This is an interesting perspective that I’m very glad I took the time to read. "Patron Saints of Nothing" follows high school senior Jason (Jay), born in the Philippines and raised in the Midwest, on a journey of discovery. After he finds out his cousin and childhood best friend has been killed, Jay takes it upon himself to return to the Philippines and investigate. His family back in the Philippines is unwilling to speak about what happened to his cousin Jun, which only prom

"What I Carry" tells the story of Muiriel, so named for the John Muir Medical Center that nurses found her abandoned outside of as a baby. Now 17 and rapidly approaching her departure from the foster care system, Muir is getting a little panicked. For as long as she can remember, she's been preparing to strike out on her own. Every move has been carefully orchestrated to NOT rock the boat. Pack light, don't get too close to anyone, always be on time, blend in. She holds to th

Don't be fooled by the cotton candy cover! This novel surprised me with its depth. The main character, Allie Abraham, is an American-born Muslim of Circassian descent. The book starts off with a bang, as Allie's father is persecuted before her eyes for speaking Arabic on a plane. Other such incidents indicate a growing Islamophobia to Allie, and she's beginning to come to grips with her feelings about it. Her parents are essentially non-practicing Muslims, and Allie has grown

Yes! Highly recommend. First of all, Alaine is an engaging character with a strong voice. I felt like I knew her (and totally wanted to hang out with her) by the end. After a bit of a kerfuffle at school, Alaine is sent to Haiti to work with her aunt's non-profit group for the spring semester of senior year. Alaine doesn't know all that much about her family's country, but that is all about to change. Told entirely through emails, journal entries, and news clippings, Alaine u

Frank Li is a Korean-American living in Southern California. It's his senior year of high school, and he's finally found a girl he'd love to date. One problem: his parents only want him to date Korean girls, and his crush is white. Frank's friend Joy is in a similar predicament, so they hatch a scheme to fake-date each other to get their parents off their backs. Will this go disastrously wrong? Maybe! David Yoon provides a well written perspective I don’t often see in contemp