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A review by ashleymeece
American Panda by Gloria Chao
4.0
I honestly wasn't sure if I would like this one that much. I was pretty disengaged for the first 1/3 of the story. Nothing really grabbed me at that point, and I was kind of annoyed at Mei for being so passive and meek. But as the story continued, I realized that her meekness was the point.
Mei and her family are trapped within the heavily superstitious and patriarchal Chinese culture. Her struggle to reconcile her desires and her love for her family make for a compelling narrative, once it actually kicks in. The romance was well paced and I thought the characters had great and palpable chemistry (a rarity in YA romance). But the relationship that was most intriguing to me was between Mei and her mother. I'm a sucker for parent and child relationship drama, and this was top tier. I don't want to get into details so as to not spoil the story, but I'll say this: the ending had me grinning from ear to ear. Nothing is wrapped in a neat, perfect bow. But the progress is well earned, as this story is full of struggles and triumphs. Some fav characters (besides Mei and her mother) - Darren (what a sweet and understanding guy!) and Nic (I love characters that are unashamedly bold).
Solid 4/5. This is a great story if you're interested in Chinese-American culture or just a really well told YA story. If you aren't grabbed at the beginning but still find the premise interesting, I encourage you to keep reading!
Mei and her family are trapped within the heavily superstitious and patriarchal Chinese culture. Her struggle to reconcile her desires and her love for her family make for a compelling narrative, once it actually kicks in. The romance was well paced and I thought the characters had great and palpable chemistry (a rarity in YA romance). But the relationship that was most intriguing to me was between Mei and her mother. I'm a sucker for parent and child relationship drama, and this was top tier. I don't want to get into details so as to not spoil the story, but I'll say this: the ending had me grinning from ear to ear. Nothing is wrapped in a neat, perfect bow. But the progress is well earned, as this story is full of struggles and triumphs. Some fav characters (besides Mei and her mother) - Darren (what a sweet and understanding guy!) and Nic (I love characters that are unashamedly bold).
Solid 4/5. This is a great story if you're interested in Chinese-American culture or just a really well told YA story. If you aren't grabbed at the beginning but still find the premise interesting, I encourage you to keep reading!