I love a good ownvoices read, and American Panda by Gloria Chao was no exception. Such a great mix of high school life and the drama/issues that follow, as well as cultural and familial expectations. Highly recommend. Fresh, complex, and well written.

Mei is a 17-year-old MIT student, pushed by her parents to become a doctor because they know what is best for her. The fact that she is a germaphobe and falls asleep in biology classes will make that just a bit difficult for her. Her mother wants her to marry a smart boy who is also Taiwanese so there will be two doctors in the family, but she wants to marry for love. On and on it goes, a struggle between her Taiwanese culture and the Chinese American culture. She has been taught to honor her parents by obeying them, but they do not know what she wants out of life. When she says no, the problems escalate. Can this family mend itself?

The characters were compelling and well written. You can feel Mei's sadness and confusion as she tries hard to be what her parents want her to be, but becomes unhappier all the time. When she meets Darren and he enjoys her sense of humor and wants to help her deal with all her issues, again she feel for this young woman who is so unsure of what to do. I loved Mei’s mom. She was actually quite funny, even if that was not what she intended. She was a very repressed woman who followed customs and beliefs, even if they made her unhappy. When Mei finally got through to her that it was okay to be happy and stand up for herself, it was great to see the small changes she made. Nic, Mei's roommate was another great character, she also helped her to see what she was missing out on. The other family members helped to paint a picture of the struggles that Chinese American children go through when they are caught between two very different cultures. I enjoyed the writing in the book and the plot flowed nicely, with a few slow places in the middle of the book. Overall this is a great YA entry that would be a good book to read for any struggling teens dealing with the clash of two different cultures.

Oh man. American Panda is one I seriously wish I’d loved more. It’s got an Asian-American protagonist going to college with the baggage of a tiger mom, jilted dreams of being a dancer, tons of Mandarin, and a cute Japanese-American love interest. And yet, Mei’s story of going to MIT and fulfilling her family’s dreams of becoming a doctor when she’s a germaphobe was one that just didn’t grab me. I found the narration and the character grating, and the story itself just a bit too on the nose. I’ve experienced a lot of what Mei has (fat-shaming, random superstitions, parents who really don’t understand the clash between being Asian and being North American), and yet, I felt like the book never surprised me in the half of the book I managed to get through. While I did like the romance, it wasn’t enough to override my frustration and occasional boredom with the main character. I know it was supposed to be funny at times, but I just felt anxious the entire time I read. I hope others got more out of it than I did.

An adorable, sweet, diverse read with a Taiwanese-American protagonist.

Mei's parents have expectations for her life that they've essentially planned for her. They expect her to become a doctor, marry a Taiwanese boy, have babies. It's kind of difficult since she hates germs, falls asleep in biology lectures, and has a crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi, who is definitely not Taiwanese.

Mei is funny and relatable. Young Asian girls will be glad to be able to read about a girl that they can relate to since the author does a good job at depicting what it's like to grow up in a Taiwanese household.

The plot is quite ordinary but it's written in a fun way that keeps you wanting more.

The style and story in this book were completely different from what I expected! However, because it turned out being even better in a way! I think that, due to having come across so many praises for this book, I was worried that my expectations would become too high and that the book would in that way unavoidably fall short. But I’m happy to say that no such thing happened.
Overall, I really liked this story! It’s definitely worth the hype!

A wonderful mirror book that allowed me to see into someone else's experiences who are different than my own! An enjoyable, well written story that I would recommend to anyone!

American Panda is the YA book I wish I could've read when I was a teen. I loved and related to Mei so much as a character, and it was such a wonderful, emotional journey to see her deal with her parents' expectations, her brother's estrangement from the family, and her crush on her classmate Darren Takahashi.

Mei is a 17 year old second generation Taiwanese American girl in her first year at MIT, and all her parents want for her is to become a doctor, marry a nice Taiwanese boy and, in order to attract the nice Taiwanese boy, lose some weight. As her mother not-so-kindly puts it, Mei is somewhat like a panda, when she really should become more like a cat to attract boys. Another problem is that Mei hates germs and is bored to death in biology class, so the idea of medical school is her worst nightmare, never mind actually becoming a full-fledged doctor. She much prefers to dance, which her parents let her study as a child to help her lose weight, but which she now pursues in secret. Mei is all too aware of the potential consequences of disobeying her parents -- her older brother Xing was disowned by the family when he got engaged to someone they didn't approve of. When Mei secretly reconnects with Xing, she begins to wonder if being such a good daughter is even worth it, if it means giving up her chance at the life she actually wants.

