Oof, this book was an experience. It’s not what I would call a satisfying or enjoyable reading experience, but that’s kind of the point. We follow main character Jane throughout a traumatizing kidnapping, as well as the aftermath, with alternating “Then” and “Now” chapters. The “Then” sections were especially thrilling and gut-wrenching, with the only comfort being Jane’s confidante and fellow kidnapped victim Mason. I was with Jane the whole ride, feeling the emotions — the fear, the panic, the unexpected love and loss. And as the truth unfolded, I was right there with Jane in feeling her pain. So I’d definitely recommend the book, so long as you’re in the right mood. (I definitely have to read something a little fluffier at the moment. 😭)
It seems like every couple of months, or even just weeks, we see a hashtag like this following a terrible tragedy. And every time this happens, I feel this burning anger inside, and yet I don’t have the right words to say (despite being a freaking writer). This time, with news of the Atlanta spa shootings, I don’t really care about eloquence — I just have to let this out.
Since the very beginning of this crazy COVID life, I’ve been afraid for my mom, who is a Korean woman. She’s the one who goes out and buys groceries, attends other errands, etc. She always wears a mask and, when she’s being extra cautious, a hat or visor to cover her entire face. She’s told me that she’s gotten stares but that she doesn’t care, because, in her words, “They can fuck right off.” As far as I know, she hasn’t experienced any verbal or physical attacks, but I worry about it all the time. I know she does too, because she’ll approach me with her mask/hat and ask, “Can you tell I’m Asian like this?” How messed up is that, that she has to ask me that?
Just yesterday, when we were outside our clinic, standing in line to get vaccinated, she asked me the same thing. We were speaking to each other in Korean, and that alone made me nervous. What if people hear? What if they look at us with disgust? What if someone decides to hurt us? I kid you not, I was seriously mapping out escape situations in my head. The news of Atlanta struck me that hard. The virus itself is already scary enough, especially when both my mom and I suffer from anxiety. We worry about getting sick, about getting our loved ones sick, and on top of that, we have to worry about our race? Yeah, sorry, no.
I am proud to have Asian blood, but I am not proud to live in a world that looks at Asians like parasites. That looks at anyone like parasites. It’s 2021, guys. Wake the fuck up.
Just a few of my favorite books by Korean-American authors or with Korean-American characters. I can only hope that my own book baby gets on this shelf someday. 💖
Well, isn’t this perfect timing. It’s summer, I’m out of school (for good! 🥳), and suddenly, all the big YA books are trickling out. The following list is only ten of the many that I’m excited to get my hands on. Mostly contemporary, that being my favorite genre, and some fantasy here and there. I went ahead and included stars to rate my personal excitement, as well as every book’s release date — so mark your calendars! Here we go! Continue reading “My Top 10 Most Anticipated YA Books (2020)”→
I had the pleasure of seeing the lovely Sandhya Menon at a panel for the Texas Book Festival, where I first heard of her and her book When Dimple Met Rishi. She was such a delight in person that I made note to read her work. I’d remind myself to get on that every time I saw the book in store or advertised online, but I just never came around to it. Fast-forward to two years later, in quarantine, and needing a good, cheerful read to take my mind off things. This was definitely that. A good, cheerful time with two Indian-American teens navigating love for the first time. Continue reading “Mini Review: When Dimple Met Rishi”→
The past month has been a strange time, stirring emotions I thought I’d only ever experience with books or movies. I’ve read about the apocalypse in Maximum Ride, I’ve watched the zombies take over in Train to Busan. And yeah, back in 2011, I sat in total awe as I watched Contagion at the theater. Now, here we are in 2020, going through a real life pandemic. Continue reading “Coronavirus anxieties.”→
Cause of today’s anxiety: My master’s thesis (aka, the YA novel I’ve been trying to write since 2016, aka, the apple of my eye, aka, the bane of my existence) being due in one week.
Naming characters. *changing name for the tenth time* Should I go for a unique name or an average name? Something with significance or something I choose randomly from a baby names list? Continue reading “Novel writing anxieties.”→
I love Groundhog Day. I love About Time. And oh man, I love the Supernatural episode “Mystery Spot.” (🎵 Heeeeat of the moment 🎵) So I was bound to love the time-travelling trope thrown into a swoony YA romance. I’d seen the pretty cover of Justin A. Reynolds’s Opposite of Always floating all over the place, and I finally found the time to read it. Or hear it, I guess, since I experienced the story with Audible. The voice actor brought protagonist Jack’s charm to life, making it so easy to fall into this world. And phew, I fell running. Continue reading “Mini Review: Opposite of Always”→
What. The. Fuck. (And I mean that in a positive way.) It took me a while to get used to Tarryn Fisher’s writing, as she writes characters that I can never fully understand. But reading her latest novel and first thriller The Wives, I realized that that’s what makes these characters so damn interesting. Being in protagonist Thursday’s head, I was on her side instantly, and I wanted to stay on her side till the very end. I questioned her thoughts, her choices, but there was something about her that I wanted to trust. Continue reading “Mini Review: The Wives”→
Sara Bechtol 