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awwsunshine's review
3.0
This is a well-written book, fast paced and has some interesting characters. I sympathized with the character of Betty a lot, she was definitely my favourite. This book realistically depicts the pressure that some students are under, often because of their parents. If I had a mom like David, I probably would never visit her after I’d gone away to college. I mean it is one thing to want your kids to do well, but the pressure she put him under, and the rude things she said to him… that is no way to treat your child. Also the father was too passive, he just stayed silent and ran along with whatever his wife wanted.
When David got the interview for the internship (and then the internship) I was so excited, and every time he was nervous about something I felt so empathetic about it, as if I myself were about to take a test or do an interview.
When David got the interview for the internship (and then the internship) I was so excited, and every time he was nervous about something I felt so empathetic about it, as if I myself were about to take a test or do an interview.
goldenseeker97's review against another edition
4.0
Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review from Net Galley and Kaya Press.
This is perfect for fans of the book "Dating Makes Perfect." David is an American Chinese kid who has been told he's not allowed to have a girlfriend until he's in an ivy league college. When a popular girl asks him out to a school dance, he's torn between wanting to abide by his mother's rules and wanting to follow his heart. The characters aren't stereotypical and it's a fun book!
This is perfect for fans of the book "Dating Makes Perfect." David is an American Chinese kid who has been told he's not allowed to have a girlfriend until he's in an ivy league college. When a popular girl asks him out to a school dance, he's torn between wanting to abide by his mother's rules and wanting to follow his heart. The characters aren't stereotypical and it's a fun book!
estam1's review against another edition
5.0
David Tung is only a sophomore, but he is fixated on his class rank. He lives in Shark Beach, NJ, an enclave or rich Chinese immigrants, where most of the families are Cantonese. His family, on the contrary, is from Northern China (his mother was from Shanghai and fled China for Taiwan as a teen), and his father claims Mongolian ancestry.
But their Cantonese neighbors are wealthy and David's family is not - they toil long hours at their Chinese restaurant, where David must spend all of his waking hours outside of school.
David also spends Saturdays at Chinese school in Chinatown, rather than attending the local Chinese school, as his mother had some sort of issue with them 8 years prior. David spends his time at Chinese school hanging out with his rough-around-the edges Chinese friends, from whom he learns about life in Chinatown and how it differs from his own. David lives a conundrum, too working class for Shark Beach, and too suburban for Chinatown.
Most of all, David is at his mother's beck and call. She has "trained him to battle for grades" and will not allow him to date until he is accepted into an Ivy League school. David, meanwhile, has internalized the academic pressure and does some hilarious things to work his way to the top, such as figuring out that one of his teachers gives pop quizzes when his socks are unmatched. But highest on David's list of priorities is a medical internship at Harmony Health Cancer Center -- David, who wants to be an oncologist (because he was inspired by Steve Jobs' story), obsesses about his candidacy. He watches every video that the oncology chief has ever produced, and because he obtained a high SAT score, jumps ahead to start studying for the MCAT every chance he gets.
David is nerdy, hilarious, introspective and totally captures the reader's heart. His quest for love and self acceptance is heartwarming and inspiring. This book provides a close look at the academic pressures that many Chinese American children face. It also dives into the classism, bias and internalized racism within the Chinese community. While YA, this book is totally appropriate and entertaining for adult readers. Once I started reading, I was hooked! #netgalley #DavidTungCan'tHaveAGirlfriendUntilHeGetsIntoAnIvyLeagueCollege
But their Cantonese neighbors are wealthy and David's family is not - they toil long hours at their Chinese restaurant, where David must spend all of his waking hours outside of school.
David also spends Saturdays at Chinese school in Chinatown, rather than attending the local Chinese school, as his mother had some sort of issue with them 8 years prior. David spends his time at Chinese school hanging out with his rough-around-the edges Chinese friends, from whom he learns about life in Chinatown and how it differs from his own. David lives a conundrum, too working class for Shark Beach, and too suburban for Chinatown.
