An Arrow to the Moon is a magical realism read with some Chinese fables woven in: the story of Chang’e, the moon goddess, and the legend of Hou Yi, the archer. Due to the nature of the magical realism, you do have to suspend your disbelief at times. An Arrow to the Moon is told […]
How We Fall Apart is a YA mystery thriller with Asian main characters, and I really enjoyed it! Set at an elite private school, it explores the immense pressure of academic performance on students, in particular Asian students. It touches on important themes such as friendship rivalry, classism and the illusion of being perfect, mental […]
If there’s anything that we love in YA, it’s definitely stories about fighting against the patriarchy. Iron Widow certainly gives us that – and it gives us a good does of anger, rage and female empowerment at that. Add in some giant fighting mechas, Chinese culture and history, with a queer, polyamorous relationship as a norm […]
What an absolutely stunning cover! That’s what initially drew me in to Star Daughter, but when I heard it featured actual star beings based off Hindu mythology, I had to pick it up. Things I Liked About Star Daughter The concept is so unique, unlike anything I’ve read before. Sheetal is half-star, half-human, with the power to […]
With rave reviews everywhere, and even a Netflix option by Barack & Michelle Obama’s production company, there’s certainly a lot of hype attached to the Firekeeper’s Daughter. The main character Duanis, is a biracial 18 year old hockey player who gets caught up in an FBI investigation in her local Obijwe community. Perhaps I’m just used […]
When I first heard of this lesbian ghost thriller set in Malaysia featuring an Asian main character, I was totally on board, and started the audiobook right away. I haven’t read anything by Zen Cho before, but this cover and premise totally drew me in and I needed to find out more. A melting pot […]
If a book has Asian characters, I’m definitely down for it, but also one with a beautiful cover? Count me in. The Ones We’re Meant To Find is about two sisters looking to find each other again, and I was immediately curious at the blurb. A sister on an abandoned island and a comparison to Black Mirror and We Were […]
The Magic Fish is a beautiful graphic novel about fairy tales, second generation immigrants, coming out and struggling to connect with your parents due to language. The Vietnamese characters are fantastic and you can see the differences between Tiến and his mum, from their upbringing, struggles and the way they approach their family. While they […]
Tiger Daughter is a story of Chinese immigrants, who do what they can do survive after migrating to Australia. Whether it is coping with their crushing pride, unspoken disappointments from losing their previous stature in life, to their children coping with bullying and being different while just trying to live, it covers a lot in a […]