Private Label

March 15, 2022
Chinese American teens contend with the unpredictability of life. Seventeen-year-old Serene Li has always admired her mother for moving from Beijing to the U.S. by herself while pregnant and achieving success as a single parent and trailblazing fashion designer. When her mother is diagnosed with stage 3 pancreatic cancer, Serene suddenly faces a future alone--unless she can find her father. Serene's classmate Lian Chen also feels desperate. At school, he endures microaggressions from students and teachers; at home, he faces intense parental pressure to test into a competitive engineering program at MIT. Lian's true passion is stand-up, but he knows his parents would never allow him to pursue such an uncertain career. When his college admissions counselor advises him to demonstrate leadership skills, Lian starts a Chinese club at school, counting on his classmates' apathy to leave him with time and space to practice his comedy. He doesn't anticipate popular, pretty Serene showing up to learn Chinese--or their gradual bonding over shared experiences, including being the only Asian American kids in their affluent, White Southern California town. The novel's strength lies in its thoughtful, nuanced depictions of the teens' complicated relationships with their immigrant parents, which deftly incorporates overarching themes of prejudice, assimilation, and heritage-seeking. Unfortunately, clunky wording in romantic scenes and a rushed, too-tidy conclusion that belies the book's skill in portraying life's complexity, unfairness, and unpredictability detract from the otherwise emotionally immersive story. Overall, a compelling and genuine coming-of-age story. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2022) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

March 28, 2022
In Southern California, Serene Li, 17, wants to be just like her successful fashion designer mother, Lily. But when Lily is diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer after a fall during New York Fashion Week, Serene finds herself in her mother’s shoes much sooner than she imagined, moving from distrusted intern to second-in-command. Worried about being left on her own, Serene also quietly attempts to find her long-absent father, who is presumably still living in Beijing, but she speaks almost no Chinese. Enter Lian Chen, recent emigrant from Beijing, whose family is pressuring him to attend an engineering program at MIT. At school, he starts Chinese Club as a college application filler, thinking it will give him time to practice his true passion—comedy—but he gets more than he bargained for when Serene walks in. In astutely told alternating chapters that advance toward a hopeful end, Yang’s (Parachutes) protagonists steadily find comfort in one another, working to take control of their lives while navigating stifling parental expectations, racial prejudice, and school bullying and workplace politics. Ages 14–up. Agent: Tina Dubois, ICM Partners.

April 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 Immersed in fashion via her designer mother, Serene leads a pretty good life, even if she doesn't know her father. But her world is shaken when her mother collapses while across the country and they discover she has a serious cancer that threatens their life together. Elsewhere, Lian, who, like Serene, is the child of Chinese immigrants, wants to escape his parents' expectations, but it's not easy when his dream is stand-up comedy. Both lost, Serene and Lian must find each other to find themselves. In a novel that's by turns tender and funny, Yang (Parachutes, 2020) offers an unusual look into grief, with characters who are missing what they've never had and what they haven't yet lost. Serene's and Lian's emotions sometimes get the best of their maturity in this deeply human story, which digs into the experience of growing up before it feels like the time for it has come. Adeptly balancing a coming-of-age story with a romance, this thoughtful book, laced with plenty of tension, is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Jenn Bennett.

COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2022

Gr 9 Up-Yang's novel packs a punch with family ties, romance, identity, and fashion in a story that will hook readers from page one. Serene Li is queen-bee popular, and she is dating white surfer bro Cameron. Lian Chen is a polar opposite: recently arrived to California with his family from Beijing, and is a social pariah in their mostly white school. Serene's mom is a renowned fashion designer who goes by Lily Lee, and as Serene learns the ropes of the industry, she dreams of designing success, too. Lian's oppressive and overbearing mother hounds him to get good grades and attend an Ivy League school, though he hopes to one day do stand-up comedy, which he pursues in secret. The two meet when Lian starts a Chinese Club in their school and Serene is the only person who signs up. Although they come from different worlds, they have more in common than they think. As Serene's mom battles an unexpected cancer diagnosis, and Lian's catches him in a web of lies, the teens will have to face their greatest fears: losing their mothers. Yang is a phenomenal writer, and the story flows in alternating POV chapters. Though some of the book's issues resolve rather simply, the exploration of identity is very well written and discussed. One can't help but root for the main characters as they explore the world around them, their emerging sense of self, and the feelings they have for each other. VERDICT A first purchase for all high school collections.-Carol Youssif

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2022
In this culturally rich romance, Yang (Parachutes, rev. 5/20) revisits themes of gender, class, racism, and identity in another story with elements from her own life. Alternating first-person narrators Serene and Lian, both of Chinese descent, experience their racial and ethnic identities in fully distinct ways. Lian hides his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian from his hard-working, traditional parents. When Serene's successful fashion-designer mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Serene becomes the parent, unprepared for the emotional and physical toll of caring for her mom. Unsupported by her sex-obsessed boyfriend and driven to locate her long-lost father, Serene comes to Lian's Chinese club, and the two grow close. The teens support each other through their aspirations and trials, finding strength in their common experiences (e.g., microaggressions at school; the push and pull between authenticity and assimilation) while confronting generational expectations. Yang excels at spinning stories with vibrant characters that open readers' hearts and invite them to question their own expectations and assumptions. J. Elizabeth Mills

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

July 1, 2022
In this culturally rich romance, Yang (Parachutes, rev. 5/20) revisits themes of gender, class, racism, and identity in another story with elements from her own life. Alternating first-person narrators Serene and Lian, both of Chinese descent, experience their racial and ethnic identities in fully distinct ways. Lian hides his dream of becoming a stand-up comedian from his hard-working, traditional parents. When Serene's successful fashion-designer mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, Serene becomes the parent, unprepared for the emotional and physical toll of caring for her mom. Unsupported by her sex-obsessed boyfriend and driven to locate her long-lost father, Serene comes to Lian's Chinese club, and the two grow close. The teens support each other through their aspirations and trials, finding strength in their common experiences (e.g., microaggressions at school; the push and pull between authenticity and assimilation) while confronting generational expectations. Yang excels at spinning stories with vibrant characters that open readers' hearts and invite them to question their own expectations and assumptions.

(Copyright 2022 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)