The Ping-pong Queen of Chinatown by Andrew Yang

The Ping-pong Queen of Chinatown

Andrew Yang

HarperCollins · Hardcover · July 16, 2024

Perfect for fans of Ben Philippe and Mary H.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A thoughtful YA story where making a film complicates friendship, family expectations, and the future.
Genres
Contemporary YA Romance, Asian American YA, Film & Movies for Teens
Published
HarperCollins, July 16, 2024

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genres: Contemporary YA Romance and Asian American YA.

  1. Not Your Average JoGrace K. Shim61% match
  2. Rhythm & MuseIndia Hill Brown58% match
  3. When You Wish Upon a LanternGloria Chao60% match
  4. First Love LanguageStefany Valentine59% match
  5. Private LabelKelly Yang59% match
  6. The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha AgarwalAmbika Vohra68% match
  7. Kat's Greek SummerMima Tipper58% match
  8. I'm Not Here to Make FriendsAndrew Yang65% match

For younger readers: Crushing It, Are You Nobody Too?, May the Best Player Win

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

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.

Continue reading

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.

Frames and Feelings

A thoughtful YA story where making a film complicates friendship, family expectations, and the future.

Come here for

  • A complicated bond shaped by shared worries and creative ambition
  • The particular pressure of turning yourself into an impressive application

Expect

  • A shift from playful mockumentary to serious drama
  • Intimate questions about parental expectations, painful memories, and friendship

Where it sits

Contemporary YA Romance64%
Asian American YA48%
Film & Movies for Teens44%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • YA Career Stories
  • Coming of Age
  • Diverse YA Fiction
  • YA Stories About Parents
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Asian American YA
  • Film & Movies for Teens
  • School Stories for Teens
  • Emotions & Feelings for Teens
Authors
Andrew Yang
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
July 16, 2024
Format
Hardcover
Reading lane
YA Career Stories