I am not an Asian American, so I decided to not finish this book. After a few chapters in, I felt that it was the respectful decision to make because I can’t speak to the accuracy of what the main character, Audrey, experiences. However, I do believe that in just few chapters that I read, it allows for readers to understand that racism is still heavily in our daily lives. I read books about divorce, crime, coming of age, and while I haven’t experienced those thing myself, I’ve been part of many things that are very similar. However, I do not feel it is respectful to voice my thoughts and opinions on a book that the main character is Asian. White people don’t ask other white people where they are from if they don’t have an accent they can detect is from another country. It’s ignorant to ask people of color where they are from. Ugh. I do think that with the correct audience, this book will find its way into many hearts for a very long time.

I really enjoyed this novel, and was surprised to hear it was a debut! I loved Cai’s writing style and her vulnerable exploration about the breakdown and buildup of different relationships in Audrey’s life. I found it interesting how she was often not a super likable character to me, like when she was arguing with Ben or Kristen, she seemed stubborn and unwilling to listen to the other person. However I liked how this made her character more realistic and made the story more intriguing.
I really liked this book and can’t wait to read Cai’s novels in the future!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel.