´I was just another robotic Asian kid´.
Boring Asian Female, the debut novel by Canwen Xu is the book everyone was talking around the bookosphere this month (good marketing, by the way).
Although I have mixed opinions about the character - maybe too psychotic for my taste - it reflects, in extremis, the obsessions with priviledge and immigrant ambitions. Elizabeth, the Asian-American storyteller, turned her desire to get accepted to Harvard - that rejected her at first - into a tormented story of obsession and stalking. Laura, her overachieving Asian-American alter ego, accepted to Harvard in the blink of an eye, is far from being ´just another boring Asian female´, and Elizabeth focuses all her efforts and energy to emulate her - going as far as eating habits and dressing.
It is hard not to laugh and to ironically criticize her, but there is often a drama hidden in such a behavior, but the scream of help doesn´t resonate among her other peers or even her mother, until it is too late. Her erratic efforts of turning herself ´interesting´ enough for Harvard is what happens when someone is really taking seriously the status-obsessed mindset.
The alternance between drama and irony is very well portioned. I would have been definitely charmed more by a more dynamic take on dialogues for instance, and more connectivity between the characters. I also felt that not all characters were equally developed, especially her housemate. But from the point of view of the ideas and authenticity, as well as for the humour, it was a pleasant, thoughtful read.
Rating: 3.5 stars
Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
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