to embrace the typical tropes—like love triangles—and her friends give her some tough love.
Her second attempt is…inspired. The characters jump into her mind, including a grown-up version of a childhood friend who died.
And this is where the multiverse comes in.
Oh gives us just enough scientific explanation for us to willingly go along for the ride, without sciencing us to death.
What I really enjoyed about this story is that the alternate universe characters know that they are not who they were before the comic started. They don’t know why they are suddenly compelled to do things that are outside their previous norm. Mina, shocked that she is responsible for their unhappy circumstances, helps them to fight against the compulsions that she created, while trying to fix the problem and allow them to be themselves again. By doing this, she learns the lesson herself—she needs to stand up to her father about her choices for her future.
The solution to the problem is maybe a little frustrating. Mina is able to bring the tools she needs to fight her bad guys to life just by drawing them. It does make the eventual escape from them a bit too simple. On the other hand, Mina is also called on to make a great sacrifice—an understandable and needed one, but heartbreaking nonetheless.
The final solution toward getting her back to her own reality was a little to close to The Wizard of Oz for my comfort.
There were a few continuity errors in my ARC. Mina is lactose intolerant, but she eats cheese sticks and things with butter. On the other hand, when she orders a milkshake, she only dips her French fries in it because “that’s the only way I can have a milkshake.”
Overall, I felt like the story was engaging, the dialogue and description were solid, and the characters who were supposed to be believable, were believable.
And…did Oh leave the door open for a sequel?
Possible Objectionable Material:
Some violence of a comic-book nature. An over-the-top villain who does medical procedures on teens. Teenage cursing—mild. Teenage making out, also mild. No sex. A same-gender couple.
Who Might Like This Book:
Fans of webcomics and comics in general will probably find this an enjoyable read. Although the protagonist is female, I think it will be equally engaging to boys.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
This book is also reviewed at https://biblioquacious.blogspot.com/2...
April 3, 2024
Rating: 3.5 Stars (or ~4 Stars)
Ellen Oh’s new young adult novel, The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee took me (and main character Mina) on a wild ride full of twists and turns and conflicting emotions. Mina is a young artist who’s been working on sharing her work with the world in the form of webcomics, but when a freak occurrence sends her into the world of her creation her arrival leaves her scrambling to get home and dealing with unforeseen consequences.
The premise of this book is crazy. Poor Mina has been dealing with a lot in life lately. Her dream is to attend art school and pursue her passion (which connects her to late mother), but her father is not interested in helping her prepare for anything but what he considers a more “practical” future. Frustrated by her father’s constant absence for work and lack of understanding, she throws herself into creating a webcomic (which quickly becomes more than she anticipated) and gets transported into an alternate universe.
I love anything having to do with a multiverse, and Ms. Oh did a great job with the execution of that story element. Admittedly, the first part of the book before the introduction of the alternate universe dragged a bit and I wasn’t sure I was going to continue reading the book. However, once the major event where Mina crosses over occurs I was sold. All of the technical elements are made really easy to understand. I really loved the different personalities and backstories some of the major characters in Mina’s life had in the alternate universe, and how it contrasted with their usual demeanor and true origin story, if you will. I also loved the introduction of the magical powers for various characters (not quite superpowers, but serving the same function) and of course, the love interest Jin (who has quite the intriguing backstory of his own).
Overall, this was a hectic story but definitely one I considered worth the time spent reading. Ami Park did a great job with her performance in the audiobook narration of the story. It’s a bit unclear at this point, but I really hope that this book gets a sequel otherwise that ending was even more brutal and borderline cruel. I would recommend this book to those who are fans of fantasy fiction novels or any book with a multiverse element to the story.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Random House Children’s Books, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Death of a Parent (Historical References), Death of a Child (Historical References), Child Abandonment (Circumstances/Emotional Impact discussed in depth on page)
Ellen Oh’s new young adult novel, The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee took me (and main character Mina) on a wild ride full of twists and turns and conflicting emotions. Mina is a young artist who’s been working on sharing her work with the world in the form of webcomics, but when a freak occurrence sends her into the world of her creation her arrival leaves her scrambling to get home and dealing with unforeseen consequences.
The premise of this book is crazy. Poor Mina has been dealing with a lot in life lately. Her dream is to attend art school and pursue her passion (which connects her to late mother), but her father is not interested in helping her prepare for anything but what he considers a more “practical” future. Frustrated by her father’s constant absence for work and lack of understanding, she throws herself into creating a webcomic (which quickly becomes more than she anticipated) and gets transported into an alternate universe.
