American Panda by Gloria Chao

American Panda by Gloria Chao
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing and Simon Pulse for the advance reader copy American Panda by Gloria Chao in exchange for an honest review. Gloria Chao has written an honest, heartbreaking book about perfect Taiwanese daughter, Mei, who at age seventeen, is a freshman at MIT with weekly visits for dinner by her overbearing, judgmental parents who have her future meticulously planned for her- become a doctor (she really hates germs) and wed a Taiwanese doctor (arranged marriage, of course!). I suffered along with her as she realizes she can’t be the perfect daughter and will she be cast off as daughter just like her brother was? With the help of her brother and Darren (the forbidden Japanese boy) and digging deep within herself, I relished Mei’s journey to happiness, a future in dance, new friends, and a future with dreams. Chao’s description of Mei’s Taiwan culture and beliefs, and food was authentic. The characters and plot were fully fleshed, I could not put this book down. Teens will laugh, empathize, and wrap their arms around Mei, her MIT experience, and being an insecure teen with family ties that hurt more than helped. I fell in love with Mei, highly recommended!

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