Creative Staff
Story/Art: BonHyung Jeong
What They Say
I’M NOT HER BABYSITTER…
Having a little sister isn’t easy – she takes my soda, follows me around, and wants to tag along with me and my friends. Worse, she always gets her way with our parents! Sometimes I wonder if I was adopted just to look after her. (I know, it doesn’t make sense.) Going to middle school means at least she can’t bother me there. I’ll have plenty of time to practice to become MVP of the basketball team and maybe even…get a girlfriend! I finally managed to ask Hannah out on a date. Now how do I make sure Amy doesn’t follow me and ruin the day?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
When do you need space and when should you talk to one another? That is the theme at the center of “Amy’s Big Brother,” a family-friendly manga that I found to be engaging and emotional even though it is being sold under Yen Press’s family imprint JY (Junior Yen, for those who might be wondering). While the title might not make sense until the very end, the journey is no less emotional.
It follows a boy named Andrew, the adopted son in his family. He was the favorite in the family, until a few years later when his parents had a biological child named Amy. Ever since then, he has felt that she has been spoiled rotten while he is blamed for every little shortcoming in his life. For this reason, he can’t wait to go to junior high, where his sister won’t be tagging along with him everywhere he goes.
Here, he meets Hannah, and the two quickly form a bond that becomes romantic. As anyone who went through love in junior high can tell you though, relationships are not always easy. In fact, it isn’t long before the two start inadvertently hurting one another, and questions about who is right and who is wrong are not so easy to pinpoint. Suddenly, having an annoying sister is the least of Andrew’s problems.
In Summary:
“Amy’s Big Brother” is a compelling children’s book. It acknowledges that one day kids will find love, and when they find it, they may not know what to do with it. It provides an excellent message about how important communication is, and how being quick to anger is not in your best interest. While it doesn’t sound like Amy, the little sister, will play much of a role in the storyline, by the end there is a surprise revelation that pretty much anyone who has siblings will be able to appreciate.
Sure, the artwork is simple, but what I truly loved about this is the fact that even though it was written with children in mind, it is no less engaging for this adult reader (and even taps into feelings that all adults will relate to). If Yen Press releases more books like this, then their JY label is going to be one to keep an eye on!
Content Grade: A
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A
Age Rating: All Ages
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: December 12, 2023
MSRP: $13.00
This review was done with a review copy provided by the publisher. We are grateful for their continued support.
