Miss Fortune Cookie

Oct 25, 2012 Kara rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, california, contemporary, didn-t-live-up-to-expectations, for-review, own, romance, young-adult

The main reason I requested Miss Fortune Cookie from the publisher was because I love reading books about different cultures. I also like reading contemporary novels that are not too serious. I AM glad I requested this novel and read it, but in some ways it disappointed me.

The number one reason I was disappointed? The disjointed plot. When there was a plot. Half the time I didn't even know where the story was going or what was going to happen next. That makes it sound like a good thing but it w...more The main reason I requested Miss Fortune Cookie from the publisher was because I love reading books about different cultures. I also like reading contemporary novels that are not too serious. I AM glad I requested this novel and read it, but in some ways it disappointed me.

The number one reason I was disappointed? The disjointed plot. When there was a plot. Half the time I didn't even know where the story was going or what was going to happen next. That makes it sound like a good thing but it wasn't at all. Just what was the story arc here? I have no idea. This was not a difficult book to read so this should not have happened. But it did.

I'm going to try to give you an idea of what this book is about, but it's hard because I still am not sure what the main ideas were. Anyway... Erin runs an advice blog called "Miss Fortune Cookie." Basically people write in with questions about the problems they are having in their life and Erin answers them with fortune cookie fortunes and a little explanation. Which would have been cute if I thought Erin had any business giving people life advice but she did not. The girl hadn't even had a real relationship and wasn't even sure how to keep or manage her friendships. Plus, she was a teenager. What teenager should be giving advice to others? Ummm...not a single one?

But I digress. So Erin is giving advice to people and then some people she knows start writing in and asking questions because they have no idea that Miss Fortune Cookie is Erin but they are facing some really tough problems and could use some advice. So Erin gives it to them and I guess then her real life starts to conflict with her blogging life and she has to start straightening things out. The problem is none of this happened until really late in the book and the whole first hundred or so pages were all about Erin and her friends and all the drama in their lives, which really wasn't all that serious, and I honestly didn't care all that much. These girls pretty much meant diddly squat to me because their characterizations were flat as hell and who were they even? I don't know but none of this worked for me. *takes a breath*

Okay. So that's it. I tried to summarize most of the plot without giving spoilers, but to be completely honest it would be hard to spoil anything because nothing much happened. And yet I gave it three stars. Which I am now lowering to two because after writing my review I feel I was too generous with this one. I am so confused that I don't even know what I'm doing right now.

Let's talk about the good things. The writing was decent! It really was. I'd read something else this author wrote, she just needs to figure out how to construct a story. I really liked the last fifty pages. Things started to come together and I even teared up a little there towards the end. Weylon was a fun love interest and the relationships in this book were healthy which is something to applaud in ya fiction these days. I liked the interaction the girls had with each other though at times I felt they were more frenemies than actual friends. I felt like Erin was the only one who was reliable and loyal. The other two girls I would have kicked to the curb long ago. Do people still say "kicked to the curb?" O_o The book was compulsively readable and the pages kept turning even though most of the time I was at a loss over everything.

So would I recommend it? I don't know. I guess so. But only if you are looking for something fun and mindless. I was hoping this would be a great cultural YA read that I could recommend to others, but there really wasn't that much culture in it at all and that is due in part to the underdeveloped characters. So I don't know. If I could go back in time, I don't think I would read this again. There was just no point and it did nothing for me. I hope someone else has a better experience with it than I did.

And that was clearly the most jumbled and nonsensical review I have ever written. *curtsies*

Oh and yeah. The instalove. There's that too. Wah-wah.(less)

like 4 likes · see review

Jan 26, 2013 Celeste_pewter rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Lauren Bjorkman studied Mandarin Chinese at UC Davis - Aggies, holla! - and you can tell that she seriously absorbed everything she was taught. She puts a significant amount of detail and thought into everything from the language used, to the food described, to just daily life things.

Miss Fortune Cookie is a rich love letter to the Chinese culture, and to Northern California in general. I read this immediately after reading Smart Girls Get What They Want, and it was nice seeing a different high...more

like 1 like · see review

Nov 29, 2012 The Cover Contessa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-reads, 2013-arc-review-books, contemporary-realistic-fiction

I want to thank Henry Holt and Company and the author, Laren Bjorkman for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and give an honest review. This book was read and reviewed as part of the book tour taking place through the following tour site: http://www.crossroadreviews.com/. Obtaining this book for free has in no way influenced my thoughts.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cook...more I want to thank Henry Holt and Company and the author, Laren Bjorkman for providing me with an ARC of this book to read and give an honest review. This book was read and reviewed as part of the book tour taking place through the following tour site: http://www.crossroadreviews.com/. Obtaining this book for free has in no way influenced my thoughts.

