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Coyoteland
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26From the bestselling author of A River of Stars comes a funny, heartfelt novel set in an affluent Bay Area suburb where a Chinese American family moves in and sets off a series of scandals, for fans of Celeste Ng and Emma Straub
Living in El Nido, a privileged community in the hills east of Berkeley, is supposed to mean you’ve made it. So when Jin Chang moves there with his wife and daughters after years of scraping by, he hopes it will finally be the end of his bad luck. What his family doesn’t know is that he’s bending the rules for one final scheme: to make it big in real estate. Next door, Blair Belle prides herself on her progressive politics. After all, she treats their new nanny, Ana Rodriguez, and her daughter like family—even if she doesn’t know them all that well. But she can’t help but feel skeptical of the new neighbors, especially when she begins to suspect that Jin’s plans might interfere with the Belle’s own luxury development.
Jin’s teenage daughter Jane can tell her dad is keeping a secret, but she’s also struggling to navigate El Nido’s cliques. Tasha Washington has always felt isolated, too, as one of the only Black girls at the school. In the wake of a coyote attack, Jane and Tasha bond. Together, they hatch a plot to expose the town’s hypocrisies. The shockwaves will rock their own families. As fire season escalates, and the roaming coyote continues to unleash chaos, the characters become embroiled in a series of scandals that will change El Nido—and their own fates—forever.
Urgent, riveting, and deeply heartfelt, full of sharp wit and keen empathy, Coyoteland is at once a delicious suburban drama and an unflinching exploration of our current moment.
Living in El Nido, a privileged community in the hills east of Berkeley, is supposed to mean you’ve made it. So when Jin Chang moves there with his wife and daughters after years of scraping by, he hopes it will finally be the end of his bad luck. What his family doesn’t know is that he’s bending the rules for one final scheme: to make it big in real estate. Next door, Blair Belle prides herself on her progressive politics. After all, she treats their new nanny, Ana Rodriguez, and her daughter like family—even if she doesn’t know them all that well. But she can’t help but feel skeptical of the new neighbors, especially when she begins to suspect that Jin’s plans might interfere with the Belle’s own luxury development.
Jin’s teenage daughter Jane can tell her dad is keeping a secret, but she’s also struggling to navigate El Nido’s cliques. Tasha Washington has always felt isolated, too, as one of the only Black girls at the school. In the wake of a coyote attack, Jane and Tasha bond. Together, they hatch a plot to expose the town’s hypocrisies. The shockwaves will rock their own families. As fire season escalates, and the roaming coyote continues to unleash chaos, the characters become embroiled in a series of scandals that will change El Nido—and their own fates—forever.
Urgent, riveting, and deeply heartfelt, full of sharp wit and keen empathy, Coyoteland is at once a delicious suburban drama and an unflinching exploration of our current moment.
- GenresFictionContemporary
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 12, 2026
5193 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Hua
17 books466 followersVanessa Hua is the author of the national bestsellers A River of Stars and Forbidden City, as well the Arts Literature Fellow, she has also received a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a California Arts Council Fellowship, and a Steinbeck Fellowship in Creative Writing, as well as honors from the de Groot Foundation, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Asian American Journalists Association, among others. She was a finalist for the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, and the New American Voices Award. Previously, she was an award-winning columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. She has filed stories from China, Burma, South Korea, Ecuador, and Panama, and her work has appeared in publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic. She teaches at the Warren Wilson MFA Program and elsewhere. The daughter of Chinese immigrants, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family. Her novel, COYOTELAND, and nonfiction narrative, UPROOTED, are forthcoming.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Coyoteland is a slow burn part coming-of-age, part domestic thriller, exploring race, class, and familial bonds in the prosperous Bay Area. I had to know what was going to happen and Hua very deftly sets up several narratives that slowly grow more and more tense until they implode in one dazzling finale sequence. There is a lot going on here, so although no one theme is explored deeply in detail, I thought from the perspective of the younger teeenage/pre-teen age characters the book very nicely put you in the state of growing up during this time where so many things feel chaotic and with unfettered access to the internet, kids are left to teach, learn, and make mistakes themselves in very public ways.
While I ultimately very much enjoyed Coyoteland, I really struggle with books that have a lot of characters introduced all up front. I ended up drawing a map of all the families and how they connected with little details and this helped me navigate it immensely. Once I had gotten the hang of the families I was tearing through the book, and completely hooked. I love a character guide in the front of the book but I also think this is largely a me issue.
Though Coyoteland was very much it's own story, and Vanessa Hua her own distinct voice, I feel that fans of Kiley Reed's Such a Fun Age and Kate Broad's Greenwhich might also enjoy Vanessa Hua's Coyoteland.
Thank you to Vanessa Hua, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
While I ultimately very much enjoyed Coyoteland, I really struggle with books that have a lot of characters introduced all up front. I ended up drawing a map of all the families and how they connected with little details and this helped me navigate it immensely. Once I had gotten the hang of the families I was tearing through the book, and completely hooked. I love a character guide in the front of the book but I also think this is largely a me issue.
Though Coyoteland was very much it's own story, and Vanessa Hua her own distinct voice, I feel that fans of Kiley Reed's Such a Fun Age and Kate Broad's Greenwhich might also enjoy Vanessa Hua's Coyoteland.
Thank you to Vanessa Hua, Flatiron Books, and NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars
Vanessa Hua absolutely nails the current socio-political climate, the location in which she sets her narrative, and the idiosyncraties of the characters who inhabit this world. This is a situation that feels like it could - unfortunately - be happening right next door, and its realism is just one of the standout highlights.
A number of characters across generations feature prominently in this fascinating view of modern suburban living and deception, not the least of which is this titular coyote, who is both a serial killer of chickens and a victim of its neighbors and their encroachment on its existence, too. The parental generation is giving Karens and people on whom Karens inflict themselves. Blair is particularly intolerable and also expertly written. From the accelerated speed at which she listens to _White Fragility_ to her constant self assurance that she is in fact not racist or classicist while doing and thinking things that definitely prove her wrong, Blair is a character right out of your local Starbucks line. She reflects both a norm and an extreme: a type prominently featured in these environments. She purports to be a way that is opposite from reality, and her desire to maintain her image perpetuates many bad decisions. She's surrounded by other folks of similar ages - her husband, new neighbors, household support staff - who are much more interesting and layered than she is in most cases. Hua paints these characters in compelling ways, further offsetting their flawed humanity via Blair's ridiculousness. It's pretty brilliant.
And the kids are so compelling that my main gripe about the novel is that I wanted more of them - except for Quinn. These kids see the challenges around them, and just like in "The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas," a great text they're assigned, they realize that there are those who see these events as happening to others and those who see this as not far off from their lived experiences. I loved the throughline Hua creates with this material and thought about it constantly even when the connections were not expressly made.
These characters are really reflecting individualism or collectivism and they're doing this in fascinating ways against the backdrop of a recent time when we were thinking much more about the values and harms inherent in these approaches. This is a smart and engaging meditation, and for me, this is another real banger from Hua. This is my second novel (not to mention some earlier short stories) from this author, and I cannot wait to read more from Hua.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Vanessa Hua absolutely nails the current socio-political climate, the location in which she sets her narrative, and the idiosyncraties of the characters who inhabit this world. This is a situation that feels like it could - unfortunately - be happening right next door, and its realism is just one of the standout highlights.
A number of characters across generations feature prominently in this fascinating view of modern suburban living and deception, not the least of which is this titular coyote, who is both a serial killer of chickens and a victim of its neighbors and their encroachment on its existence, too. The parental generation is giving Karens and people on whom Karens inflict themselves. Blair is particularly intolerable and also expertly written. From the accelerated speed at which she listens to _White Fragility_ to her constant self assurance that she is in fact not racist or classicist while doing and thinking things that definitely prove her wrong, Blair is a character right out of your local Starbucks line. She reflects both a norm and an extreme: a type prominently featured in these environments. She purports to be a way that is opposite from reality, and her desire to maintain her image perpetuates many bad decisions. She's surrounded by other folks of similar ages - her husband, new neighbors, household support staff - who are much more interesting and layered than she is in most cases. Hua paints these characters in compelling ways, further offsetting their flawed humanity via Blair's ridiculousness. It's pretty brilliant.
And the kids are so compelling that my main gripe about the novel is that I wanted more of them - except for Quinn. These kids see the challenges around them, and just like in "The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas," a great text they're assigned, they realize that there are those who see these events as happening to others and those who see this as not far off from their lived experiences. I loved the throughline Hua creates with this material and thought about it constantly even when the connections were not expressly made.
These characters are really reflecting individualism or collectivism and they're doing this in fascinating ways against the backdrop of a recent time when we were thinking much more about the values and harms inherent in these approaches. This is a smart and engaging meditation, and for me, this is another real banger from Hua. This is my second novel (not to mention some earlier short stories) from this author, and I cannot wait to read more from Hua.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this alc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
March 18, 2026
ARC for Review:
“Coyoteland” by Vanessa Hua is a novel about family struggles, racism: passive racism and active racism, society during a pandemic, and a coyote’s will to survive. The people are also a reflection of the coyote in ways where their behavior can be coyote-like. Trying to survive in a world that isn’t kind to them, trying to provide the best life possible for their children, and fighting off other humans for survival.
Blair comes off as a “Karen” at first when she approaches Jin, but as the story progresses, we see different sides of her.
