Ryan Lee Wong's Which Side Are You On is an exciting debut. This is an intensely engaging and readable novel that follows the progress of a young activist struggling with his personal history and the limits of his ideology. The book is very evocative of Los Angeles and its many constituent communities. I can't think of another contemporary novel that portrays the conflict between activist theory and practice in such an empathetic and creative way. Despite its relative brevity, Which Side Are You On considers these issues comprehensively and does not settle for easy or formulaic solutions. The author draws on his own experiences as a child of activists to construct a compelling narrative that feels extremely realistic and relevant. I could see this book being very useful in the classroom both for its literary merit and for its themes, perhaps in a course about social movements.

Which Side Are You On is an incredibly poignant novel that is necessary for the 21st century American land scape. While my loan lapsed before I could fully finish the novel it is a story I am planning on going back to. A very strong debut that enticed me from the beginning.

This was a very timely, powerful and interesting read. A must purchase for libraries especially those looking for more socially conscious fiction.

Which Side Are You On is a sharply written and succinct novel about an idealistic young man on the precipice of a major life change. Reed attends university at Columbia and has become involved with left-wing activists. He plans to leave school to organize in his community and help the movement.

We first meet him when he's visiting his family in Los Angeles to visit his dying grandmother. His mother is Korean, and his father is Chinese and met while pursuing social justice causes in the 1970s. I especially loved the dialogue between Reed and his mother. Though she has a background in activism, she is wary of his plans to drop out of his school. She is whipsmart and cynical. His father is a thoughtful intellectual. I loved the conversations about activisim he had with his parents. The generational differences between parents and son were so well-written. I really enjoyed this novel and its characters.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this ARC. All thoughts are my own.

Quite humorous but simplistic. An Asian-American activist gets fired up when an Asian NYC cop guns down a young Black kid. He wants to drop out of Columbia to become a full time activist and join the front lines of Black Lives Matter. After sharing his plans with his Mom and Dad, he slowly learns a lot about their activist path. And he begins to realize that activism may be be more than just making signs and blocking traffic. The writing is not bad, moves the story along but the situations are trite and stereotypically expressed. The humor sprinkled through the pages keeps the reader attached and we feel a desire to have things work out for young Reed. A more flushed out drama could have moved this from average to very good, but having said that, I still recommend it as worthy of your time. Thanks to NetGalley and Catapult for a DRC.

This one was really powerful, and I'm honestly shocked more people haven't been talking about it. I feel like this is going to stick with me and I want to recommend it to... everyone I know. What an important and powerful read.

Which Side Are You On by Ryan Lee Wong is a debut novel about an Asian American activist who thinks he knows a lot about activism, but after many discussions with his parents finds out that he has a lot to learn. His parents were activists when they were his age, and they have a lot to teach him. The way in which this author shows the empathy and understanding between family members is truly inspiring. This story was very well-written and extremely informative, and I highly recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this debut by Ryan — it's timely, interesting, and extremely thought-provoking.

‘Which Side Are You On’ is set on the backdrop of the killing of a Black man by an Asian American NYPD officer. Reed, a 21-year-old Asian-American student at Columbia University, is devoted to activism similar to his parents when they were younger. However, his devotion leads him to want to drop out of school to commit to being a full-time activist since he feels this is the only way to create substantial change. But as the story unfolds, we see how Reed is forced to confront his perspective, privilege, the importance of self-care, and the best way to bring change and diminish tension between communities.

“𝗞𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝘄𝗮𝗯𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗴, ‘𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀’. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘆𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂”

Reed has good intentions but can be stubborn. I think he represents how a lot of young people feel when they are inspired to be a part of pushing for change but often are fixed and feel angry with the world not acting as how you deem fit. Anger can fuel you, but can cause unnecessary suffering.

This book, just under 200 pages, is a starting point to several greater conversations — generational divides, co-existing with people different from you, and the relationship between the Black and Asian community, specifically in terms of activism and anti-blackness.

