A review by kaikai1618
American Panda by Gloria Chao

4.0

Authentic and well paced, this book was well developed showing the layers within cultural and traditional family values and hardships as well as a strong voice and development within an authentic character. I'm an Asian American person who fortunately didn't have to go through a lot of the extremely traditional values upheld in this book, but it didn't change the experience of this book for me. Mei struggled with trying to balance everything by pleasing her parents and fighting that voice inside her pleading for what she wants. More than a lot of other books I have read though, I felt a connection through the culture and the family. I felt understood in the first two minutes when Mei mentioned the Chinese saying for exasperation, a saying my family's said all my life. Just the way everything was written was a colorful build up of the relationships, Mei's wants and expectations for herself along with her parents, and her life in general. Since everything was laid out so well as if the background for a fantastical world were explained clearly, the impact and meaning of parts of the book based on what the reader knows about the culture were all the more meaningful.