Interior Chinatown
Charles Wu's book offers sharp social criticism but is hilarious & also quite touching. The “interior” is a Chinese restaurant but also a film set and the actor protagonist longs to rise through the acting ranks to become Kung Fu Guy — but he’s stuck doing stereotypical Asian roles in a “Law & Order” knock-off. Ugh, I’m not explaining this well but trust me.
Breaking and Entering
Joy Williams' descriptions are incredible and the trajectories she traces are all viable but damn, they are all bleak
Fake Accounts
Berlin is wasted on this protagonist; so is NYC. The lesson for all of us is to put the damn phone down.
We Run the Tides
If there were any doubt as the viciousness of 8th grade girls, Vendela Vida dispels it. She perfectly captures the voice of Eulabee, a 13-year old girl growing up in Sea Cliff in San Francisco in the 80s, navigating the awkward and painful trajectory of middle school with its mean girls and mixed-message emitting boys.