I love anything having to do with a multiverse, and Ms. Oh did a great job with the execution of that story element. Admittedly, the first part of the book before the introduction of the alternate universe dragged a bit and I wasn’t sure I was going to continue reading the book. However, once the major event where Mina crosses over occurs I was sold. All of the technical elements are made really easy to understand. I really loved the different personalities and backstories some of the major characters in Mina’s life had in the alternate universe, and how it contrasted with their usual demeanor and true origin story, if you will. I also loved the introduction of the magical powers for various characters (not quite superpowers, but serving the same function) and of course, the love interest Jin (who has quite the intriguing backstory of his own).
Overall, this was a hectic story but definitely one I considered worth the time spent reading. Ami Park did a great job with her performance in the audiobook narration of the story. It’s a bit unclear at this point, but I really hope that this book gets a sequel otherwise that ending was even more brutal and borderline cruel. I would recommend this book to those who are fans of fantasy fiction novels or any book with a multiverse element to the story.
Thank you to the author, the publisher Random House Children’s Books, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Death of a Parent (Historical References), Death of a Child (Historical References), Child Abandonment (Circumstances/Emotional Impact discussed in depth on page)
January 28, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee follows Mina in her senior year. Her dream is to study art, but her father won’t let her. So, she creates a webtoon in the hope it will convince him. But while creating the story, she somehow gets sucked into it.
I was super intrigued when reading the synopsis for this one and really wanted to dive into the story! I have read a lot of webtoons over the years and really enjoy reading them, so I was curious to see how this story would play out. It also really reminded me of the K-drama W, which also centres around the real world and the alternate universe of a webtoon!
The story starts the first day of senior year, and I have to be honest, I wasn’t blown away by the beginning. I found Mina to be a bit pessimistic and it didn’t really draw me in. Once Mina started with creating the webtoon, both she and the story came alive.
I really liked the idea of being inside the webtoon of your own creation and how Mina still could manipulate it at a certain level. At the same time, I found myself a bit confused and left wanting more information as to how it came to be and how it was possible. Even at the end, I found that an explanation still lacked which left me a bit confused.
I liked Mina, I liked how she tried to do the right thing and how much she loves art. She is determined and tried to right her wrongs. Jin is the one who really stole my heart! I really liked his personality a lot.
The romance and chemistry between Mina and Jin were really well written! From the first time they met you could feel the chemistry between the two and they fitted perfectly. I especially enjoyed the banter between the two a lot!
The story is fast paced and predictable to me. As it is in a webtoon, the mentions of tropes that happened was funny, but at the same time the story was very cliché. I would’ve liked it if there was just that one thing that made it somehow stand out more. I also think that is why I wasn’t blown away by the story in general.
The story also ends with a hopeful ending, instead of a true happily ever after, which I really had hoped it would have had. While it does fit within the world created by the author, it does feel a bit bittersweet for me.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee, I was invested in it and really liked the chemistry between the main characters but also feel like it could’ve been better explained and fleshed out at times.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC of this book via TBR and Beyond Tours in exchange for an honest review!
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee follows Mina in her senior year. Her dream is to study art, but her father won’t let her. So, she creates a webtoon in the hope it will convince him. But while creating the story, she somehow gets sucked into it.
“Every face tells a story. Find the story that you want to share with the world.”
I was super intrigued when reading the synopsis for this one and really wanted to dive into the story! I have read a lot of webtoons over the years and really enjoy reading them, so I was curious to see how this story would play out. It also really reminded me of the K-drama W, which also centres around the real world and the alternate universe of a webtoon!
The story starts the first day of senior year, and I have to be honest, I wasn’t blown away by the beginning. I found Mina to be a bit pessimistic and it didn’t really draw me in. Once Mina started with creating the webtoon, both she and the story came alive.
I really liked the idea of being inside the webtoon of your own creation and how Mina still could manipulate it at a certain level. At the same time, I found myself a bit confused and left wanting more information as to how it came to be and how it was possible. Even at the end, I found that an explanation still lacked which left me a bit confused.
I liked Mina, I liked how she tried to do the right thing and how much she loves art. She is determined and tried to right her wrongs. Jin is the one who really stole my heart! I really liked his personality a lot.
