I loved the weaving of three different Asian American stories and the challenges each girl faced with her family and cultural expectations.

So, I like pretty covers. Lots of people do. After all, that's one of the factors that many readers consider before picking this up. I also found out this was supposed to have Sisterhood of the travelling pants vibes and although I don't remember the films, it probably does have this vibe. That's about where it ends.


Now, onto the usual madness.


Short Summary: Three best friends end up separated over the course of a life-changing summer.


Long Summary: New York City has always been the perfect home for Ariel, Everett and Jia. Best friends since they were little, the three have been inseparable as they go through school, the family drama and boys among other things.


Until now. Because now, Ariel is going to start university a year early in San Francisco and will participate in a pre-college program even if she's not fully recovered from her sister Bea's mysterious death. And Everett is going to live her dream in Ohio at an exclusive theater summer camp program that isn't all that it seems.


And Jia? She's stuck helping her family's business until she meets Akil. Sweet, shy new boy in NYC out to get to know her better. But her future is supposed to be set in stone. The family restaurant, her Nai Nai with parkinson's and her parents relying on her is all that awaits her.


But perhaps Jia wants more. And maybe, their summer plans might change them as people too.


I really wanted to like this one. But my problems with this book were many.


It wasn't just the racism scattered throughout Everett's arc but also the pacing. All three of them are cookie cutter characters that stick exactly to the cliche. Everett, the girl who has it all who just realized that her bubble could be popped and that the real world is a LOT more cruel than she thought. Ariel, the prodigy who is just unhappy with everything and has a bad relationship with her parents. And Jia, the dutiful old daughter who is always good, always reliable, always dreaming for what she can't have and then do one bad thing to earn the wrath of her parents.


Out of all the characters, Jia was the one I could relate to but even there, her arc was pretty simple: get the guy who will change her life. But their romance builds up quickly and it becomes dramatic for no reason and it becomes a relationship without much substance.


All in all, while the story "flows" well for the friends to be together, then get separated and then come together again seems predictable but the pace oftentimes felt rushed and the transitions were abrupt. For example: we get a very emotionally heavy scene that actually moved me to tears and then BOOM next page reveals a lighthearted moment.


As if we did not just cry about a family mourning. As if the big reveal of what happened to Bea was just something to gloss over. As if a fractured family coming together at last gets replaced with something so drastically different, it causes whiplash.


Sure, it had a satisfying ending but that was about it.


Overall: 2/5 stars

I loved Jai, Everett and Ariel's friendship! I loved the premise of them growing up and trying not to grow apart. Their emails back and forth felt just like how I would message my best friends. The story is definitely reminiscent of The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants. The girls are so sweet and intriguing, I loved reading each of their stories! Ariel's was so heartbreaking and I love how the girls were there for her. One minor issue I had was the mention of names without stating their significance and relation right off the bat. Example: cece, Bea, nai nai. But overall 4.5 stars! Thank you netgalley and author for the arc!

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

My Thoughts:

The newest Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants Asian version (and without the pair of jeans). For Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang, this summer is supposed to be the first step to their future selves. Told in alternating first person narratives, each girl deals with secrets, heartbreaks and huge decisions. Although they are miles away from each other, their friendship, now mostly through group chat, weaves the solid bond between these girls from Queens, New York.

This is not a fluffy summer read. Each character deals with very difficult issues alone: grief, racism, obligation, and heartbreak. Although the three of them try to keep their struggles from each other and put up a cheerful front, what they find in the end is that their bond is unbreakable and that even physical distance cannot break their system of support. They have different talents and dreams, they are from different ethnic groups, and they go to different schools, but their friendship is the strong rope that lets them drift away and pulls them back together.

From the Publisher:
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.



Publication Information:
Author: E.L. Shen

Publisher: Quill Tree Books (June 6, 2023)

Multicultural Interest, Romance, Teens &YA

When I saw The Queens of New York compared to The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, I knew I wanted to read it! A group of friends spending their summer apart -- without the corny aspect of the pants? Yes!

I really enjoyed each of the girls' storylines -- I definitely identified with Jia, who felt like her entire life was being planned for her. Realistic portrayals of racism, grief, family expectations, and friendship from beginning to end.

Jia Lee, Everett Hoang, and Ariel Kim are seniors in high school and very close friends. While they don't attend the same high school, it's clear that they have a special sisterhood. Though they're on separate tracks and away from each other, their friendships hold them together.

