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Private Label: A Contemporary YA Romance About Two Chinese Immigrant Teens Finding Love and Belonging
New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang delivers a heartfelt and powerful YA romance about a Chinese American girl who gets help from the new boy in town to search for her dad after her successful fashion designer mother is diagnosed with cancer.
Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. Serene has to take over her mother’s business overnight, dealing with ruthless investors who do not think a seventeen-year-old can run a fashion empire, while trying to figure out what happened with her dad in Beijing. He left before she was born, and Serene wants to find him, even if it means going against her mom’s one request—never look back.
Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. He doesn’t fit in at school, where kids mispronounce his name. His parents don’t care about what he wants to do—comedy—and push him toward going to MIT engineering early. Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school . . . and Serene walks in.
Worlds apart in the high school hierarchy, Serene and Lian soon find refuge in each other, falling in love as they navigate life-changing storms.
Serene dreams of making couture dresses even more stunning than her mom’s, but for now she’s an intern at her mom’s fashion label. When her mom receives a sudden diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, all that changes. Serene has to take over her mother’s business overnight, dealing with ruthless investors who do not think a seventeen-year-old can run a fashion empire, while trying to figure out what happened with her dad in Beijing. He left before she was born, and Serene wants to find him, even if it means going against her mom’s one request—never look back.
Lian Chen moved from China to Serene’s mostly white Southern California beach town a year ago. He doesn’t fit in at school, where kids mispronounce his name. His parents don’t care about what he wants to do—comedy—and push him toward going to MIT engineering early. Lian thinks there’s nothing to stick around for, until one day, he starts Chinese Club after school . . . and Serene walks in.
Worlds apart in the high school hierarchy, Serene and Lian soon find refuge in each other, falling in love as they navigate life-changing storms.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2022
63 people are currently reading
7031 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Yang
30 books2,436 followersKelly Yang is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the FRONT DESK series, winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Children's Literature. Her books include FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS, ROOM TO DREAM, PARACHUTES, NEW FROM HERE, and other middle grade and young adult novels. She was born in China and grew up in Los Angeles. She went to college at the age of 13 and graduated from UC Berkeley at the age of 17 and Harvard Law School at the age of 20. After law school, she founded The Kelly Yang Project, a writing and debating program for children in Asia. Prior to becoming a novelist, she wrote for many years for the South China Morning Post, The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Atlantic. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 338 reviews
June 21, 2024
4,5
Bardzo ładna i poruszająca książka
Bardzo ładna i poruszająca książka
July 6, 2022
I loved this sweet and moving YA story about finding the strength to pursue your dreams and fit in when you feel like an outsider. I think I pretty much devoured this in one listen. The writing was simple and flowed nicely and I could genuinely relate to the predicaments that the teens found themselves in. There are a few Asian family tropes in there and some unlikely business scenarios but they weren't unreasonable enough to have me rolling my eyes. Very enjoyable!
May 22, 2022
It's about accepting all the pieces of you, however complex and hard. I used to want so badly to fit into a neat box. Now I know there is no neat box. I'm a composite of all my identities. . and my fortunes.
You can see Kelly Yang's heartprints all over this new YA novel. Serena and Lian tell their story in alternating chapters. Serena dreams of being a designer like her mother. Lian wants to be a standup comic. Their unlikely pairing is a thing of beauty. There are lots of fashion industry inside looks (including a Vogue photo shoot) and clean comedy courtesy of Lian. I'm taking one star off for too much foul language and sexual content. Not recommended for teens younger than sixteen.
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
You can see Kelly Yang's heartprints all over this new YA novel. Serena and Lian tell their story in alternating chapters. Serena dreams of being a designer like her mother. Lian wants to be a standup comic. Their unlikely pairing is a thing of beauty. There are lots of fashion industry inside looks (including a Vogue photo shoot) and clean comedy courtesy of Lian. I'm taking one star off for too much foul language and sexual content. Not recommended for teens younger than sixteen.
Thank you to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
September 15, 2022
Jest coś w książkach Yang, co szczególnie chwyta mnie za serce. Ta jest urocza, słodka, a jednocześnie ogromnie smutna i ukazująca różne perspektywy, pokazując, że każda z nich jest ważna.
September 15, 2022
3.5
Hm. Eu AMEI todos os livros da Kelly Yang até aqui — não sei onde esse se encaixa para mim. Não é um livro ruim, mas é bem abaixo do que ela já mostrou que consegue entregar. Algumas cenas precisam que você ignore um bocado da realidade para acreditar no que está acontecendo. A mensagem é bonita, mas também não fez muito por mim.
Apesar de não ser o público-alvo, eu ainda curti os personagens, os dramas e a narração do audiobook. A nota da autora, como sempre, é bem tocante. É meu sétimo livro da autora e já estou maluco para ler o oitavo!
Recomendo para quem curte YA contemporâneo.
Hm. Eu AMEI todos os livros da Kelly Yang até aqui — não sei onde esse se encaixa para mim. Não é um livro ruim, mas é bem abaixo do que ela já mostrou que consegue entregar. Algumas cenas precisam que você ignore um bocado da realidade para acreditar no que está acontecendo. A mensagem é bonita, mas também não fez muito por mim.
Apesar de não ser o público-alvo, eu ainda curti os personagens, os dramas e a narração do audiobook. A nota da autora, como sempre, é bem tocante. É meu sétimo livro da autora e já estou maluco para ler o oitavo!
Recomendo para quem curte YA contemporâneo.
January 5, 2022
It’s no surprise that Kelly Yang’s latest is fabulous. The perfect mix of serious and fun. I love all of her YA books and will always read them 💖
March 18, 2024
Thank you to Harper360YA for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Private Label is written in first person dual POV (point of view), alternating between our two main characters Serene and Lian, the only two Asian students in their school. Serene is beautiful , popular and the daughter of the CEO of a huge fashion company, while Lian is a ‘nobody’ who is forced to study for an engineering program by his parents when what he really wants it to be a stand-up comedian. When Serene’s mum is diagnosed with cancer she has to decide how to move forward with the company and her life. The book follows Serene and Lian’s struggles to follow their dreams while navigating family, high school life and their growing feelings for each other.
First of all, I’ve always hated the trope (is it a trope?) where the ‘nerd’ or ‘nobody’ by definition is secretly pining after the ‘popular’ person. From the beginning it is established that Lian is head over heels for Serene despite never having a conversation with her. Why, you ask? Well, apparently her astounding beauty cancels out the fact that she ignores him and her boyfriend and best friend bully him. No, I don’t get it either. This made the first half of the book difficult to read, as I couldn’t get behind their few interactions with each other. Essentially, up until a certain event happens, I wasn’t really enjoying the story as both main characters were frustrating me. Once the two main characters spent more time together however, things started to look up.
Serene’s character was also difficult to get behind as she did anything she could to fit in to the ‘popular’ group at school, meaning that, as a reader, it was hard to connect to her as she put on a front. It was hard to determine what she was actually like. There was potential to explore more of the pressures she was feeling in regard to her boyfriend and the friend group she was in, as this wasn’t addressed much. I would have liked to see a clearer message or commentary on this, especially as this is aimed at young adults and the relationship was toxic/abusive.
Despite not being a fan of the main romantic plotline, I really liked how Yang presented the familial relationships. On one side, we had Serene and her mum’s close bond, while on the other, we had Lian and his mum’s strained relationship from the academic pressure she put on his shoulders. The progression of both these relationships was done really nicely and were my favourite parts of the book.
While I liked the ending, at the same time it almost felt too perfect? There were some parts regarding the fashion company that just didn’t feel very realistic. Overall, a quick read with good portrayals of different family dynamics and the effect cancer can have on both the patient and the people close to them.
Private Label is written in first person dual POV (point of view), alternating between our two main characters Serene and Lian, the only two Asian students in their school. Serene is beautiful , popular and the daughter of the CEO of a huge fashion company, while Lian is a ‘nobody’ who is forced to study for an engineering program by his parents when what he really wants it to be a stand-up comedian. When Serene’s mum is diagnosed with cancer she has to decide how to move forward with the company and her life. The book follows Serene and Lian’s struggles to follow their dreams while navigating family, high school life and their growing feelings for each other.
First of all, I’ve always hated the trope (is it a trope?) where the ‘nerd’ or ‘nobody’ by definition is secretly pining after the ‘popular’ person. From the beginning it is established that Lian is head over heels for Serene despite never having a conversation with her. Why, you ask? Well, apparently her astounding beauty cancels out the fact that she ignores him and her boyfriend and best friend bully him. No, I don’t get it either. This made the first half of the book difficult to read, as I couldn’t get behind their few interactions with each other. Essentially, up until a certain event happens, I wasn’t really enjoying the story as both main characters were frustrating me. Once the two main characters spent more time together however, things started to look up.
Serene’s character was also difficult to get behind as she did anything she could to fit in to the ‘popular’ group at school, meaning that, as a reader, it was hard to connect to her as she put on a front. It was hard to determine what she was actually like. There was potential to explore more of the pressures she was feeling in regard to her boyfriend and the friend group she was in, as this wasn’t addressed much. I would have liked to see a clearer message or commentary on this, especially as this is aimed at young adults and the relationship was toxic/abusive.
Despite not being a fan of the main romantic plotline, I really liked how Yang presented the familial relationships. On one side, we had Serene and her mum’s close bond, while on the other, we had Lian and his mum’s strained relationship from the academic pressure she put on his shoulders. The progression of both these relationships was done really nicely and were my favourite parts of the book.
While I liked the ending, at the same time it almost felt too perfect? There were some parts regarding the fashion company that just didn’t feel very realistic. Overall, a quick read with good portrayals of different family dynamics and the effect cancer can have on both the patient and the people close to them.
April 3, 2022
This was my first Kelly Yang book and I enjoyed it. While it may not have checked all my boxes, it was definitely a nice, sweet read.
What I like about the book:
1. It is well written. It has an easy flow and it’s entertaining with all of Lian’s jokes.
2. I really like Lian. He is probably the sweetest male character I’ve ever read, and I want to see more characters like him in the future.
• He respects Serene,
• he isn’t some fuccboi who brags about his accomplishments,
• he helps his sister to realize her dream on his own dime,
• he helps Serene and his sister appreciate their culture,
• he carries his coat in case Serene gets cold,
• oh my god! That pendant contract was everything!,
• he asked if he could kiss her (that is so high school sweet!),
• he printed and mapped out on his bedroom wall the Great Wall of China so he could “take Serene there” as his grand gesture, and
• he is downright hilarious! Seriously, his comedy is what kept me reading and wanting more of the chapters in his POV.
3. There is a revolving theme of assimilation and not being welcomed because of who you are. I felt the author did a very good job of highlighting some of the messed-up stuff non-white people go through in America. I appreciated the deep thoughts around how different people dealt with it and how the strongest character, Lian, helped Serene and others see that being yourself is most important at the end of the day.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. I really wanted to like Selene, but she just fell flat for me. She had sweet moments, especially when she acted really mature with her mom’s illness and taking care of her. But there were a couple things about her that bugged me.
She spent way too long being in a relationship with Cameron and arranging her life to try to make him/his group of friends happy when she even realized she didn’t really like him all that much anymore.
I also felt she was really hypocritical of her mom. In one breath she’s pissed that her mom changed her name from “Li” to the more Americanized spelling “Lee”, but then she’s changing everything about herself to fit in at school too. At the end of the day, be you, not who others want you to be and don’t be a hypocrite.
2. I felt this book should have had a wide range of emotions and it fell short of that goal. Going into this book, I wanted to be devastated with her mom’s illness, and I wanted to be in love with Serene’s and Lian’s love story. Neither of these happened.
While her mother’s illness was a focal point to the story, the points where real emotion could have been interwoven in were highly glossed over. At no point did I want to cry, and this should have been a book to wreck me.
As for Serene’s and Lian’s love story, it just felt…abrupt. One second Serene doesn’t know who he is and the next she thinks about kissing him instead of her boyfriend. It also seemed strange how fast they recognized the other as their “best friend”. They barely knew each other…
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books, and Kelly Yang for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions expressed above are my own, honest opinions.
3.5 stars!
What I like about the book:
1. It is well written. It has an easy flow and it’s entertaining with all of Lian’s jokes.
2. I really like Lian. He is probably the sweetest male character I’ve ever read, and I want to see more characters like him in the future.
• He respects Serene,
• he isn’t some fuccboi who brags about his accomplishments,
• he helps his sister to realize her dream on his own dime,
• he helps Serene and his sister appreciate their culture,
• he carries his coat in case Serene gets cold,
• oh my god! That pendant contract was everything!,
• he asked if he could kiss her (that is so high school sweet!),
• he printed and mapped out on his bedroom wall the Great Wall of China so he could “take Serene there” as his grand gesture, and
• he is downright hilarious! Seriously, his comedy is what kept me reading and wanting more of the chapters in his POV.
3. There is a revolving theme of assimilation and not being welcomed because of who you are. I felt the author did a very good job of highlighting some of the messed-up stuff non-white people go through in America. I appreciated the deep thoughts around how different people dealt with it and how the strongest character, Lian, helped Serene and others see that being yourself is most important at the end of the day.
What didn’t do it for me:
1. I really wanted to like Selene, but she just fell flat for me. She had sweet moments, especially when she acted really mature with her mom’s illness and taking care of her. But there were a couple things about her that bugged me.
She spent way too long being in a relationship with Cameron and arranging her life to try to make him/his group of friends happy when she even realized she didn’t really like him all that much anymore.
I also felt she was really hypocritical of her mom. In one breath she’s pissed that her mom changed her name from “Li” to the more Americanized spelling “Lee”, but then she’s changing everything about herself to fit in at school too. At the end of the day, be you, not who others want you to be and don’t be a hypocrite.
2. I felt this book should have had a wide range of emotions and it fell short of that goal. Going into this book, I wanted to be devastated with her mom’s illness, and I wanted to be in love with Serene’s and Lian’s love story. Neither of these happened.
While her mother’s illness was a focal point to the story, the points where real emotion could have been interwoven in were highly glossed over. At no point did I want to cry, and this should have been a book to wreck me.
