The Ping-Pong Queen of Chinatown

Perfect for fans of Ben Philippe and Mary H. K. Choi, this charming, insightful YA novel follows two high school students who form a complicated, ground-shifting bond while filming a movie.

High school junior Felix Ma wants to prove to his parents that he's not a quitter. After crashing out of piano lessons and competitive ping-pong, Felix starts a film club at his school in a last-ditch attempt to find a star extracurricular for his college applications.

Then he meets Cassie Chow, a bubbly high school senior who shares Felix's anxieties about the future and complicated relationship with parental expectations. Felix feels drawn to Cassie for reasons he can't quite articulate, so as an excuse to see her more, he invites Cassie to star in his short film.

The project starts out as a lighthearted mockumentary. But at the urging of Felix's college admissions coach, who wants to turn the film into essay material, it soon morphs into a serious drama about the emotional scars that parents leave on their kids. As Felix and Cassie uncover their most painful memories, Cassie starts to balk at opening her wounds for the camera.

With his parents and college admissions coach hot on his heels, Felix discovers painful truths about himself and his past—and must decide whether pleasing his parents is worth losing his closest friend.

• Rivals to Friends: After clashing over piano and ping-pong, Felix needs a star for his movie. Cassie Chow is perfect for the part… and as an excuse to get to know his competition.
• Immigrant Family Dynamics: Felix is desperate to prove he’s not a quitter to his parents. But when his movie project forces him and Cassie to mine their most painful family memories for the camera, their friendship is pushed to the breaking point.
• Making a Movie: What starts as a simple extracurricular for a college application turns into a high-stakes drama, all under the watchful eye of a cynical admissions coach who sees their real-life pain as the perfect essay topic.
• Friendship and Identity: A sharp, funny, and heartfelt story about the pressures of high school, the complexities of friendship, and the courage it takes to define success on your own terms.