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If You, Then Me
What would you ask your future self? First question: What does it feel like to kiss someone?
Xia is stuck in a lonely, boring loop. Her only escapes are Wiser, an artificial intelligence app she designed to answer questions like her future self, and a mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence.
And then one day Xia enrolls at the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley.
Suddenly, anything is possible. Flirting with Mast, a classmate also working on AI, leads to a date. Speaking up generates a vindictive nemesis intent on publicly humiliating her. And running into Mitzy Erst, Foundry alumna and Xia’s idol, could give Xia all the answers.
And then Xia receives a shocking message from ObjectPermanence: He is at the Foundry, too. Xia is torn between Mast and ObjectPermanence—just as Mitzy pushes her towards a shiny new future. Xia doesn’t have to ask Wiser to know: The right choice could transform her into the future self of her dreams, but the wrong one could destroy her.
Xia is stuck in a lonely, boring loop. Her only escapes are Wiser, an artificial intelligence app she designed to answer questions like her future self, and a mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence.
And then one day Xia enrolls at the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley.
Suddenly, anything is possible. Flirting with Mast, a classmate also working on AI, leads to a date. Speaking up generates a vindictive nemesis intent on publicly humiliating her. And running into Mitzy Erst, Foundry alumna and Xia’s idol, could give Xia all the answers.
And then Xia receives a shocking message from ObjectPermanence: He is at the Foundry, too. Xia is torn between Mast and ObjectPermanence—just as Mitzy pushes her towards a shiny new future. Xia doesn’t have to ask Wiser to know: The right choice could transform her into the future self of her dreams, but the wrong one could destroy her.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published July 6, 2021
33 people are currently reading
4400 people want to read
About the author
Yvonne Woon
8 books1,084 followersYvonne Woon grew up in Massachusetts. She is the author of My Flawless Life (Katherine Tegen Books), a 2024 Edgar Award finalist and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection; If You, Then Me (Katherine Tegen Books); and the Dead Beautiful series (Hyperion). She is a 2022 National Endowment of the Arts Fellow in Prose. She has an MFA in fiction from Columbia University, which she mostly uses to concoct plots. She lives in Richmond, VA, with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
August 15, 2021
~ 1.5 stars
there are just over a hundred ratings for this book as of now.
there is only ONE 1 star rating other than mine.
so i feel as though i need to justify this.
xia chan is a lower middle class girl, living in massachusetts with a dream of silicon valley. miraculously, her program Wiser gets her into an elite school where she will compete with 20 other top coding kids to become the year's newest Founder. also, as you can tell from the cover, this book was sold to me as a romance.
xia chan was, in my opinion, an utterly dislikable and obnoxious protagonist. she was ridiculously naïve, superficial, and careless with her time and decisions.
even for a teen, i was baffled by her stupidity.
she also spent half of the book going to parties and drinking and once doing acid, and at the end when the truth came out about someone who had been taking advantage of her, she was told she had done nothing wrong. this confused me more than anything, because while the person arrested definately used xia, i found this a.) spectacularly obvious and b.) partially xia's own fault.
moving on to the plot itself- the school xia attends, the Foundry, has potential to be very interesting. instead, xia spends the entire book ditching, going to parties, and blowing off classes. so i never actually got to see what was interesting about the school, and i never got to hear about any coding stuff. especially since xia never worked on her AI, which she talked about the flaws of but never fixed cause she was too busy partying.
i am aware that in the last few pages, teachers and such point out to her that this was a bad move. the author wasn't trying to glorify getting drunk instead of going to class. but when that's all i’m reading about for 350 pages, it makes for an awful plot and protagonist.
finally, the DREADFUL romance. what the heck. since xia spent her whole life out with her mentor, at lunch, at parties, she was never even WITH the boy she "fell in love with"! plus the lOvE tRiAnGle was revealed so freaking late that she never really even had a debate- she just instantly chose the boy she'd barely even talked to. and he said he was in love with her too? for an ENTIRE school year she blew you off to go get drunk and have a good time. THATS what you're in love with?
plus, i knew the identity of her online friend the whole time. it was painfully obvious.
gah. at least we are done.
onward
there are just over a hundred ratings for this book as of now.
there is only ONE 1 star rating other than mine.
so i feel as though i need to justify this.
xia chan is a lower middle class girl, living in massachusetts with a dream of silicon valley. miraculously, her program Wiser gets her into an elite school where she will compete with 20 other top coding kids to become the year's newest Founder. also, as you can tell from the cover, this book was sold to me as a romance.
xia chan was, in my opinion, an utterly dislikable and obnoxious protagonist. she was ridiculously naïve, superficial, and careless with her time and decisions.
even for a teen, i was baffled by her stupidity.
she also spent half of the book going to parties and drinking and once doing acid, and at the end when the truth came out about someone who had been taking advantage of her, she was told she had done nothing wrong. this confused me more than anything, because while the person arrested definately used xia, i found this a.) spectacularly obvious and b.) partially xia's own fault.
moving on to the plot itself- the school xia attends, the Foundry, has potential to be very interesting. instead, xia spends the entire book ditching, going to parties, and blowing off classes. so i never actually got to see what was interesting about the school, and i never got to hear about any coding stuff. especially since xia never worked on her AI, which she talked about the flaws of but never fixed cause she was too busy partying.
i am aware that in the last few pages, teachers and such point out to her that this was a bad move. the author wasn't trying to glorify getting drunk instead of going to class. but when that's all i’m reading about for 350 pages, it makes for an awful plot and protagonist.
finally, the DREADFUL romance. what the heck. since xia spent her whole life out with her mentor, at lunch, at parties, she was never even WITH the boy she "fell in love with"! plus the lOvE tRiAnGle was revealed so freaking late that she never really even had a debate- she just instantly chose the boy she'd barely even talked to. and he said he was in love with her too? for an ENTIRE school year she blew you off to go get drunk and have a good time. THATS what you're in love with?
plus, i knew the identity of her online friend the whole time. it was painfully obvious.
gah. at least we are done.
onward
April 9, 2023
3 stars
Not my favorite but enjoyable! I'm not much of a techie so there was some coding language and terms I wasn't familiar with but it didn't hinder my understanding too much.
This book just felt kinda redundant --> girl likes a guy only, tries to figure out who said guy is by doing something stupid, gets in trouble, repeat.
A good, chill read.
Not my favorite but enjoyable! I'm not much of a techie so there was some coding language and terms I wasn't familiar with but it didn't hinder my understanding too much.
This book just felt kinda redundant --> girl likes a guy only, tries to figure out who said guy is by doing something stupid, gets in trouble, repeat.
A good, chill read.
July 8, 2021
Having a programming husband, I know way more than I need to about coding and the tech world. However, this book presented me with a completely different aspect; the business side. It was interesting to see how tech looks at these young folks and their apps. There was a bit of snobbery with some of the ideas the kids had while other kids were trying to save the world with their apps. I also thought it was interesting to see who got bought and who got funding. I don't know much about those parts, but it was fun to read about.
Xia was the definition of naive young person. The story followed her more than had a plot that moved forward. Her actions leading her character development felt spot on and her blown up ego at the end made so much sense to me. Although, it did surprise me when the book finally got to the final showcase and everyone was already prepared.
I also really liked her removal from both the tech world (growing up outside of Boston) and from the kinds of privilege and luxury the other kids. She got herself into a lot of messes. At one point, I kind of felt bad for her. A lot of the situations she found herself in were very adult for someone just sixteen to be in. I don't think it was wild that she went off to California on her own (as someone who's traveled across the world at 15, I know that that level of responsibility is possible for someone that age), but the situations she found herself in were so much more than even I want to find myself in. Because as an adult, you can read her situations and can determine right off the bat that something feels scammy or someone's out to get you behind your back, but as a kid, you don't know better. This is all new to you and with that newness comes a level of naivety that you don't develop until you've experienced it.
The situations Xia found herself were rough and with each new experience, it felt like it got worse and worse for her. At one point, I just wanted to give her a big old hug and pull her away from everything. I wanted to save her from what she was going through, but at the same time I understand how important it is to experience these things first hand. That's how you grow and learn.
The characters were great. I thought it was an interesting mix including folks who were super rich and privileged and other folks who didn't have all the luxuries in the world. There was a lot of backstabbing, envy and jealousy, and petty arguments as well given that they're teenagers who were living in boarding school together. It made for some interesting dynamics that played so well throughout the story. I loved Amina, Xia's best friend. She was so confident in knowing who she was, which was just a nerdy tech girl feeling a bit lost in the whole game of things. She provided such good advice and insight that Xia desperately needed (and desperately avoided).
The only issue I had was that there were a few storylines that were dropped towards the end. I wanted to know what happened to Mitzy and I wondered what the kids were doing after they finished their year at the foundry. Also, it felt like Mast dropped off right in the middle of the story and aside from a few glances his way, he didn't have a big part in the story. It made the ending feel a bit weird. It's not a big deal, but something I noticed while I was finishing up the book.
