I loved reading AMERICAN PANDA! I’m such a fan of college YA, and this book is an excellent example of why—I loved watching Mei grow in confidence as she discovered who she was away from her parents’ expectations. Mei is Taiwanese American, and through out the story we see how conflicted she is as she tries to honor her parents and culture while also still being true to herself. It’s full of humor and there’s also a sweet romance!

RATING - 3 STARS

A little scattered for me. Super interesting look into Chinese culture, but overall just not for me. I didn’t feel super invested into the characters.

I think this could be great rep for some Chinese American girls so would definitely recommend for that!

When a family's cultural and parental expectations go head to head with a strong female protagonist determined to find her own way, hilarity and endearing anecdotes ensue.

Did Not finish. I was not able to get into this storyline or characters. Characters really carry a story for me and I just didn't have a connection with these characters.

I absolutely ADORED this book~ it is hilarious and authentic and heartbreaking in places. It's a book I could read over and over. I can't wait for more from this author!

I loved this more than I expected to- I think it was good I found out beforehand that it wasn't quite as fluffy as the cover makes it look. I really loved Mei as a main character and could empathize with her struggles. I've always been hard on myself and prone to guilt so even if I couldn't relate culturally I could relate in that way. It was also really cool to read a YA book set at college! They're so rare and add so much to the story- the struggles with independence, with making friends, etc. The medical descriptions were a little visceral at times haha, not my favorite. But the romance was definitely adorable and I got a lump in my throat towards the end when it came to Mei and her family. Loved her brother Xing and her mother reminded me so much of someone though I can't put my finger on it. I could tell how much of herself the author poured into the story and I appreciated the glimpse into Taiwanese/Chinese culture. The cover totally fits Mei btw, I love the hot chocolate!

Adding this title to my diverse reads shelf in the teen section. I feel my kids will really appreciate the themes and lessons.

So disappointing, I couldn't even finish it. The book seemed to go round and round in circles with little development or interest. The central plot is already a little tired, and poorly fleshed out characters with vague motivations made this a slog.

4.5 Stars
This is a beautiful story about the dichotomy children of immigrants face in modern America. Torn between wanting to please her traditional Chinese/Taiwanese parents and wanting to be true to herself, Mei is starting her freshman year at MIT. Her parents expect her to go to medical school and marry a nice Taiwanese boy they approve of. Mei wants to open a dance studio and date the cute Japanese boy she noticed at orientation. Mei’s parents have already disowned her older brother for disobeying and choosing a partner they don’t approve of, but she just isn’t sure she can sacrifice her own happiness to pursue her parents’ wishes. Mei is an extremely relatable and funny protagonist and experiences realistic (and empowering) character growth. The author’s note stresses that this book was written to show Asian American teens they are not alone. Yet this book will be enjoyable and enlightening for teens from all backgrounds. Hand this to fans of books by Jennifer E. Smith and Kasie West, especially who are looking for more diverse characters. Or pair it with works by Maurene Goo or Sandhya Menon.

American Panda was a cute read with depth and insight.
More than anything, the novel reflected how family expectations create pressure as teens like Mei try to forge their own path in life. I loved Mei. She is a real, honest, funny, and brave character. I wish more books like this existed when I was a teen. I would recommend this to introspective readers and teens who are trying to untangle their identity from the identities of their parents.

(Source: eARC from NetGalley)

I loved how unique American Panda was. (I just wish that I had read it when it was cold outside, because hot chocolate sounds delicious.) And don’t you just love the cover?! I learned a lot about Asian cultures in this book, which was fantastic. On top of that and the complicated familial relationships, American Panda had a super-cute love story. It was great, and I hope to read more books like it.

If you like American Panda, you should definitely read Crazy Rich Asians, because you’ll like it too!

Chao is a wonderful writer. The style and language was crisp, distinctive, funny and drew me immediately in to her character’s story. She strikes the perfect balance of telling the tale of a Chinese girl and just a girl entering college. She also explains things that could be difficult for non-Chinese readers to understand in an interesting way that keeps you wanting to know more.

This book was cute but also went into some more serious topics. It deals with Taiwanese culture and how Mei wants to please her parents by becoming a doctor and eventually marrying someone they approve of of. She feels she has to be the “good” child as her brother went against her parents’ wishes and ended up getting cut off from the family. But Mei realizes that what she wants for herself might be different than what her parents want for her and you see how she struggles with what she wants to do, what her family wants or what she wants, knowing that a relationship with her family is at risk. So as I said there are a lot of cute moments in this book but it didn’t just focus on that. It follows Mei as she comes to know herself. I personally can’t relate to everything Mei goes through but the author wrote the character in a way that I can definitely empathize with her.

