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A review by _thngan_
American Panda by Gloria Chao
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.