Jack Cheng

ADetroit tween comes into his own while adjusting to changes at home and dealing with the trials and tribulations of sixth grade.

Starting middle school is daunting, and Andy Zhou is off to a rough start after the DIY bleach job that Cindy Shen, his best friend, convinces him to try results in patches of orange in his black hair, drawing the attention of bullies. Empathetic Andy tries his best to be the person that his friends and family need him to be, but juggling those roles isn’t easy, especially when he’s not sure what it is that he wants. With Cindy spending more time with new friends and mounting racist microaggressions setting off his “spider-sense,” Chinese American Andy can’t shake the feeling that he doesn’t belong. But just as he resolves to keep his head down, he discovers that Chaldean American Jameel Zebari, one of his bullies, might have more in common with him than he thought. Peppered with anime and pop-culture references, Cheng's tale succeeds in capturing the nuances of shifting relationship dynamics during the vulnerable early years of adolescence, including mental health struggles. Although the reasons behind some of Andy’s pivotal epiphanies may be a bit subtle for some readers, the story has a sincere heart that will resonate with tweens as they recognize themselves and their friends in the pages.

A perceptive coming-of-age tale that captures the joys and complex anxieties of middle school. (content note, author’s note) (Fiction. 10-13)

-Kirkus Review… (lisätietoja)

Adorable, precocious narrator? Check.
Lovable canine companion? Check.
Wacky road trip that takes unexpected turns? Check.
A family secret discovered? Check.
A cast of quirky supporting characters? Check.

I have seen every major element of this middle grade novel's plot before. What sets it apart is the style - the entire book is like a transcript of audio recordings. Ironically, I did not think the audiobook was good. The format required the narrators to not just narrate but act. The main narrator (who sounded like an actual kid) did a good job, but the other narrators... not so much. My theory is that they were never in a room together but recorded their parts separately, so the interactions didn't sound real. The recording won an AudioFile Earphones Award, so I suppose I'm the minority opinion on this. I generally dislike "full cast" style audiobooks. Still, I love the idea of it and I think kids will like it and it could be a great listen for a family road trip.

It's hard for me to let go and enjoy books like this because I find myself keeping a checklist of every cliche. At the same time I recognize that this book has a lot of heart and will connect with a lot of readers. Alex is over-the-top naive for an 11-year-old sometimes, but dang it if he isn't super cute. His singular preoccupation with rocket science (especially Carl Sagan and the Jodie Foster movie Contact) lent the book a nice science hook and provide the conceit for the format: Alex is making a "golden iPod" recording to send to aliens to explain life on Earth. This theme sort of mashes with the family theme. Alex is suddenly inspired to go find his long dead father after he discovers on Ancestry.com that he might be alive after all. It's a bit inelegant, but it makes for a packed story. Even with Alex summing up the story way too many times, it still flies by.… (lisätietoja)