Most of all, David is at his mother's beck and call. She has "trained him to battle for grades" and will not allow him to date until he is accepted into an Ivy League school. David, meanwhile, has internalized the academic pressure and does some hilarious things to work his way to the top, such as figuring out that one of his teachers gives pop quizzes when his socks are unmatched. But highest on David's list of priorities is a medical internship at Harmony Health Cancer Center -- David, who wants to be an oncologist (because he was inspired by Steve Jobs' story), obsesses about his candidacy. He watches every video that the oncology chief has ever produced, and because he obtained a high SAT score, jumps ahead to start studying for the MCAT every chance he gets.
David is nerdy, hilarious, introspective and totally captures the reader's heart. His quest for love and self acceptance is heartwarming and inspiring. This book provides a close look at the academic pressures that many Chinese American children face. It also dives into the classism, bias and internalized racism within the Chinese community. While YA, this book is totally appropriate and entertaining for adult readers. Once I started reading, I was hooked! #netgalley #DavidTungCan'tHaveAGirlfriendUntilHeGetsIntoAnIvyLeagueCollege
ivanainthecity's review against another edition
This book had me ROFLing & also rooting for the main character David, who is under a lot of pressure to succeed academically, but also just really wants to fit in & have a girlfriend. This book also explores the richness & diversity of Chinese American communities in the United States—the tensions & differences between recent immigrants vs. second-generation kids, Cantonese speakers vs. Mandarin speakers, rich vs. poor, biracial vs. not. I’ll definitely be ordering a copy for my classroom library.
maddydoyle314's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
whats_amelia_reading's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. It centres around David, a Chinese-American teenager, who feels pressure to live up to his parents high expectations of him education-wise.
It is a well-written and nuanced book. Ed Lin successfully manages balancing the vast differences in David's life between his school, his family's restaurant and his Chinese school in the city. This balance between the three locations provided a variety of well-developed Chinese characters. I mean, you can easily tell that a Chinese person wrote this book because the characters don't fit the stereotypical mould that a white person would write about. And all the characters are easily likeable, different and interesting in their own ways. It's so refreshing to read.
I also really loved the ending. It was perfect and injected with a little humour, just like the rest of the book.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Kaya Press for providing me with an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.
It is a well-written and nuanced book. Ed Lin successfully manages balancing the vast differences in David's life between his school, his family's restaurant and his Chinese school in the city. This balance between the three locations provided a variety of well-developed Chinese characters. I mean, you can easily tell that a Chinese person wrote this book because the characters don't fit the stereotypical mould that a white person would write about. And all the characters are easily likeable, different and interesting in their own ways. It's so refreshing to read.
I also really loved the ending. It was perfect and injected with a little humour, just like the rest of the book.
I'd like to thank NetGalley and Kaya Press for providing me with an ARC for free in exchange for an honest review.
shadowchildofhades's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this books ability to show a teens everyday struggles with school, family, and other various relationships. As someone with very few cultural ties to any culture, this book allowed me a glimpse into a different culture and its beliefs.
I thought the main character was very realistic and acted as a stressed, overachieving, teenage boy would. I think the family dynamics were interesting. I also think the comparison between school and Chinese school and the different behavior of the main character at each was enjoyable.
A few scenes left me feeling a little bit uncomfortable with the language used. However, I think this is due to my own personal feelings than anything the book actually did. I think the plot was interesting and I enjoyed how the story was concluded.
In conclusion, I recommend this book and think it is a quick, sweet read.
I thought the main character was very realistic and acted as a stressed, overachieving, teenage boy would. I think the family dynamics were interesting. I also think the comparison between school and Chinese school and the different behavior of the main character at each was enjoyable.
A few scenes left me feeling a little bit uncomfortable with the language used. However, I think this is due to my own personal feelings than anything the book actually did. I think the plot was interesting and I enjoyed how the story was concluded.
