ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
OLDER FICTION
Park, Patricia

Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim

304 pp. | Crown | February, 2023 | Trade ISBN 9780593563373 $18.99 | Library ISBN 9780593563380 $21.99 | Ebook ISBN 9780593563397 $10.99
(2) YA "Who is the 'real' Alejandra Kim?" A high school senior at an affluent prep school, she has her heart set on attending the prestigious but expensive Whyder College while dealing with imposter syndrome as a multiracial young woman (and scholarship student) who asks, "Am I 100 percent Korean, 100 percent Latinx, and 100 percent American...all at the same time?" Amid insensitive friends and performative allies, and with the relentless need to code switch, Alejandra doesn't really feel at home anywhere. The recent loss of her father means that her actual home life is difficult as well. Given an opportunity to participate in research transcribing immigrant stories, Alejandra begins to understand her parents' experiences and thus discover her purpose and place in the world. It might mean a path other than Whyder, but one that is authentically hers. She navigates the flaming hoops of high school and emerges stronger and more confident, supported by her cultural studies teacher, a longtime friend in her Queens neighborhood, and an unexpected confidante at school. Park immerses readers in her fully realized protagonist's complicated everyday existence, peppering her dialogue with insider New York references and untranslated family conversations in Spanish, expecting readers to keep up. Alejandra's powerful story will leave readers with much to think about.
Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2023

RELATED 

OLDER FICTION

What Beauty There Is
by Anderson, Cory
OLDER FICTION

Between Perfect and Real
by Stoeve, Ray
OLDER FICTION

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good
by Werlin, Nancy
OLDER FICTION

Home Is Not a Country
by Elhillo, Safia
OLDER FICTION

All Our Hidden Gifts
by O'Donoghue, Caroline
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?