Review by Booklist Review
What does the ideal college candidate look like? Probably not a high-school junior who is pretty good at piano and ping-pong and whose most notable "achievement" is quitting--that's Felix Ma. Cassie Chow, on the other hand, is driven, determined, and unbeatable--or so it seems to Felix. They first met at a piano competition in which she took first place over him in the final round. When they face off again, it seems as though every time Felix is on the cusp of greatness, Cassie is there to knock him down a few pegs. Their rivalry quickly shifts toward admiration when, at the suggestion of the college admissions counselor his parents hired, Felix sets out to make a movie to accomplish something for his applications. Cassie joins the project in the most natural role--leading lady--but the spotlight may be a bit too much. In the end, the real star of this book is friendship. Though Felix's first-person narration can occasionally be grating, the story offers a refreshing angle on relationships and self-discovery.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chinese American Felix Ma struggles to find his footing after moving from Flushing to suburban Long Island in this spirited novel by Yang (I'm Not Here to Make Friends). After quitting piano and ping-pong, Felix searches for an essay topic that will impress his college admissions coach while also proving his parents "didn't raise no quitter." Inspired by his love of movies, Felix starts a classic film club and finds a fellow cinephile in Gaspard Pierre-Duluc, who reads as Black. They become fast friends and decide to film The Ping-Pong Queen of Chinatown, a movie inspired by high school senior Cassie Chow, who lives in Chinatown and with whom Felix has "a history of chance encounters"--including at the Rubenstein Center piano competition and the Citywide Table Tennis Championship. What starts as a ploy to stand out and befriend Cassie turns into a more complicated venture that depicts the sometimes-fraught relationship between the teens and their immigrant parents. Candid prose deftly articulates Felix's inherent privilege as well as the ways in which Felix and Cassie's class differences impact their friendship, home lives, and futures. Ages 13--up. Agent: Patrice Caldwell, New Leaf Literary. (July)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--For an across-the-country talking head on screen, Mr. Chin has way too much influence on Felix's future. Hired by his Ivy-obsessed parents to guide his college applications, Mr. Chin's exhortations to stand out lead Felix to make a movie of his own--after starting a school film club (bonus: only other member Gaspard turns out to be a great friend), then casting quixotic Cassie, who twice bested him (in piano and ping-pong), as his leading lady. Over the course of junior year, Felix learns Very Important Lessons about friendship, boundaries, empathy, and--perhaps for the first time--his own true self. Actor Ku's narration tends toward muted, reflecting the weight of other's people's--particularly his immigrant parents'--expectations on Felix. Additional characterizations veer close to ineffective caricatures: overly nasal Gaspard, high-pitched Mom, flighty Cassie. VERDICT Better than a listen, Yang deserves a solid read.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
High school junior Felix Ma has a transformative year while making a movie. Chinese American Felix is feeling pressured: According to his college admissions coach, he needs something unique to set himself apart, but he quit piano, and he's "not even the best Ping-Pong player at the Flushing Community Center." After Felix and new friend Gaspard Pierre-Duluc become the school film club's co-presidents (as well as its only members), they decide to make a short film starring senior Cassie Chow. This project will not only help his college resume; it also gives Felix a reason to spend more time with a girl who intrigues him. But their potential friendship becomes complicated when the movie's plot starts to feel too closely inspired by Cassie, and Felix must confront and reflect on how he moves through the world. He's struggled since moving from Flushing to the suburbs of Long Island; Cassie is a reminder of the life he could have had, and her confidence forms a contrast to his own feelings of inadequacy. But by romanticizing Cassie's life, Felix ultimately doesn't truly see or listen to her. In this intimate narrative, Yang explores perception, consideration, storytelling ethics, and growing pains as Felix tries to make sense of his motivations and their impact. The resolution avoids being unrealistically neat, but the book ends on an optimistic note, and readers will clearly see Felix's trajectory. A compelling story of personal growth and new understanding. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
