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June Chu is the “just good enough” girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother’s unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.
While June’s mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister’s footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn’t see the point in trying too hard if she’s destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys “official.” But after her methodically-planned, tipsily-executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who’s not allergic to the word “girlfriend.”
But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she’s going to live her life—even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
July 26, 2022 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9780593558829
- File size: 258517 KB
- Duration: 08:58:34
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Starred review from July 4, 2022
Taiwanese American high schooler June Chu, a Midwesterner, searches for love and autonomy in Gracia’s emotionally raw debut. June just wants to be “good enough” for her mother—who is never short on Chinese proverbs and constantly compares June to her valedictorian older sister. But third-place wins at violin competitions won’t get her into a top-ranked school (“They going to be looking for first-place winner, not third,” June’s mother reminds her). Even worse, her lab-partner/maybe-boyfriend, Rhys, refuses to kiss her in public and keeps her at arm’s length. Eager to live a life separate from everyone else’s expectations, June institutes “Mission: Boyfriend” and pursues Brad, the first boy to ever openly adore her. June’s quest for autonomy forces her to reevaluate her relationships with her family and confront the fear that she may never be enough. Gracia employs a whirlwind pace that complements June’s myriad triumphs and failures; a large, vibrant cast; and a true-to-life teen voice to explore societal gender roles, racism, and sexuality while artfully depicting one teenager’s search for herself amid cultural and familial pressures. Supporting characters are predominantly white. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kiana Nguyen, Donald Maass Literary. -
Si Chen portrays June Chu, a Taiwanese-American teen living in the Midwest. Chen easily slips into the accents and perspective of June's critical mother, who continually quotes Chinese proverbs. All this makes it easy to understand the constantly demeaned June's new determination. She will prove that she can stop her endless studying and violin practicing, stop comparing herself to her perfectionistic sister, and move ahead with finding a boyfriend. Chen helps listeners experience June's frustrations with sex, her choice of partners, and her attempts to establish her own identity. Gradually, Chen shows June's growth as she reaches beyond what is expected of her, taking risks to meet unfamiliar people and explore new places as she struggles to take steps in directions she chooses for herself. S.W. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
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