I also loved the whole You've Got Mail vibe going with Xia and her mysterious online friend, ObjectPermanence. I tried to guess who it was (and came out wrong), but pleasantly surprised to find out who it was in the end.
Overall, this was a great story that followed a young person through some heavy trials and tribulations. I really loved getting to know Xia throughout.
I received a copy of this book from the author. My opinion hasn't been influenced by the publisher or the author.
Xia was the definition of naive young person. The story followed her more than had a plot that moved forward. Her actions leading her character development felt spot on and her blown up ego at the end made so much sense to me. Although, it did surprise me when the book finally got to the final showcase and everyone was already prepared.
I also really liked her removal from both the tech world (growing up outside of Boston) and from the kinds of privilege and luxury the other kids. She got herself into a lot of messes. At one point, I kind of felt bad for her. A lot of the situations she found herself in were very adult for someone just sixteen to be in. I don't think it was wild that she went off to California on her own (as someone who's traveled across the world at 15, I know that that level of responsibility is possible for someone that age), but the situations she found herself in were so much more than even I want to find myself in. Because as an adult, you can read her situations and can determine right off the bat that something feels scammy or someone's out to get you behind your back, but as a kid, you don't know better. This is all new to you and with that newness comes a level of naivety that you don't develop until you've experienced it.
The situations Xia found herself were rough and with each new experience, it felt like it got worse and worse for her. At one point, I just wanted to give her a big old hug and pull her away from everything. I wanted to save her from what she was going through, but at the same time I understand how important it is to experience these things first hand. That's how you grow and learn.
The characters were great. I thought it was an interesting mix including folks who were super rich and privileged and other folks who didn't have all the luxuries in the world. There was a lot of backstabbing, envy and jealousy, and petty arguments as well given that they're teenagers who were living in boarding school together. It made for some interesting dynamics that played so well throughout the story. I loved Amina, Xia's best friend. She was so confident in knowing who she was, which was just a nerdy tech girl feeling a bit lost in the whole game of things. She provided such good advice and insight that Xia desperately needed (and desperately avoided).
The only issue I had was that there were a few storylines that were dropped towards the end. I wanted to know what happened to Mitzy and I wondered what the kids were doing after they finished their year at the foundry. Also, it felt like Mast dropped off right in the middle of the story and aside from a few glances his way, he didn't have a big part in the story. It made the ending feel a bit weird. It's not a big deal, but something I noticed while I was finishing up the book.
I also loved the whole You've Got Mail vibe going with Xia and her mysterious online friend, ObjectPermanence. I tried to guess who it was (and came out wrong), but pleasantly surprised to find out who it was in the end.
Overall, this was a great story that followed a young person through some heavy trials and tribulations. I really loved getting to know Xia throughout.
I received a copy of this book from the author. My opinion hasn't been influenced by the publisher or the author.
May 26, 2021
Incredible book! Definitely her best yet 😜
June 15, 2021
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I loved this YA contemporary! This book did a great job of describing the enticing yet cutthroat nature of Silicon Valley and following Xia on her journey of self determination and standing up for herself in a precarious environment. Please keep in mind that although this is a YA novel, the book does feature content that may be triggering for readers, including assault, racism, and substance abuse. I’d give this book 4 stars total!
If You, Then Me follows Xia Chan, a 16-year-old programmer desperate to escape her slow Massachusetts town to glittering Silicon Valley with Wiser, her self-designed artificial intelligence app and her mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence. One day Xia finds the opportunity to travel to California, through the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley. Once in Silicon Valley, Xia finds herself thrust into a world of cutthroat competition, dangerous influences, and new love.
I loved the influence of Silicon Valley and computer science mixed in this story (the opening chapter was so cool!). Although I am not as knowledgeable in programming languages, I still found the lingo and references easy to comprehend. Yvonne Woon does an excellent job of highlighting important social issues within Silicon Valley culture, such as women in STEM having to fight their way to be seen among their male counterparts, classism, harassment in the workplace, and the exploitation of minors. I loved rooting for Xia in this story, even when she made the wrong decisions, and was so glad to see her find her way in the end of the novel.
The romance aspect of this novel is not a super prominent storyline compared to Xia’s own personal journey and therefore I didn’t find myself too invested in the love triangle. However, it was interesting to try to guess ObjectPermanence’s identity throughout the novel (although the answer became a little obvious towards the end). I love books that feature two characters meeting anonymously online without realizing each other’s identity, and this book lived up to the trope!
Overall, if you’re a computer science & YA contemporary lover, I’d definitely recommend this book!
I loved this YA contemporary! This book did a great job of describing the enticing yet cutthroat nature of Silicon Valley and following Xia on her journey of self determination and standing up for herself in a precarious environment. Please keep in mind that although this is a YA novel, the book does feature content that may be triggering for readers, including assault, racism, and substance abuse. I’d give this book 4 stars total!
If You, Then Me follows Xia Chan, a 16-year-old programmer desperate to escape her slow Massachusetts town to glittering Silicon Valley with Wiser, her self-designed artificial intelligence app and her mysterious online crush she knows only as ObjectPermanence. One day Xia finds the opportunity to travel to California, through the Foundry, an app incubator for tech prodigies in Silicon Valley. Once in Silicon Valley, Xia finds herself thrust into a world of cutthroat competition, dangerous influences, and new love.
I loved the influence of Silicon Valley and computer science mixed in this story (the opening chapter was so cool!). Although I am not as knowledgeable in programming languages, I still found the lingo and references easy to comprehend. Yvonne Woon does an excellent job of highlighting important social issues within Silicon Valley culture, such as women in STEM having to fight their way to be seen among their male counterparts, classism, harassment in the workplace, and the exploitation of minors. I loved rooting for Xia in this story, even when she made the wrong decisions, and was so glad to see her find her way in the end of the novel.
The romance aspect of this novel is not a super prominent storyline compared to Xia’s own personal journey and therefore I didn’t find myself too invested in the love triangle. However, it was interesting to try to guess ObjectPermanence’s identity throughout the novel (although the answer became a little obvious towards the end). I love books that feature two characters meeting anonymously online without realizing each other’s identity, and this book lived up to the trope!
Overall, if you’re a computer science & YA contemporary lover, I’d definitely recommend this book!
May 22, 2021
This book surprised me by how good it was. It was such a page turner! The mystery aspect of the love story kept me reading until the end and was so cute. It was also pretty funny. Some parts had me laughing out loud. I also loved how it explored so many of the issues girls face when they enter spaces dominated by men. I didn’t think a tech book would appeal to me but you really don’t have to know anything about coding to love this book! The characters were so real and believable that it felt like they were my friends. Xia was super relatable and such a sweet narrator. I did wish the ending was a little longer but that’s mainly because didn’t want the book to end.
August 18, 2021
I absolutely LOVED this story! Cue up an Asian girl named Xia who makes it into a very elite school called the Foundry. She has an on-line boyfriend she can tell anything to, an app she made called Wiser whom she speaks to on the reg and always feels a bit out of place.... So yes, in her naivety, she starts to make some questionable decisions.
I was happy to see that while the synopsis suggests some weird love triangle between Xia, an IRL boy and her online love... that it also was a whole lot more! It's Xia coming to terms with herself. This comes not only in gaining some confidence but also in succeeding within herself. There were so many times I wanted to shake some sense into her but I feel the experiences she went through were very realistic and very, very human. Now... the only thing I side eyed a bit was the excessive use of alcohol and slight drug usage ... especially in instances of adults providing or taking advantage because of it. Don't get me wrong, I remember what it's like to be 16 and certainly wasn't an angel but some parts of this didn't fell 100% authentic. BUT, I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age either. Ok, now I'm rambling.
I truly came to love and admire Xia throughout this read. A few things I definitely saw coming but one particular little thing I was surprised by and I love it. Was a little too neatly wrapped up? Possibly... but it absolutely worked for me.
Wiser, how do I get people to read this book? 😉 Seriously, readers and friends, this is an adorable story and would highly recommend.
I was happy to see that while the synopsis suggests some weird love triangle between Xia, an IRL boy and her online love... that it also was a whole lot more! It's Xia coming to terms with herself. This comes not only in gaining some confidence but also in succeeding within herself. There were so many times I wanted to shake some sense into her but I feel the experiences she went through were very realistic and very, very human. Now... the only thing I side eyed a bit was the excessive use of alcohol and slight drug usage ... especially in instances of adults providing or taking advantage because of it. Don't get me wrong, I remember what it's like to be 16 and certainly wasn't an angel but some parts of this didn't fell 100% authentic. BUT, I wouldn't be surprised in this day and age either. Ok, now I'm rambling.
I truly came to love and admire Xia throughout this read. A few things I definitely saw coming but one particular little thing I was surprised by and I love it. Was a little too neatly wrapped up? Possibly... but it absolutely worked for me.