In conclusion, I recommend this book and think it is a quick, sweet read.
funmi_boston's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
littlecornerreads's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.5 stars
The following book contains references to underaged drinking, language, mentions of racism, and LGBT characters
"It was funny. In one sense we were skipping Chinese school, but in another, this was real-life Chinese school. I was getting a lesson in inter-generational immigration and community."
Me after reading this book:
I know I've been giving Asian authors--especially in YA fiction--a hard time for writing predictable, bad stories, but today is a momentous day because I think I may have found the elusive Asian American YA contemporary I've been waiting for. This is the first Asian America YA novel that resonated with me because it wasn’t just a piece of fluff. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the occasional cliched YA romance, Asian American or otherwise, but we need some variety. Let’s show the world we’re more than silent—or not-so-silent—rebels against our repressive, unreasonable parents before adding yet another Asian American author to the fake dating trope pile, okay?) Was this the most beautifully written or perfectly crafted novel? No, but sometimes heart matters more than execution.
The synopsis makes it sound like yet another YA love triangle featuring an Asian American protagonist and his/her immigrant parents' unrealistic demands on their child's love life (or lack of, in this case,) but I gave it a chance because even though I've been burned before, I really want a win for the Asians. I was so pleasantly surprised. I'd thought I had the story figured out when I read the blurb, but this book is less about a boy choosing between two girls and more about an Asian American kid just trying to find his way in life.
Yes, the book's premise is that David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College, but it's also David Tung is a Top Ten Student and Restaurant Kid. It's David Tung Wants to Be a Doctor and His Parents Do Too. It's David Tung Gets a Glimpse of Asian American Life on the Other Side of the Tracks.
This book is unapologetically Asian American. There's just something really genuine and relatable in the way Lin paints a picture of Chinese kids growing up in America and it's so refreshing. He's able to speak to the distinctly Asian idiosyncrasies--the polite dance of refusing and accepting anything, the unspoken food offering used to express love, the three rounds of waving goodbye to any guest--without making it feel like a stereotype, and he touches on some interesting points about the Asian American life that I wish were explored more.
Not every Asian American experience is the same, and that's what makes David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College so great. Nuanced, relatable, flawed, Lin's characters prove growing up as an ABC (American Born Chinese) isn't a fortune cookie cutter experience. Asian Americans can be smart and driven. But Asian Americans can also be gangsters. Asian Americans can be crazy rich kids. Asian Americans can be hustlers.
And that's the beauty of this book; it brings kids together from different backgrounds. There are crazy rich Asian Americans, suburbian Asian Americans, overachieving Asian Americans, delinquent Asian Americans. There are FOBs and hapas and immigrants and second-gens. It's not a comprehensive look by any means, and a majority of the book is spent exploring David Tung's life as a restaurant kid, but I love the fact that Lin doesn't just clump us all into one generic group.
I appreciated Lin's attempt to create a more nuanced protagonist. David Tung isn't one-dimensional. He's driven and insecure and loyal and outspoken and decent. (I also have a bit of a soft spot for him because he wants to be an oncologist and has a bit of a dry wit.) He isn't just a stereotypical Asian American with tiger parents like many of his peers in the genre. The adults aren't painted as the big bad wolves out to stifle their children's freedom and independence with their backwards Chinese ways; instead, they're individuals whose own struggles and stories have shaped them into the people they are now.
That's not to say the book is without its flaws. The storytelling could use some work, the writing is a little dry, and the plot kind of meanders. The first act especially, drags on a bit, and the opening few chapters are literally spent following David from class to class with no real transition in between. Lin also throws in a few minor plot twists toward the end which feel particularly unnecessary since they're resolved so quickly. Still, when you write something the resonates with readers like Ed Lin did in David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College, you deserve to be commended. So 4.5 stars it is! (Also, remember that I'm reviewing an ARC, so some of this stuff might get cleaned up before the pub date.)
