Going to a girls private school there was much here I could relate to. I also felt I got some insight into Alice Pung’s own life. This was beautifully written. Looking forward to the Melbourne Theatre Company’s adaptation. ( )

I loved how this book handles elitism and privilege, racial prejudice and the experience of Asian immigrants in Australia.

Lucy and Linh was a sharp, funny and just fantastic read. We don't get many Australian books here in the libraries of suburban America, which is such a pity, so this was an extra pleasure to read.
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diverse teen fiction (10th grade mean girls, friends drifting apart, set in private all-girls school in Australia)
Lucy's parents are Chinese (born in Vietnam) refugees in Australia; her mother slaves away every day in their garage sewing up piles of garments. Writing about her hard-working mother earns Lucy a scholarship to a fancy school, but when she gets there she finds the place is ruled by a trio of mean girls known as "The Cabinet." Predictably, Lucy is adopted by the girls midway through the story, and I'm sure will probably be forced to do something awful to her former friend before some ugly fall out amongst all involved. Lucy does take it upon herself to report wrongdoings (without necessarily naming names) to more than one authority figure at the school, but (at least the first two times) it doesn't help the situation any, even though she is not the only student to speak up.

I read to page 194 and had a hard time deciding whether to keep reading--the characters are very believable, but the plot is also realistically slow and painful, similar to a real high school experience. ( )

That was interesting and engaging, though a plot twist towards the end unnecessarily cheapened the book. I like that Alice Pung writes about the diasporic immigrant experiences in Australia--it certainly helps us think about stories as global and universal. And if you're a fan of Mean Girls, then this will resonate with you. ( )

Absolutely fantastic!

I was excited to read this book after winning a copy through Goodreads First Reads program, but I did not expect it to become one of the best books I've read in years.

A fascinating account of a young girl's experience in an Australian private girls school,[a:Alice Pung|576550|Alice Pung|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1368490644p2/576550.jpg]'s [b:Laurinda|22603951|Laurinda|Alice Pung|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404094087s/22603951.jpg|42091357] is impossible to put down. It has such a unique angle, that of a Vietnamese immigrant on scholarship, and a clever ending that perfectly wraps up this multi-faceted account of her first year at the prestigious school.

Laurinda touches upon familiar themes for a book about school aged young adults, including boys, mean girls, family life, status, class, authority, but does so in a new way. We see things, quite clearly, from the viewpoint of the smart, no nonsense protagonist, Lucy.

Highly enjoyable. Highly recommended. ( )