Wiser, how do I get people to read this book? 😉 Seriously, readers and friends, this is an adorable story and would highly recommend.
July 18, 2021
This started off really great in my opinion, but then I think it kind of went off the rails. Xia is a great main character, she seems like a real teenager, with real insecurities about fitting in at the Foundry (the fancy tech wizard school Xia ends up going to). However, I found her decision making skills to be severely lacking, and majorly stupid even for a sixteen year old kid. Missing classes that could truly help your future and I don't know, asking for help, but instead she jumps at the chance to be noticed by her idol.
Basically the plot revolves around Xia, who lives with her mother outside Boston, gets the chance to go to the Foundry--a school that basically takes teens who have begun (or have fully) developed some kind of app to study and learn how to make it better. Xia finds herself struggling with the course load, classes like finance and advanced coding. When she meets her idol, Mitzy, who had essentially "won," her her year at Foundry by having her app developed Xia basically dropped everything to be Mitzy's sidekick....I mean she drags her parties and everything, so she seems like a puppet.
The writing was good and everything, but I think I wanted more from Xia's time at the Foundry. I wanted her to ask for help, because character growth also means asking for help when you need it. That would've been growth that I wanted to see, I found Xia's blasé attitude towards missing classes (i.e. "what does it matter if I miss more class?") made me cringe. She's obviously a smart girl, but she kept making worse and worse decisions throughout the book. I think that she got caught up wanting to please other people, like Mitzy, instead of making things better for yourself.
Basically the plot revolves around Xia, who lives with her mother outside Boston, gets the chance to go to the Foundry--a school that basically takes teens who have begun (or have fully) developed some kind of app to study and learn how to make it better. Xia finds herself struggling with the course load, classes like finance and advanced coding. When she meets her idol, Mitzy, who had essentially "won," her her year at Foundry by having her app developed Xia basically dropped everything to be Mitzy's sidekick....I mean she drags her parties and everything, so she seems like a puppet.
The writing was good and everything, but I think I wanted more from Xia's time at the Foundry. I wanted her to ask for help, because character growth also means asking for help when you need it. That would've been growth that I wanted to see, I found Xia's blasé attitude towards missing classes (i.e. "what does it matter if I miss more class?") made me cringe. She's obviously a smart girl, but she kept making worse and worse decisions throughout the book. I think that she got caught up wanting to please other people, like Mitzy, instead of making things better for yourself.
January 12, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
If You, Then Me was such an original novel. You don’t need to have any particular interest in coding or start-ups to fall in love with this book. It’s about people and relationships and what happens when sixteen-year-olds are thrust into a high powered, high stakes adult world without much guidance or a real safety net.
It was funny, heartbreaking, and entertaining from beginning to end. Xia is a very relatable protagonist feeling at times lost, lonely, completely in control, and absolutely taken advantage of. The setting of the book, Silicon Valley in the cutthroat world of tech start-ups, was detailed and immersive. The parties, the people, and the meetings where everything is on the line felt real and easily overwhelming. Similarly, the complexity of all of Xia’s relationships kept them feeling realistic and interesting. If You, Then Me was full of insight and surprises and absolutely worth the read.
If You, Then Me was such an original novel. You don’t need to have any particular interest in coding or start-ups to fall in love with this book. It’s about people and relationships and what happens when sixteen-year-olds are thrust into a high powered, high stakes adult world without much guidance or a real safety net.
It was funny, heartbreaking, and entertaining from beginning to end. Xia is a very relatable protagonist feeling at times lost, lonely, completely in control, and absolutely taken advantage of. The setting of the book, Silicon Valley in the cutthroat world of tech start-ups, was detailed and immersive. The parties, the people, and the meetings where everything is on the line felt real and easily overwhelming. Similarly, the complexity of all of Xia’s relationships kept them feeling realistic and interesting. If You, Then Me was full of insight and surprises and absolutely worth the read.
February 17, 2021
From the Militant Recommender Book Review Blog: http://militantrecommender.blogspot.com/
16 year old Xia Chang is something of a computer prodigy. She has created an AI program called "Wiser" that replies to your questions with the advice you might give yourself when you're older. She lives in Massachusetts with her Mom, a political science professor, who is hardly home, as she works at 4 different colleges.
Except for her neighbor, Gina, Xia is pretty lonely and created Wiser to keep her company. Knowing Wiser is a unique creation, Xia has applied to a school for tech prodigies called "The Foundry". The unthinkable happens and Xia gets a call from the Foundry's director inviting her to join them in California's Silicon Valley at the institute, where all her expenses will be paid as she works on further developing Wiser.
While she waits to break the news to her mother who is going to be a tough sell, she has someone else to share her good news with. ObjectPermanence, her online soulmate, someone whom she's shared her secrets and hopes with, well, while using her own online persona U/ARRAYofLIGHT.
Once her mother finally agrees and Xia is off to the Foundry, we'll share her adventures as she joins the other 19 teens from around the country as they work to build their creations in hopes of startup money and becoming coding rockstars.
I loved this book! You felt you were part of the new world Xia has entered, and were cheering her on from the sidelines. Xia experiences so much in her new school, and is stronger than she thinks, as she faces the sexism of the largely male tech world and works at trying to fit in and make friends with classmates who are also competitors. There's also the verbal bullying from a couple of entitled white boys who delight in humiliating her right from the start. And there may be a boy, who seems to be someone who "gets" her. Could there be more to him than he seems? Does he like her... or is he just trying to find out the secrets behind her AI?
Then, something happens that takes her in an unexpected direction, at a party, Xia has a casual meeting with a young woman, famous for the apps she created, and whom Xia had idolized. What happens next and throughout the rest of Xia's whirlwind trajectory from nonentity to notoriety in this unputdownable story is something you've got to find out yourself!
I haven't read Ms. Woon's previous books, but she has created one of my favorite characters ever in Xia, a young woman so smart and resilient and quick and funny that you'll find yourself wondering about her and her future long after you've turned that last page. This is highly recommended, and one I'll be Militantly Recommending! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the DRC!
16 year old Xia Chang is something of a computer prodigy. She has created an AI program called "Wiser" that replies to your questions with the advice you might give yourself when you're older. She lives in Massachusetts with her Mom, a political science professor, who is hardly home, as she works at 4 different colleges.
Except for her neighbor, Gina, Xia is pretty lonely and created Wiser to keep her company. Knowing Wiser is a unique creation, Xia has applied to a school for tech prodigies called "The Foundry". The unthinkable happens and Xia gets a call from the Foundry's director inviting her to join them in California's Silicon Valley at the institute, where all her expenses will be paid as she works on further developing Wiser.
While she waits to break the news to her mother who is going to be a tough sell, she has someone else to share her good news with. ObjectPermanence, her online soulmate, someone whom she's shared her secrets and hopes with, well, while using her own online persona U/ARRAYofLIGHT.
Once her mother finally agrees and Xia is off to the Foundry, we'll share her adventures as she joins the other 19 teens from around the country as they work to build their creations in hopes of startup money and becoming coding rockstars.
I loved this book! You felt you were part of the new world Xia has entered, and were cheering her on from the sidelines. Xia experiences so much in her new school, and is stronger than she thinks, as she faces the sexism of the largely male tech world and works at trying to fit in and make friends with classmates who are also competitors. There's also the verbal bullying from a couple of entitled white boys who delight in humiliating her right from the start. And there may be a boy, who seems to be someone who "gets" her. Could there be more to him than he seems? Does he like her... or is he just trying to find out the secrets behind her AI?
Then, something happens that takes her in an unexpected direction, at a party, Xia has a casual meeting with a young woman, famous for the apps she created, and whom Xia had idolized. What happens next and throughout the rest of Xia's whirlwind trajectory from nonentity to notoriety in this unputdownable story is something you've got to find out yourself!
I haven't read Ms. Woon's previous books, but she has created one of my favorite characters ever in Xia, a young woman so smart and resilient and quick and funny that you'll find yourself wondering about her and her future long after you've turned that last page. This is highly recommended, and one I'll be Militantly Recommending! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the DRC!
June 27, 2021
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Bored and lonely, Xia hoped her artificial intelligence application would be her ticket to bigger and better things. When she earned a spot at the Foundry, Xia found herself among the Silicone Valley elite. Struggling to navigate this world, she began to lose focus and must get back on track or risk losing it all.
THE GOOD
* I love seeing females winning in a male-dominated world. Xia was so passionate about her craft, and I wanted her to take full advantage of this opportunity.
* There were some quality friendships in this story. Xia had her bestie back home, her neighbor in the program, and her online crush. I was a fan of all these relationships and wanted more of this.
* The IRL romance was super cute too. This was a great pairing, and again, I wanted more of this.
* Talk nerdy to me! The book opens with Xia talking about her life in code. My former-programmer self absolutely loved it!
* When world collide. I enjoyed trying to figure out who Xia’s online crush was IRL. I loved that the Foundry brought them together off-line.