Everett Hoang is at an exclusive theater camp in the MidWest where the staff and her classmates are eager and competitive. They're also self-absorbed and can't tell one Asian culture from another and have chosen as their project a show that is rife with problematic stereotypes. It is exhausting and degrading and Everett is determined not to do the best she can with the role she's given. It's painful and infuriating but Everett is the bright spot in the dull, dark space.

Jia Lee is in NYC and working at her family's Chinese restaurant, trying to keep it afloat. There are infrastructure problems, family health issues, and time and money are tight. Jia is also falling in love with Everett's new neighbor. Does she reveal that she doesn't live in Forest Hills, doesn't have the same wealthy, NYC private school life?

Ariel Kim's older sister disappeared/died while in Busan, Korea. Ariel can't stop thinking about how they'd left things and she wants to know more about her sister's life. The thoughts of her sister have started to affect everything that she does - Ariel leaves college for Busan to investigate. Ariel discovers another side of her older sister and tries to find a way to mark her legacy.

The three stories intertwine and deliver an emotionally rich, absorbing read. I loved that each of these young Asian American women was able to find her strength and voice.

E.L. Shen's sophomore novel The Queens of New York is an Asian immigrant story told through the eyes of three teenage best friends, who find themselves facing down adversity over one monumental summer. Although the girls are inseparable, this summer they will be forging their own paths as they explore themselves and their futures in this thought-provoking coming of age novel.

Despite the girls being best friends, they are really night, afternoon, and day, each providing something to their friends group that the others lack. Ariel is the group's brainiac, having graduated high school a year early, and is spending her summer in California in a pre-college STEM program before she begins university in the fall. However, Ariel finds herself plagued with intrusive thoughts about her enigmatic older sister's untimely death just a few months before in South Korea.

Everett, the group's shining star, plans to make it big on Broadway someday, so she enrolls in an summer theater intensive, hoping to broaden her skills. But when she finds the camp problematic and close-minded, she has to make a choice between staying silent or speaking up against the injustices she sees.

Jia is a dutiful daughter who finds herself living her parents' dream instead of her own. Working at the family's Chinese restaurant this summer, she feels the pressure to take over the business one day, but it is the last thing Jia wants. Can she be true to herself or is she destined to live someone else's dreams?

The Queens of New York is a solid YA read about family, identity, and finding yourself amid all the noise. This is an important book that will resonate with teens struggling to figure out what they want in life while weighing parental and societal pressures against their own hopes and dreams. A true coming of age novel, The Queens of New York highlights how each girl grows and changes during one pivotal summer.

With that being said, while this book is beautiful, it is not entirely exciting or engaging. It is well-written and substantial, but also heavy and just a lot in general. The only moments of fun and levity are provided in Everett's chapters at her drama camp, but the rest of the book is pretty sobering and depressing. While there is certainly nothing wrong with somber content, I think the tone of the book should be mentioned for those looking for lighter reads.

This was such a great read. Each character came off as so unique and their friendship felt genuine. I love how each story dealt with the experience of being POC in different ways, whether it was through racism, having immigrant parents, or being stuck in the family business. The emails and messages the girls sent one another felt like real teenagers talking to one another and not just adult writing for teenagers. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a story about friendship!

I cried 3 times.

It’s so good. I need to read more books about friendships. I love books that deal with grief and I feel like this is in the same vein of others with the addition of how friends are so important and having someone in your corner.

The tension between parents and child and trying to figure out life. It gave me hope and that angsty feeling of being a teen again

This is the perfect summer book!!

Thank you to NetGalley, author E. L. Shen, and HarperCollins Children's Books-- Quill Tree Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was everything that I've been wanting to read recently. Shen's writing is SO beautiful, and I simply can't believe this was her YA debut!! I absolutely adored not only the friendship between Jia, Everett, and Ariel, but I also adored how unique each girl was. They complimented each other perfectly, and their friendship shined when they were together, but each girl's story was so richly developed that I could have read a whole book centered around everyone individually. The rich settings of New York, Korea, and Ohio helped to enhance the story, and I loved being transported in the text. The Queens of New York had a little of everything, from romance to loss to family responsibilities to expectations to racial issues to passion and more. There was really no stone left unturned, but every issue covered was extremely natural in the storyline and had a time/place. I can only hope to read a reunion between Jia, Everett, and Ariel in the future because I would LOVE to see their friendship continue to develop. This book made me want to call all my friends and give them my love; I definitely recommend for a heartfelt read this summer!

