Living in California, high school senior Danny Cheng looks forward to attending the Rhode Island School of Design on a full scholarship. Danny is an amazing artist, and his friends always comment on how cool his art is. Danny especially appreciates his best friend Harry Wong, who's dating his other best friend Regina Chan. Danny has always had feelings for Harry, and he often sees hints that maybe Harry is returning those feelings, but it's all so confusing as Harry and Regina form a beautiful couple that everyone say belongs together. Then there's the suicide of another friend, a year ago, that colors everything they do,
Danny's parents have always been secretive, and never talk about their lives before immigrating to the United States from China, so Danny doesn't know much about them. His life is turned inside out when Danny discovers a shoebox containing photos, news clipping, and checks. His parents seem to have had a double life. When his father come home one day and announces they need to move, because he has left his job at the University and they can no longer afford the rent on their home. The family quickly flees to a miserable apartment far in the suburbs. Danny doesn't know what his parents did, but research show that his father assaulted a rich businessman years ago, and fled their former home in Texas, changed their names, and settled in California. Danny, and his parents, are illegal immigrants. They overstayed their visa and when assault charges were filed, they ran away. This realization threatens Danny's whole future.
Overnight, Danny finds himself forced to attend a new high school, instead of the art school where Harry and Regina go. Danny manage to con his parents and continues to attend his art school while looking for details on what really happened with his parents. As life crumbles around him, decisions Danny made in the past about Harry come back to haunt him. Will Danny have enough time to reconcile with his parents, discover what happened to the kidnapped sister he never knew he had, and come clean to Harry on his feelings for him?
Finding oneself is hard for most teens, and doubly so for LGBTQ+ teens. In Danny's case, the secret lives of his parents and the missing sister all add up to an impossibly complicated life. Fans of realistic fiction will appreciate how Danny eventually discovers who he is, and what his life is all about.
No comments:
Post a Comment