* Wiser was great. Wiser had great personality for an application.
* I appreciate the hard lessons Xia had to learn. All the terrible situations she found herself in contributed to her personal growth.
WHERE I STRUGGLED
When I read the synopsis for this book, an expectation was set. I was anticipating a cute and fluffy YA romance. There was a some romance in this story, however, a big chunk of it was Xia losing her way, hitting rock bottom, and discovering the ugly side of the tech world. It was much darker than I anticipated. I appreciate the exploration of the dark side of tech, but it wasn’t what I really wanted from this book. It was not bad, but rather a case of my expectations being incorrectly set.
Overall: This wasn't quite what I was expecting from the synopsis, but it was an interesting look at the challenges women in tech face. I loved that Xia had a dream, and though I was screaming at her as she lost her way, I was happy to see her grow and learn from the experience.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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Bored and lonely, Xia hoped her artificial intelligence application would be her ticket to bigger and better things. When she earned a spot at the Foundry, Xia found herself among the Silicone Valley elite. Struggling to navigate this world, she began to lose focus and must get back on track or risk losing it all.
THE GOOD
* I love seeing females winning in a male-dominated world. Xia was so passionate about her craft, and I wanted her to take full advantage of this opportunity.
* There were some quality friendships in this story. Xia had her bestie back home, her neighbor in the program, and her online crush. I was a fan of all these relationships and wanted more of this.
* The IRL romance was super cute too. This was a great pairing, and again, I wanted more of this.
* Talk nerdy to me! The book opens with Xia talking about her life in code. My former-programmer self absolutely loved it!
* When world collide. I enjoyed trying to figure out who Xia’s online crush was IRL. I loved that the Foundry brought them together off-line.
* Wiser was great. Wiser had great personality for an application.
* I appreciate the hard lessons Xia had to learn. All the terrible situations she found herself in contributed to her personal growth.
WHERE I STRUGGLED
When I read the synopsis for this book, an expectation was set. I was anticipating a cute and fluffy YA romance. There was a some romance in this story, however, a big chunk of it was Xia losing her way, hitting rock bottom, and discovering the ugly side of the tech world. It was much darker than I anticipated. I appreciate the exploration of the dark side of tech, but it wasn’t what I really wanted from this book. It was not bad, but rather a case of my expectations being incorrectly set.
Overall: This wasn't quite what I was expecting from the synopsis, but it was an interesting look at the challenges women in tech face. I loved that Xia had a dream, and though I was screaming at her as she lost her way, I was happy to see her grow and learn from the experience.
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
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January 6, 2021
Yvonne Woon's If You, Then Me is unquestionably one of the very best YA books I've ever read. Xia is a protagonist with a full, realistic, heartbreaking arc, and I loved her and rooted for her every step of the way, even when (and perhaps especially when) she made mistakes. This book gives readers a peek into the fascinating, often impenetrable social landscape of Silicon Valley, and delivers a delicious villain, hilarious dialogue, and a realistic look into why women tear each other down in a white, male-dominated industry. As Xia questions her own ability, self worth and inner strength, the disconnect between what she feels inside verses how others perceive her is mirrored in her ultimate decision: will she choose to lose herself in the traps of an online relationship and a world in which appearances are more valued than honesty, or to be a present and active force in her own life, to let herself love someone she can see and touch, to create what she feels is missing in the world? I wanted this book to go on forever, so I could follow Xia and Wiser on their next adventure.
February 6, 2021
Wow! I LOVED this book! Even though our main character, Xia, is a million times smarter than I’ll ever be she was also a very relatable one. We’ve all experienced many of the same insecurities that she has and made for a lovable protagonist.
Throughout the entire book, I rooted her on. When she laughed I laughed, when she felt embarrassed I cringed for her, and when she swooned I swooned. In those moments where she made bad or questionable decisions, I constantly wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into her but never once did that make me dislike her as a character. I truly wanted to see her succeed which was exactly why this was a book I didn’t want to put down.
I also loved the important discussions that were had in this book about the treatment of women in the workplace and how they have to work that much harder to be recognized and taken seriously.
This truly was a great book and one I would recommend to everyone!
A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Throughout the entire book, I rooted her on. When she laughed I laughed, when she felt embarrassed I cringed for her, and when she swooned I swooned. In those moments where she made bad or questionable decisions, I constantly wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into her but never once did that make me dislike her as a character. I truly wanted to see her succeed which was exactly why this was a book I didn’t want to put down.
I also loved the important discussions that were had in this book about the treatment of women in the workplace and how they have to work that much harder to be recognized and taken seriously.
This truly was a great book and one I would recommend to everyone!
A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 6, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I'll post that review upon publication.
In the meantime, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It's a great romance, but it's much more than that, too. If you're looking for a combo romance with a heavy dose of coming-of-age and how tough that can be for young women-identifying folks in particular, this may just be one of your favorite YA novels of the year.
Updated 7/6/21
.4.5 stars
This book should be getting so much more buzz than it is currently, and if it isn't on your to-read list yet, I highly recommend adding it ASAP.
Xia, the m.c., is living with her mom in Massachusetts and dreaming of getting into the Foundry, which is an elite boarding school for young folks with big ideas in tech. Readers and Xia learn RIGHT at the start of the novel that this dream is coming true, and it is exciting to see Xia leave the isolated, lonely life she knows for a totally different experience in Northern California. Like all slightly more experienced readers know, Xia's change in environment won't result in an automatic change in HER...
There is so much fantastic material to love here. First, Xia is just the right balance of naive and smart. She makes mistakes appropriate for her age and experience, but unlike so many characters - teens and adults alike - she's no fool. It's empowering to watch her learn from those mistakes and do better next time. This theme is expressed expertly not only through Xia's thoughts and actions but through her main project, Wiser, which is designed to be a more experienced advice giving version of the user. I LOVE the way both Xia's work product and her own life evolve to highlight her personal growth.
Much of Xia's growth happens as she navigates being a teen and a student, but two standout areas include what it means to grow up as a young woman and how to manage the romantic trials of one's young life. Xia has some extremely challenging experiences professionally, and there are some heartbreaking moments that are definitely mentioned but not necessarily delved into throughout the narrative: TW sexual assault and sexual harassment. I appreciate the realistic treatment of these areas, though I do think a bit more attention could have been paid to their aftermath. Additionally, there is some important commentary about who is to be trusted and that a person's outside should not be the deciding factor on this.
The romance is so well devised because it is an important part of the novel but not the CENTRAL part; that's Xia as a human not as a romantic partner. From the start, readers know that Xia is in an online-only relationship with a person she has never met and whose identity she does not know. The evolution of this relationship - and the mystery surrounding this person's identity - also highlight Xia's growth and add complexity to the narrative overall.
I came into this novel expecting a light YA summer romance, but there is much more substance here. Woon is now on my must-request/must-read list and should be on yours, too. Recommended!
In the meantime, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It's a great romance, but it's much more than that, too. If you're looking for a combo romance with a heavy dose of coming-of-age and how tough that can be for young women-identifying folks in particular, this may just be one of your favorite YA novels of the year.
Updated 7/6/21
.4.5 stars
This book should be getting so much more buzz than it is currently, and if it isn't on your to-read list yet, I highly recommend adding it ASAP.
Xia, the m.c., is living with her mom in Massachusetts and dreaming of getting into the Foundry, which is an elite boarding school for young folks with big ideas in tech. Readers and Xia learn RIGHT at the start of the novel that this dream is coming true, and it is exciting to see Xia leave the isolated, lonely life she knows for a totally different experience in Northern California. Like all slightly more experienced readers know, Xia's change in environment won't result in an automatic change in HER...
There is so much fantastic material to love here. First, Xia is just the right balance of naive and smart. She makes mistakes appropriate for her age and experience, but unlike so many characters - teens and adults alike - she's no fool. It's empowering to watch her learn from those mistakes and do better next time. This theme is expressed expertly not only through Xia's thoughts and actions but through her main project, Wiser, which is designed to be a more experienced advice giving version of the user. I LOVE the way both Xia's work product and her own life evolve to highlight her personal growth.
Much of Xia's growth happens as she navigates being a teen and a student, but two standout areas include what it means to grow up as a young woman and how to manage the romantic trials of one's young life. Xia has some extremely challenging experiences professionally, and there are some heartbreaking moments that are definitely mentioned but not necessarily delved into throughout the narrative: TW sexual assault and sexual harassment. I appreciate the realistic treatment of these areas, though I do think a bit more attention could have been paid to their aftermath. Additionally, there is some important commentary about who is to be trusted and that a person's outside should not be the deciding factor on this.
The romance is so well devised because it is an important part of the novel but not the CENTRAL part; that's Xia as a human not as a romantic partner. From the start, readers know that Xia is in an online-only relationship with a person she has never met and whose identity she does not know. The evolution of this relationship - and the mystery surrounding this person's identity - also highlight Xia's growth and add complexity to the narrative overall.