Jin and Kai, and their two daughters are house flipping, and trying to make money from house flipping to survive.
The story takes place in El Nido, California, which I believe is not far from Berkeley, California. The area is of the well-off and well-to-do variety.
Dr. Minerva Washington, and her two children, live in an apartment, but would love to move into a real house. Minerva and her daughter, Tasha, work very hard to make that dream a reality.
The part about EDD was incredibly relatable, and I hope people read this novel for that information alone.
Tasha knowledge and application of vegetation and trees is also a valuable resource from this novel, and I love her perspective on systemic racism.
There are parts of this novel that remind me of “Dear White People”, and I love this novel for that.
This novel is also a mirror of the pandemic and all of the chaos, challenges, and changes that were emerging at that time.
This novel has a lot of potential, and it was an interesting read.
“Coyoteland” by Vanessa Hua is a novel about family struggles, racism: passive racism and active racism, society during a pandemic, and a coyote’s will to survive. The people are also a reflection of the coyote in ways where their behavior can be coyote-like. Trying to survive in a world that isn’t kind to them, trying to provide the best life possible for their children, and fighting off other humans for survival.
Blair comes off as a “Karen” at first when she approaches Jin, but as the story progresses, we see different sides of her.
Jin and Kai, and their two daughters are house flipping, and trying to make money from house flipping to survive.
The story takes place in El Nido, California, which I believe is not far from Berkeley, California. The area is of the well-off and well-to-do variety.
Dr. Minerva Washington, and her two children, live in an apartment, but would love to move into a real house. Minerva and her daughter, Tasha, work very hard to make that dream a reality.
The part about EDD was incredibly relatable, and I hope people read this novel for that information alone.
Tasha knowledge and application of vegetation and trees is also a valuable resource from this novel, and I love her perspective on systemic racism.
There are parts of this novel that remind me of “Dear White People”, and I love this novel for that.
This novel is also a mirror of the pandemic and all of the chaos, challenges, and changes that were emerging at that time.
This novel has a lot of potential, and it was an interesting read.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Jin and Kai have moved their family into a home in El Nido, CA, which is a privileged community outside of Berkeley. With the help of his friend Chen back in China, Jin has decided that his next "get rich quick scheme" is going to be flipping houses in the community. Their neighbors - the Belles - have lived in the community for years and are building a new housing development in El Nido - Bellevista. When Jin finds out about the housing development and the fact that it might decrease the value of his home, he goes on a secret campaign to sabotage the development.
At the same time, Jin and Kai's daughter Jane and her friend Tasha, are struggling to fit in at their predominantly white and rich school. They want their classmates and the residents of El Nido to acknowledge their privilege and unconscious biases, and realize the struggles they have. But will their scheme to show the others what they really are go to far?
While the story in the book is about what I've described above, the book is really about a number of issues - racism, privilege, the pandemic, eating disorders, domestic abuse, etc. To some extent, it's almost shoved too many big issues into one book. But the book is very well written and does a great job of shedding light on these issues in a way that feels like a story being told and not a lecture. Definitely worth a read!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
At the same time, Jin and Kai's daughter Jane and her friend Tasha, are struggling to fit in at their predominantly white and rich school. They want their classmates and the residents of El Nido to acknowledge their privilege and unconscious biases, and realize the struggles they have. But will their scheme to show the others what they really are go to far?
While the story in the book is about what I've described above, the book is really about a number of issues - racism, privilege, the pandemic, eating disorders, domestic abuse, etc. To some extent, it's almost shoved too many big issues into one book. But the book is very well written and does a great job of shedding light on these issues in a way that feels like a story being told and not a lecture. Definitely worth a read!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This is one of those books that made me wish I had a character chart… and a highlighter. 📚👀
I’m grateful to have received a complimentary ALC of Coyote Land by Vanessa Hua—thank you to Macmillan Audio!
This is a work of deep literary fiction centered around an up-and-coming, affluent neighborhood—where even within the “1%,” there’s a surprising amount of diversity in experiences and perspectives. The story weaves together multiple characters and explores themes of identity, belonging, and subtle (often uncomfortable) instances of racism.
The concept itself is really intriguing, and I can absolutely see fans of character-driven, socially observant novels—especially readers who enjoyed Yellowface—finding a lot to appreciate here.
That said, I personally struggled a bit with the audiobook format. There are a lot of characters and shifting points of view, and without strong vocal distinctions between them, it became difficult at times to keep everyone straight. I found myself wishing for a character list or family tree to help track who’s who.
The narration is more understated than dynamic, which works tonally for the story, but didn’t quite support clarity in an audio format.
Overall, I do think this is a thoughtful and well-crafted story—but for me, it’s one I would recommend reading in print rather than listening to.
I’m grateful to have received a complimentary ALC of Coyote Land by Vanessa Hua—thank you to Macmillan Audio!