"𝗨𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁"

Even though this is fiction, the case is a real event and the conversations are based on real feelings. Most of the conversations are had between Reed and his parents, mainly his mother, and I think there is a lot to learn from previous generations — because as things change, things stay the same. And there is a difference between having morals and being condescending and self-righteous.

Overall, a short but impactful exploration of a sensitive subject. The mom was my favorite character as she brought perspective and dry humor. Would recommend it if the subject matter intrigues you. I flew right through it and it gave me a lot to think about.

The very first paragraph of this novel had me hooked. The author drew me in with the humor, but this is an incredibly thoughtful and nuanced book. While I enjoyed the main character’s evolution, the mother character stole the show. She’s amazeballs.

When Reed decides to drop out of his Ivy League college to fully dedicate himself to grassroots activism in the Black Lives Matter movement, he expects his parents to support his choice. After all, they were activists themselves, and his mother even led a Black and Korean coalition. But as his parents push back on his decision, he learns that they may have different views on how to achieve social change.

I'm blown away by how thoughtfully Ryan Lee Wong weaves together family conflict and a nuanced exploration of activism in this book. It impressively blends the personal with the political and succinctly presents many different perspectives on racial justice. This is absolutely a must-read that's gone way too under the radar so far!

I really liked how this book depicted someone struggling to figure out what it means to live your values and learning from the work of previous generations. The protagonist is so idealistic, and I liked the nuance with which his views and approaches were challenged.

Thank goodness the main character changed over the course of the story, because for a long time I found him largely insufferable. As I saw it, Reed has confused doing right with being right. His mother, on the other hand, delighted me from start to finish. (Maybe it's partly because I'm closer to her age than Reed's?) She's almost a bully in some ways, but the way she gently/not-so-gently prods this kid into realizing the difference between Being Right and Making a Difference left me pretty happy in the end.

This is an unusual little book that explores activism through different generations and ethnicities. It offers up a little history and asks probing questions on motivations for activism as well as methodology. But it is not pedantic at all. It is down to earth and the vehicle for the story--the first year college student who is figuring out his role in the world--is excellent.
This would be a great choice for multi-generational book clubs as there is plenty to unpack, but also a great story. It would also make an excellent holiday gift for your college age children!

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. I hope it is widely read and discussed.

I enjoyed this read because it truly showed both sides of the coin of activism. In many cases, activism is performed from an individualized stance where a person thinks that they can solely change the world, The main character wants to drop out of school to be support his own personal causes. Yet, what was discussed in the book is, the needed sacrifices of balancing activism and family.

I also felt personally connected to the title because they live in Los Angeles (my hometown). Also his parents went to UC Berkeley (my alma mater). It was a quick read that offered a unique perspective that I didn't previously consider.

When self preclaimed activist read comes home to visit his Korean/Chinese family it’s because his grandma doesn’t have much time left but when he informs his Korean mother and Chinese father he is dropping out of college at Columbia to be a full-time protester his visit Home gets turned into so much more. The more he hangs out with his parents collectively and individually the more confused he is. They were previously protesters in activist and when he decides to interview his mom Enron who created the Korean black coalition it doesn’t go the way he thinks it will and throughout all this his mom is bringing him to yoga and other self-care appointments he protest at all either in his head or outwardly and even goes as far is calling other Koreans appropriator‘s. Will read get what he believes is the truth from his family visit or in the end will what he thought was important still be as important? I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was first thrown off by all the racist talk all about white people but once I kept reading I couldn’t stop it was so good I loved his mom so much and wish I could’ve been her friend and although there was no consolation or even a stray comment about how not all white people are racist or in a position to have power I still enjoyed the book. I originally got this book because I thought it was a nonfiction book but I’m still glad I got it and glad I got to read it. Please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

As an Asian-American myself, I was eager to see where the author went with this tale of the model minority in the (recorded) age of police brutality towards POC. While I honestly felt like the main character began a little aggressive in his gen-z, over-correct idealism, I feel like by the end he gained a more even sense of how to do what's right for his generation, by learning from the past and embracing his place in the world. As opposed to almost a performative activism. I really enjoyed the progression of his relationship with his parents as he started to ask his questions and they finally allowed that insight into their past. The ending felt a bit anticlimactic but sometimes, that's life, it doesn't always need that big finale.