I came into this novel expecting a light YA summer romance, but there is much more substance here. Woon is now on my must-request/must-read list and should be on yours, too. Recommended!
Read
June 30, 2021
Trigger & Content Warnings
Racism
Sexism
Racism
Sexism
March 16, 2021
Xia is a programmer genius that get's into this super exclusive (all-expenses paid) program in California. She gets to spend one year learning more about programming and business in an attempt to build up her revolutionary idea--an AI that provides you advice from the POV of your future self--to a real company. She has an online connection with a ~mysterious but insightful mans and also a flirtationship with a cute boy in her program. Xia learns to navigate the glitzy and cutthroat world of Silicon Valley while trying to find who she is as a person.
This is such a beautiful book told from such a unique viewpoint I rarely see in books. As an Asian student studying business and CS, this book was sooo relatable I was so shook. I was crying two chapters in with Xia's discussion with her mother about her future and duty. Idk why but Asian immigrant stories and family duty vs. passion stories always get me 😫😫😫. All the characters are written in a really refreshing way, and I just LOVED the programming puns and references, I was laughing so much.
I would describe this book as a crossover between Loveboat, Taipei and lowkey You've Got Mail. I think Yvonne is able to weave in all the classic romance / YA tropes in really well. Even though you know exactly what's going to happen, it's enjoyable to read through the journey. While it's superrrr obvious who her online ~friend is, I still enjoyed reading Xia work through it.
The only thing I was kinda miffed about is I wanted a more girls help girls book, because I think it's sooo important to show the supportive environment of women supporting other women. Without getting into too much detail, a few scenes in you can already tell how backstabbing and toxic some of these relationships can get, and while there still is mentorship / support to some degree, I just wished it could be more prominent.
But for a fun and inspiring read about a young girl working to break barriers in such a male-dominated industry with a cute dose of romance on the side, If You, Then Me is a great read!!
This is such a beautiful book told from such a unique viewpoint I rarely see in books. As an Asian student studying business and CS, this book was sooo relatable I was so shook. I was crying two chapters in with Xia's discussion with her mother about her future and duty. Idk why but Asian immigrant stories and family duty vs. passion stories always get me 😫😫😫. All the characters are written in a really refreshing way, and I just LOVED the programming puns and references, I was laughing so much.
I would describe this book as a crossover between Loveboat, Taipei and lowkey You've Got Mail. I think Yvonne is able to weave in all the classic romance / YA tropes in really well. Even though you know exactly what's going to happen, it's enjoyable to read through the journey. While it's superrrr obvious who her online ~friend is, I still enjoyed reading Xia work through it.
The only thing I was kinda miffed about is I wanted a more girls help girls book, because I think it's sooo important to show the supportive environment of women supporting other women. Without getting into too much detail, a few scenes in you can already tell how backstabbing and toxic some of these relationships can get, and while there still is mentorship / support to some degree, I just wished it could be more prominent.
But for a fun and inspiring read about a young girl working to break barriers in such a male-dominated industry with a cute dose of romance on the side, If You, Then Me is a great read!!
February 5, 2021
Wow! I LOVED this book! Even though our main character, Xia, is a million times smarter than I’ll ever be she was also a very relatable one. We’ve all experienced many of the same insecurities that she has and made for a lovable protagonist.
Throughout the entire book, I rooted her on. When she laughed I laughed, when she felt embarrassed I cringed for her, and when she swooned I swooned. In those moments where she made bad or questionable decisions, I constantly wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into her but never once did that make me dislike her as a character. I truly wanted to see her succeed which was exactly why this was a book I didn’t want to put down.
I also loved the important discussions that were had in this book about the treatment of women in the workplace and how they have to work that much harder to be recognized and taken seriously.
This truly was a great book and one I would recommend to everyone!
A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Throughout the entire book, I rooted her on. When she laughed I laughed, when she felt embarrassed I cringed for her, and when she swooned I swooned. In those moments where she made bad or questionable decisions, I constantly wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into her but never once did that make me dislike her as a character. I truly wanted to see her succeed which was exactly why this was a book I didn’t want to put down.
I also loved the important discussions that were had in this book about the treatment of women in the workplace and how they have to work that much harder to be recognized and taken seriously.
This truly was a great book and one I would recommend to everyone!
A special thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for providing me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 7, 2021
(Disclaimer: I received this book from Edelweiss. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
TW: sexism, racism
What immediately drew me to Xia was her vulnerability and heart. The ways she has poured herself into her work and the ways her fears resonated with me. Woon combines a heroine who makes mistakes, gets caught up, but also is trying so desperately to find herself, with a great premise and set up. In some ways, this felt a bit like "You've Got Mail" with teenagers and coding. I finished If You, Then Me in a few days because I was just so swept away with the plot and action.
The ways Xia has to figure out if we let people's opinions and efforts to humiliate us effect us. How it becomes so hard to filter out their voices of doubt in our head. The sounds of laughter and mockery which chips away at our armor. What is more relatable than that? At the same time, If You, Then Me examines the differences between the people we imagine in our head and reality.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
TW: sexism, racism
What immediately drew me to Xia was her vulnerability and heart. The ways she has poured herself into her work and the ways her fears resonated with me. Woon combines a heroine who makes mistakes, gets caught up, but also is trying so desperately to find herself, with a great premise and set up. In some ways, this felt a bit like "You've Got Mail" with teenagers and coding. I finished If You, Then Me in a few days because I was just so swept away with the plot and action.
The ways Xia has to figure out if we let people's opinions and efforts to humiliate us effect us. How it becomes so hard to filter out their voices of doubt in our head. The sounds of laughter and mockery which chips away at our armor. What is more relatable than that? At the same time, If You, Then Me examines the differences between the people we imagine in our head and reality.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/revi...
December 6, 2021
I LOVED THIS BOOK.
I did not think I would. It’s about tech geniuses and it’s a super slow start. I remember being 170 pages in and wanting to DNF it. But! But. Then it picked up. The drama! The character development! The twists! The mystery of ObjectPermanence! Towards the end my heart was literally racing because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen next. The character development is amazing. Off the charts. I could see Xia digging this hole deeper and deeper and trapping herself and going off the deep end and I wanted so badly for her to wake up and turn her life around. I won’t spoil anything but wow. So good.
I did not think I would. It’s about tech geniuses and it’s a super slow start. I remember being 170 pages in and wanting to DNF it. But! But. Then it picked up. The drama! The character development! The twists! The mystery of ObjectPermanence! Towards the end my heart was literally racing because I was so desperate to know what was going to happen next. The character development is amazing. Off the charts. I could see Xia digging this hole deeper and deeper and trapping herself and going off the deep end and I wanted so badly for her to wake up and turn her life around. I won’t spoil anything but wow. So good.
February 15, 2021
This book was an original, fascinating exploration of a world/mindset totally unfamiliar to me. It was unbelievable at times, which could be due to my ignorance, but I was mostly willing to suspend my disbelief because I was invested in the characters and the storyline.
December 29, 2021
4.5 stars. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
July 15, 2025
★ 1 star ★
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ i would give this zero stars if i could. look, i am all for POC girlies in STEM and taking over fields that are traditionally dominated by white men-- my mechanical romance is one of my favorite YA romcoms. however, this book was just STUPID on levels i could not even fathom. the characters were all bland as heck, our fmc was so incredibly dumb, and the plot was so predictable.
────୨ৎ──── CHARACTERS.
XIA.
ׂ╰┈➤ teenagers are supposed to be stupid, yes, but her level of stupidity was absurd. how did she let herself be so easily manipulated by mitzy and blew off her classes and friends to attend parties and lunches with this "mentor" of hers (who turned out to be an embezzler leeching off all her money, by the way!!) it was obvious to literally EVERYONE that she was being taken advantage of-- her roommate, her crush, and i'd assume her as well because of her genius tech brain?? apparently NOT, bc this entire book was the repercussions of her dumbass decisions and blind trust in her idol.
MAST.
ׂ╰┈➤ such a sweetie pie and he deserved sm better than this character arc.
AMINA.
ׂ╰┈➤ should've fr been the main character... she was so interesting ohmigosh.
MITZY.
ׂ╰┈➤ she was so shady and manipulative, how did xia not see it sooner and get the heck away from her?? i KNEW something was up the moment she took xia "shopping" for the makeover.
AJ.
ׂ╰┈➤ his background DOES NOT excuse his bigotry and terrible behavior.
KATE.
ׂ╰┈➤ literally just inserted into the narrative for no reason... why was she even there
MIKE.
ׂ╰┈➤ he's nice, i guess, but it rlly pmo how he didn't stand up for any of the girls AJ bullied and instead enabled his friend's racist and sexist behavior to continue, making him an active participant
────୨ৎ──── PLOT.