As for Serene’s and Lian’s love story, it just felt…abrupt. One second Serene doesn’t know who he is and the next she thinks about kissing him instead of her boyfriend. It also seemed strange how fast they recognized the other as their “best friend”. They barely knew each other…
Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, Katherine Tegen Books, and Kelly Yang for the opportunity to read this ARC. The opinions expressed above are my own, honest opinions.
3.5 stars!
May 8, 2022
4 stars
As a devoted Kelly Yang fan, I was thrilled to be able to read this latest YA effort, and while it was (to be totally transparent) not my favorite of her works, it's still a strong YA contemporary with a solid dose of romance and family drama included. Yang fans, as well as general readers of good YA, will enjoy this experience.
The main character and joint perspective duties are shared by Serene and Lian, who both live in a swanky town, attend the same high school, and come into each other's lives at just the right time. Serene may be a bit unrelatable for some at first because there is a lot of focus on her mother, a famous fashion designer, and Serene's incredible experience to work at her mother's company. Between this particularly fortuitous circumstance and the financial means Serene appears to have, it seems like she has it all: too much, even. However, Serene also has three other factors that provide incredible challenges: a trash bag of a boyfriend, a totally absent parent, and a parent dipping into crisis mode. Lian's circumstances may be more relatable as he has somewhat recently come to this new town with his family from China, he's having some social challenges, and his parents are utterly overbearing. Serene and Lian seem like an unlikely pair to be sure, but they grow closer as their circumstances become more challenging, and their journey is one to watch.
As is always the case with Yang, one of the great strengths of this novel is the coverage of so many issues. The characters struggle with their own internal challenges, but wow does Yang pile on the external factors here, too. Pick up this book to learn and grow with them.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
As a devoted Kelly Yang fan, I was thrilled to be able to read this latest YA effort, and while it was (to be totally transparent) not my favorite of her works, it's still a strong YA contemporary with a solid dose of romance and family drama included. Yang fans, as well as general readers of good YA, will enjoy this experience.
The main character and joint perspective duties are shared by Serene and Lian, who both live in a swanky town, attend the same high school, and come into each other's lives at just the right time. Serene may be a bit unrelatable for some at first because there is a lot of focus on her mother, a famous fashion designer, and Serene's incredible experience to work at her mother's company. Between this particularly fortuitous circumstance and the financial means Serene appears to have, it seems like she has it all: too much, even. However, Serene also has three other factors that provide incredible challenges: a trash bag of a boyfriend, a totally absent parent, and a parent dipping into crisis mode. Lian's circumstances may be more relatable as he has somewhat recently come to this new town with his family from China, he's having some social challenges, and his parents are utterly overbearing. Serene and Lian seem like an unlikely pair to be sure, but they grow closer as their circumstances become more challenging, and their journey is one to watch.
As is always the case with Yang, one of the great strengths of this novel is the coverage of so many issues. The characters struggle with their own internal challenges, but wow does Yang pile on the external factors here, too. Pick up this book to learn and grow with them.
*Special thanks to NetGalley and Katherine Tegen Books for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Read
May 31, 2022It's about accepting all the pieces of you, however complex and hard. I used to want so badly to fit into a neat box. Now I know there is no neat box. I'm a composite of all my identities. . and my fortunes.
You can see Kelly Yang's heartprints all over this new YA novel. Serena and Lian tell their story in alternating chapters. Serena dreams of being a designer like her mother. Lian wants to be a standup comic. Their unlikely pairing is a thing of beauty. There are lots of fashion industry inside looks (including a Vogue photo shoot) and clean comedy courtesy of Lian. I'm taking one star off for too much foul language and sexual content. Not recommended for teens younger than sixteen.
*Review by Darla from Red Bridge*
You can see Kelly Yang's heartprints all over this new YA novel. Serena and Lian tell their story in alternating chapters. Serena dreams of being a designer like her mother. Lian wants to be a standup comic. Their unlikely pairing is a thing of beauty. There are lots of fashion industry inside looks (including a Vogue photo shoot) and clean comedy courtesy of Lian. I'm taking one star off for too much foul language and sexual content. Not recommended for teens younger than sixteen.
*Review by Darla from Red Bridge*
April 30, 2024
Wspaniała historia o próbie odnalezienia siebie w jednej z najcięższych sytuacji, w jakiej może znaleźć się człowiek - gdy bliska osoba zaczyna chorować.
Znajdziemy tu rozczulającą relację matki z córką i zawiłe powiazania rodzinne, nie zabraknie również nawiązań do kulturowych konwenansów. Występują tu silne postaci kobiece, które charakteryzuje nieustanne dążenie do osiągnięcia sukcesu w świecie, który z wielką chęcią udowodni, jaki bardzo bywa nam nieprzychylny. ❤️🩹
Kelly Yang zdaje sobie sprawę z tego, że pisze o niebywale trudnych tematach. Robi to w jakiś taki pokrzepiający i dający pokłady nadziei sposób.
