by Kelly Yang
Parachutes by Kelly Yang is a great book for young adults. In this book, Claire, the daughter of a rich Asian family, is told that she will be moving to the US. Dani, the daughter of a Filipino immigrant, will soon become Claire’s host-sister and classmate. Dani has a favorite teacher named Mr. Connelly, who is the coach for the debate club. He really likes Dani’s talents and always invites her to eat with him off campus. Claire, who first seems bratty and spoiled, is actually very smart and after being placed in English 1 for international students, she tests out into the regular English 3 class. They both face many problems, but they also have many similarities. Many characters in this book are Asian students studying in America without their parents nearby. Multiple times they are harassed because of their “parachute” identity.
I like this book because it is very realistic with real life references, such as the Me-too movement and Crazy Rich Asians movie. The author tells us that this book is based on her three years in college and how she was harassed and assaulted, so this book is a warning telling us to be careful. Yang describes everything in a lot of detail, which is helpful but at the same time, I wish there weren’t as much. Many parts in this book describe sexual harassment, so when I read it, I regret reading it because it makes me feel uncomfortable.
Another part I like is how the chapters are not numbered, instead they switch back and forth between Claire and Dani in first person perspectives. I like these kinds of books because when one character ends, it ends on a cliffhanger, making you want to read more but you are paused by another character who introduces a new problem, creating a new cliffhanger.
One part I don’t enjoy as much is where Dani started becoming uncomfortable with Mr. Connelly, but doesn’t share what’s going on, only trying to talk to him less. When something is bothering you, you should tell a friend and an adult so you can feel better and figure out what to do. Dani tells her best friend Ming, and Ming says that it’s ok to say no. Dani takes this advice, and the next time Mr. Connelly invites her to lunch, she says no. I liked that part because it shows that she is standing up for herself.
Overall, I think this book is worth reading.
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