ׂ╰┈➤ xia chen gets a scholarship to this super elite tech school called the foundry in LA. instead of attending her classes and having the normal prep school experience by maintaining healthy relationships, she gets so easily manipulated by her idol mitzy ernst that it makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. it was SO. OBVIOUS. and considering that xia is some sort of tech prodigy, shouldn't she have saved herself all the trouble of trusting this totally shady stranger in the first place?? there's also this whole "stock value" thing in the class, which basically determines your social status and worth with your classmates, and a social media that's more complicated than instagram and feels like a cheap knockoff copy of gossip girl. but in the end, all goes well-- she reunites with her best friend, gets her dream guy, even after all the BS she put us through.
────୨ৎ──── ROMANCE.
ׂ╰┈➤ are we going to talk about how xia literally ghosted mast for the entire second act just to go to coke parties and blew him off for mitzy and objectpermanence when he actually was so sweet to her?? and he takes her back after the fallout of her dumb decisions just like that, after being given virtually no explanation as to why she's ditching him other than her new icon mitzy? the objectpermanence plot was so predictable, too, and i knew she'd end up choosing mast anyway. the "love triangle" wasn't really that at all, considering how she discarded mast for most of the book and only turned to him when she realized objectpermanence really wasn't all she'd made him to be.
────୨ৎ──── TL;DR.
ׂ╰┈➤ if you want a story of a POC girl kicking butt in STEM/tech fields, just read my mechanical romance by alexene farol follmuth. i promise you, this isn't worth your time.
side note: i'm not even going to bother trying to make a playlist for this bc of my aggravation ☠
˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ i would give this zero stars if i could. look, i am all for POC girlies in STEM and taking over fields that are traditionally dominated by white men-- my mechanical romance is one of my favorite YA romcoms. however, this book was just STUPID on levels i could not even fathom. the characters were all bland as heck, our fmc was so incredibly dumb, and the plot was so predictable.
────୨ৎ──── CHARACTERS.
XIA.
ׂ╰┈➤ teenagers are supposed to be stupid, yes, but her level of stupidity was absurd. how did she let herself be so easily manipulated by mitzy and blew off her classes and friends to attend parties and lunches with this "mentor" of hers (who turned out to be an embezzler leeching off all her money, by the way!!) it was obvious to literally EVERYONE that she was being taken advantage of-- her roommate, her crush, and i'd assume her as well because of her genius tech brain?? apparently NOT, bc this entire book was the repercussions of her dumbass decisions and blind trust in her idol.
MAST.
ׂ╰┈➤ such a sweetie pie and he deserved sm better than this character arc.
AMINA.
ׂ╰┈➤ should've fr been the main character... she was so interesting ohmigosh.
MITZY.
ׂ╰┈➤ she was so shady and manipulative, how did xia not see it sooner and get the heck away from her?? i KNEW something was up the moment she took xia "shopping" for the makeover.
AJ.
ׂ╰┈➤ his background DOES NOT excuse his bigotry and terrible behavior.
KATE.
ׂ╰┈➤ literally just inserted into the narrative for no reason... why was she even there
MIKE.
ׂ╰┈➤ he's nice, i guess, but it rlly pmo how he didn't stand up for any of the girls AJ bullied and instead enabled his friend's racist and sexist behavior to continue, making him an active participant
────୨ৎ──── PLOT.
ׂ╰┈➤ xia chen gets a scholarship to this super elite tech school called the foundry in LA. instead of attending her classes and having the normal prep school experience by maintaining healthy relationships, she gets so easily manipulated by her idol mitzy ernst that it makes your eyes roll to the back of your head. it was SO. OBVIOUS. and considering that xia is some sort of tech prodigy, shouldn't she have saved herself all the trouble of trusting this totally shady stranger in the first place?? there's also this whole "stock value" thing in the class, which basically determines your social status and worth with your classmates, and a social media that's more complicated than instagram and feels like a cheap knockoff copy of gossip girl. but in the end, all goes well-- she reunites with her best friend, gets her dream guy, even after all the BS she put us through.
────୨ৎ──── ROMANCE.
ׂ╰┈➤ are we going to talk about how xia literally ghosted mast for the entire second act just to go to coke parties and blew him off for mitzy and objectpermanence when he actually was so sweet to her?? and he takes her back after the fallout of her dumb decisions just like that, after being given virtually no explanation as to why she's ditching him other than her new icon mitzy? the objectpermanence plot was so predictable, too, and i knew she'd end up choosing mast anyway. the "love triangle" wasn't really that at all, considering how she discarded mast for most of the book and only turned to him when she realized objectpermanence really wasn't all she'd made him to be.
────୨ৎ──── TL;DR.
ׂ╰┈➤ if you want a story of a POC girl kicking butt in STEM/tech fields, just read my mechanical romance by alexene farol follmuth. i promise you, this isn't worth your time.
side note: i'm not even going to bother trying to make a playlist for this bc of my aggravation ☠
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2021
Yvonne Woon, author of the Dead Beautiful trilogy, again takes us to a boarding school for exceptional young people, but the only supernatural forces at work this time around are wealth and greed. Set in present-day Silicon Valley, If You Then Me follows the story of Xia Chan as she navigates the hyper-competitive world of internet startup culture, while also coming to terms with her own identity as a creator and as an adult.
Identity is a key theme of the book, with Woon skillfully, and sometimes brutally, portraying the layered hostilities of racism, sexism and classism that exponentially complicate the professional and personal lives of Asian-American women working in the tech industry. It is telling that this is not a book about racism or sexism. It is a novel about values, priorities, hard work, and integrity. But when the protagonist is the daughter of a single mother who emigrated from China, the story must also address how racist aggressions (both micro and overt), sexism, sexual assault, and the tidal forces of privilege and wealth all exhaust someone like Xia, long before she even has the chance to start putting in the necessary work to succeed.
The nature of “success” is also a key theme of If You, Then Me. Woon vividly portrays the emptiness and superficiality of a world in which poorly-socialized geniuses receive too much wealth and power too quickly. The novel asks important questions about what is real, what has value, and what sacrifices are too great.
Those questions are not subtle. Xia and her friends are a group of hyper-intelligent outsiders who are both keenly introspective and wryly articulate, a hallmark of Yoon’s young-adult writing. Despite some obviously dangerous blindspots, Xia and her peers are often thoughtful observers of their circumstances and their responsibility for them, an indication of Yoon’s respect for her audience and of the reality that older teenagers are often much more cognizant of the exigencies of their lives than adults give them credit for.
Bright teenagers butting heads against unnecessary obstacles will find much to relate to in If You, Then Me. Likewise adults who want to step fully into a vital and authentic depiction of the world of one such teenager will find much to enjoy, and even learn from, here. There are important ideas here for adults as well, as most of the non-teens in the novel have a parasitic relationship of one kind or another with Xia. The novel asks: When faced with the brilliance and creative vitality of youth, how many of us see at as a resource to exploit rather than as a wonder to nurture and support?
The book moves smoothly and briskly through these themes, driven primarily by sharp dialogue interspersed with sparse exposition. My one real complaint is that I wanted there to be more – more of the daily life at the Foundry, more backstory on the lives and works of the supporting characters, more time to fully digest the relatively predictable but nonetheless satisfying conclusion.
My only other quibble is that the nerdspeak sometimes feels forced or contrived. Those of us who grew up on Usenet or Reddit recognize when an outsider is speaking our native tongue, even when they do so fluently. Woon clearly researched Silicon Valley thoroughly, but this is still a book written about tech nerds, not by a tech nerd.
It is also a book that is well worth your time. Xia Chan is a complex, honest, compelling character whose journey kept me completely fixated for a cover-to-cover read in a single session. Yvonne Woon may not be a tech nerd, but she clearly knows what it’s like to be a smart, young, Asian woman fighting to define herself and her creative voice in a milieu dominated by powerful, white men. We need to hear more stories like Xia’s, and Woon has the skill and artistry to make those stories come alive.
Identity is a key theme of the book, with Woon skillfully, and sometimes brutally, portraying the layered hostilities of racism, sexism and classism that exponentially complicate the professional and personal lives of Asian-American women working in the tech industry. It is telling that this is not a book about racism or sexism. It is a novel about values, priorities, hard work, and integrity. But when the protagonist is the daughter of a single mother who emigrated from China, the story must also address how racist aggressions (both micro and overt), sexism, sexual assault, and the tidal forces of privilege and wealth all exhaust someone like Xia, long before she even has the chance to start putting in the necessary work to succeed.
The nature of “success” is also a key theme of If You, Then Me. Woon vividly portrays the emptiness and superficiality of a world in which poorly-socialized geniuses receive too much wealth and power too quickly. The novel asks important questions about what is real, what has value, and what sacrifices are too great.
Those questions are not subtle. Xia and her friends are a group of hyper-intelligent outsiders who are both keenly introspective and wryly articulate, a hallmark of Yoon’s young-adult writing. Despite some obviously dangerous blindspots, Xia and her peers are often thoughtful observers of their circumstances and their responsibility for them, an indication of Yoon’s respect for her audience and of the reality that older teenagers are often much more cognizant of the exigencies of their lives than adults give them credit for.