Love love love this book so much. Made me so nostalgic for my closest friends in high school. I read this book in two sittings! The friendship is beautiful and the books tone is perfect, even when covering serious topics. Enough depth and lightness for the perfect summer read.

I really liked this book!

I love that the girls branch off in their own for the first time and struggle and thrive in their own ways in their own time BUT still have each other. There is great representation for those who may have some of the same struggles and think they are alone. From grief, to guilt, to being treated terribly these girls face it all and come out stronger.

Definitely go on their journeys with them, laugh and cry, and maybe have ice cream handy because this book will definitely have you craving it 🍦💕

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

I enjoyed reading about three young Asian American friends in New York thinking about their future after high school. I liked that they are from different ethnicities - Jia is Chinese; Everett is Vietnamese; and Ariel is South Korean- but they are in fact, all New Yorkers.

I found the themes intriguing and timely: Everett experiences discrimination and stereotyping of Asians while attending a summer theater workshop in Ohio; Ariel helps her family by discovering the details of the sudden death of her adventurous and non-traditional older sister in Korea;' and Jia decides whether her future will be separate from her restaurant owning Chinese family. What is heartwarming about this novel is how the three band together to support each other in their crises, and how they help solve Everett's soul-crushing experience in Ohio.

I was surprised by the novel, in a good way, as the cover of the book prepared me for a different kind of story.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this novel. 4/5 stars.

While this is a story about three best friends, all Asian, but from different families and cultures and classes, it's told mostly independently from each of their summers as they're separated on their own adventures and journeys. I love how it has them texting and emailing to keep their stories connected, but each of the girls -- Jia, Ariel, and Everett -- still had their own story and their own growth to go through. Jia is struggling with her parents' expectations of her as their first daughter who is meant to take over their restaurant but also to watch her grandma and her younger sister, but she wants more in her life than it being planned out like that. Ariel is dealing with grief from losing her older sister and her family's academic expectations and wanting to move on without processing grief. Everett is a triple threat at an institute in Ohio faced with racism and prejudice.

Each of the stories are relatable in their own ways, and each girl has a unique voice for their parts. There were definitely parts where I was like close to tears...I do think some of the romances were unnecessary in their stories, but overall I really enjoyed this.

The Queens of New York is a book about friendship born from a moment when friendship mattered the most. This multiple POV story is about how friends know when we aren't okay. The fake smiles, doubts that haunt us at night, and support of a hug and a pint of ice cream. With email snippets - which I adored - The Queens of New York lets us see to the beating hearts and fragilities we confide to our friends, and the ones we hide.

I took a little bit to get into this, but then i really liked it, following the threads of how these girls grew and changed and brought each other forward and through pain. I appreciate that things were messy but not totally painful to watch. I don't know if i think it was all believable--particularly the text threads were written awkwardly for me, but i don't really know how teens text i guess?, and the fact that the teens had so much autonomy to just like... leave places--but i don't totally mind honestly. I was glad to read this! It would be good in school libraries.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, Quill Tree Books and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

Ariel, Jia and Everett are best friends growing up in Queens, NY. They separate for the summer - Everett goes to a prestigious musical theater program, Ariel goes to California to start college early, and Jia is left in Flushing to help run her parents' dumpling house and to take care of her ailing grandmother and sister. Staying in touch through email, voice chat and videos, the three friends all have an eventful summer.

The Queens of New York, by E.L. Shen is a very entertaining and fun novel. I really liked reading about the 3 friends and their adventures as they set off on the path to adulthood. I was really happy about the representation of Asian American culture and the fact that it wasn't just about being Asian.

I really enjoyed this novel and hope it becomes a big success!

Meet my YA book of the SUMMER! Jia, Everett, and Ariel are high school besties whose summer plans could not be any more different. Jia is a Chinese-American helping out at her family’s restaurant in Chinatown while looking after her little sister and grandmother. Everett is a Vietnamese-American off to theater camp in Ohio, while Ariel, the genius Korean-American is in pre-college grieving the death of her older sister months before. As the summer progresses, all three girls will need their friendship to anchor them through the waves of grief, first loves, and standing up for yourself. I LOVED the depiction of friendship in this book and the way the author brings cities and characters to life. If you loved The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and can’t get enough of emotional, fast-paced YA stories — this book is for you!

I could not put this story down! I loved reading about each of these girls and their summers. Their friendship and loyalty was inspiring. I found myself drawn to each of their lives and what was happening. The 3 person perspective was done very well, I liked the inclusion of texts and emails as well.