The romance and chemistry between Mina and Jin were really well written! From the first time they met you could feel the chemistry between the two and they fitted perfectly. I especially enjoyed the banter between the two a lot!
The story is fast paced and predictable to me. As it is in a webtoon, the mentions of tropes that happened was funny, but at the same time the story was very cliché. I would’ve liked it if there was just that one thing that made it somehow stand out more. I also think that is why I wasn’t blown away by the story in general.
The story also ends with a hopeful ending, instead of a true happily ever after, which I really had hoped it would have had. While it does fit within the world created by the author, it does feel a bit bittersweet for me.
Overall, I enjoyed reading The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee, I was invested in it and really liked the chemistry between the main characters but also feel like it could’ve been better explained and fleshed out at times.
April 17, 2024
4.5⭐️ rounded up.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.
When Mina Lee created her web comic, the last thing she expected was to wake up as the hero of her own story—literally. But she wakes up on Saturday morning to realize the fictional world she created is now the world she is living in and it is not following the story she had planned. Now she has to figure out what went wrong and how she can fix it in order to save everyone her errant story has put in danger—even if that means giving up the boy of her dreams.
I’m starting to realize that I really enjoy speculative fiction and this story absolutely holds true to that feeling. Who among us hasn’t wanted to live in a fictional world before? Oh takes that idea and turns it on its head when the main character finds herself in the story she created—or so she thinks. Not only does Oh bring to life something that so many of us dream about, but she also brings to life the struggle of wanting to be a creative while suffering pushback from a parent, something I think children of immigrants (like myself) can particularly relate to.
While there were some plot points that I found easy to figure out, it felt like these were purposefully placed in order to lull the reader into a false sense of security for the harder to solve surprises to come. I found myself loosening up and starting to feel like I knew what would happen at the end of the story only to be surprised when something comes along that I never would have predicted. The best stories keep you guessing, but I absolutely loved that this one made me think that I had it figured it out sometimes.
And while this story is very contemporary, there was still a bit of world-building that needed to happen and Oh managed that masterfully. Little moments that seem insignificant actually play a bigger part in the overall plot of the story and it's not until it's revealed that the reader is able to put two and two together. Not only was the world-building top notch, but the characters really jumped off the page, feeling like people that I could actually meet and become friends (or enemies!) with. I don't think there was a single character that felt flat in this entire story and there were quite a few characters to bring together. Oh's ability to not only create the world but create the people really stands out.
A coming-of-age story that dives into the intricacies of grief and how we utilize fictional worlds to cope, THE COLLIDING WORLDS OF MINA LEE by Ellen Oh brings to life a beautiful story that I keep thinking about even weeks after I’ve turned the last page.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.
When Mina Lee created her web comic, the last thing she expected was to wake up as the hero of her own story—literally. But she wakes up on Saturday morning to realize the fictional world she created is now the world she is living in and it is not following the story she had planned. Now she has to figure out what went wrong and how she can fix it in order to save everyone her errant story has put in danger—even if that means giving up the boy of her dreams.
I’m starting to realize that I really enjoy speculative fiction and this story absolutely holds true to that feeling. Who among us hasn’t wanted to live in a fictional world before? Oh takes that idea and turns it on its head when the main character finds herself in the story she created—or so she thinks. Not only does Oh bring to life something that so many of us dream about, but she also brings to life the struggle of wanting to be a creative while suffering pushback from a parent, something I think children of immigrants (like myself) can particularly relate to.
While there were some plot points that I found easy to figure out, it felt like these were purposefully placed in order to lull the reader into a false sense of security for the harder to solve surprises to come. I found myself loosening up and starting to feel like I knew what would happen at the end of the story only to be surprised when something comes along that I never would have predicted. The best stories keep you guessing, but I absolutely loved that this one made me think that I had it figured it out sometimes.
And while this story is very contemporary, there was still a bit of world-building that needed to happen and Oh managed that masterfully. Little moments that seem insignificant actually play a bigger part in the overall plot of the story and it's not until it's revealed that the reader is able to put two and two together. Not only was the world-building top notch, but the characters really jumped off the page, feeling like people that I could actually meet and become friends (or enemies!) with. I don't think there was a single character that felt flat in this entire story and there were quite a few characters to bring together. Oh's ability to not only create the world but create the people really stands out.