Bright teenagers butting heads against unnecessary obstacles will find much to relate to in If You, Then Me. Likewise adults who want to step fully into a vital and authentic depiction of the world of one such teenager will find much to enjoy, and even learn from, here. There are important ideas here for adults as well, as most of the non-teens in the novel have a parasitic relationship of one kind or another with Xia. The novel asks: When faced with the brilliance and creative vitality of youth, how many of us see at as a resource to exploit rather than as a wonder to nurture and support?
The book moves smoothly and briskly through these themes, driven primarily by sharp dialogue interspersed with sparse exposition. My one real complaint is that I wanted there to be more – more of the daily life at the Foundry, more backstory on the lives and works of the supporting characters, more time to fully digest the relatively predictable but nonetheless satisfying conclusion.
My only other quibble is that the nerdspeak sometimes feels forced or contrived. Those of us who grew up on Usenet or Reddit recognize when an outsider is speaking our native tongue, even when they do so fluently. Woon clearly researched Silicon Valley thoroughly, but this is still a book written about tech nerds, not by a tech nerd.
It is also a book that is well worth your time. Xia Chan is a complex, honest, compelling character whose journey kept me completely fixated for a cover-to-cover read in a single session. Yvonne Woon may not be a tech nerd, but she clearly knows what it’s like to be a smart, young, Asian woman fighting to define herself and her creative voice in a milieu dominated by powerful, white men. We need to hear more stories like Xia’s, and Woon has the skill and artistry to make those stories come alive.
Read
August 8, 2022Review copy: Library
Wiser is an app I could have really used in my teen years. In fact, I wouldn’t mind having Wiser now. Decision making is so difficult sometimes and in this app, the artificial intelligence can definitely help with life choices through the information it gathers and logic. Xia is smart and driven, but sometimes she could benefit from some good advice. I really liked the AI part of the plot and it certainly had me thinking beyond the page and wondering about what we could have in the future.
The tech wasn’t the only thing that had me thinking. Once in a while, there were exchanges that spoke to me. One character does something that they aren’t proud of and in a message explains it this way:
“I like to think of myself as a good person, but then I do things like this and I wonder if my “goodness” is just a story I tell myself so I don’t have to own up to the fact that maybe I’m just like everyone else–good when it suits me, and less good when it doesn’t.”
This was a book that kept my attention, but sometimes it was because there was a train wreck about to happen and it was hard to look away. The author pushed it a bit with how badly Xia messes up. The series of bad choices she makes really began to strain my belief. She even has multiple friends trying to intervene and she ignores all logic. That was one thing that distracted me. She’s highly intelligent so it was difficult to believe some of the things she was doing and allowing although in real life, it’s true that sometimes people seem to be on similar dangerous paths and cannot be reasoned with at all.
With all of the chaotic things going on in Xia’s life because of her behavior, that left only a small amount of time on the pages for her relationships. The virtual relationship she had prior to arrival at the school seemed somewhat plausible, but the in-person time is pretty limited with both of the love interests so the romance seemed rushed.
Recommendation: Get it someday if you are a fan of contemporary books with a technology plot line. That part was the most intriguing for me. It’s probably not one to grab if you’re looking for a romance or rom-com though.
Wiser is an app I could have really used in my teen years. In fact, I wouldn’t mind having Wiser now. Decision making is so difficult sometimes and in this app, the artificial intelligence can definitely help with life choices through the information it gathers and logic. Xia is smart and driven, but sometimes she could benefit from some good advice. I really liked the AI part of the plot and it certainly had me thinking beyond the page and wondering about what we could have in the future.
The tech wasn’t the only thing that had me thinking. Once in a while, there were exchanges that spoke to me. One character does something that they aren’t proud of and in a message explains it this way:
“I like to think of myself as a good person, but then I do things like this and I wonder if my “goodness” is just a story I tell myself so I don’t have to own up to the fact that maybe I’m just like everyone else–good when it suits me, and less good when it doesn’t.”
This was a book that kept my attention, but sometimes it was because there was a train wreck about to happen and it was hard to look away. The author pushed it a bit with how badly Xia messes up. The series of bad choices she makes really began to strain my belief. She even has multiple friends trying to intervene and she ignores all logic. That was one thing that distracted me. She’s highly intelligent so it was difficult to believe some of the things she was doing and allowing although in real life, it’s true that sometimes people seem to be on similar dangerous paths and cannot be reasoned with at all.
With all of the chaotic things going on in Xia’s life because of her behavior, that left only a small amount of time on the pages for her relationships. The virtual relationship she had prior to arrival at the school seemed somewhat plausible, but the in-person time is pretty limited with both of the love interests so the romance seemed rushed.
Recommendation: Get it someday if you are a fan of contemporary books with a technology plot line. That part was the most intriguing for me. It’s probably not one to grab if you’re looking for a romance or rom-com though.
Read
October 2, 2021Xia is eager to get out of her slow Massachusetts life. Through designing an AI app named Wiser, she finds the opportunity to travel to California. The bustling Silicon Valley where she would be taking classes at the Foundry where they would help her prepare to work on her app and expand it to a business. But, once there, things are harder than Xia would have imagined and not she feels like maybe this wasn’t the best choice.
I’m pretty torn on this one. I don’t feel like this was really a bad book, but it is one that you really need to be able to keep in mind how young the character is because she makes a lot of choices that felt very obviously wrong to me, so more often than not, I really was annoyed with Xia. She was young and naive and that really shined through more often than not.
Now, due to her naivety her character development felt right. I think her development was good. It really ended up being this nice slow development, that did feel like it might of wrapped up too quickly at the end, but overall it wasn’t bad.
The romance though. That… that I just couldn’t get behind. The story is very focused on Xia and her relationship with Mitzy and how that affects her time at the Foundry. There is a penpal of sorts and then Mast, who she ended up developing feelings for while at the Foundry. Now, when I say the story was really focused on Xia and her relationship with Mitzy, I mean it. There was no time to really develop the relationship between Xia and Mast or really her online penpal. I think this book would have been better without the aspect honestly.
Overall, I do feel like this was a good story, but going in people will need to keep in mind that the character is young and naive and that really shines through. But, it really shows the trails that Xia goes through well.
I’m pretty torn on this one. I don’t feel like this was really a bad book, but it is one that you really need to be able to keep in mind how young the character is because she makes a lot of choices that felt very obviously wrong to me, so more often than not, I really was annoyed with Xia. She was young and naive and that really shined through more often than not.
Now, due to her naivety her character development felt right. I think her development was good. It really ended up being this nice slow development, that did feel like it might of wrapped up too quickly at the end, but overall it wasn’t bad.
The romance though. That… that I just couldn’t get behind. The story is very focused on Xia and her relationship with Mitzy and how that affects her time at the Foundry. There is a penpal of sorts and then Mast, who she ended up developing feelings for while at the Foundry. Now, when I say the story was really focused on Xia and her relationship with Mitzy, I mean it. There was no time to really develop the relationship between Xia and Mast or really her online penpal. I think this book would have been better without the aspect honestly.
Overall, I do feel like this was a good story, but going in people will need to keep in mind that the character is young and naive and that really shines through. But, it really shows the trails that Xia goes through well.
March 23, 2023
I received this book for free from EpicReads.
This was a really cute young adult book that I liked a lot more than I expected. I work in a bioinformatics lab so AI is something I hear discussed daily. It was interesting hearing about it from a startup perspective even if aspects were definitely far fetched (a company randomly offers the main character a lawyer and place to stay when they have no connections or contract?).
I will say it was really obvious who ObjectPermanence was from the beginning. I didn't mind knowing, but it felt very clear who it was going to be and because of that, other parts of the plot were also expected. I also think the person Xia chooses in the end was kind of silly because they weren't really in the book very much but I digress....
Also, so intrigued by the inclusion of drugs and alcohol but not swearing.
The story kept me engaged and had me wanting the best for Xia. It was a cute light read.
This was a really cute young adult book that I liked a lot more than I expected. I work in a bioinformatics lab so AI is something I hear discussed daily. It was interesting hearing about it from a startup perspective even if aspects were definitely far fetched (a company randomly offers the main character a lawyer and place to stay when they have no connections or contract?).
I will say it was really obvious who ObjectPermanence was from the beginning. I didn't mind knowing, but it felt very clear who it was going to be and because of that, other parts of the plot were also expected. I also think the person Xia chooses in the end was kind of silly because they weren't really in the book very much but I digress....
Also, so intrigued by the inclusion of drugs and alcohol but not swearing.
The story kept me engaged and had me wanting the best for Xia. It was a cute light read.
October 8, 2021
83rd book of 2021
OH MY GOSH. THIS BOOK. HOW DOES IF YOU, THEN ME ONLY HAVE 66 REVIEWS AND AN AVERAGE OF 3.61 ??
