Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 10 Up--Jessica Wong, aka Jay, is ready for senior year. She is ready to be done with high school, be an artist, and have some control over her life by getting out from under her protective parents' restrictions. Immigrants to Vancouver, Canada, from Hong Kong, they do their best to provide Jay and her sister with the things they never had growing up and try to keep their culture alive in ways that can feel uncomfortable to the assimilating teens. Jay strives to be a good student and a good daughter, even if her parents don't really know how to see her. Then Ash rolls into view, a mysterious transfer student from a nearby high school who can skate way better than any other girl Jay's ever seen. Ash needs someone to capture her tricks on film; it just so happens that one of Jay's hobbies is iMovie editing. The two become fast friends--and more? This queer coming-of-age debut leans on Virginia Woolf's Orlando to justify its slow pacing, and skateboarding jargon may alienate less-experienced readers and the uninitiated. Motivated YA readers, however, will find the pace picks up after the first 100 pages or so, and will find characters with relatable depth and endings crafted with both sensitivity and satisfaction in mind. Main characters are Chinese Canadian, one is Korean Canadian, and several have experienced foster care and parental abuse. There is smoking and drug use. Sexuality is explored through internal perception and expressions of physical affection. VERDICT Highly recommended for collections seeking new voices in YA.--Jessica Fenster-Sparber
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Skateboarding brings 17-year-olds Jay Wong and Ash Chan together in Vancouver. It's Labor Day, 2010. While she's struggling to land a kickflip, Jay meets Ash, a talented skater who gives her some pointers. Jay learns that Ash is new in town, and that she's going to be attending the same high school. They also bond over being Cantonese--and suddenly, Jay's excited about senior year starting. At home, her mom and dad don't understand her creative ambitions; her younger sister, a future doctor, is the star of the family. Jay and Ash become fast friends at school, and their romantic chemistry develops as they explore parts of the city that Jay's parents want her to avoid. Jay begins filming and editing videos of Ash performing skateboard tricks, which opens doors for both of them: Jay builds a portfolio for art school using what she makes, and Ash is able to enter a competition after showcasing her skills on YouTube. Ash introduces Jay to a world of pushing boundaries and partying in which they find love and chaos. Candid discussions of the model minority myth and the challenges that their predominantly Asian circle of friends face deepen this layered novel. Surrounded by a richly developed supporting cast, Jay and Ash are caught oscillating between conforming to their parents' expectations and rebelling because of them. Portraying their fears and desires with illustrative detail, Li delivers an impressive debut. A vivid, exhilarating ride. (note on language and culture) (Fiction. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
