9 Asian-Led Books that Deserve Their Own Movie Adaption
For many Asian-Americans growing up, it was often difficult finding a protagonist in young adult literature to relate to. Thankfully, in recent times, the story of the Asian-American experience has seen better representation — boosted by the record-breaking popularity of Kevin Kwan’s big-screen adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, and the wonderfully heart-warming *To All the Boys I Loved Before” based on the eponymous book by Jenny Han. While these two novels-turned-books have both gained massive popularity, there are also many other options for those searching for reads that reflect their experiences growing up.
These 9 authors display that more inclusivity in young adult literature can only help give more options to young people who might have felt not represented in the pages of the books they read. Here’s a batch of Asian-led books that we believe could use their own big Hollywood (or streaming giant) movie. And if not that, they’re still great books to pick up for a read.
Courtesy of Amazon/Simon Pulse1/9American Panda by Gloria Chao
Young Mei is a bright, early-college entrant, who, like many young Chinese-American daughters, feels constricted her mother’s watchfulness and strict expectations that she’ll eventually attend medical school. The title American Panda tips a hat to a cajoling yet jabbing nickname her mother gives her in reference to the cute bear species known for its roly-poly appearance and laziness. As much as Mei could try to fit her mother’s mold, she consistently finds herself falling asleep during biology and feeling totally grossed out by germs.
But when Mei has the opportunity to reconnect with her estranged brother, she feels keeping these secrets may be hurting more than helping. The debut novel from Gloria Chao, who was a dentist before she became a writer, enlivens the first-person narrative with bite-sized lessons about Chinese culture and Mei’s witty internal dialogue.
Buy American Panda here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Speak2/9Warcross by Marie Lu
Set in a fictional, gamified world, Warcross is an intriguing story fronted by Emika Chen, a strong, young Asian protagonist. Emika is a hacker and sci-fi bounty hunter, who seeks out illegal players inside the game. Eventually, the protagonist finds herself in hot water when she attempts to hack one of the virtual game’s highly televised events.
Marie Lu is a pro at creating a detailed sci-fi universe that transport the reader into her original worlds. Much like the recently adapted Ready Player One, Warcross is set in a near future where rebels are carving out new rules for society. What’s more, the escapist nature of the book can’t be contained in just one installment — the follow-up, Wildcard, was just released this fall.
Buy Warcross here.
Courtesy of Amazon/G. P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers3/9Outrun the Moon by Stacey Lee
Set in San Francisco during the early 1900s, Stacey Lee’s second novel weaves in compelling topics including class inequality, fall-out from natural disaster, and the drive of a “bossy girl.” A historical fiction that features a fierce female protagonist, 15-year-old Mercy Wong, this novel is a read that incites emotion but also brings to the surface issues between socio-political groups that simmered in the city for decades.
Stacey plays the helpful historian by setting her story during the real-life Great Earthquake and Fire of 1906, an event that also serves as catalyst sparking unity and mutual understanding between the characters, which also happened in real life after disaster hit.
Buy Outrun the Moon here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)4/9[The Way You Make Me Feel] by Maurene Goo
This fun and heart-warming read from California author Maurene Goo is one part delicious food and another part healthy dose of sarcasm. Clara Shin is a half-Korean and half-Brazilian teenage prankster who becomes entangled in a feud with another classmate. A twist in fate forces the two enemies to work together in her father’s food truck.
What shines throughout this book is Clara’s relationship with her father, where the book gets the most emotionally compelling. Moreover, if you’ve ever dreamed of moving to Los Angeles, this easy read will surely whet your appetite to experience the West Coast.
Buy The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Booktrope Editions5/9Dragonfly Dreams by Jennifer J. Chow
Dragonfly Dreams follows Topaz Woo, a young mother who is given a mystical choice after she dies while giving birth: if she wants to continue living, she’ll have to submit to having her and her newborn follow The Ten Commandments. It’s clear Jennifer is a pro with the fantasy genre, but also the author doesn’t neglect to take on bigger issues, elegantly weaving in space for cultural differences, family, and ideals about morality. She takes the reader through Topaz’s tumultuous and sweet story while educating readers about spiritual symbols in both Eastern and Western culture.
Buy Dragonfly Dreams by Jennifer J. Chow here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers6/9Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi
Filled with growing-pain struggles and romance, Emergency Contact revolves around the lives of two teens, Penny and Sam, who both crave to close the book on their current chapters and start something new. Penny can’t run away fast enough from her over-the-top mother; Sam is barely holding on in his comfortable job at a coffee shop and less-than-comfortable apartment above said coffee shop.
This novel by culture journalist Mary H. K. Choi takes care to portray familiar hang-outs (the opening of the book starts inside an Apple store) and modern slang in this debut book. But the defining points of the book rests with the author’s ability to stir up drama, as well as debunk racist perceptions using a contemporary voice.
Buy Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi here.
Courtesy of Amazon/HarperTeen7/9It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura
This story set in Wisconsin does not shy away from the foundations of young adult fiction (psst, it includes romance) while simultaneously incorporating a healthy mix of multicultural characters capped off with a big discovery regarding identity. The novel’s protagonist, Sana Kiyohara, moves from a mostly white community in middle of America to a California community with predominantly minorities. Things seem to be going fairly well until she falls for a girl Jamie Ramirez, one of her closest new friends. This book manages to juggle many different plot changes that keep the reader turning page after page.
Buy It’s Not Like It’s a Secret here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Speak8/9A Step from Heaven by An Na
This stirring novel from An Na expertly explores the difficulties of assimilating in a new country, including how a new culture can break down one’s perceptions of equality and eagerness to turn a new a leaf. Young Ju moves with her family to the United States when she is still a child. Throughout the book, we are introduced to Young’s changing opinions and perspectives, as she moves through childhood and approaches entering college. Issues at home, including a father who struggles with drinking, adds more dimensions aside from Young’s story of navigating society as an immigrant.
The book’s title poignantly stems from the protagonist’s original thinking the Korean word for “America,” miguk, means “heaven.”
Buy A Step from Heaven here.
Courtesy of Amazon/Simon Pulse9/9When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon
When a summer session at a coder camp turns into a meet-cute, teens Dimple Shah and Rishi Patel cannot fight their feelings and loads of butterflies. With two wide-eyed protagonists who are best described as “adorkable,” Sandhya easily crafts a story filled with adorable first-time romance and interesting personas. Dimple is a die-hard for her coding and computer programming interests; Rishi can’t get enough of whipping up his comic books. This sweet read is a satisfying glimpse into a familial arrangement that actually works out, with an equally delightful ending to match.
Buy When Dimple Met Rishi here.
