January 15, 2023
A Chinese Filipino teen in Manila must choose between chasing her dreams in America and staying home to support her family's business. Chloe Liang is one step closer to her dream of becoming an animator when she finally gets off the waitlist at the University of Southern California. But her family won't let her leave the Philippines without the most extravagant send-off possible: her debut, a traditional Filipino 18th-birthday celebration. Chloe needs the closest men and women in her life to participate, but when Auntie Queenie notices that most of the men are Chloe's uncles, she intervenes to kaishao her, the Hokkien term for matchmaking. Chloe's father approves these blind dates, hoping she will stay home for college and join Zip and Lock, the Liang family company, like her cousins. Ethnically Chinese Chloe fully embraces her Filipino nationality but is aware of the desire--to varying degrees--of her Chinese Filipino friends and family to maintain their identity by only marrying within their ethnic community; Cia, Chloe's Filipino best friend, is in a secret relationship with Chinese Filipino Raph because the latter's parents only want him to date other Chinoys. Chloe is very conveniently arranged on dates with boys she already knows, but her experience of the fluttery feeling of kilig (in places both expected and unexpected) is entirely wholesome and sincere. An endearing story from a fresh voice of family, first love, and taking chances. (glossary) (Fiction. 13-18)
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February 27, 2023
When Chinese Filipina teen Chloe Liang is accepted into the University of Southern California’s prestigious animation program, the Manila resident can’t wait to become “Chloe in America.” Leaving the Philippines means escaping her overbearing family, including Pa, who exudes #ProudDad energy on Instagram but is emotionally distant IRL, and bossy Auntie Queenie. Before Chloe leaves, however, her family plans on turning her 18th birthday party into a traditional Filipino debut. Queenie insists that Chloe participate in a formal dance with 18 male friends, and proceeds to kaishao her—set up potential-partner introductions that Chloe calls “very Mulan matchmaker-esque”—with local Chinoy, or Chinese Filipino, boys. Meanwhile, Chloe’s Filipina best friend Cia works on fixing Chloe up with her crush, Cia’s charismatic older brother Jappy. The result is a snappy, voicey debut filled with myriad embarrassing meet-cutes involving boys within Chloe’s tight-knit cohort. A sweetly rendered, idiosyncratic cast who communicate via clever, Tagalog- and Hokkien-punctuated banter populate this laugh-out-loud exploration of Chinoy culture, first love, and intracommunal tensions. A Tagalog and Hokkien glossary concludes. Ages 12–up.
March 15, 2023
Grades 9-12 As a Chinese Filipina girl in Manila, Chloe feels stuck needing to follow the path set by her loving but overbearing family. Her acceptance to the University of Southern California, therefore, is all the more meaningful, as it's her ticket to a future of her own design--one in which she can pursue a career in animation. First, however, she must get through the elaborate party her family is planning for her eighteenth birthday, including the arranged dates her father sets up to help her find a partner for the big event (a mask for his sneaky scheme to persuade Chloe to stay in Manila). Indeed, when she seems to fall for one of her dates, it makes her question whether leaving is the right choice. Coyiuto's lovely debut is quite funny and filled with fantastic family banter. As readers follow Chloe through different dates, they will root for her as she struggles with matters of the heart, including romance, family, and how hard it can be to make a life-changing choice.
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May 1, 2023
Gr 8 Up-Friendship, matchmaking, family expectations, and a Filipino debut come together in this sweet novel about finding who you are. Chloe Lang lives in the Philippines with her dad, and recently finished high school. She has been wait-listed by USC, and her debut is fast approaching. Coming from a Chinese family, she is navigating the societal pressure of having a big 18th birthday party, and although she's expected to have many male suitors, she's never even been kissed. In the Filipino tradition, her aunt begins to kaishao her, meaning, she sets Chloe up to meet boys. Her dream of going to the United States to study animation is in jeopardy as her dad wants her to join the family business. When her submission to the Filipino Animation Festival is rejected, Chloe will have to decide who she wants to be and who she wants to be with. Between love triangles and enemies-to-lovers, this novel explores a few romantic tropes, but the highlight is a relatable heroine who is leaving her childhood behind and focusing on the adult she wants to become. With funny quips and a great deal of current pop culture, this story will appeal to most readers.VERDICT Recommended for all high school libraries, especially for those serving readers looking for Asian and Asian American voices.-Carol Youssif
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