I loved this book. I absolutely loved it. I wasn't expecting to, the blurb falling very flat for me, and then it blew my mind and gave me the feels. While I know I didn't fall in love with the romance as I should have, and I'm not so so so satisfied that I'm going to remember this book forever, I really loved this read. Genuinely.
Okay, so, first. Characters. WOW. I really enjoyed reading from Xia's perspective. She's a smart, lonely, and incredibly flawed girl, which made her feel realistic as a character. Her decisions reflect who she is, and her backstory makes sense. While I felt like there could have been much more depth to her character, she was fun to read about.
As for the rest of the characters, however... most didn't quite resonate with me as they could have, for the huge cast. There are a lot of secondary and side characters introduced (especially with the ObjectPermanence mystery) and although there are attempts at broadening their backstories and all, most of them getting memorable quirks or introductions, I wasn't drawn to the right ones, and liked the ones we weren't supposed to root for. Which is fine, of course. I'm just saying that this contributed to the personally dissatisfying ending. Several characters additionally don't receive the closure to their personalities I thought they deserved.
OKAY SO THE ROMANCE. A main part of it is the mentioned Mast, whose relationship with Xia mainly takes up the first half of the book and is neglected. Another part of it is the ObjectPermanence mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up this book for the romance, throughout the book read for the online-crush-plotline that made me love Alex, Approximately, and finished it not very pleased. However, I will say that the way the author deals with the ObjectPermanence plotline is VERY clever and suitable. (We don't get any of that stupid oblivious MC kind of stuff; it's realistic to an extent and is the right resolution in my opinion) To sum it up, you should read this for the romance. It's unpredictable and oh so full of conflict that it's impossible to root for a character. While I felt like there could have been much more build up toward some scenes and more realistic development in some relationships, overall it all works together, the scenes tying perfectly with the title of the book, which I promise will make sense later.
I really could go on and on with this book. I loved it so much. I think part of what gives this book its allure has to be the setting and the concept. The Founder competition isn't as predictable or stereotypical as you would expect, and its resolution and significance in the story makes it a perfect addition to the novel. Set in Silicon Valley and full of glitz and glam, the unfamiliar setting allows the author to showcase her (apologies if these are the incorrect pronouns) spectacular writing, the right amount for a contemporary and not at all overdone.
There is a decent amount of computer talk, but I came into this book knowing absolutely nothing, and still finished very extremely pleased. It was very interesting getting to learn about the dark side of the technology industry, all the sexism and contracts. You can tell the author has done a decent amount of research.
Part of the concept is what makes up the main plot as well, and the main character arc. It was an amazing journey getting to read Xia's ups and downs, how she loses bits of herself in fame and fortune and how she's almost unrecognizable from the Xia in the beginning. She learns from her mistakes and becomes so much more mature. She's manipulated and betrayed, blindsided and ignorant and so flawed. There were so many intriguing obstacles that I loved seeing her overcome. And all of this ties back neatly, and receives closure. There's a right balance in scenes to build on every friendship and development, a variety of them sorted perfectly and at the right pace.
I finished this book QUICKLY. I sped through this contemporary in two days; it was just so easy to read. I wanted to know more and was invested in characters quite early on. I promise you, once you get through the extreme info-dumps in the beginning chapters, it'll be worth it. If You, Then Me is a sweet read I would call a blend of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Alex, Approximately, but overall is one of its own. Encapsulating being a teenager yet balancing it with a memorable and intelligent main character, this is a unique, modern novel you shouldn't miss.
started 8/7/21, finished 8/8/21
OH MY GOSH. THIS BOOK. HOW DOES IF YOU, THEN ME ONLY HAVE 66 REVIEWS AND AN AVERAGE OF 3.61 ??
I loved this book. I absolutely loved it. I wasn't expecting to, the blurb falling very flat for me, and then it blew my mind and gave me the feels. While I know I didn't fall in love with the romance as I should have, and I'm not so so so satisfied that I'm going to remember this book forever, I really loved this read. Genuinely.
Okay, so, first. Characters. WOW. I really enjoyed reading from Xia's perspective. She's a smart, lonely, and incredibly flawed girl, which made her feel realistic as a character. Her decisions reflect who she is, and her backstory makes sense. While I felt like there could have been much more depth to her character, she was fun to read about.
As for the rest of the characters, however... most didn't quite resonate with me as they could have, for the huge cast. There are a lot of secondary and side characters introduced (especially with the ObjectPermanence mystery) and although there are attempts at broadening their backstories and all, most of them getting memorable quirks or introductions, I wasn't drawn to the right ones, and liked the ones we weren't supposed to root for. Which is fine, of course. I'm just saying that this contributed to the personally dissatisfying ending. Several characters additionally don't receive the closure to their personalities I thought they deserved.
OKAY SO THE ROMANCE. A main part of it is the mentioned Mast, whose relationship with Xia mainly takes up the first half of the book and is neglected. Another part of it is the ObjectPermanence mystery, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I picked up this book for the romance, throughout the book read for the online-crush-plotline that made me love Alex, Approximately, and finished it not very pleased. However, I will say that the way the author deals with the ObjectPermanence plotline is VERY clever and suitable. (We don't get any of that stupid oblivious MC kind of stuff; it's realistic to an extent and is the right resolution in my opinion) To sum it up, you should read this for the romance. It's unpredictable and oh so full of conflict that it's impossible to root for a character. While I felt like there could have been much more build up toward some scenes and more realistic development in some relationships, overall it all works together, the scenes tying perfectly with the title of the book, which I promise will make sense later.
I really could go on and on with this book. I loved it so much. I think part of what gives this book its allure has to be the setting and the concept. The Founder competition isn't as predictable or stereotypical as you would expect, and its resolution and significance in the story makes it a perfect addition to the novel. Set in Silicon Valley and full of glitz and glam, the unfamiliar setting allows the author to showcase her (apologies if these are the incorrect pronouns) spectacular writing, the right amount for a contemporary and not at all overdone.
There is a decent amount of computer talk, but I came into this book knowing absolutely nothing, and still finished very extremely pleased. It was very interesting getting to learn about the dark side of the technology industry, all the sexism and contracts. You can tell the author has done a decent amount of research.
Part of the concept is what makes up the main plot as well, and the main character arc. It was an amazing journey getting to read Xia's ups and downs, how she loses bits of herself in fame and fortune and how she's almost unrecognizable from the Xia in the beginning. She learns from her mistakes and becomes so much more mature. She's manipulated and betrayed, blindsided and ignorant and so flawed. There were so many intriguing obstacles that I loved seeing her overcome. And all of this ties back neatly, and receives closure. There's a right balance in scenes to build on every friendship and development, a variety of them sorted perfectly and at the right pace.
I finished this book QUICKLY. I sped through this contemporary in two days; it was just so easy to read. I wanted to know more and was invested in characters quite early on. I promise you, once you get through the extreme info-dumps in the beginning chapters, it'll be worth it. If You, Then Me is a sweet read I would call a blend of To All the Boys I've Loved Before and Alex, Approximately, but overall is one of its own. Encapsulating being a teenager yet balancing it with a memorable and intelligent main character, this is a unique, modern novel you shouldn't miss.
started 8/7/21, finished 8/8/21
August 22, 2021
I thought I was going to wholly adore this book, I mean look at the premise! - Girl goes to California to work on her AI app at a school full of fellow nerds. But there were SO many signs that Xia was overlooking when it came to ObjectPermanence and her company. She gets caught up in the glitz and glamour of the Silicon Valley and I can't blame her for that, she's 16. But god did I just want her to open her eyes to what was happening! But I was still so invested in the story, so I gotta give credit where credit is due.
*Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*
*Thank you to Penguin Random House Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review*
August 8, 2021
Usually, I love this kind of story, but I didn't think this was very well done. There was just too much focus on how everybody looked. So it was kind of shallow, even though it tried to be deep. Also, I found a lot of the plot points with the MCs mentor unbelievable. It simply didn't meet my expectations and was something else than I thought it would be. It had its moments, but in the end, it fell through for me.
This scored 4.57 on CAWPILE. That makes it on the higher two-star mark.
This scored 4.57 on CAWPILE. That makes it on the higher two-star mark.
September 10, 2023
1.5 stars
As a tech girly of color I really wanted to like this one, but Xia was just too naive. It wouldn’t have bugged me as much if she realized her mistakes a bit earlier in the book, because I personally feel like her growth was rushed. Especially considering how long her naivety lasted for. I also would’ve liked to see some more closure regarding Mitzy.
As a tech girly of color I really wanted to like this one, but Xia was just too naive. It wouldn’t have bugged me as much if she realized her mistakes a bit earlier in the book, because I personally feel like her growth was rushed. Especially considering how long her naivety lasted for. I also would’ve liked to see some more closure regarding Mitzy.
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