5 stars
I don’t think anything I can write will do this book justice so I’ll keep this short. I loved this story. Yu perfectly balances self-aware humor with heartbreaking reality. Centered around identity, the story explores the way American society pigeonholes people of Asian decent, lumping them all into one group and a set of pre-fit roles.
Written as a hybrid screenplay/novel, the beauty of this piece is how well it blends fiction and reality, outside perceptions and one’s image of oneself until you and the reader aren’t sure what is real. There are some complexities in the narrative so this is best enjoyed when you have the time to dedicate to it. It is a short book, but requires some attention to piece together.
A fantastic book. This is the first one I’ve read from Yu. I really enjoyed the style of this. Its humor complements the harsh realities of its message without diminishing them. A remarkable read.