Blurb from Goodreads:
Meet Erin. Smart student, great daughter, better friend. Secretly the mastermind behind the popular advice blog Miss Fortune Cookie. Totally unaware that her carefully constructed life is about to get crazy.
It all begins when her ex-best friend sends a letter to her blog—and then acts on her advice. Erin’s efforts to undo the mess will plunge her into adventure, minor felonies, and possibly her very first romance.
What’s a likely fortune for someone no longer completely in control of her fate? Hopefully nothing like: You will become a crispy noodle in the salad of life

I must start off by saying I am not a big reader of contemporary fiction. I steer away from it because I want my reading to take me to fantasy places where things happen that I would never experience in real life. Yet, once in a while, a contemporary fiction novel comes along and kind of grabs me and drags me under with it's story. This book did this for me. I was right away swept up by the way it was written and flowed and the funny anticdotes the main character used to help the reader relate to the situation.

I have to say that the cover is fairly plain for this book. It's cute in it's own way and has a nice color scheme. But it's doubtful I would have picked this book up on looks alone had it not been given to me to review.

I really liked the main character, Erin. She had spunk to her. Her secret identity as Miss Fortune Cookie made her a bit mysterious. And yet, her advice adequately portrayed how smart she is and how, despite her lack of life experience, she really is able to give good advice to others. Mostly she's a teenage girl, trying to make the "hard" decisions that will change and shape her life in the future. She's extremely devoted to her mother and her friends. Yet she has just the right amount of teen angst and insecurity to make her real and relatable. One thing that bothered me about her was her lack of self-confidence. I know that many teens go through periods of this, but she seemed so down on herself all the time, like nothing good could happen to her (getting into an Ivy league school, having a guy like her). Fortunately, she does learn a lot about herself throughout the book and gains much more confidence as it goes on.
Her best friends, Linny and Mei, truly compliment her. Each girl has enough differences in her personality to help make the story interesting and the situations plausible.

I liked the story line, basically a teen girl coming into herself, making decisions that will influence where her life goes in the future. A young girl experiencing changes in her friendships that she didn't think would happen. A young girl feeling love for the first time. In the midst of all this, we are learning a bit about the Chinese culture, tho not as much as I would have hoped seeing as this really seemed like it would be centered around the experiences Chinese American teenagers go through when balancing family, friends and the two combined cultures.The ending wrapped the story up in a neat little package, which I don't usually mind, but it would have been nice if things really didn't happen all in the way we thought it would (as in fairytale ending).

I really enjoyed the authors writing style. It was easy to follow, for the most part. Although I have to say there were two incidents where I had to turn the page back to make sure I really understood what was going on. The Author was able to make light of more serious situations, adding some humor to the story. There was also a bit of suspense, just the right amount to keep you interested. And the story bounced around a bit, lending some randomness to it.

All in all I liked the story and I am happy that I got to experience it. I would definitely read something else from this author in the future. 3 out of 5 stars.

Review to be posted to the following sites once the tour begins:
Amazon
The Cover Contessa(less)

like 1 like · see review

Feb 28, 2013 Annette rated it 4 of 5 stars

Once in a while you just need a cute, feel good book about friendship with a helping of romance.and Miss Fortune Cookie really satisfied my craving.

Erin lives in Chinatown, was born in China, and her best friends are Chinese, so she's very familiar with Chinese culture. She wishes she was really Chinese. She's also a senior in high school and she and her friends are waiting to hear about acceptance to college.

Mei and Erin were best friends until 8th grade, when Mei abandoned Erin. Only recently...more

like · see review

Feb 22, 2013 Fran rated it 3 of 5 stars

Erin is a high-school senior who lives in a cramped apartment with her mom in San Francisco’s Chinatown. She secretly writes an advice blog called, “Miss Fortune Cookie.” Though she is not Chinese, Erin lived in China while her father worked there and feels comfortable with the Chinese culture and language. Her two best friends, Mei and Linny are Chinese-Americans and all three attend Lowell, a prestigious college preparatory public high school. Mei’s hardworking mother, Shu Fang, operates the H...more

like · see review

Feb 02, 2013 Cindy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: flc-2013, teen

I enjoyed this but had some problems with it. It's cute and has some nice messages about what it means to be a good friend and a good daughter. If there's a moral to this story, it's that it pays to be honest with your loved ones and to trust them to ultimately do right by you.

On the one hand, I enjoyed the idea of a white young woman being the outsider and trying to be accepted into what would be considered a minority group elsewhere in the country. On the other...I found Erin's attempts to fit...more I enjoyed this but had some problems with it. It's cute and has some nice messages about what it means to be a good friend and a good daughter. If there's a moral to this story, it's that it pays to be honest with your loved ones and to trust them to ultimately do right by you.

On the one hand, I enjoyed the idea of a white young woman being the outsider and trying to be accepted into what would be considered a minority group elsewhere in the country. On the other...I found Erin's attempts to fit in with her Chinese American classmates awkward. Dying her hair black, striking up conversations in Mandarin with strangers on the bus...these made me cringe a bit inside.

