Title: My Father, the Panda Killer
Author: Jamie Jo Hoang
Genre: YA
Thank you, NetGalley, for this book.
Great coming-of-age story about Jane, born in America to Vietnamese parents, who balances being a typical teenager with the expectations of her father. However, the alternate storyline is of her father traveling to America as a child.
Jane is a great character who struggles with her Vietnamese culture, especially the abuse she suffers when she steps out of line, and can’t wait to go to college. But she struggles with that because she would leave her little brother behind.
You also see the struggles her father goes through with his travels from Vietnam to America: pirates, starvation, and yes, the murder of a panda. I enjoyed this story, and I can imagine how it will resonate with Vietnamese-American teenagers.
Pleasant Nights 