American Panda - Review - wonderful writing, raw feelings, & a joy -

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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?




Where do I even start with this amazing book? I do not want to spoil this book because it is a must read so I will keep this review short and simple. It's clever, witty, and powerful. I enjoyed the characters, from Mei who's a Germaphobia to her passion for dance, to her mother who brings so much to this story, and so many more characters. I could go on about the characters but there is more about this book I want to talk about.
My favorite part of the book is the mixing of two different cultures that make one life for many people. Her writing does such a good job of balance this. The realness of this book is what makes it an amazing read. I love the witty, funny to warm-hearted moments.

A great diversity read, with wonderful writing, raw feelings, and a joy to step into this world!

A must read that's easy to get lost in!




I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn't in any way influence my opinion on it. So, this is a 100% honest review by me.




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