"Split Image" is written as free verse and follows the story of Laura Li. She is a Chinese-American and struggles hot to understand her family and how she fits into the world. Each poem is narrated from the perspective of a different character. Some characters love Laura Li while others can't stand her. On the outside Laura seems perfect; she's pretty, smart, and outgoing. On the inside, she is depressed and hopeless.

I found this novel just okay. It was a very quick read, but it didn't really grab my attention at any point throughout. It was interesting to see Laura's character from different perspectives, but this made it difficult to really understand who she really is.

Since the book does deal with suicide and drugs, I would recommend it to high school students, rather than middle school. This would be a good read for those who enjoy poetry/free verse. ( )

In the book Split Image, Laura Li’s family has moved to the United States and Laura feels caught between two cultures and between doing what her mother wants and following her own dreams. Laura’s mother expects her to stay home after she graduates from high school. She wants Laura to commute to a close college and be near so she can take care of her disabled older brother. Laura, a very attractive girl, wants more of a social life and dreams of traveling far away from her stifling family. She plays the “good girl” at home, and at school, but sneaks out in the middle of the night to dance and flirt.
This book underdevelops the character... ( )

This is the story of Laura Li and what everyone thinks about her: perfect student, loyal sister, tease. The story of what happens when she can’t escape her perfectionism.

Melodramatic, gimmicky, and quite uneven. I didn’t love it, but it held my attention. Teens probably would like it better, especially those into poetry. Librarians will love the central role of the library and librarian.

Some of the poems
Were just prose
Written with line breaks. ( )

Laura Li seems to have everything. She is beautiful and smart. Her peers and her teachers all admire her. But her family life is difficult...too difficult to reconcile with what she wants for herself. ( )