How much do I love this book? There's so much I love about it, but I think what really resonated with me the most was Mei's relationship with her mother and brother. Despite some pretty callous comments, Mei's mother isn't a cruel person, but rather someone trapped within many of the same social constructs she in turn tries to impose on Mei. Her mother is from a generation and a culture that privileges traditional family roles, which includes respect (read: obedience) for elders and for the man's position as head of the family. As the story progresses and we, along with Mei, get to know her mother better, we realize how much of what she says may not necessarily be what she feels, but rather what she has been taught as the right thing to feel. Chao's brilliance as a writer is perhaps most evident in the character of Mei's mother, as the woman we initially see to be the most insurmountable barrier to Mei's freedom turns out to be one of, if not the, most sympathetic characters in the novel. Put simply, I'd read an entire novel from her perspective, as even after finishing American Panda, I find myself still so fascinated by all the layers in this character that have yet to be peeled away.

Mei's relationship with her brother is another extremely strong feature of the story, as I loved seeing the contrast between the lives both were living. I also loved seeing the tension both siblings feel, as they want the freedom to live the life they choose, but at the same time, can't escape the strong ties to their family. Xing's detachment from their parents was clearly not his preference, and even though he and his wife were treated very badly, he still clearly feels a connection to the family. I love this relationship because it puts into context the terrible extent of the dilemma facing Mei. Would it be worse to never be able to speak to your parents again, or to have to put up with a career you hate for the rest of your life? Her dilemma felt distinctly Asian American, both aspects of her culture warring for dominance, and that's a hell of a burden for a 17 year old girl.

I also liked the realness of the body image part of the story. Mei's family often comments on the food she eats, and how she really should refrain from a second helping of rice, and I don't know if it's an Asian family thing or a family thing in general, but the dialogue felt so completely familiar. Also in another scene, a cab driver tells Mei she can't be Chinese, because she's too chubby to be Chinese, and for anyone who thinks that level of rudeness is unrealistic, let me tell you: it happens, and I love Gloria Chao for writing about it. Most of all, I love that Mei never develops an eating disorder nor does she obsess over her weight beyond being understandably uncomfortable by what people say. In this, Mei is both relatable and aspirational.

Finally, the romance with Darren was a minor subplot compared to the family drama, but I loved it anyway. I thought their flirtation was adorable, and I have to admit, I got all kilig in that scene where Darren takes her to a spot in MIT where a pair of walls make the sunset particularly incredible.

I simply adored this book and its cover art, and I absolutely loved Mei. American Panda is such a treat from start to finish, and I highly recommend reading it with a cup of hot cocoa with whipped cream.

+

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

The style and story in this book were completely different from what I expected! But that’s not a bad thing at all, because it turned out being even better in a way! I think that, due to having come across so many praises for this book, I was worried that my expectations would become too high, and that the book would thereby inevitably fall short. But I’m happy to say that no such thing happened (phew)!

I found Mei’s personality and tone (she’s the narrator for the entire book) to be extremely likeable and funny. This is a very important thing for me, especially when reading books that are written in the first person. I need to click with the character, or reading the book will be tough. I didn’t have to worry over anything like that happening with this book though, because Mei was just great! One of the main focuses of this book is the struggle faced by the children of families who have immigrated into the West. With Mei being of Taiwanese descent, the focus was mostly on how she dealt with the expectations of her Taiwanese parents, as well as balancing Taiwanese culture, and American culture in her life. I am always very interested to see how immigrants from other places in the world deal with having moved to Canada or the U.S., since my parents, my sister, and myself are immigrants in Canada from Romania. I like to see the similarities, and the differences, and I also like to be informed!

I think that Mei had to overcome quite a few obstacles when it came to her parents, and fitting into American culture, and I really felt for her. She also said something that really resonated with me, about not fully belonging in America, and also not fully belonging in Taiwan either, because I feel very similarly about Canada and Romania. That’s the issue with being an immigrant — one never really feels like they 100% belong in any one place. I appreciate that a lot of focus was also placed on Mei’s family, since they are an important part of her life, and the situations of parents obviously matter as well. They had their own struggles to deal with, and it was really great to get that perspective. I particularly liked learning more about Mei’s mom, and I think that she was a great character, and definitely the funniest for me.

