Natasha Kingsley is a high school senior and scientific realist attempting to prevent her family’s imminent deportation to Jamaica. During her final twelve hours in New York City, she meets Daniel Bae, a first-generation Korean American poet struggling against his parents’ expectations for him to attend medical school. Daniel believes in fate and bets Natasha that he can make her fall in love with him in one day. The narrative tracks their movements across Manhattan, alternating between their perspectives while incorporating brief histories of peripheral characters and scientific explanations for human connection.
Readers of contemporary young adult fiction choose this book to observe how cultural pressures and immigration policies collide with romantic attraction. It appeals to those interested in the tension between rationalism and destiny. The reader finishes the story with a perspective on how small, random encounters influence long-term life trajectories. It provides a look at the systemic hurdles faced by undocumented families and the specific burden of the model minority myth, leaving the reader to decide if timing or character choice determines a person's future.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2016
- Language
- EN
