Our Wayward Fate follows Ali, a Chinese-American teenager living in "white bread" middle America. When another Chinese student, Chase Yu, shows up at her high school, her world is turned upside down. When Ali's mother forbids the relationship with no explanation, Ali starts digging into her mother's past to find out why she is so secretive and closed off. Ali's story is interwoven with short chapters retelling The Butterfly Lovers, a Chinese folktale, that may have more to do with her life than she knows.

Gloria Chao's writing has matured in her sophomore novel, providing more nuance to her exploration of discrimination, straddling two cultures, familial dysfunction, and the Asian experience in middle America. Ali's anger and hurt is visceral; her peers don't accept her Chinese heritage, her mother can be cruel and secretive, and her father has checked out of life. The book shines while exploring the tense relationship between Ali and her family. The novel's biggest fault is the jarring insta-love between Chase and Ali, though their relationship becomes more believable as the novel progresses. Overall, the novel shows great growth in the author's writing and provides a unique and important addition to the small-but-growing canon of Asian-American YA. Chao has much to say, and will leave readers wanting more of her unique perspective and strong female characters.

I would love to have been able to read this book but sadly could not access it due to the format of the file I had to download.