A coming-of-age story that dives into the intricacies of grief and how we utilize fictional worlds to cope, THE COLLIDING WORLDS OF MINA LEE by Ellen Oh brings to life a beautiful story that I keep thinking about even weeks after I’ve turned the last page.
January 27, 2024
Review copy provided by publisher via NetGalley.
[The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee contains scenes describing human medical experimentation that, while not graphic, could be unsettling for some readers. Grief is also a present theme, as Mina’s mother’s died three years ago, and the Jin in the webcomic is based on a childhood friend who died of cancer.]
If you’ve ever enjoyed a webcomic where a “real world” person ends up in a fantasy world, you should give The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee a chance. It’s a solid example of the genre while still being able to have a bit of fun with the medium itself through meta moments like Mina realizing that something big will almost definitely happen at a school dance—just because it’s a school dance, and she’s in webcomic set at a high school. A lot of tropes, events, and characters get played straight or played around with in entertaining ways, and I enjoyed Mina’s lampshading throughout.
Mina and Jin were the stars of the book, and they had a sweet, sincere webcomic romance. I enjoyed their banter and their teamwork, and Mina was a lot of fun as a narrator. I liked watching her figure out how her powers worked as the webcomic’s creator, and her commentary on genre conventions and other meta gave the story a lot of flavor. Much of the supporting cast was fairly simple, though, and I do wish there had been more time to flesh them out—especially the character that was supposed to be the hero before Mina arrived in the webcomic world.
I would consider The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee to fall on the younger end of the YA spectrum due to its writing style and breezy pace. Some of the horror isn’t as deeply explored as I would expect in an older YA, like Mina’s powers to (accidentally) force the webcomic people to conform to her storyline or the medical/body horror inherent in the villain’s schemes. That said, the book doesn’t shy away from the heavier topics of parental loss—Mina’s mother’s death is still a significant influence on Mina and her father’s lives. I also appreciated the juxtaposition of Mina’s parents’ absences: her mother to death, but present in her art; and her father to work, but present in his worry about Mina’s future.
Recommendation: Get it soon if the premise appeals to you. Ellen Oh’s The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee is a fun, comfortable high school adventure with a dose of entertaining meta on top. There are some places I wish had been explored more, but the novel is a solid entry in this genre. I finished the novel wanting to read more stories like it, and that’s a sign of a satisfying story.
[The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee contains scenes describing human medical experimentation that, while not graphic, could be unsettling for some readers. Grief is also a present theme, as Mina’s mother’s died three years ago, and the Jin in the webcomic is based on a childhood friend who died of cancer.]
If you’ve ever enjoyed a webcomic where a “real world” person ends up in a fantasy world, you should give The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee a chance. It’s a solid example of the genre while still being able to have a bit of fun with the medium itself through meta moments like Mina realizing that something big will almost definitely happen at a school dance—just because it’s a school dance, and she’s in webcomic set at a high school. A lot of tropes, events, and characters get played straight or played around with in entertaining ways, and I enjoyed Mina’s lampshading throughout.
Mina and Jin were the stars of the book, and they had a sweet, sincere webcomic romance. I enjoyed their banter and their teamwork, and Mina was a lot of fun as a narrator. I liked watching her figure out how her powers worked as the webcomic’s creator, and her commentary on genre conventions and other meta gave the story a lot of flavor. Much of the supporting cast was fairly simple, though, and I do wish there had been more time to flesh them out—especially the character that was supposed to be the hero before Mina arrived in the webcomic world.
I would consider The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee to fall on the younger end of the YA spectrum due to its writing style and breezy pace. Some of the horror isn’t as deeply explored as I would expect in an older YA, like Mina’s powers to (accidentally) force the webcomic people to conform to her storyline or the medical/body horror inherent in the villain’s schemes. That said, the book doesn’t shy away from the heavier topics of parental loss—Mina’s mother’s death is still a significant influence on Mina and her father’s lives. I also appreciated the juxtaposition of Mina’s parents’ absences: her mother to death, but present in her art; and her father to work, but present in his worry about Mina’s future.
Recommendation: Get it soon if the premise appeals to you. Ellen Oh’s The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee is a fun, comfortable high school adventure with a dose of entertaining meta on top. There are some places I wish had been explored more, but the novel is a solid entry in this genre. I finished the novel wanting to read more stories like it, and that’s a sign of a satisfying story.
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