This is a work of deep literary fiction centered around an up-and-coming, affluent neighborhood—where even within the “1%,” there’s a surprising amount of diversity in experiences and perspectives. The story weaves together multiple characters and explores themes of identity, belonging, and subtle (often uncomfortable) instances of racism.
The concept itself is really intriguing, and I can absolutely see fans of character-driven, socially observant novels—especially readers who enjoyed Yellowface—finding a lot to appreciate here.
That said, I personally struggled a bit with the audiobook format. There are a lot of characters and shifting points of view, and without strong vocal distinctions between them, it became difficult at times to keep everyone straight. I found myself wishing for a character list or family tree to help track who’s who.
The narration is more understated than dynamic, which works tonally for the story, but didn’t quite support clarity in an audio format.
Overall, I do think this is a thoughtful and well-crafted story—but for me, it’s one I would recommend reading in print rather than listening to.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Coyoteland is a suburban drama, set in El Nido, a privileged community in the hills east of Berkeley. The book explores the microcosm of this neighborhood of families, particularly focusing on issues of race, class, coming of age, and familial bonds. Each family is struggling with their own issue - largely privately. Their path's end up intersecting after the teen kids set up a plan that ends up sending shockwaves through the community.
The idea of the book is strong - I liked the focus on the post-pandemic issues, and the active and passive racism especially in affluent communities. I personally struggled with fully connecting to any one of the storylines. There are a lot of characters and points of views, and it was difficult to keep track initially. The writing is understated with lots of symbolism quiet observation. While it was well-crafted, it didn't fully pack the emotional punch I was looking for.
Thanks so much to @macmillan.audio for access to this ALC. #MacAudio2025
The idea of the book is strong - I liked the focus on the post-pandemic issues, and the active and passive racism especially in affluent communities. I personally struggled with fully connecting to any one of the storylines. There are a lot of characters and points of views, and it was difficult to keep track initially. The writing is understated with lots of symbolism quiet observation. While it was well-crafted, it didn't fully pack the emotional punch I was looking for.
Thanks so much to @macmillan.audio for access to this ALC. #MacAudio2025
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An interesting read about the pandemic, racism, culture, secrets, scandals, and coyotes. Set in an affluent suburb where teens excel in sports, and their helicopter mothers ensure that their children always come out on top. Predominantly white, the citizens of El Nido form cliques, living by their own set of rules and standards. Newcomers to El Nido are welcome, but they are expected to adhere to local expectations. El Nido citizens contend with raging fires, windstorms, and coyotes, all while keeping an eagle eye on their neighbors.
I enjoyed the book, but found too much going on. There were also many different characters, making it difficult to keep track of them all. Cayoteland is a timely read that centers around friendship, family, and making them work despite difficulties.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.
I enjoyed the book, but found too much going on. There were also many different characters, making it difficult to keep track of them all. Cayoteland is a timely read that centers around friendship, family, and making them work despite difficulties.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I laughed, I gasped, and I shook my head as I read this book that is packed with scandal and relatable characters. Each character is so relatable in their own way and their struggles are so realistic. There are lots of secrets in this book that as the reader, you wait to see when they’ll get found out. With themes of race, natural events and disasters, and deception this was a book that kept my attention till the last page. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Loved this read about two teens, in high school, during covid, living in a privileged town. What Hua did so well was to capture the feelings of otherness, when one isn’t well off or white in a white wealthy town. And, how when you find your person, it makes a world of difference. So many interesting discussion points, especially about internet usage as a weapon and about the dynamics of the intersections race, class and privilege. But, I really loved the friendship between Jane and Tasha.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
March 16, 2026
If I could I would give it 3.5 but it is closer to 3 than a 4. I gasped, laughed, and was entertained and wanted to know where the story was going. It’s a very engaging story about life, parent struggles, and racism. I also loved the comparison in the book of a (certain place) looking like Hogwarts. *parentheses to not let you know when it’s coming!* I do highly recommend for younger adults as well, it’s a very good coming of age story!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book, this is my honest review for this book’s giveaway.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book, this is my honest review for this book’s giveaway.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This is a story of a suburb of San Francisco and 4 familirs who live there. You read about these families….Whie, Asian, Black and Latino. A party given by a high school senior reveals many secrets about the town. The character development was very good. Know, though, this is a bit of a slow burn of a book. I enjoyed it.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This story is filled with amazing insight and clarity of the community of El Nido. There are many secrets and hidden things going on which are about to be exposed. A very gripping story from beginning to end. A fantastic book. I won this book in a GoodReads Giveaway!
March 9, 2026
It was hard for me to relate to Blair and Quinn. Some of the internal dialogue made me feel disconnected.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
A coming of age booking while being nonwhite growing up in wealth white town.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews