I always love a good book that feels like a love letter to New York, and I also love books about sisterhood and sorority. I loved the dynamic between the sisters and their different personalities, and it was a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books and Quill Tree Books for a copy of this book. All opinions in this book are my own.

This is a great coming-of-age story presented from the point of view of three different teenage girls living in New York City. They are all of various backgrounds and descents, but are the best of friends who are going to be spending their first summer away from each other. It follows Jia, Ariel, and Everett as they learn what values are important to them, versus what values their family and culture holds dear. This book touches on heavy subjects and E.L. Shen handles all of it with grace. I would gladly read spinoff books about each of the girls adventures on their own, but it wrapped up in a nice way where it felt like their story was complete as well. I really enjoyed this and I look forward to reading more of Shen's work.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

A sweet story about three Asian American friends, I thought this was great! It also explores being an immigrant, the choices young folks face and the effects of family and circumstances. At the heart and center of the novel is the admirable and unbreakable bond between the three girls. I loved their email exchanges and found their voices to be authentic. I think many young adults would enjoy this one!

This one caught my eye when someone compared it to Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants—and after finishing, the comparison stands, although there are no pants this time. I lovee a friendship story and this one was very sweet and summer-y and I enjoyed all 3 perspectives/POVS equally. It was quick and heartwarming and I just loved and treasured and appreciated the friendship that these girls had.

Billed as a YA novel in the same spirit as The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I knew I wanted to read The Queens of New York by E. L. Shen. It's a beautifully rendered book about three friends and the ways their lives differ and connect from across the globe, the trials they face, and the ways they overcome adversity.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

*the queens of new york* follows three best friends, jia, ariel, and everett over the course of a summer break where they’re all dealing with their own hardships. everett is spending her summer at a theater/musical camp where she finds herself having to fight against the blatant racism of the organisers while ariel is busy with a stem camp and dealing with the grief of losing her sister, and jia is staying home, helping her family with their restaurant and taking care of her grandma, but dreaming of a different future for herself than the one set by her parents.

i could read the rest of the three girls’ lives if it existed. their friendship and bond was truly amazing to read about, i could tell they cared very deeply about one another through their individual thoughts and also interactions. i cared about each of their stories and didn’t feel like they were taking priority or taking up space over the other, both of which are things i rarely feel while reading stories divided into separate story lines like this book.

i loved the writing style and felt like the voice really changed during each of the girls’ chapters, which i feel like must be a hard thing to portray so well! maybe it was to do with the fact that i ended up listening to the audiobook after the release date (which i would highly recommend!) but i do think the writing played the bigger part in that.

overall, i *really* loved this (way more than i thought i would!) and would recommend it!

This was a really engaging narrative, following the interweaving perspectives of three friends over the course of one summer. I was invested in each story and loved the way they all came together and the way the connection of their friendship was the overarching thread of the plot.

What a beautiful novel. E.L. Shen weaves together three friends' stories that span the globe; it'll make you laugh, cry, and wish you, too, were just a teenage girl facing the world for the very first time.

How exciting to read about these different girls--queens--as they navigate life together and apart. Perfect for the teen girls in their twenties, this story can be so relatable even if it isn't at all.

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- a novel of sisterhood, finding your own path, and knowing who is by your side. the three protagonists were individuals who wanted to claim their own lives, yet, as they struggled and achieved, they always found a way back to one another, stronger than before. Shen conveys the joys and struggles of sisterhood with delicate writing that makes you envious of their bond, but makes you also appreciate those kinds of bonds you have in real life.

The Queens of New York made me ache, in the best way possible. It made me ache for New York - my forever home. It made me ache for Korea and the ocean - that are calling me back. And it made me ache for teenage me - an adopted Asian girl being raised in the whitest of white midwest. There are a very small handful of books that I've seen almost too much of myself in, and this is absolutely one of them.

The Queens of New York strikes YA magic, letting the main characters be kids while keeping their worlds and the writing as vivd and complicated as any adult novel. I usually dislike comparisons between books, but here the parallels with The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is apt. But this book in its diversity and honesty make the familiar formula modern, new, hard hitting, and... well, better.

I savored this book, reading it slowly over months. But, in the few days since finishing I have recommended it to all of my Asian girlfriends. This books explores the camaraderie that can only come from truly shared experience. Though the book ends on the precipice of major change, I see these girls growing together for years to come, as I have with my friends.

I loved this. This story is as beautiful as it is important. I will be thinking about it for a long, long time.

a cute novel, i really enjoyed it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and netgalley for this review copy.

Cuuuute!! This book was very cute while still touching on some very serious and important topics. I found myself wanting to be friends with all of these girls. I would definitely be open to reading more by E. L. Shen! Multiple pov done very right.

4 Stars.

An entertaining read overall! It ended up being a bit more about grief than I was expecting, but the three-POV split between Everett, Jia, and Ariel was dynamic and well executed.

Description-
Best friends Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang are inseparable. But this summer, they won’t be together.

Everett, aspiring Broadway star, hopes to nab the lead role in an Ohio theater production, but soon realizes that talent and drive can only get her so far. Brainy Ariel is flying to San Francisco for a prestigious STEM scholarship, even though her heart is in South Korea, where her sister died last year. And stable, solid Jia will be home in Flushing, juggling her parents’ Chinatown restaurant, a cute new neighbor, and dreams for an uncertain future.

As the girls navigate heartbreaking surprises and shocking self-discoveries, they find that even though they’re physically apart, they are still mighty together.

Any book based on female friendships is a book I want to read, devour or just simply imprint into my soul. The writing is addicting, the story and character development were fantastic. It’s a reread for sure.

Awww, I really loved this! I couldn't put it down because it so perfectly encapsulated the experience of growing up Asian-American in this country and what the children of immigrant parents have to struggle through. I really identified with Jia as she feels that responsibility to her family, with Everett when she kept silent at the acting camp, and with Ariel as she struggled to find what happened to her sister and her connect with her parents. This is an amazing story from start to finish and I loved it!

I was pretty sure I was going to like this book, but I was not expecting to LOVE it this much.

I can't believe that this beauty of a book is a debut! The writing is fantastic, the characters are well developed and I could not stop reading. I normally feel like friendship books fall short but this one did not. It's a must read, for both teens and adults.

3.5-3.75
A relatable story with a good message.

The story follows three friends: Jia, Ariel, and Everett. Jia's family wants her to take over the family restaurant in Chinatown, but she doesn't know if that's what she wants for her future. Ariel has been struggling ever since her sister's death. She hasn't been herself and doesn't know how to move on. Meanwhile, Everett, an aspiring Broadway star, is trying to nab the lead role in a theater production. Little does she know, it's not always about talent.

It wasn't as emotional or deep as I would have liked, but it was still a good coming-of-age story about family, grief, and racism. Would recommend!

***Thank you to NetGalley, E.L. Shen, and HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books for graciously sending me the ARC to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***

Three friends for life must spend a summer apart to pursue their passions. Spread to the corners of the world, they find a way to preserve the bond of friendship.

This story reminds me of the Bratz life-action movie. How a group a friends who swear nothing will separate them find themselves separated. Just like the characters in the movie, their differences and separation help to deepen the bond of their friendship in this heartwarming story.