Oceniam książki w związku z tym, jak czuję się po ich przeczytaniu. Choć z pewnością zmieniłabym wiele aspektów i choć na początku nie spodziewałam się w ogóle, że mogę to zrobić, wędruje 5⭐️.
* myślę, że zmieniłabym ograniczenie wiekowe na 16+ 👀
Znajdziemy tu rozczulającą relację matki z córką i zawiłe powiazania rodzinne, nie zabraknie również nawiązań do kulturowych konwenansów. Występują tu silne postaci kobiece, które charakteryzuje nieustanne dążenie do osiągnięcia sukcesu w świecie, który z wielką chęcią udowodni, jaki bardzo bywa nam nieprzychylny. ❤️🩹
Kelly Yang zdaje sobie sprawę z tego, że pisze o niebywale trudnych tematach. Robi to w jakiś taki pokrzepiający i dający pokłady nadziei sposób.
Oceniam książki w związku z tym, jak czuję się po ich przeczytaniu. Choć z pewnością zmieniłabym wiele aspektów i choć na początku nie spodziewałam się w ogóle, że mogę to zrobić, wędruje 5⭐️.
* myślę, że zmieniłabym ograniczenie wiekowe na 16+ 👀
July 14, 2022
This was really disappointing. Lian was "But I LOVE her," after they'd hung out only a few times. That's the kind of guy that starts to feel like a creeper real fast. And Serene just wouldn't break up with Cameron. Serene's mom putting her second in charge of the business was eye-rolling. The sex (which I no way object to that in YA books) was weird-they were kissing then all of a sudden having sex. Again, don't object to characters in YA books having sex, it was just so awkward. Serene is 17 but wears a see-through dress that's on the cover of Teen Vogue? Really? And Serene's dad just walking in with the happy ending? I loved Front Desk and was excited to read a YA by Yang with POC, but this seriously missed the mark.
July 28, 2022
i love kelly yang 🥰🥰
okay this was just so gorgeous and real
like it’s actually realistic
the writing, like always, impeccable
the characters were all just so relatable and normal
loved the plot
(i also loved seeing the wechat stuff. LITERALLY THEY USED THE WECHAT EMOJIS 😭😭)
so so good, 5 stars
okay this was just so gorgeous and real
like it’s actually realistic
the writing, like always, impeccable
the characters were all just so relatable and normal
loved the plot
(i also loved seeing the wechat stuff. LITERALLY THEY USED THE WECHAT EMOJIS 😭😭)
so so good, 5 stars
June 21, 2022
Such a tender dual perspective YA romance with depth and heart!! Aspiring fashion designer Serene is reeling when her mom is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and aspiring stand-up comic Lian, is feeling pressure from his Chinese parents to get into Harvard. Two of the only Asian kids at their elite California high school, Lian and Serene bond while spending time together at the Chinese club (of which they are the sole members).
This story tackles some serious issues as Serene has to decide whether to test for the cancer gene her mom has, search for her absentee father and singlehandedly save her mother's fashion empire business. Lian also has hard choices to make, finding the courage to stand up to his parents and fight for both his relationship with Serene and his desire to pursue a career in stand-up.
Great on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus, this was really enjoyable and highly recommended for fans of books like Parachutes by Kelly Yang.
This story tackles some serious issues as Serene has to decide whether to test for the cancer gene her mom has, search for her absentee father and singlehandedly save her mother's fashion empire business. Lian also has hard choices to make, finding the courage to stand up to his parents and fight for both his relationship with Serene and his desire to pursue a career in stand-up.
Great on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus, this was really enjoyable and highly recommended for fans of books like Parachutes by Kelly Yang.
November 4, 2022
I always love anything Kelly does, and this is no exception.
At first I wasn’t too sure about Lian being a comedian. I thought I wouldn’t like that aspect of his character and I might find it annoying, but he really grew on me! Kelly’s writing is so funny and honestly I’m proud of her for being so versatile in her writing.
All of these characters are so complex and multi-dimensional. They make mistakes, they get angry with each other, they don’t make the best choices. They try their best and are afraid. Every character is so interesting.
I wish Kelly had another book out RIGHT NOW so I could read it. Maybe I’ll just restart Front Desk? I can never get enough of her stuff.
At first I wasn’t too sure about Lian being a comedian. I thought I wouldn’t like that aspect of his character and I might find it annoying, but he really grew on me! Kelly’s writing is so funny and honestly I’m proud of her for being so versatile in her writing.
All of these characters are so complex and multi-dimensional. They make mistakes, they get angry with each other, they don’t make the best choices. They try their best and are afraid. Every character is so interesting.
I wish Kelly had another book out RIGHT NOW so I could read it. Maybe I’ll just restart Front Desk? I can never get enough of her stuff.
