This was an enjoyable story and well written. The plot was funny and truthful and would recommend for a quick fun read.

Shelley, an extremely likable character, moves to the United States hoping to better his life through the "Chinese Groove", thinking his Chinese family already there will be able to help him. Unfortunately, he finds this is not so, and has to scramble to survive. His loyalty is his savior, I think. Recommended reading!

I was drawn right into the story of Shelley who comes to America to live with his so called rich uncle.This was a really entertaining look at a young immigrant finding his life his future in America.So well written a book of family of life really enjoyed.#netgalley #counterpoint

Shelley is overly optimistic about how his life will go when he moves to the US but finds that there's more to life than he ever knew. He's 18 and staying with his cousin Ted who he didn't know at all before arriving- which is why he didn't know Ted isn't rich. Ted is largely estranged from his father Henry, a situation Shelley works on when he becomes a caretaker for Henry. Shelley finds himself juggling a job in a restaurant as well as everything else but he never loses his sense of humor. He's a terrific character. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A very good read.

It took some time to get into my own Chinese Groove lol, but overall enjoyed this book! There are some laugh out loud lines like: "A life without principles, Father had taught me, is only for rats and aunties." As the mc Shelley immigrates to the US to make a better life, he is confronted by the reality that his family in San Francisco are not the wealthy department store owners that their family thought.

Shelley is an interesting character, who is incredibly naive and thinks the best of people, but also has his own schemes (e.g., figuring out how to make it big, how to reunite with his girlfriend, lying to his family back in China). I overall thought his attitude towards life refreshing. In the midst of SO MANY THINGS that could've gone wrong (at one point he's houseless, has no money, scavenging for food), he finds a way to make himself "useful" to his extended family. And then he becomes indispensable and a part of the family. (The skeptic in me thinks, this is another scheme! but i have a cold heart.)

"I was learning that the telling of a tale changes the bearer as much as it changes the hearer."

This line rang true so many times with how people narrate what's going on with them. There's themes of found family and then we find out the story is parallel to a fable of the Peach Blossom Spring (which is also included in the book). The ending with Shelley going back to China with his father was sweet and the book helped warm my cold cold heart. Thank you for the opportunity to review!

The Chinese Groove is a story of a young man from China searching to fulfill the dream his dead mother had for his future. This brings Shelly to California where he stumbles over many obstacles, tells some lies, and learns to make his way in America. The author handles multigenerational issues, mixed cultures and family responsibilities well.

Like many immigrants before him, Shelley (birth name: Xue Li) is hopeful about his new life in San Francisco. A promise to his father to be successful, as well as his own ambition, allows him to face his challenges head-on. But what he most wants is to connect with others, and it's this desire that allows him to be generous in his relationships. The novel particularly shines when we learn more about the other characters and the ways they do (or don't) relate to each other. While not as fully fleshed-out as her protagonist, Kathryn Ma does a wonderful job of describing the personalities of relatives and friends. Truth be told, I was expecting "another" story about diaspora, and indeed, that *is* a part of it. Ultimately, THE CHINESE GROOVE is about stories, the ones we tell each other, and the ones we tell to ourselves.

Kathryn Ma's The Chinese Groove is a refreshing read that explores in ways both serious and humorous the experiences of "Shelly" Zhang (yes, nicknamed after the poet), a Chinese student coming to the U.S. to study English. Shelly comes to the U.S. with inflated expectations, sure the distant relatives he'll be staying with at first will be so charmed that they'll invite him to live with them permanently. The family used to own a small bodega; Shelly convinces himself it still exists, is the biggest store in San Francisco, and that he'll land a well-paid, lifetime job there. And he's going to reunite with an American girl he was briefly involved with when she stayed with her aunt—Shelly's English teacher—in China.

One knows from the start that Shelly's dreams are unreasonable. What makes the book an enjoyable read is the way Shelly is able to overcome barriers and to reshape challenges into opportunities. Without giving spoilers, I can say that in the process he learns a great deal about what family is and isn't, becomes friends with people he never would have met in China, and finds a path for himself.

If you're looking for a bit of generous, light-hearted reading, The Chinese Groove should prove just the ticket.

I received a free electronic review copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.

The Chinese Groove is a wonderful, big-hearted novel that's full of personality and unwavering optimism in the face of tremendous struggle. Shelley captured my heart from the very first pages and I was so grateful for the opportunity to go on his journey with him, a journey full of highs and lows and great humor and enthusiasm as he sought out a place for himself and discovered he was meant for more meaningful things than what the "American dream" might typically entail. This book is a profound delight.

I really did enjoy this one, the main character was young and fun. I liked how it focused on both cross cultural and multigenerational issues. My only quibble was it took place over long period of time and felt like some storyline weren't as fleshed out as they should have been. This made the book seem a little scattered.

The Chinese Groove, the second novel from Kathryn Ma, will be available on January 24, 2023. Counterpoint Press provided an early galley for review.

As a librarian, I am always on the lookout for novels with diverse characters and from diverse authors. This one checks both of those boxes. This book's description sounded like an interesting take on an immigrant story. I found, however, the story a bit difficult for me to get into; it took a couple of chapters and Shelley's eventual arrival in America for the story to catch my attention.

I learned a lot from Ma as she provided experiences and perspectives that are far removed from my own. She also makes an interesting commentary on American image-centric behaviors (and how quickly outsiders can find themselves grasping onto them). I recognized some of those very same behaviors from poeple I knew growing up.

I did like that the characters were varied and flawed, even the protagonist. Since the book covers a broad range of time, a few plot elements tend to go from major focus to background noise rather quickly. While that is very reflective of life in general, it sometimes can leave parts of a fictional story as unsatisfying or interpretted as just filler to the main plot.

An off beat, interior banter accompanies this uplifitng story of a Chinese boy sent to his non too excited about it "rich" uncle in America. I love the fantastical lens through which our 18-year old hero sees the world -- a fanastical one built from the remnants of his mourning father's stories.

This felt like I was reading a biography or memoir. The author really made it seem like Shelley was the writer. I really enjoyed the whole story. Shelley’s mother, who passed when Shelley was a kid, wanted him to go to the USA and basically fulfill his dreams. Initially, Shelley stays with his distant relative, Ted, and his wife, Aviva. Eventually Shelley finds a way to stay longer in the States by being Henry’s caregiver, who is Ted’s father. Throughout the story, Shelley’s relationship with his father and Ted’s relationship with Henry are kind of resolved. I loved the relationship between Shelley and Henry and how he was the main one to bring Ted and Henry back. I hate Deng and he deserves nothing but unfortunately he knows how to make money. The end was a nice resolution. I hope people will pick this up and give it a read.

Thank you to Netgalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I truly expected this book to break my heart, but instead I find myself so warmed and so full.

It is normal for me to revel in the intricacies of my own heritage—even the hard parts—but as I moved through these pages, I found a new sense of home in my heritage. The concept of the groove is fascinating. I’d never heard it in that way, and it helped me understand my own cultural and family dynamics in a refreshing way.

This book at its core is a story about growth and love. It moved me to tears, and I feel like I know myself a little better after reading it.