Front Desk

There are some books that get a lot of hype and I wonder to myself if they really deserve it. After I read Front Desk, it is one that deserves it. It was one of those books that I heard getting a lot of hype so I was curious if it was going to rise to the amount of hype or just fall flat. From the first chapter, I fell head over heels in love with Mia Tang and her whole family. Every chapter was another piece to the immigrant experience that I had never thought of or experienced. I have to say if you read any YA books this year READ THIS ONE!!! It truly is an amazing read that had me highlighting so many powerful moments and lines. This is an award winner for a reason.

Plot: Mia Tang is a young girl who is a recent Chinese immigrant with her mother and father. They traveled to America for a better life and more opportunities. However, they struggle to find opportunities that give their family stability. Mia and her family eventually find a position managing the Calavista Motel which is located in California; not far from Disneyland. Mia starts to think her family's life is about to turn around and the dreams they have had for the American Dream are about to come true. Sadly, they didn't realize how wrong they were. The owner of the Calivista Motel is Mr. Yao and he is a ruthless man. He feels no empathy for this family he has employed and changes working terms and docks their salary if things break or go wrong at the Motel. Luckily for Mia and her family, there are a number of amazing weekly residents who live in the Motel. Residents such as Hank help and support the Tangs as they work to make their American Dream come true. Throughout this novel, Mia deals with fitting in, unfair treatment, and immigrant and racial obstacles. You will fly through this novel with so many good quotes and the different moments that Mia grows from in this novel.

My Thoughts: As for my thoughts this novel is a MUST read! Mia's experience is still so vivid in my mind. This is because of the amazing work of Kelly Yang. Her use of her real-life experience makes this story so real that I felt transported to the Calivista Motel the entire time I was reading it. This book brought to light an immigrant experience that I had rarely read or discussed. It opened my eyes and made me so happy that this is a YA novel/middle-grade novel. The discussions that can be had and the idea that young people can have their eyes opened to the world that they may have never experienced through this novel makes my heart happy. This novel carries so much truth about the immigrant experience and the racial differences that happen in our country. I know that teachers have another great novel to make an impact with their students. If you are a parent please consider reading this book with your child because I think there is so much to be discussed and shared. This book is my current top recommendation and I have to give it 5/5 stars! I can't wait to read Kelly Yangs' other books! If you are Audible I highly recommend the Audible as well. It is very immersive and the narration done by Sunny Lu was amazing.

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