December 15, 2021
Read my full review about this book here
I got an surprise ARC of the book from the publisher and didn't know about this book prior to it. I immediately picked this book up because of the gorgeous cover and finished this book in 2 days.
I loved this book. Highly recommend.
I got an surprise ARC of the book from the publisher and didn't know about this book prior to it. I immediately picked this book up because of the gorgeous cover and finished this book in 2 days.
I loved this book. Highly recommend.
April 11, 2022
I was excited to read the second book targeted to older teens written by Kelly Yang and it didn't disappoint. This book is about a Chinese-American high school girl in California being raised by a single mother who is an extremely successful fashion designer. She attends a high school with very few Asian students. In an attempt to find out more about her absent father, she befriends the seemingly only other Chinese student at the high school to help her learn some Chinese. He is struggling with his parents' expectations of going to MIT when he really just wants to be a comedian. At its heart, this book is a typical teen romance/problem novel but the addition of the Chinese-American issues makes this book more interesting than many. I still prefer Yang's books for middle grades but I am glad that she is also writing for high school students. (This one is probably appropriate for grades 8 and up.) ARC courtesy of NetGalley.
August 10, 2022
3.5 estrelas
que ódio kelly yang, por que seus ya não me cativam como os mg? queria tanto amar esse livro
não é um livro ruim, adorei várias coisas nele, como o lian, que personagem querido, e a relação dele com a família, com a irmã e o ajuste de ser um imigrante chinês em los angeles
em contrapartida... sou muito ambivalente em relação a serene, não me cativou como personagem, tinha muito potencial para explorar assimilação cultural e até onde vamos para ser aceito numa sociedade que não quer te aceitar, mas não tivemos isso (e jesus, como que ela ficou tanto tempo com o horrível do cameron?)
e o ponto principal do livro, o câncer da mãe da serene e a batalha que estão indo juntas, sei lá, não ficou tão impactante quanto poderia ser, o lado emocional podia ser muito mais explorado
mas foi um livro rápido de ler, com a escrita direta da kelly yang e se você gostou de parachutes definitivamente vai gostar desse livro, infelizmente sou uma amante de kelly yang em middle-grade
e a nota de autor? kelly yang sempre me destrói nessas notas, não tem uma que não me faz lacrimejar
"And so we stand, hand in hand, watching the ocean and listening to the waves, and letting our hands do all the work of saying the words we can’t just yet."
que ódio kelly yang, por que seus ya não me cativam como os mg? queria tanto amar esse livro
não é um livro ruim, adorei várias coisas nele, como o lian, que personagem querido, e a relação dele com a família, com a irmã e o ajuste de ser um imigrante chinês em los angeles
em contrapartida... sou muito ambivalente em relação a serene, não me cativou como personagem, tinha muito potencial para explorar assimilação cultural e até onde vamos para ser aceito numa sociedade que não quer te aceitar, mas não tivemos isso (e jesus, como que ela ficou tanto tempo com o horrível do cameron?)
e o ponto principal do livro, o câncer da mãe da serene e a batalha que estão indo juntas, sei lá, não ficou tão impactante quanto poderia ser, o lado emocional podia ser muito mais explorado
mas foi um livro rápido de ler, com a escrita direta da kelly yang e se você gostou de parachutes definitivamente vai gostar desse livro, infelizmente sou uma amante de kelly yang em middle-grade
e a nota de autor? kelly yang sempre me destrói nessas notas, não tem uma que não me faz lacrimejar
"And so we stand, hand in hand, watching the ocean and listening to the waves, and letting our hands do all the work of saying the words we can’t just yet."
November 17, 2023
Complex, rich, fast paced
Lian and Serene live vastly different lives with their own unique dreams and experiences in Sienna Beach, California. Serene is dealing with her mothers recent cancer diagnosis and navigating multiple hard relationships in her life. Lian is working hard to pursue stand up comedy with harsh pressure from his traditional Chinese parents to study engineering. Together, they inspire each other as they grow closer.
This was an entertaining story. It was overall a fun read. But, there was a lot going on at all times in the plot. Some aspects didn't seem fully fleshed out either, but this may be due to the relatively fast pace of the story. I never really developed any care for the characters either. They had sweet moments but I didn't really like Serene and Lian fell a bit flat too. Lian's mom felt like a very unrealistic character to me as well because her whole personality changed at one point for no apparent reason.
So, I'm a bit disappointed with this but I didn't hate it. 😅
Lian and Serene live vastly different lives with their own unique dreams and experiences in Sienna Beach, California. Serene is dealing with her mothers recent cancer diagnosis and navigating multiple hard relationships in her life. Lian is working hard to pursue stand up comedy with harsh pressure from his traditional Chinese parents to study engineering. Together, they inspire each other as they grow closer.