The other characters were really well-written, and fleshed-out as well, and I really liked a lot of them. There were people from varying walks of life, and I think that Chao handled talking about all of them in an amazing manner. I absolutely adored Darren Takahashi, and liked a lot of the other characters (for varying reasons) as well. Something that was also quite new for me with this book was learning about the culture at MIT! I’ve always found it amusing and interesting to find out about the traditions of particular universities, and thought it great that some of the universities in my town also have some fun and funny “rituals.”

And, finally, my last point returns to Chao’s writing style in American Panda. I liked that some more mature (for the lack of a better word) things were handled in this book, and how they were handled. I think that a lot of things which were discussed in American Panda need to be discussed among teens and young adults, and I really appreciate that Chao included them in this book. I also appreciated some of the more mature subject matter due to being an adult reading YA!

American Panda was a heartwarming, heartbreaking, and eye-opening read. It was definitely one of my top reads of the year so far (and will likely make my top 10 in December). I highly recommend this book to readers ranging from their teens, into their adult years, those who enjoy reading contemporary, as well as readers who might be wanting to dip their toes into contemporary YA for the first time!

"American Panda" is a fantastic novel! Gloria Chao really knows how to pull a reader in to the moment-starting with the descriptions of "stinky tofu" to having it really easy to see the pen gliding over a hand as Mei gives her number out.
Chao pulls you in to a story that so many of us find familiar- the struggle of wanting to be happy on our own path, but not wanting to dissapoint our parents. She also has a unique voice, by incorporating that struggle in to one of also telling the story of Mei as the daughter of immigrants- and in doing so, shows how North America really needs immigration, and how by refusing to put up walls, all our lives become better.
Gloria pulls at your heart strings, makes you sob, makes you fall in love, and brings it to a heartwarming conclusion.
This book should be in every library, and every school, to bring joy to anyone undergoing the same troubles and heartache as Mei!

3.5 Stars

American Panda is an authentic story that defies Asian stereotypes. The main character has a great voice, and she really fights for what she wants. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but the pacing and the humour didn’t entertain me.

This book tells the story of a Taiwanese-American student at MIT who is younger than her classmates. Her parents pretty much have her entire future planned out: become a doctor and get a Taiwanese husband. However, Mei is a germaphobe and has a crush on a Japanese boy. I loved how this book tackles Asian stereotypes and is filled with bits of Mandarin. While I can’t say firsthand if Mei’s experiences are realistic, American Panda definitely felt authentic to me.

I really enjoyed Mei’s character. She has many tough decisions to make about her future and must decide if she wants to follow her dreams and be disowned like her older brother or live a life that doesn’t interest her. Mei’s voice is very captivating, and she has a sense of humour, which I can always appreciate. She comes a long way as she figures out which path she wants to take, and it is so easy to root for her.

While I enjoyed this book, I did have a couple of issues with it. The pacing is a bit off, and the beginning is hard to get into. The transition between certain scenes is kind of choppy, and there are a lot of moments with sudden drama. Honestly, there are also a few scenes that seemed random to me, and it takes away from the impact of the story. American Panda is also described as “laugh-out-loud,” but I found some of the humour to be distasteful and immature. A few jokes and some sarcasm here and there are fine, but for me, the bathroom jokes are overkill.

American Panda is a realistic story about a Taiwanese-American girl’s experiences at university. The main character is fierce and easy to connect with. While this book has some great messages and themes, the pacing is off, and the level of humour wasn’t for me.

I really liked this story!

Mei’s situation is very relatable. Her parents insist that she go to medical school, but she doesn’t want to. I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to study what I wanted, but I know that isn’t the case for many people.

I loved Mei’s mother. She was so funny. She was constantly leaving voicemails for Mei and always ending them by saying “It’s your mom,” as if she didn’t know. She also called the police when Mei didn’t return her call for hours. She was very strict but also funny.

I’m a very squeamish person, so I don’t like reading about medical things. There were a few moments where Mei was in medical environments which were so gross! It was ironic since Mei was such a germaphobe. Those parts really grossed me out.

Overall, I really liked this story! It’s definitely worth the hype!

This was so much fun! It was exactly the kind of book everyone needs. Will definitely me purchasing a copy!

When I first heard of "American Panda", it sounded exactly like something I needed to read. It’s diverse, it’s own voices, and it seemed like the kind of contemporary novel I love to swoon over. While it’s a good book, the writing could’ve been stronger.