I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

This book really opened my eyes to the familiar pressures of families who are not like my own. Mei really grows as a person through her journey and I think it correlates well with how you really start learning about yourself in college and how to deal with the pressures of family while trying to be your own person.

This book was so cute! This book could have something for everyone, even if the reader does not specifically hold the same cultural beliefs or upbringing Mei does. While this book delves into the cultural aspect of Chinese/Taiwanese cultural expectations, something I will not go into because that is not my lane, the idea of a teenager struggling with the expectations of their parents and the guilt of wanting, sometimes needing, to be different than those expectations could reach so many teenagers.

I don't want to go into any specifics because I think that this is a book that should be read and experienced. But I am so glad that I got the oppertunity to read this book!

Where do I even start with this amazing book? I do not want to spoil this book because it is a must read so I will keep this review short and simple. It's clever, witty, and powerful. I enjoyed the characters, from Mei who's a Germaphobia to her passion for dance, to her mother who brings so much to this story, and so many more characters. I could go on about the characters but there is more about this book I want to talk about.
My favorite part of the book is the mixing of two different cultures that make one life for many people. Her writing does such a good job of balance this. The realness of this book is what makes it an amazing read. I love the witty, funny to warm-hearted moments.

A great diversity read, with wonderful writing, raw feelings, and a joy to step into this world!

I was excited to read this book, but I had a hard time getting into it and put it down about a third of the way in. I'm not sure why, but it didn't work for me.

Funny, brave and endearing, Mei was an unforgettable character who will resonate with readers of all ages. American Panda was an eye- opening look into a culture that I was not familiar with. My heart goes out to the brave young women all over the globe who are fighting to break free of cultural norms and traditions and stand on their own merits.

American Panda was an incredible window book for me that allows us to see into the world of a young Taiwanese college girl's life. You see how torn young people can be when they are finding their own, but pressured to be what their families tell them they should be.
I think this is a necessary book to have in middle and high school libraries that will help us better understand each other. At the end of the day, we never know what another person is dealing with behind their decision making.

I want to thank the publisher for providing me with this copy via Netgalley, this hadn’t influenced my review/rating in any way.

This is probably one of the cutest books I’ve ever read, even though it had some sad themes here and now. I enjoyed reading everything from Mei’s perspective because she’s a very relatable character and I could understand her reasoning for everything she did. My heart broke for her a few times, but at the end I was so proud of her, of what she achieved.

POSITIVE ASPECTS

Family was the main focus here, I just love these books where parents are involved in their children’s lives because it’s so much relatable. My parents are very overprotective as well, they aren’t controlling as Mei’s parents were, but they call me daily, they worry a lot, college is a very interesting experience to see how the familial connections evolve and develop.
We actually get to hear Mei talk about her classes, she struggles with her college experience because she isn’t satisfied with the path her parents chose for her to become a doctor. We see her try to find an alternative, even though she’s afraid of what her parents will say about that.
The romance was absolutely cute!!! I adored it! Darren was such a supportive boyfriend and he tried so hard, I especially came to love him when he met Mei’s mother and you could see how much he was trying to help Mei with her hard situation.
It’s such a funny book, I swear I was laughing so many times – especially at Mei’s mother’s texts – they were hilarious, but yet made me sad because they showed how much internalized sexism her mother held. I was so happy when Mei managed to teach her to be more understanding of herself and other women too.
I loved the friendships, even though they were very subtle and weren’t the focus of the novel, they were still so important. I love women supporting other women, even if they are very different.
the cover is the most adorable panda-ish thing I’ve ever seeeen, byeeeee.
such a diverse book, loved that!

NEGATIVE ASPECTS

The only thing I didn’t like was how I felt like the last part of the book happened a bit too fast – it was kind of anti-climatic. I wish there was more time for the conflicts to unfold and be solved or not.
And there were some plot-lines that after I finished the book felt a bit unnecessary, they weren’t bad, it’s just that if there weren’t there, the book wouldn’t be very different from now.
I don’t have much to complain about, to be honest. I think the book is amazing and I’m happy about how diverse the book, I’m thrilled about how many people will see themselves in Mei’s journey.

All in all, this book is adorable and you have high chances to enjoy this one if you like relatable characters, complex family dynamics, girls supporting girls, cute romances and achieving your dreams.