I also found the early introduction of Westboro Baptist on p.18 to be very much an infodump and out of place in the narrative. The later fictionalized account of Lowell's anti-protest was well done, the early info-dump, not so much. Rather than being introduced to Linny's character, we're treated to a min-rant about Westboro. I'm fine with ranting about Westboro, but feel it should have come later in the story after we're better acquainted with the characters.

Erin has a tendency to assume that many of the letters sent to the Miss Fortune Cookie blog are from her acquaintances, whether from Mei, her mother, or even Shanice. I'm not really clear that that's actually the case or if she's just reading her own experiences into the correspondence. On the one hand, she recognizes she's putting too much of herself into her replies, but doesn't seem to recognize she's doing the same when reading the initial letters. If they really ARE from the people she assumes their from, that's a pretty big stretch of belief.

As much as I enjoyed the precocious Lincoln, I don't really find him to be all that believable. He's very much the deus ex machina in Erin's relationship with Weyland. I also couldn't believe his mother was almost immediately won over by a stranger and lost her mad on that said stranger had essentially abducted her son. And then offered the stranger a regular babysitting gig. Is this really reflective of San Franciso's culture? Are people really that trusting of strangers? Even Erin's mom invites homeless transients into their home for overnights on the couch. It's a big stretch for me.

I lost respect for Weyland after the hotel with his 'game-playing' comment. He and Erin have had no time to talk and don't really know one another at all. Given where they're at in their relationship, this was a real douche move.

Finally...really Erin, you're going to Harvard? At $36K+ a year? When your mother doesn't make enough to even keep the phone on? I don't care how fabulous the opportunities. Don't fall for the hype and incur all that debt--go to Berkeley instead.

(less)

like 1 like · see review

Jan 05, 2013 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Erin and her friends Linny and Mei are seniors at the exclusive Lowell school in San Francisco, and are all awaiting their college acceptance letters. Erin was born in China, but is of Irish extraction, and lives in a tiny apartment with her mother, her father having died when she was small. Erin wishes she were Chinese, and is a bit jealous of her friends, who are. Mei's mother runs a restaurant and is determined that Mei will get in to Harvard; Mei is more interested in going to Stanford so sh...more

like · see review

Dec 17, 2012 Cherie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a breath of fresh air. No vampires, no shape-shifters, no angels, demons, fairies or any other supernatural creatures. No teenage sex, no crazy partying, no love triangle, or any of the other gimmicks used so often in YA lit. And, you know what? I didn't miss any of it! This is true realistic fiction. The story revolves around Erin, the anonymous writer of an advice blog called Miss Fortune Cookie, and her two Chinese-American friends, Mei and Linny. They are seniors in high school whose b...more What a breath of fresh air. No vampires, no shape-shifters, no angels, demons, fairies or any other supernatural creatures. No teenage sex, no crazy partying, no love triangle, or any of the other gimmicks used so often in YA lit. And, you know what? I didn't miss any of it! This is true realistic fiction. The story revolves around Erin, the anonymous writer of an advice blog called Miss Fortune Cookie, and her two Chinese-American friends, Mei and Linny. They are seniors in high school whose biggest concern is getting into the perfect college. While not involving the supernatural, there are a lot of real-life problems that these girls deal with: communicating with each other and their families, feeling like you belong somewhere when you don't look like you fit, feeling responsible for your parents, the struggle to be true to yourself while also being respectful of your family. All of these issues are dealt with throughout Erin's misadventure in Miss Fortune Cookie.

I loved the main character, Erin. She's smart and funny and always has everyone's best interest at heart. She has grown up immersed in Chinese culture and language and feels a part of the Chinese community but she is not Chinese herself. Erin is really caught between two cultures. The author really does a great job of showing how hard it can be for a teenager in particular to feel like you belong somewhere but not look the part.

One of the main themes of this book is friendship and how it evolves. Erin and Mei used to be BFF's before an incident in middle school caused a rift between them. Later on, in high school, they are brought back together by a mutual friend, Linny. Erin sometimes feels like the third wheel in the friendship and that Linny is the only thing holding them all together. As the story unfolds we see how much Mei and Linny rely on Erin. She is their confidante and the one they rely on to help them sort out their problems. By the end of the book, Erin realizes that she is as important to them as they are to her. There are some conflicts between the friends and Erin is often left wondering what she should do or say. Should she be truthful with them? Should she tell them what she really thinks or should she spare their feelings and just nod and agree?

Another main theme is family and the struggle to be true to yourself while also following tradition and being respectful of your family. Mei's mother is a traditional Chinese woman and wants the best for her daughter - in this case, to attend Harvard. Mei is in love and wants to go to a different school to be closer to her boyfriend. How can Mei convince her mother that going to Harvard is not necessarily the best thing for her?