This was an entertaining story. It was overall a fun read. But, there was a lot going on at all times in the plot. Some aspects didn't seem fully fleshed out either, but this may be due to the relatively fast pace of the story. I never really developed any care for the characters either. They had sweet moments but I didn't really like Serene and Lian fell a bit flat too. Lian's mom felt like a very unrealistic character to me as well because her whole personality changed at one point for no apparent reason.
So, I'm a bit disappointed with this but I didn't hate it. 😅
October 3, 2022
Hmm this wasn't my FAV of Kelly Yang's books tbh. I think there might be 1 too many ingredients here--the standup comedy, the cancer, the couture fashion house, the immigrant parent expectations, the Mean Girls, the #RevengePorn, the missing father--maybe like, put one thing back before your book leaves the house? I think Serene's character suffered from all the stuff going on in her life, I feel like I didn't have as much of a sense of who she was as a person when she wasn't reacting to things and the romance felt rushed.
Still, a good look at 2 different Asian American experiences and would be of particular interest to teens interested in fashion design.
Still, a good look at 2 different Asian American experiences and would be of particular interest to teens interested in fashion design.
July 12, 2024
mniej niz trzy gwiazdki wievej niz dwie???? smutno mi
po pewnych przemysleniach
jej matka umiera ona jest niepelnoletnia ale nikt zie nie zasganawia kto przejmue nad nia opieke
po pewnych przemysleniach
jej matka umiera ona jest niepelnoletnia ale nikt zie nie zasganawia kto przejmue nad nia opieke
March 13, 2024
This was good.
Basic, a little slow in some parts, but it still delivered on what I was expecting/looking for.
Basic, a little slow in some parts, but it still delivered on what I was expecting/looking for.
March 7, 2025
Another BHS Literacy Club read. Again very YA and very cute
June 6, 2023
The story of 2 Chinese teens who navigate junior year of high school being the only Asians there. Lian hids his true passion of stand-up comedy from his parents; Serene helps her mom run her fashion business amid her mother's pancreatic cancer diagnosis. Their relationships with their parents were realistic and the cancer diagnosis was well written. A good book for those who like this genre, though it may be hard to read if you have had a recent cancer diagnosis in your own family.
August 15, 2022
3.5 There are a LOT of issues addressed in this book. Are the main characters bratty sometimes? Yes. But they are teens, so… but many issues about immigrant parents, cancer, revenge porn, and capitalism. Oh, and getting someone’s goddamn name right. It’s actually an issue in schools and life, and dominant culture people need to do better.
June 23, 2022
I couldn't relate to anybody lol. I loved the cover, that's it. I'm tired of the 'SAT/ACT scores trope' in Asian American books. Parachutes was way better...I gave it 5 stars!
August 28, 2023
I've read most of her previous books (Front Desk series and New From Here), but this is the first one I've read that is young adult (I haven't gotten around to reading Parachutes yet, but it's on my list).
There was much I liked about this book, particularly the issues that Kelly Yang highlighted in this story. Whenever I read a book of hers, I know that I'm going to gain more insight into the Asian American experience, especially for immigrants. I am a first generation-born Taiwanese, so there are always parts of her books that resonate with me. But reading her author's note about what inspired this story is what really moved me. I didn't always feel everything in this book the way I did with her middle school books (seriously--some of those made me sob), but when I read her story about her own mom, it made me understand this story more. No, this is not an autobiography, but I could feel her emotions through Serene dealing with her mom's illness.
My favorite character was definitely Lian! He was kind, funny, smart, and he honestly just wanted to leave the world around him a better place. But he was also the butt of bullies, including Serene's so-called boyfriend and I hated that for him!
Speaking of Serene--I liked some aspects of her, including her own dreams of succeeding in the business, but also her relationship with the interns. I loved how close she was with her mom, and I generally liked their dynamic. I did think she was unfairly critical of her mom, but I also realize that it's a very realistic dynamic between a mother and daughter in the Asian culture. What really annoyed me about her was how much she twisted herself and compromised her integrity both with her so-called boyfriend and her so-called best friends. I was appalled by their behavior whenever they visited her at work. She absolutely should have unloaded herself from them long ago. Personally, I have never been the lone Asian in a privileged white school. My siblings and I WERE in the very small minority in our high school, but although it was a magnet program, it was in an urban area only a few blocks away from some very dangerous areas. So I guess I can't relate to her reasons. I don't want to say more because I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but I will say I'm relieved that some things happened the way they did in her relationship with Cameron.
There were some teary-eyed moments for me with this book, but I think I was expecting to need a box of tissues. Overall, this perhaps did not have the impact of some of her other books, but I still really enjoyed it. The story really flowed well, and I thought the narrators were great. I ended up listening to this in one day. I can definitely recommend this book, especially if you're already a fan of Kelly Yang's.
