In the past couple of weeks, there have been a number of acts of violence and hate toward members of the Asian community. Racial discrimination is not acceptable. Now more than ever, it is important to express love and support for each other no matter race or gender. To support Asian-American writers, here are a handful of excellent stories to offer.
1. “I’ll Be The One”—Lyla Lee
This book is a young adult (YA) fiction romantic comedy about Skye Shin, a girl who has heard it all. Fat girls shouldn’t dance, wear bright colors or call attention to themselves. But she has dreams of joining the glittering world of K-pop, and to get there, she must break all the rules that society, the media and even her own mother set for girls like her. She’ll challenge thousands of other performers in an internationally televised competition looking for the next K-pop star, and do it better than anyone else. When she nails her audition, she’s immediately swept into countless practices, shocking performances and the drama that comes with reality TV. What she doesn’t count on are the highly fat-phobic beauty standards of the Korean pop entertainment industry, her sudden media fame and scrutiny or the sparks that soon fly with her fellow competitor, Henry Cho. But Skye has her sights on becoming the world’s first plus-sized K-pop star, and that means winning the competition—without losing herself.
This book brings light to the positive and negative effects of body image that most women go through in their early ages. Need a book with LGBTQ+ representation, a love interest as sweet as a cinnamon roll and a main character who is bisexual and has to face body image stereotypes? Then this is the book to pick up.
2. “Legend”—Marie Lu
Legend is a YA dystopian that takes place in a futuristic Los Angeles, ruled by the Republic of America. It revolves around Daniel Altan Wing (Day) and June Iparis who are on opposite sides of the economic spectrum. June is a military prodigy, who was born into an elite family, while Day is the country’s most wanted criminal born in the slums of the Republic. His family believes him to be dead except for his older brother, John.
When Day’s younger brother, Eden, is infected with the Plague, he breaks into a hospital to steal medicine to help his brother. June is then informed that her older brother, Metias, was killed during an escape attempt in the hospital. All the evidence to his murder points to Day being the prime suspect. While Day is in a race for his family’s survival, June seeks to avenge her brother’s death. When they cross paths, the two uncover the truth that really brought them together.
The author was inspired by the movie adaptation of the Victor Hugo novel “Les Misérables” and sought to recreate the conflict between Valjean and Javert in a teenage version.
3. “Spin the Dawn”—Elizabeth Lim
“Spin the Dawn” is a Mulan retelling, where Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: she is one of 12 tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. Nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon and the stars, while finding more than she ever could have imagined.
This is the first book of The Blood of Stars duology. Think of this as Project Runway meets Mulan. Get sucked into a world that is captivating and beautiful with the skill of tailors.
Caitlin Alicea | The Oswegonian