I was expecting a somewhat generic story, so this was a pleasant surprise. Ed Lin gives me hope for the future of Asian American YA. So to all the Chinese YA authors out there, 加油！
Thanks to NetGalley and Kaya press for the ARC!
The following book contains references to underaged drinking, language, mentions of racism, and LGBT characters
"It was funny. In one sense we were skipping Chinese school, but in another, this was real-life Chinese school. I was getting a lesson in inter-generational immigration and community."
Me after reading this book:
I know I've been giving Asian authors--especially in YA fiction--a hard time for writing predictable, bad stories, but today is a momentous day because I think I may have found the elusive Asian American YA contemporary I've been waiting for. This is the first Asian America YA novel that resonated with me because it wasn’t just a piece of fluff. (Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind the occasional cliched YA romance, Asian American or otherwise, but we need some variety. Let’s show the world we’re more than silent—or not-so-silent—rebels against our repressive, unreasonable parents before adding yet another Asian American author to the fake dating trope pile, okay?) Was this the most beautifully written or perfectly crafted novel? No, but sometimes heart matters more than execution.
The synopsis makes it sound like yet another YA love triangle featuring an Asian American protagonist and his/her immigrant parents' unrealistic demands on their child's love life (or lack of, in this case,) but I gave it a chance because even though I've been burned before, I really want a win for the Asians. I was so pleasantly surprised. I'd thought I had the story figured out when I read the blurb, but this book is less about a boy choosing between two girls and more about an Asian American kid just trying to find his way in life.
Yes, the book's premise is that David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College, but it's also David Tung is a Top Ten Student and Restaurant Kid. It's David Tung Wants to Be a Doctor and His Parents Do Too. It's David Tung Gets a Glimpse of Asian American Life on the Other Side of the Tracks.
This book is unapologetically Asian American. There's just something really genuine and relatable in the way Lin paints a picture of Chinese kids growing up in America and it's so refreshing. He's able to speak to the distinctly Asian idiosyncrasies--the polite dance of refusing and accepting anything, the unspoken food offering used to express love, the three rounds of waving goodbye to any guest--without making it feel like a stereotype, and he touches on some interesting points about the Asian American life that I wish were explored more.
Not every Asian American experience is the same, and that's what makes David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College so great. Nuanced, relatable, flawed, Lin's characters prove growing up as an ABC (American Born Chinese) isn't a fortune cookie cutter experience. Asian Americans can be smart and driven. But Asian Americans can also be gangsters. Asian Americans can be crazy rich kids. Asian Americans can be hustlers.
And that's the beauty of this book; it brings kids together from different backgrounds. There are crazy rich Asian Americans, suburbian Asian Americans, overachieving Asian Americans, delinquent Asian Americans. There are FOBs and hapas and immigrants and second-gens. It's not a comprehensive look by any means, and a majority of the book is spent exploring David Tung's life as a restaurant kid, but I love the fact that Lin doesn't just clump us all into one generic group.
I appreciated Lin's attempt to create a more nuanced protagonist. David Tung isn't one-dimensional. He's driven and insecure and loyal and outspoken and decent. (I also have a bit of a soft spot for him because he wants to be an oncologist and has a bit of a dry wit.) He isn't just a stereotypical Asian American with tiger parents like many of his peers in the genre. The adults aren't painted as the big bad wolves out to stifle their children's freedom and independence with their backwards Chinese ways; instead, they're individuals whose own struggles and stories have shaped them into the people they are now.
That's not to say the book is without its flaws. The storytelling could use some work, the writing is a little dry, and the plot kind of meanders. The first act especially, drags on a bit, and the opening few chapters are literally spent following David from class to class with no real transition in between. Lin also throws in a few minor plot twists toward the end which feel particularly unnecessary since they're resolved so quickly. Still, when you write something the resonates with readers like Ed Lin did in David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Unless He Gets Into an Ivy League College, you deserve to be commended. So 4.5 stars it is! (Also, remember that I'm reviewing an ARC, so some of this stuff might get cleaned up before the pub date.)