There was much I liked about this book, particularly the issues that Kelly Yang highlighted in this story. Whenever I read a book of hers, I know that I'm going to gain more insight into the Asian American experience, especially for immigrants. I am a first generation-born Taiwanese, so there are always parts of her books that resonate with me. But reading her author's note about what inspired this story is what really moved me. I didn't always feel everything in this book the way I did with her middle school books (seriously--some of those made me sob), but when I read her story about her own mom, it made me understand this story more. No, this is not an autobiography, but I could feel her emotions through Serene dealing with her mom's illness.
My favorite character was definitely Lian! He was kind, funny, smart, and he honestly just wanted to leave the world around him a better place. But he was also the butt of bullies, including Serene's so-called boyfriend and I hated that for him!
Speaking of Serene--I liked some aspects of her, including her own dreams of succeeding in the business, but also her relationship with the interns. I loved how close she was with her mom, and I generally liked their dynamic. I did think she was unfairly critical of her mom, but I also realize that it's a very realistic dynamic between a mother and daughter in the Asian culture. What really annoyed me about her was how much she twisted herself and compromised her integrity both with her so-called boyfriend and her so-called best friends. I was appalled by their behavior whenever they visited her at work. She absolutely should have unloaded herself from them long ago. Personally, I have never been the lone Asian in a privileged white school. My siblings and I WERE in the very small minority in our high school, but although it was a magnet program, it was in an urban area only a few blocks away from some very dangerous areas. So I guess I can't relate to her reasons. I don't want to say more because I don't want to reveal any spoilers, but I will say I'm relieved that some things happened the way they did in her relationship with Cameron.
There were some teary-eyed moments for me with this book, but I think I was expecting to need a box of tissues. Overall, this perhaps did not have the impact of some of her other books, but I still really enjoyed it. The story really flowed well, and I thought the narrators were great. I ended up listening to this in one day. I can definitely recommend this book, especially if you're already a fan of Kelly Yang's.
May 28, 2022
Wow, this book is incredible. It moves you to tears, through laughter, the pain and intense emotions such as how hard it is for immigrant families to try and make life better for themselves in different countries and how in different ways one family trying to keep with their community but also trying to assimilate into American society, whilst the other family have already been interested into American society but also at the same time have forgotten so much about their culture that when Serene and Lian meet it at first seems like they are too different, one a capable student trying to impress his parents into doing what they want him to do be an engineer as it’s safe and pays well, but in his heart he yearns to be a comedian talking about being Asian in America. Serena has it all, a boyfriend, she is popular at school, has a loving relationship with her hard working fashion designer mum, but then the cards start to fall, her wonderful, strong mum gets a diagnosis that feels like the end of the world, the dreaded C word (cancer) and it’s stage 3…. She yearns to be a designer like her mum and yet with her mum ill and the investors in her mum’s fashion house getting cold feet she feels like everything could topple, but meeting Lian might bring these two together in ways that help both of them through their struggles and help them achieve their dreams. This is about love, fear, anger, trust and friendships as well as believing in yourself and allowing others to help share your burden. A wonderful book that everyone should read.
July 29, 2022
Kelly Yang can do no wrong. When I started this book, I feared it would not live up to my love for Front Desk and its progeny. While it started out very shallow, very 90210ish, it really developed into a marvelous story. You won't always like the characters and you may well despise a few here and there, but overall, the story of Serena and Lian coming together, overcoming tragic circumstances in their respective homes, but still finding love and hope is very inspiring.
Serena's character development was amazing. She starts off as a shallow whitewashed Asian and becomes an assertive strong boss! While the perfect ending and ability of teenagers to pull off these insane feats is pretty far fetched a la Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, Kelly draws from her own experiences so it's only my short sightedness that underestimates the ability of teenagers to succeed in adult environments.
People may find the overbearing Asian parent trope to be too much, but it's super accurate. As a first generation immigrant (parents from Pakistan) the pressure Lian feels to succeed, the demands to be perfect and early, and kibosh on all things leisure or a personal life and hobbies that are not something you can put on a college resume, it's all true, real, and relatable. The only surprise is how quickly his parents came around! All in all, this was a perfect read.
Serena's character development was amazing. She starts off as a shallow whitewashed Asian and becomes an assertive strong boss! While the perfect ending and ability of teenagers to pull off these insane feats is pretty far fetched a la Don't Tell Mom The Babysitter's Dead, Kelly draws from her own experiences so it's only my short sightedness that underestimates the ability of teenagers to succeed in adult environments.
People may find the overbearing Asian parent trope to be too much, but it's super accurate. As a first generation immigrant (parents from Pakistan) the pressure Lian feels to succeed, the demands to be perfect and early, and kibosh on all things leisure or a personal life and hobbies that are not something you can put on a college resume, it's all true, real, and relatable. The only surprise is how quickly his parents came around! All in all, this was a perfect read.
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