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A review by tsnhjhn
Good Enough by Paula Yoo
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I feel like I read this at just the right time in my life, straight out of high school, summer of senior year, where reminders of college and applications and careers and futures won’t stress me out to the point of insanity like in the midst of senior year, but is also still relevant enough to the me who hasn’t yet gone into college yet but is about to.
Patti was a relatable character, with her parents’ overbearing expectations and fears and anxieties about college and what she wants to do with her life. I found the list format and the acronyms like HYP for HARVARDYALEPRINCETON cute; the whole book was definitely written through PATTI’s voice.
And for the romance,I was SOOOO rooting for Ben x Patti to happen but this book isn’t a romance, it’s a coming of age and look into Patti’s development. I was still slightly disappointed because it was built up sm but I do understand that the real ending was more realistic. And I hope Patti finds someone even better for her in college. I’m ngl tho, Ben kissing Patti on the cheek as a last goodbye thing would’ve been very cute but all i was thinking was if i was his gf i would be pissed.
I liked the ending where we got a rundown of what happened to everyone—i thought that tied up everyone’s arcs nicely.
i’m not sure how i feel about Patti still managing to get all the ivy acceptances tho idk it felt a bit contrary to everything but i was still happy for her.
Overall, this book was so easy to read in one sitting and it was enjoyable. But the reason the rating isn’t a 4+ for me is because the book didn’t rly do much to add to the Asian American experience because the narrative has been done again and again in Asian American literature (i.e. overbearing tiger parents, smart Asian kid, etc). But this book is a little older, so it very well could’ve been revolutionary more than a decade ago when it came out (wow i cannot believe 2008 was that long ago). But another scene that points to the book’s age is the Stephanie’s mom racism towards Patti’s dad scene. (I still wasn satisfied with how they dealt with that scene especially when she dressed up as a geisha for halloween)
Patti was a relatable character, with her parents’ overbearing expectations and fears and anxieties about college and what she wants to do with her life. I found the list format and the acronyms like HYP for HARVARDYALEPRINCETON cute; the whole book was definitely written through PATTI’s voice.
And for the romance,
I liked the ending where we got a rundown of what happened to everyone—i thought that tied up everyone’s arcs nicely.
Overall, this book was so easy to read in one sitting and it was enjoyable. But the reason the rating isn’t a 4+ for me is because the book didn’t rly do much to add to the Asian American experience because the narrative has been done again and again in Asian American literature (i.e. overbearing tiger parents, smart Asian kid, etc). But this book is a little older, so it very well could’ve been revolutionary more than a decade ago when it came out (wow i cannot believe 2008 was that long ago). But another scene that points to the book’s age is the Stephanie’s mom racism towards Patti’s dad scene. (I still wasn satisfied with how they dealt with that scene especially when she dressed up as a geisha for halloween)