palmkd's review
4.0
This YA Contemporary debut brings you through the struggles of a 2nd generation Taiwanese-American girl, trying to juggle college and her parents expectations. Life is messy, and figuring out who you are is hard.
I definitely recommend this coming of age story and can also recommend the audio version.
I definitely recommend this coming of age story and can also recommend the audio version.
thepaige_turner's review
3.0
I did like the overall plot/story but the pacing was just so off and wild that it took something away from the overall reading experience.
kirstysbookishworld's review
3.0
There was aspects of this story I loved. Others I didn’t and some I simply didn’t understand.
The pressure she felt from her parents is something I can never understand. But it does make me appreciate my childhood, appreciate their pride in me from simply doing my best and being me:
Darren was adorable, as was the humour spread throughout this book. I learnt some new words, learnt about a new culture and managed to enjoy the story alone the way.
The subjects this book handles surprised me though. STDs, sex positivity, culture judgements, marital pressures, body positivity etc.
For my last book of contemporaryathon, it’s not bad at all!
The pressure she felt from her parents is something I can never understand. But it does make me appreciate my childhood, appreciate their pride in me from simply doing my best and being me:
Darren was adorable, as was the humour spread throughout this book. I learnt some new words, learnt about a new culture and managed to enjoy the story alone the way.
The subjects this book handles surprised me though. STDs, sex positivity, culture judgements, marital pressures, body positivity etc.
For my last book of contemporaryathon, it’s not bad at all!
cem_nouri's review
5.0
I enjoyed this book. This is the first book I’ve ever read about an Asian person. I learned a little about the Chinese culture and I learned some Chinese words. I understand that Mei’s experience isn’t the same as every other Chinese person’s experience. She doesn’t represent everyone in Taiwan. I felt bad about what she went through. Her parents shouldn’t have disowned her. At least her mother came around and continued to have a relationship with her though. The book ended on a good note. That was nice to see.
melindagallagher's review
4.0
Mei is Taiwanese-American and her parents are extremely traditional. Mei is a young freshman at MIT but cannot shake her parent's plans for her. Their verbal and emotional abuse causes Mei to feel guilty and afraid about everything. When she meets Darren, a Japanese boy who her parents do not approve of because he is Japanese, she begins to wonder if she can be true to herself. Mei doesn't really know where she belongs. After reaching out to her estranged brother, she begins to see that she must live her life and be true to herself. An eye-opening, bittersweet, humorous, and enjoyable read.
smithereens's review
4.0
Had this on my TBR for a while and it did not disappoint. A really genuine voice in YA- I loved the roommate relationship and how Darren was a clever and level headed guy - not every novel needs a bad boy. Sometimes they just need a spikey haired MIT nut lover. Listened on Audible
_thngan_'s review against another edition
emotional
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Actual rating: 2.5/5 stars
Another one to be added on that do-not-trust-review-list, 'cause I got such a high expectation for this based on so many positives reviews.
Mei - a Taiwanese American seventeen girl who is a freshmen at MIT, always tried her best to live up to her parents expectations: having good grades, being a doctor and then marry the man who her family approved. But she had secrets too: she's afraid of germs, lacking of interest in biology and fall in love with her classmate who is definitely not what her parents would like. So she struggled to keep her role and to keep her secrets away from her family. But then college and everything changed, she expected to have her own freedom but her family was closer and more involved in her life more than ever and her brother reappeared. All thing became a whole mess but at least she had chance to live up to her passion - dancing.
So I was disappointed with this storyline, not something which you could expect get out in 2018, this should be published around 10 years ago and it'll become more accurate. But then I got to that part of author's note, oh well that made sense why this storyline was give me that vibe of such an old age. Anyway, it still portrayed a good background of how our old Asian people - generation of our fathers, mothers, grandparents living in their life with all those expectations, stereotypes and prejudices in life. But as it was getting better now, so some part of this story did annoy me. And then well Mei, our undecessive protagonist with all that makeup then break up with her crush. Part of me sympathy for her undecision but the other part literally wants to scream at her like how even at that age that she couldn't have for herself her own sense but so emotinally, physically trusting everything her family said, like at least you could see some problems please?
This book had done a great job to portray what being a rational especially Asian American would be while growing up in American, but still that some stories might be too old that made those stereotypes of Western countries on Asian's culture and background seemed worse. So looking for a good romance, take only that part involve only Mei and Darren in the scence and their chatting - worth taking time to read 'cause they had that chemistry; an insight on Asian's perspectives, myths which were right and no, so this could be a pick too but just keep your head light.
A like for this, definitely not; a re-read, 1000% not.
Another one to be added on that do-not-trust-review-list, 'cause I got such a high expectation for this based on so many positives reviews.
Mei - a Taiwanese American seventeen girl who is a freshmen at MIT, always tried her best to live up to her parents expectations: having good grades, being a doctor and then marry the man who her family approved. But she had secrets too: she's afraid of germs, lacking of interest in biology and fall in love with her classmate who is definitely not what her parents would like. So she struggled to keep her role and to keep her secrets away from her family. But then college and everything changed, she expected to have her own freedom but her family was closer and more involved in her life more than ever and her brother reappeared. All thing became a whole mess but at least she had chance to live up to her passion - dancing.
So I was disappointed with this storyline, not something which you could expect get out in 2018, this should be published around 10 years ago and it'll become more accurate. But then I got to that part of author's note, oh well that made sense why this storyline was give me that vibe of such an old age. Anyway, it still portrayed a good background of how our old Asian people - generation of our fathers, mothers, grandparents living in their life with all those expectations, stereotypes and prejudices in life. But as it was getting better now, so some part of this story did annoy me. And then well Mei, our undecessive protagonist with all that makeup then break up with her crush. Part of me sympathy for her undecision but the other part literally wants to scream at her like how even at that age that she couldn't have for herself her own sense but so emotinally, physically trusting everything her family said, like at least you could see some problems please?
This book had done a great job to portray what being a rational especially Asian American would be while growing up in American, but still that some stories might be too old that made those stereotypes of Western countries on Asian's culture and background seemed worse. So looking for a good romance, take only that part involve only Mei and Darren in the scence and their chatting - worth taking time to read 'cause they had that chemistry; an insight on Asian's perspectives, myths which were right and no, so this could be a pick too but just keep your head light.
A like for this, definitely not; a re-read, 1000% not.
sophie5927's review
4.0
Okay so I really really did like this read. I loved every aspect of it, from the family drama to the roommate situation to her struggle with becoming a doctor to her romance with Darren. Despite all of this, there was something about Mei herself that didn’t sit well with me for the first half-ish of the book. I still don’t know what it is, it may have just been the way she was written because she was still figuring out herself who she was, but otherwise great book that deals well with some cases of immigrants children and their struggle in America.