Reed is the college-aged son of a Korean mom and Chinese-American dad who were activists in the 70's and 80's in Los Angeles. While attending Columbia University and becoming an activist himself - most recently in support of a Black man who was killed by an Asian-American police officer - he returns to Los Angeles because his grandmother is about to die. In Los Angeles he learns more about his parents' past activism. A quick, interesting book but to be honest I was more fascinated with Reed's mom than with Reed. I would love a book that focused on her instead.

Which Side Are You On is an exciting novel that feels very current, while not patting itself on the back either as the story evolves into constant questionings of one's own politics and values. As Wong crafts Reed as a character that is simultaneously self-aware yet repulsively single-minded at times, it's a fine balance of humility and sincerity. Mix it all together with musings about the internet, performative activism, and even excessive exfoliating practices, and Which Side Are You On is a tight novel both endearing from a socio-political level and emotionally satisfying with tender moments about what it means to grow up Asian American.

An interesting way to tell stories we haven't read before. Reed's dialogue with his mother opens his eyes- and ours- to things we might have ignored. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This will speak to many.

3.5 Stars.

I struggle with how to talk about this book on the one hand I think the subject matter is really important and I was really looking forward to it, but it ultimately kind of fell flat for me as a reading experience.

The novel follows Reed, a Korean and Chinese American college student who is drawn into the world of organizing and activism, and at its essence, the story is about him trying to figure out what’s important to him and how to make the world a better and more equitable place.

Although the story itself is fictional, it is set against real events that are central to the plot. In 2014, Akai Gurley was shot and killed by NYPD officer Peter Liang. This shooting and the subsequent prosecution of Liang created a flashpoint that galvanized many in the Asian American community who thought that Liang was being used as a scapegoat for the shootings of other unarmed Black men, which we know is tragically commonplace in this country. And it is amidst the Liang trial that this novel is set; our protagonist, Reed, is actively involved in organizing in support of Gurley and his family and we see him try to navigate the fractures that were laid bare in the Asian American community.

This book deals with the very real and very important issue of anti-blackness in Asian communities and for that reason alone, I think it’s worth reading. It covers a wide range of topics—from Asian Americans’ proximity to whiteness and how that results in economic and social benefits to intergenerational trauma and its effects on immigrant’s children. But the discussions of these issues, at times, felt a bit stilted and shallow; it felt like we just skimmed the surface of something that could have been really interesting, but we never got to the heart of the issue in any real way.

I also thought that Reed, although young, was portrayed as somebody who was fairly well-versed in his activist and political histories when we meet him. But throughout the book, he also reveals himself to be relatively unrefined in his political analysis. I think the author may have been using the character as a way to introduce concepts and ideas to readers who may not be as familiar with them—like we were learning with him—but it ended up making Reed seem pretty unlikeable because his own understanding of what he was doing and why he was doing it felt very one-dimensional.

The experience of reading this reminded me of another book I read this year, Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou. This was another book with a super interesting premise that I was very excited for but that was ultimately disappointing for me. Like this book, Disorientation tries to tackle fairly weighty political issues specifically in the Asian American context, albeit in a satirical way, but it ended up feeling simplistic and mechanical in its explorations of these topics. And I had a similar feeling during parts of this book.

Despite all this, I’ve never read a novel that’s dealt so explicitly with the subject of anti-blackness in Asian communities, and I’m glad I read it and would recommend it if only because of that. I’m really looking forward to more people picking this up and having conversations about it because I do think there’s a lot in it to discuss and unpack.