I loved learning about Taiwanese culture and the different ways each family honours their heritage. The novel makes it very clear that not every family is as strict as Mei’s is, or that other families are more strict about some things and more relaxed about others. I think that’s an important message. The family aspect of the novel is done well. I love the arc, and how it gave me the feels (good ones and sad ones). Family is always always important, but so is following your heart and making sure you’re taking care of yourself.

Mei spends most of her journey being indecisive over whether she wants to defy her parents or not. Sometimes I feel like this could’ve been written better. Sometimes she would go from defiance to obedience in the space of a sentence or two. That would’ve been fine had the writing given us a little more showing than telling. A little more flow in the prose. But overall I loved her journey.

I also quite liked the romance, though it was perhaps a little insta-love. Darren isn’t perfect, but the important thing is he apologizes and tries to do better. He may not fully understand Mei’s struggles, but he does support her.

The book is also funny at times, with Mei being nervous and being afraid of germs. I could’ve done without Mei judging her roommate for sleeping around, though. I also find it a little problematic that the sexually liberated roommate is painted as a bitch. We do get a vulnerable moment from her which I appreciated.

"American Panda" is a cute but relevant story about family and following your heart. I enjoyed reading it, but the writing was weak at times with some odd phrasing and pacing issues.

American Panda is a standalone Young Adult contemporary novel.

The narrator is 17 year old Mei. She is Taiwanese-American. She is a freshman at MIT, where her extremely strict parents have her studying to become a doctor.

I think that this book is very relevant. It shows what it is like for kids whose parents are immigrants to grow up in the US. It also gives the reader some insight into how strict parents who came from Taiwan might act.

The book begins with Mei starting university at MIT (she skipped a grade, which is why she is in university and not high school). She is quite shy and quiet. She absolutely loves dancing.

Her parents live fairly close by. So there are a lot of scenes with her parents in this book. IMO, there is a bit too much with her parents, especially in the first part of the book.

This book is very funny. However, there is a fine line between funny and real vs too much and annoying. I think that the second half of the book had a much better balance. I found parts of the beginning to be too much. Most chapters end with voice mails from Mei's mom. And those were very funny. But for the most part I found Mei's parents to be more than I could handle. They were so overbearing. I just wish that some of the beginning parts with them had been cut.

This book is about a girl's self-discovery. She is trying to figure out to have the life that she wants while still making her parents happy.

If you want to know who Mei's mom reminded me of (think of Lane's mom Mrs. Kim on The Gilmore Girls - even though she was Korean).

There is romance in this book. And I really enjoyed that part of the story. I also really liked everything to do with Mei's brother and all the scenes with her roommate.

Overall, this was a good Young Adult contemporary story. Mei's family may be too much for some people to handle. But I thought that the book was interesting, different, and very funny.

I received this E-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks!

American Panda is a book about finding yourself and standing up for your beliefs despite strict cultural beliefs. It wasn't a contemporary with a cheesy love story thrown in there just for the heck of it, and I definitely appreciated that. I don't know a lot about Taiwanese culture, but I feel like after reading this story I have learned more than I may have without it. The pronunciation guide included at the front of the book was helpful as there is a lot of use of the language and it made me feel less like I was butchering the language in my mind.
It was a fun and quirky story that follows Mei, as she makes the transition into college and finding her own path despite her parents strong objections to anything besides what they have planned for her. Mei finds herself in a situation where she realizes she cannot be a doctor like they have planned; her passion of dance calls for her to find a different career.
Where I struggled with this book was the way Mei's family treats her. In the beginning her mother is constantly criticizing her and making her feel like she is not pretty enough and her father is a whole other story. After finding out the reason for Xing's disowning I couldn't look at them the same way again.
Despite all of this, Mei does stand up for herself and is able to accept the consequences of it. With the help of her brother she comes to find her own path and it made me quite proud of how she far she comes by the end of the story. I don't want to get too much into the story, that might spoil it for those looking to read it when it comes out.
Unrelated to the actual story, the chapter headings were the cutest thing, I love how they're going to match the finished hardcover of this book. I will always love books with chapter titles, its so reminscent for me.
Overall, I did enjoy this story a lot. It was very informative, but at the same time enjoyable to read. Besides the issue with her parents, I found that it skipped around too much for my liking. It was very much many stories combined into one and it was a bit hard to keep track. Its definitely a book we need more of, the representation of strong Asian women was wonderful to read and I definitely will keep my eyes open for any Gloria Chao books that come out in the future. It has a strong message, that you should do what makes you happy, and not what makes other people happy.
Keep your eyes peeled for American Panda when it hits shelves on February 6th.
Happy Reading!

From the very first sentence I loved Mei's voice and felt like I understood her feelings of frustration, embarrassment, and guilt regarding her parents. There is so much humour and heart in the story and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to read it. I will definitely be getting a copy once it's released!

Rating: 4.5 stars.

I will admit, this book did stress me out a ton. Mei's life is quite stressful. She skipped a year in school, so she's a year younger than everyone else and is now starting college. Her parents want her to become a doctor but Mei loves dance and secretly dreams of running a dance school. She doesn't try to pursue this dream because her brother is a disappointment to her parents since he is going to marry an infertile girl. But when Mei meets Darren, he challenges her parents' ideas and encourages her to pursue her dreams.

I think my favourite thing about this book was that it was set in college. Mei's dorm struggles were so relatable and her experience at her university's health centre was hilarious. If you're in college or just graduated, you will really appreciate the college experience shown in this book.

I also really loved seeing a book about a Taiwanese-American teenager. Her culture was so interesting to me since I've had no exposure to the immigrant experience in YA books or IRL. Her family drama was what really carried the book's plot and had me turning pages at lightning speed. It was crazy to me to see the stuff that Mei's mom would say and to see just how overbearing she could be. Each chapter starts with a text or voicemail from Mei's mom, which totally stressed me out (because she texts or calls A LOT). I did find it really cute when Mei gave her mom a tour of campus and I did love seeing Mei's relationship with her mom evolve.

If you loved When Dimple Met Rishi, then I would highly recommend American Panda.

3.5 stars.

This was completely adorable, and I don’t mean that in a condescending, cutesy way either. Okay, maybe kinda cutesy. First though, I want to stress that I am a person commenting on a story that is not my own heritage, and that everything I say should generally be taken with a grain of salt because I am in no way qualified to having any real opinion about experiences that are not my own. I in no way mean to delegitimize them. On that note though, one of the things I think this book does best most of all is comment on the relationships and struggles one has with their family, whom they generally love, but also find themselves in conflict with their values and beliefs. Underlying all the traditions that Mei is forced to uphold under the gaze of her overbearing, traditional parents, I think she really does love them, and honors and appreciates the sacrifices they have made to help her get where she is in her life today. That being said, the most tragic part of the story is that with her parents being so headstrong and overbearing and Mei being shy and reclusive in the beginning, it becomes almost impossible to imagine that any happy ending can happen at all without some sort of heartbreaking moment from either party. Throughout the novel, Mei struggles immensely with keeping her secrets from her parents, and it feels like she is literally being eaten inside with the guilt that she is throwing away everything her parents have sacrificed. The very fact that she does have this guilt is proof, I think, that she does truly love them and where they came from. That being said, as someone on the outside of this kind of family relationship, sometimes it did feel a bit forced and overly dramatic, almost bordering on stereotypical, but I am fully prepared to accept that is because I have no personal experience with immigrant/Taiwanese parentage whatsoever.

One thing I definitely want to comment on is Mei and her relationship with Xing and Xing’s disownment. We know from the summary that he is going to be part of huge moment of transition for Mei. My thing with Xing though, is that he remains shrouded in mystery for a good chunk of the novel and we aren’t given much explanation until he and Mei meet up later on. We know that he was disowned because of the girl he was dating, but that’s about it and I really felt like I was straining for more information to clarify the situation. When he becomes part of Mei’s life again, it becomes a lot clearer and less unnatural and artificial. I feel it would have made for an easier reading experience if there was more of a buildup to their final meeting. The scene where he appears at Chow Chow and there is a big fight between him and his family was a lot of information to take in at once and felt overwhelming, especially because it read as if we knew a lot of information, though we didn’t.

The relationship between Mei and Darren was pretty cute, even if at times it felt rather awkward. As embarrassing as this would be for Mei, I was kind of hoping that the guy who barged in on her checking her rash was going to be Darren. It would be totally awkward and embarrassing for sure (I know I would die on the floor for sure) but it could have been a funny icebreaker for their relationship. It’s interesting to note the differences between Mei and Darren’s upbringing. One is the child of immigrants and thus closer in proximity to the corresponding traditions, and the other is from a family that has been American for generations. I was a little surprised by how mean Darren was with his comment about Mei being brainwashed, though. Their relationship was really starting to build a foundation at that point, and I felt it was clear that Mei was struggling with her parents’ traditions. It was cruel and frankly, unnecessary. I really hurt for Mei after that comment, and I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be the end of them or not. Thankfully, it wasn’t, and we got lots of hot chocolately goodness after he apologised and they made up. Also, because Mei didn’t seem to have many friends, I was glad she had someone her own age that she could rely upon. (As a side note though, what is up with the Lady Peanut/Pecan/Almond nicknames? Is that another MIT thing? Because I feel like I completely missed where that came from (I mean, all the MIT lingo completely went over my head, so it’s not entirely unexpected).)

I really liked the structure of the novel though. I thought the voicemails from Mei’s family were an interesting addition, even if they were just a comedic effect. The little notes about having no chapter four or chapter thirteen were quirky additions that took no effort at all but added to the cultural aspect of the book. As much as I didn’t understand a single Mandarin word, I also really liked the emphasis on them as well. I super appreciated the Author’s Note at the beginning, where she explains the Romanization of the words and how to pronounce certain letters based upon their accents. Even if I was hopeless at translating, I thought it was a nice consideration to the readers.

I think a lot of my comments and thoughts about this book stem from the fact that I haven’t experienced anything that Mei has by myself. I haven’t been pressured to study a subject I cannot stand, and I haven’t been threatened with expulsion from my family and only support system if I didn’t follow the rules. But for the record, as I previously said, I do think the author did a great job at exploring the relationships Mei had and her own internal struggles with it all in a clash of her own culture and that of her parents. I did feel like I got to know Mei the best, and even if the rest of the characters felt a bit one-sided at times, they provided a good balance for Mei. The only character that was just plain awkward for me was Dr. Chang, from the moment she was introduced to her near repulsion at just being a doctor in general (if I were her patient, I’m not sure I would feel entirely confident that my health was in her hands). Also, as a final note, I loved the emphasis that was placed on Mei’s love of dance, and I especially loved that it was Chinese dance in particular. Another reason why I feel that she truly does love her heritage, if not always the traditions and superstitions. I wish it had been in the summary though, because throughout the book it often felt like a side note and I didn’t figure out how much attention I was supposed to pay it until halfway through the book. Anyway, overall I did really like it and I’m super glad I got to read it. I am totally here for diverse reads and main characters and am thrilled that books like this are being written and published.

This should have been a winner. Mei, the main character, is Taiwanese-American. She is a college student. I could probably count on one hand the number of YA novels with college settings that are published every year.

The culture is great. Every chapter introduces the reader to a new characteristic of the Chinese culture. Some, however, are not well explained, such as why certain numbers are considered bad luck, but most are fairly straight-forward.

But the problem is that even if this book is clearly diverse and actually an easy read, I feel as though I have read this story already… about a hundred times before.

Let me explain. Mei’s parents are old-fashioned and extremely demanding. Mei cannot do one thing without their permission unless it is something that improves her grades or physique. She is constantly being compared to her brother and other people who her parents consider to be ‘‘rebels’’ or ‘‘failures’’.

I am certain that this all sounds familiar to you, too. To me, this (super controlling and demanding parents) is a trope. I did not give much thought to it in the beginning, since I was captivated by the Chinese culture presented, but after a hundred pages I began to lose interest.

The other problem is that while I would not say that this is an unrealistic story, the author does stretch reality here and there. For instance, the Asian doctor she meets at the hospital early in the story seemed to exist only to make Mei realize medicine may not be the right area for her.

And unfortunately, her Japanese love interest did not make me swoon. He is cute, I admit, but so are a thousand other boys. What makes this one special? Not that much… Plus I did notice an insta-love vibe.

Not a very surprising story. I appreciated the culture and diversity, as I have mentioned many times, so thank you Gloria Chao for writing this book, because I bet new readers of the YA genre will enjoy it more.

American Panda is cute and fun but with some serious family expectations. The story follows along as the main character, Mei, crushes hard on a boy in her class and how she feels a deep anxiety with her parents finding out. Because said crush is not Taiwanese like her. She starts to talk to her estranged older brother since he went through a similar situation with horrible consequences. The book deals with situations that some would find unusual not growing up in a family that has very high expectations of it's children. Both in future career and in romance. Which just sounds super stressful and anxiety inducing. The story is an important one though. Their are many of these families I'm sure who have children with heavy burdening of parental expectations. Especially those of immigrant families and those who's parents never went to college or university and what that desperately for their children. Overall, I think this book is well written with likable characters and strong family bonds.