I was expecting a somewhat generic story, so this was a pleasant surprise. Ed Lin gives me hope for the future of Asian American YA. So to all the Chinese YA authors out there, 加油！
Thanks to NetGalley and Kaya press for the ARC!
dannafs's review against another edition
3.0
David Tung Can't Have a Girlfriend Until He Gets into an Ivy League College is a delightful read. David Tung is an American-born Chinese living in bougie Shark Beach. His parents own the only Chinese restaurant in town, and while they are solidly middle-class, the Tungs operate in an economic class below the majority of Shark Beach's residents:
"Does Shark Beach High have the best coding classes because of the actual aptitude of the majority Asian population, or did the state allocate those resources to us because of the perceived aptitude of the majority Asian population? Hard to say. One thins is for sure, though. A lot of rich people live in Shark Beach. And rich people are always getting the best stuff out of the government."
Shark Beach High is David's battleground. He doesn't care as much about socioeconomic status or popularity as he cares about class ranking. David is determined to study his way to the top of his class so that he can get into medical school. He's been studying for the MCATs all year, literally carrying practice tests on his person at all times, and scored a 1550 on his SATs--and oh yeah, he's only a sophomore in high school.
Despite being on the fringes of dork and poor, David doesn't mind. Generally speaking, author Ed Lin makes David a nice kid who easily tunes out social drama:
"As I got closer to the bus stop, I slipped on my primary defensive weapon, my headphones. Avoiding human interaction is my primary goal each morning."
David has a loose group of friends, but no one he's incredibly close with since he spends all of his spare time studying, working at the restaurant, or attending Chinese weekend school. Until, yes, he gets distracted from that regimen by a female classmate. It's a cute romance--super innocent--and fun to watch develop. The love interest is a spitfire in her own right, which I appreciated.
There are a lot of references to Chinese-American culture, including a smaller focus on the immigrant experience and associated injustices. As a frequent reader of POC-centered novels, none of the content felt new to me, but it could provide cultural context for some readers.
My only complaint is that some the book, especially at the end, felt too nice, too simple, and too neatly wrapped up. So if you're in the mood for light reading, this is a great choice. Overall, recommended.
"Does Shark Beach High have the best coding classes because of the actual aptitude of the majority Asian population, or did the state allocate those resources to us because of the perceived aptitude of the majority Asian population? Hard to say. One thins is for sure, though. A lot of rich people live in Shark Beach. And rich people are always getting the best stuff out of the government."
Shark Beach High is David's battleground. He doesn't care as much about socioeconomic status or popularity as he cares about class ranking. David is determined to study his way to the top of his class so that he can get into medical school. He's been studying for the MCATs all year, literally carrying practice tests on his person at all times, and scored a 1550 on his SATs--and oh yeah, he's only a sophomore in high school.
Despite being on the fringes of dork and poor, David doesn't mind. Generally speaking, author Ed Lin makes David a nice kid who easily tunes out social drama:
"As I got closer to the bus stop, I slipped on my primary defensive weapon, my headphones. Avoiding human interaction is my primary goal each morning."
David has a loose group of friends, but no one he's incredibly close with since he spends all of his spare time studying, working at the restaurant, or attending Chinese weekend school. Until, yes, he gets distracted from that regimen by a female classmate. It's a cute romance--super innocent--and fun to watch develop. The love interest is a spitfire in her own right, which I appreciated.
There are a lot of references to Chinese-American culture, including a smaller focus on the immigrant experience and associated injustices. As a frequent reader of POC-centered novels, none of the content felt new to me, but it could provide cultural context for some readers.
My only complaint is that some the book, especially at the end, felt too nice, too simple, and too neatly wrapped up. So if you're in the mood for light reading, this is a great choice. Overall, recommended.