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4.19 AVERAGE
4.19 AVERAGE
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is so powerful. At first, it seemed pretty light hearted but towards the end there are so many powerful messages on sexual assault and how big organizations like schools refuse to believe in the stories of victims just to save face. The story follows two girls, a Chinese "parachute" who comes to America for high school and her host sister, a Filipina first-gen student. Both of the characters went through so much growth and I found myself liking both of them very much. Since this is a YA novel, the writing itself was a little bit simpler than what I usually read, but that made the book easy to finish (2 days!). I appreciate that Yang gives us the chance to learn about such prevalent issues through a story.
4.75/5
I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LOVE THIS AS MUCH AS I DID!!! Such a beautiful story about two polar opposite girls finding each other at the time they needed each other most.
I love Dani. She’s so strong and brave and she seriously carried the book for me. No matter the hurt she was thrown, she stuck it out and remained strong for her and for her mom. I loved and admired that about her.
At first, hated Claire. She seemed like a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted. But after reading I now understand it had a lot to do with the environment she grew up it, with her parents, with her money, with the harsh pressures and expectations. She developed into a more independent person in her months in America and I grew to really like her character as well.
I loved following the girls and their separate stories. Dani and she struggles with her debating and finding scholarships and her crush that will never notice her in THAT way, her gross debate coach. Claire’s struggles with adapting to America alone without her parents, fitting in with the right group of girls, dealing with pressures of sex but not being ready, learning how to mature and pick up after herself. Yes I just LOVEDDDDDD THIS BOOK!!! I went into it not rlly knowing what it was about so it kind of surprised me!!
Spoiler kind of:
People like Mr. Connelly and Jay can go to hell. It’s so infuriating to see them twist the stories to make themselves the victims. I wanted to scream at them while reading and I wanted to give Claire and Dani the biggest hugs and support them in their fight for justice. I’m so happy though that at the end that they found each other and could be there for each other during what they both went through. I thought it was so special :)
I WAS NOT EXPECTING TO LOVE THIS AS MUCH AS I DID!!! Such a beautiful story about two polar opposite girls finding each other at the time they needed each other most.
I love Dani. She’s so strong and brave and she seriously carried the book for me. No matter the hurt she was thrown, she stuck it out and remained strong for her and for her mom. I loved and admired that about her.
At first, hated Claire. She seemed like a spoiled brat who got everything she wanted. But after reading I now understand it had a lot to do with the environment she grew up it, with her parents, with her money, with the harsh pressures and expectations. She developed into a more independent person in her months in America and I grew to really like her character as well.
I loved following the girls and their separate stories. Dani and she struggles with her debating and finding scholarships and her crush that will never notice her in THAT way, her gross debate coach. Claire’s struggles with adapting to America alone without her parents, fitting in with the right group of girls, dealing with pressures of sex but not being ready, learning how to mature and pick up after herself. Yes I just LOVEDDDDDD THIS BOOK!!! I went into it not rlly knowing what it was about so it kind of surprised me!!
Spoiler kind of:
People like Mr. Connelly and Jay can go to hell. It’s so infuriating to see them twist the stories to make themselves the victims. I wanted to scream at them while reading and I wanted to give Claire and Dani the biggest hugs and support them in their fight for justice. I’m so happy though that at the end that they found each other and could be there for each other during what they both went through. I thought it was so special :)
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3.5 to be exact. I really enjoyed this book specially because it talks about SO MANY important subjects but I just found myself frustrated with the characters at times and also with how much the author would switch things up all last minute. I really found it to be a powerful read but sometimes the characters got on my last nerves. I also wished she would have spent less time on the shopping scenes & would have given more of the story on how the girls got justice. Overall a good book!
I loved this book! Such a great read especially with the connections to Shanghai/Hong Kong.
This is a really good book for high-schoolers and their parents. The characters are very vividly written and the story reflects the reality clearly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read. It suffered a bit from unnecessary length and uneven pacing—the first 2/3 were very slow and lacked action, while the ending moved a bit too quickly—but the story itself was complex and layered without being confusing or arbitrarily convoluted. The characters of Claire and Dani were realistically fleshed out and likeable in their own ways, and I found myself constantly switching back and forth between whose chapters I liked best.
Parachutes touched on a myriad of vital topic, emphasizing their importance and impact with skill and without harping. The writing was elegant, clear, and elevated while still being a quick read; I was in no way slowed down by the language, nor did it feel juvenile. This would make for a great read for dormant readers because of the straightforward writing and immediate conflict, but also for more typical readers. I’m greatly looking forward to reading Kelly Yang’s other works.
Parachutes touched on a myriad of vital topic, emphasizing their importance and impact with skill and without harping. The writing was elegant, clear, and elevated while still being a quick read; I was in no way slowed down by the language, nor did it feel juvenile. This would make for a great read for dormant readers because of the straightforward writing and immediate conflict, but also for more typical readers. I’m greatly looking forward to reading Kelly Yang’s other works.
I haven’t flown through a book this fast in a while - and it was 500 pages long!
CW: rape, sexual assault
With chapters alternating between each perspective, this is the story of Dani De La Cruz, a badass Filipina high school debater who is struggling financially, and Claire Wang, a rich transplant from Shanghai. “They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the United States while their wealthy parents remain in Asia.”
“Parachute” covers a plethora of social issues without overwhelming us - racism against Asians, classism, sexism, linguistic supremacy, infidelity, sexual assault. At the end of the day, it’s about female empowerment. Some of the themes reminded me of last years college admissions scandal in the US as well as the feminist messages in the iconic Legally Blonde
CW: rape, sexual assault
With chapters alternating between each perspective, this is the story of Dani De La Cruz, a badass Filipina high school debater who is struggling financially, and Claire Wang, a rich transplant from Shanghai. “They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the United States while their wealthy parents remain in Asia.”
“Parachute” covers a plethora of social issues without overwhelming us - racism against Asians, classism, sexism, linguistic supremacy, infidelity, sexual assault. At the end of the day, it’s about female empowerment. Some of the themes reminded me of last years college admissions scandal in the US as well as the feminist messages in the iconic Legally Blonde
This story of two girls from completely different backgrounds was heartbreaking and beautiful. The struggles you see from a poor scholarship student to inner struggles you see from a rich kid were so parallel in this epic tale. Also the girl power rep was so awesome to see.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment