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sidneyellwood's review against another edition
4.0
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Initially, Our Wayward Fate caught my eye because I'd heard a lot about Gloria Chao's debut, American Panda, and though I hadn't read it I'm always excited to see new books from Chinese authors. Honestly, I was expecting a typical contemporary romance from Our Wayward Fate. What I got was an exploration of being the children of immigrants and reconnecting to your culture intertwined with the cute romance.
Ali is a really fun protagonist; she's very sarcastic without being overly sullen about it, mostly because a lot of her standoffishness is to cope with being the only Chinese person in a small town and the racism she experiences from her friends and classmates. I've never experienced the kind of racism that Ali does, but I've definitely had similar experiences, and I could really relate to pushing away my culture so I could fit in with my white classmates.
So the main conflict in the book is between Ali and her immigrant parents who want the best for her while pushing her away from her boyfriend, Chase Yu, the other Taiwanese kid who moves to the town early on in the book. Even though he helps Ali reconnect with her Taiwanese identity, the politics within the Taiwanese immigrant community--and especially Ali's parents--keep them apart. Usually, I'm not really a fan of the forbidden romance trope, especially when it's heterosexual, but the one between Ali and Chase rang true to me. I did find the beginning of their relationship wasn't really developed well, but they did have a lot of chemistry towards the end of the book.
I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Chao's writing. It read as overly rambly and somewhat immature to me, but there were a lot of funny and introspective moments; the last quarter or so of the book is really strong, and if the whole book was similar I think I would have enjoyed the writing more. One of the narrative choices I really liked was Chao's decision to leave most of the Mandarin used in the story untranslated, which made the dialogue more immersive. Ali's story is intertwined with the folk tale of the Butterfly Lovers, which I'd honestly never heard about before this book, but is a very well-known folk tale in China.
Despite some of the problems I had with the romance and writing, I quite enjoyed Our Wayward Fate and found I could relate to a lot of Ali's experiences as a Chinese person. I definitely recommend this for those who are searching for diverse contemporary romance books that will make you think.
representation | chinese main characters, gay side character
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
Initially, Our Wayward Fate caught my eye because I'd heard a lot about Gloria Chao's debut, American Panda, and though I hadn't read it I'm always excited to see new books from Chinese authors. Honestly, I was expecting a typical contemporary romance from Our Wayward Fate. What I got was an exploration of being the children of immigrants and reconnecting to your culture intertwined with the cute romance.
Ali is a really fun protagonist; she's very sarcastic without being overly sullen about it, mostly because a lot of her standoffishness is to cope with being the only Chinese person in a small town and the racism she experiences from her friends and classmates. I've never experienced the kind of racism that Ali does, but I've definitely had similar experiences, and I could really relate to pushing away my culture so I could fit in with my white classmates.
So the main conflict in the book is between Ali and her immigrant parents who want the best for her while pushing her away from her boyfriend, Chase Yu, the other Taiwanese kid who moves to the town early on in the book. Even though he helps Ali reconnect with her Taiwanese identity, the politics within the Taiwanese immigrant community--and especially Ali's parents--keep them apart. Usually, I'm not really a fan of the forbidden romance trope, especially when it's heterosexual, but the one between Ali and Chase rang true to me. I did find the beginning of their relationship wasn't really developed well, but they did have a lot of chemistry towards the end of the book.
I honestly wasn't a huge fan of Chao's writing. It read as overly rambly and somewhat immature to me, but there were a lot of funny and introspective moments; the last quarter or so of the book is really strong, and if the whole book was similar I think I would have enjoyed the writing more. One of the narrative choices I really liked was Chao's decision to leave most of the Mandarin used in the story untranslated, which made the dialogue more immersive. Ali's story is intertwined with the folk tale of the Butterfly Lovers, which I'd honestly never heard about before this book, but is a very well-known folk tale in China.
Despite some of the problems I had with the romance and writing, I quite enjoyed Our Wayward Fate and found I could relate to a lot of Ali's experiences as a Chinese person. I definitely recommend this for those who are searching for diverse contemporary romance books that will make you think.
representation | chinese main characters, gay side character
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
mercipourleslivres's review against another edition
2.0
1.5 stars
I loved American Panda but this felt like more of a freshman effort instead of the sophomore one it’s supposed to be. It’s a hot mess, with barely there plot lines all over the place and characters with zero depth. Really hoping her upcoming book isn’t as big a disappointment. :(
I loved American Panda but this felt like more of a freshman effort instead of the sophomore one it’s supposed to be. It’s a hot mess, with barely there plot lines all over the place and characters with zero depth. Really hoping her upcoming book isn’t as big a disappointment. :(
alexisagit18's review against another edition
4.0
Very good book, only problem was the constant mentioning of “two genders”.
There’s more than two genders and it disappointed me a little bit.
There’s more than two genders and it disappointed me a little bit.
biblioemily's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars. The insta-love between Chase & Ali is a little too much for me (and this concept generally doesn't bother me too much, because teenagers). The second half of the book felt rushed and wrapped up almost too conveniently. When Chase & Ali are reunited, they speak like an after school special. However, I still enjoyed this and love when books are set in Indiana! Will definitely recommend to fans of Sarah Dessen & Becky Albertalli.
angstyp's review against another edition
2.0
Mediocre at best. Generic cover, overwritten and annoying characters, cheesy plot.
sc104906's review against another edition
3.0
I received this as an eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Ali’s family moved to the middle of Indiana, to allow her college professor father the chance to teach. However, they are the only Taiwanese family around and racism is real. Ali pushes aside the microaggressions to get along, until she can graduate and move away. When new kid, Chase, shows up, he is also Taiwanese and everyone begins shipping them. There is a push and pull within Ali to decide whether she wants friendship and/or something more. She doesn’t want to allow her overbearing mother to separate the two and she doesn’t want to be with Chase to please the ignorant masses. It will be tricky to navigate her new relationship (whatever it may become) with Chase.
I enjoyed this book. It provides a mirror some readers that may not find themselves in books. There were pieces and parts that were dry in this novel, but as a whole, I enjoyed Ali and her connection to Chase.
Ali’s family moved to the middle of Indiana, to allow her college professor father the chance to teach. However, they are the only Taiwanese family around and racism is real. Ali pushes aside the microaggressions to get along, until she can graduate and move away. When new kid, Chase, shows up, he is also Taiwanese and everyone begins shipping them. There is a push and pull within Ali to decide whether she wants friendship and/or something more. She doesn’t want to allow her overbearing mother to separate the two and she doesn’t want to be with Chase to please the ignorant masses. It will be tricky to navigate her new relationship (whatever it may become) with Chase.
I enjoyed this book. It provides a mirror some readers that may not find themselves in books. There were pieces and parts that were dry in this novel, but as a whole, I enjoyed Ali and her connection to Chase.
cwei144581's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
alexperc_92's review against another edition
5.0
It was amazing and I loved it! Both humorous and tragic.
missprint_'s review against another edition
3.0
This one is hard. I am very happy it exists and very aware I'm not the person who needs this book most. But that said, the story was ultimately really unsatisfying. I liked Ali and Chase a lot even though I found Ali's narrative extremely grating at times. The way the park tied in felt underwhelming and the build up, in general, of some of the family tensions did not have a big enough payoff in comparison.
kasfire's review against another edition
4.0
4/5 Stars
Ali Chu is a young woman of Chinese descent trying her best to be her own person. After meeting Chase Yu, a young Chinese man that recently started at her school, she begins to find out more about her heritage than she previously knew.
This is a beautiful novel that highlights the generational differences in Chinese culture, along with the differences between the different countries. I am one of the whitest people you could possibly know, but I could connect with Ali as she tries to be her own person. And I could be educated by seeing her viewpoint about the casual racism that she endured.
With the inclusion of a romanticized version of a Chinese version, I enjoyed how Ali learned more about her family and the difficult conversations she had to have. The ending was a beautiful step for many of the characters.
I will say that if you do not like puns, this might not be a book for you. Ali and Chase create quite a few of them during their relationship, some that were quite endearing with others being very Dad Joke-esque.
Ali Chu is a young woman of Chinese descent trying her best to be her own person. After meeting Chase Yu, a young Chinese man that recently started at her school, she begins to find out more about her heritage than she previously knew.
This is a beautiful novel that highlights the generational differences in Chinese culture, along with the differences between the different countries. I am one of the whitest people you could possibly know, but I could connect with Ali as she tries to be her own person. And I could be educated by seeing her viewpoint about the casual racism that she endured.
With the inclusion of a romanticized version of a Chinese version, I enjoyed how Ali learned more about her family and the difficult conversations she had to have. The ending was a beautiful step for many of the characters.
I will say that if you do not like puns, this might not be a book for you. Ali and Chase create quite a few of them during their relationship, some that were quite endearing with others being very Dad Joke-esque.