Publishing Date: February 6, 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320
Young Adult Contemporary
The Premise from the Publisher: "An incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut about a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate. At seventeen, Mei should be in high school, but skipping fourth grade was part of her parents’ master plan. Now a freshman at MIT, she is on track to fulfill the rest of this predetermined future: become a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, produce a litter of babies. With everything her parents have sacrificed to make her cushy life a reality, Mei can’t bring herself to tell them the truth—that she (1) hates germs, (2) falls asleep in biology lectures, and (3) has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is decidedly not Taiwanese. But when Mei reconnects with her brother, Xing, who is estranged from the family for dating the wrong woman, Mei starts to wonder if all the secrets are truly worth it. Can she find a way to be herself, whoever that is, before her web of lies unravels?" (Simon Pulse)
My overall thoughts and review: When I heard about this book a few months ago, I knew I instantly wanted to read it because there aren't enough Asian-American/Asian-Canadian narratives in YA and this one was going to focus specifically on Chinese-American. I'm half Chinese and just seeing the cover previews (isn't it adorable? I also have a huge craving for hot chocolate now) for this book made me excited. Finally, I would be able to identify myself in a young adult story, and it was in a contemporary setting. The premise also hits very close to home and I feel like a lot of readers will empathize with the pressure Mei feels to honor and respect her parents accordingly. Instead of medical school, it was dentistry school for me (similar to the author actually). The story follows Mei Lu, who ends up a freshman at MIT as pre-med. She's a year younger because she skipped ahead and she's the child that her mother and father 'helicopter' parent because her brother has been estranged from the family for years (her brother falls in love with someone her parents don't deem as acceptable). Mei actually loves dance and is a huge germaphobe and finds it hard to even think about medical school. The story follows Mei as she deals with coming to terms with showing filial piety to her parents and doing what she really wants and loves. There's also a nice parallel between Mei and her brother Xing as they both love someone outside of their parents expectations. I really liked seeing how Mei and Darren came together and it wasn't insta-love. It felt really genuine and down to earth. They are just adorable, but I'm glad it wasn't the focal point of the book. The book also examines family dynamics, generational expectations, and various stereotypes. I saw so much of myself in Mei, and I also saw a lot of my mother in Mei's mom as well. My mom wasn't as extreme as Mei's mom (which I am forever grateful for. love you mom!) but I loved how Chao touches on the pressure that immigrant parents feel as well. Some of these narratives can demonize the parent, but I loved how it explored Mei's mom's feelings as well. This was a book I really wish I had in high-school when I was deciding what to do with my future and choosing my degree. It's a book that anyone can enjoy and empathize with because it just speaks volumes about doing what you want, doing what makes you happy, and not seeing things so black and white. I loved this book so much and I can't wait to sit down and re-read it again (but I plan on making my mom read it first)! I also can't wait to see what Chao writes next because we need more stories like this! :D
My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮✮ (5/5 stars)
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Author Written Piece
Topic/Question: What's your writing process like?
One thing I just learned is that so far, my writing process is different depending on the book. For American Panda, the book began as a series of anecdotes. Then, I found Mei’s voice and the storyline of her parents wanting her to be a doctor despite her squeamishness with germs.
The most crucial milestone for me to hit when drafting a new book is finding the voice of the character. Even though the creative process differs across projects (for example, with American Panda, I started with a broad idea of wanting to write the book I needed as a teen, and with Misaligned, my second novel, the book started with the plot twist at the end), the words do not start flowing until I find the right character for that particular story. Sometimes this involves many trial scenes that will be thrown out, and sometimes the characters come to me immediately. But either way, for me, the story begins and ends with the main character, and finding their voice is the most important step.
In order to do this, I think about the kind of character that they need to be for this story to have the highest stakes. For example, because Mei’s parents want her to be a doctor, marry a preapproved Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer, and live up to her name, which means “beautiful,” Mei hates germs, falls asleep in her biology classes, has a crush on her Japanese classmate, and is a size 8 with self-cut bangs. And to alleviate the seriousness of the family struggles, I wanted her to have a humorous take on the world to give the reader plenty of comic relief throughout. And because her parents are so strict, she’s a seventeen-year-old college freshman with little social skills and a whole lot of awkward. I chose the MIT setting because a nurturing, accepting environment was essential for Mei to find herself, and she needed to be in college, away from her parents for the first time, to begin thinking for herself.
Once all these factors were decided, I outline the climax and the turning point between Acts 2 and 3, and then just write where the characters take me. By establishing the context and protagonist’s voice early, the writing comes smoother, and it’s easier to make decisions as they arise.
Throughout the drafting stage, I have notebooks everywhere—my nightstand, the coffee table, the dining room table, in my purse—to jot down ideas that come to me throughout the day.
My favorite part of the writing process is when I have so many ideas I’m simultaneously writing three scenes. Even though it’s hectic, I love being so inspired I can’t write down my thoughts as fast as they come.
And every day, I try to remind myself just how lucky I am and what a privilege it is that I get to write.
Thank you so much, Gloria! I'm so glad to hear about the writing process and how you put the entire thing together. I can't wait to see what you write next!
Be sure to stop by the other stops on the tour for more content and a giveaway! ;)
Disclaimer: An advanced reader's copy of the book was provided by Simon and Schuster Canada for participation in the book tour. All opinions of the book are my own.
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