(2) 4-6 In this cautionary tale, the sequel to Finally Seen (rev. 1/23), the perks and perils of social media play a pivotal -- and educational -- role. The Gaos still struggle with bills, and Lina's mom joins Instagram to sell more bath bombs. Fifth grader Lina gets her first smartphone, and while technology offers some positives (video-chatting with her Beijing grandma, promoting her neighbors' small businesses), they are outweighed by the negatives. She envies her classmates' fancy homes, worries about her physical appearance, and experiences cyberbullying (as both a target and a bully); and her best friend gets catfished by an adult. Everything converges when the school holds a "Dangers of Social Media" event and a "Justice Session" to discuss student online behavior. Yang integrates facts about how social media is addictive and detrimental to people's mental health into the story and back matter. She helpfully shows readers a way to cut through social media's downsides -- by having honest conversations "brainstorming how to break the dopamine loop. How to not be played by the algorithm."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2024

(2) 4-6 This contemporary immigrant tale follows a Beijing girl as she reunites with her parents and younger sister in California after five years of separation. Lina Gao, ten, thinks that her father is a successful microbiologist who owns a big house. Reality kicks in when the fifth grader discovers that her father is a farm worker, the family lives in a cramped apartment, and her mother sells bath bombs online in hopes of covering the back rent. Yang does a skillful job in portraying Lina's multitude of emotions. There's the sadness of leaving her grandmother behind in a Chinese nursing home and the isolation and loneliness stemming from language barriers. Issues of racism and class come up when her parents struggle to be paid fairly and to get updates on their green card applications, Lina is teased at school, and a graphic novel with an Asian American protagonist is targeted for censorship. The most poignant scenes occur as Lina slowly removes the "invisible thread" that prevents her from freely expressing herself, especially when ESL teacher Mrs. Ortiz tells her that even though immigrants are "burdened with a lot of guilt," it is important to remember that "your dreams matter. You matter. Never forget that."

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2023

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

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2022

(2) 4-6 Yang's (Front Desk, rev. 7/18; Three Keys, rev. 11/20) pandemic-set tale, based partly on her own experiences, focuses on a biracial Chinese American expat family in January 2020. Impulsive middle-child Knox Wei-Evans, ten, is filled with dread when he, his siblings, and their high-powered banker mother relocate to the Bay Area while his best friend--his father--stays in Hong Kong. Drama ensues as the kids struggle to fit in at school, Knox is diagnosed with ADHD, and the family's finances become precarious when Mom loses her job. The Wei-Evanses also experience several instances of racism, such as bullying in the form of "coronavirus tag" and accusations of being "virus carriers." Yang presents these incidents in a realistic way and defuses them by emphasizing the importance of educating others and speaking up. Despite the serious subject matter, Yang includes plenty of humor, with wry observations about Zoom schooling and the kids' efforts to "help out" with a garage sale and LinkedIn job hunt. Knox's experience with ADHD is portrayed with nuance and empathy. Some quibbles aside (the plot can feel a bit forced, and Yang largely skirts the mainland China–Hong Kong political conflict), this is a strong and timely novel about a family weathering adversity. An author's note is appended.

Reviewer: Michelle Lee | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) YA Claire lives in Shanghai with her wealthy, image-obsessed, and unhappy family. When Claire's parents send her to prep school in America, she boards with a fellow student (who's on scholarship), Filipina American teen Dani, and her single mother. Both Dani and her mom clean houses to support themselves; the intersection of the two girls' worlds results, often, in cultural and class-based dissonance, but they have much in common in terms of how the world treats them. After Dani's teacher and debate coach tries to seduce her, and Claire's boyfriend rapes her, the teens find solidarity in each other and, in so doing, rebuild their lives and their identities. Yang has created two distinct and vibrant voices full of passion for both justice and independence. The teens' experiences remain believable throughout, progressing from heartbreaking to empowering, without erasing their own faults. This convincing narrative, told in alternating first-person perspectives, confronts pervasive xenophobic stereotypes, with secondary characters' complex identities adding depth and emotion to the story. An author's note explains connections to real-life "parachutes" (wealthy Chinese students sent to schools in the United States) and to Yang's own experience with sexual assault.

Reviewer: J. Elizabeth Mills | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

(2) 4-6 In this sequel to Front Desk (rev. 7/18), eleven-year-old Chinese American Mia Tang continues helping to run her now family-and-worker-owned motel in ­California. ­Business is going well, but negative political ads demonizing undocumented immigrants occupy the media landscape. At school, Mia forms a club where she and other marginalized classmates find validation and share instances of racism in their daily lives. Mia's best friend Lupe reveals a long-kept secret, describing being undocumented as "being a pencil, when everyone else is a pen...You worry you can be erased anytime." Matters intensify when Lupe's mother struggles to return from Mexico after attending Lupe's abuelita's funeral, and then her father is threatened with deportation. Yang's writing is engaging and earnest, making issues of discrimination, class, poverty, cultural identity, and gender roles accessible to young readers. Mia is a creative and determined activist, using her voice to combat injustice while uplifting the voices of others. An author's note details extensive research on American immigration laws and their impacts on immigrant families in the 1990s.

Reviewer: Kristine Techavanich | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(2) 4-6 Ten-year-old Mia, an immigrant from China, takes on front desk duties at the motel where her parents are managers. The family's grand dream of a free, prosperous life seems farther away than ever when a series of nightmarish events strikes. Mia's gradual understanding of racism and prejudice in 1990s America, and subsequent activism, are at the heart of this triumphant tale. Readers will admire Mia's audacity and creativity.

Reviewer: Roxanne Hsu Feldman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018