In the end, this book is really about being true to yourself, being honest with the people you love, and communicating in a way that is truthful but respectful all told in a way that is fun and not too serious. This book is about real girls and real issues that they face all told through Erin's often hilarious observations and her advice on Miss Fortune Cookie. As a side note, the fortunes included as chapter headers were also hilarious!

Highly recommended! (less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 10, 2012 Henry Circle rated it 4 of 5 stars

What a breath of fresh air Erin is! She's not the usual brooding, complicated protagonist we get in so many young adult contemporary novels. She seems to genuinely love her school, her friends, her mom. Life in general! Her friends aren't quite as bubbly and content. They are more caught up in typical teen issues of romance and identity so it seems natural that Erin should give her conflicted friends a little push in the right direction. When Erin feels her Miss Fortune Cookie advice might have...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 09, 2012 Emz rated it 4 of 5 stars

Before I say anything, let me say that I normally don't read hat many contemporary, realistic fiction books. Those of you who have visited this blog before know that I am a fan of fantasy and paranormal books. Books where things happen that you can only dream of. Not books that you can dream but have a little chance of happening, like becoming prom queen and having a happy ever after with your king.

Miss Fortune Cookie is about a girl, Erin, with a blog. That was what initially drew me to the boo...more Before I say anything, let me say that I normally don't read hat many contemporary, realistic fiction books. Those of you who have visited this blog before know that I am a fan of fantasy and paranormal books. Books where things happen that you can only dream of. Not books that you can dream but have a little chance of happening, like becoming prom queen and having a happy ever after with your king.

Miss Fortune Cookie is about a girl, Erin, with a blog. That was what initially drew me to the book. Here was this book about a teenage girl with a blog. Here I am, a teenage girl with a blog...Erin leads a comfortable life. People like her and she runs a popular blog giving out advice to people. Everything is going great for Erin until her ex-BFF sends her a letter through her blog asking for advice. Erin gives her advice and her unsuspecting old friend follows it, creating some troublesome...well creating some troublesome trouble. The story is about Erin's journey to fix it.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book. I really liked Erin and I found that it was extremely easy for me to somewhat relate to her. Her identity of Miss Fortune Cookie made it fun and interesting to read. I spent quite some time wondering how she would react if someone found out who she really is. She's really loyal to her family and friends, which I thought made her a likable character. Lauren Bjorkman did a fantastic job making Erin seem like a real person, rather than just a character in a book. Miss Fortune Cookie was a quick easy read, perfect for my busy schedule, but I didn't want it to end. I hope Lauren Bjorkman will write a sequel so I'll be able to see what happens to Erin and her friends after they graduate high school and start college. I really enjoyed reading MISS FORTUNE COOKIE and I hope you will too!

"I received a copy of this book for free to review from Crossroad Tours, this in no way influenced my review, all opinions are 100% honest and my own."

This review was originally posted on my blog, Icy Cold Reads as part of a book tour at Crossroad Tours.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 06, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: life-issues, best-of-2012-list-pick, favorites

Miss Fortune Cookie presents readers with a story of three charming young women transitioning from high school students, unquestioningly obedient daughters, and best friends; to free thinking young adults, ready to challenge expectations and follow their own diverging paths.

The thing that makes this story stand out is the fact that the narrator Erin, presents her world to readers from the point of view of an outsider looking in. She is Caucasian, and though she was born in China and now lives in...more

like 1 like · see review

Dec 04, 2012 Liviania rated it 4 of 5 stars

Erin attends the prestigious Lowell High School, along with her best friends Mei and Linny. In just a few days they'll know which colleges they got in to, but the girls aren't sure where they want to go. Then Mei writes to advice blogger Miss Fortune Cookie and decides to follow her advice. But Erin is secretly Miss Fortune Cookie and not certain she gave her friend the best counsel.

I really enjoyed MISS FORTUNE COOKIE. Erin is a terrific main character. She jumps to conclusions, interferes in o...more Erin attends the prestigious Lowell High School, along with her best friends Mei and Linny. In just a few days they'll know which colleges they got in to, but the girls aren't sure where they want to go. Then Mei writes to advice blogger Miss Fortune Cookie and decides to follow her advice. But Erin is secretly Miss Fortune Cookie and not certain she gave her friend the best counsel.

I really enjoyed MISS FORTUNE COOKIE. Erin is a terrific main character. She jumps to conclusions, interferes in other people's business, and struggles with her own life dilemmas just as much as the people who write to her. At the same time, she's very loyal to her friends and family and almost everyone her age struggles with knowing themselves. And I loved the equations she came up with to describe the situations she finds herself in.

The cultural aspect of MISS FORTUNE COOKIE adds a lot of interest to what could be a standard tale of senior year angst and hijinks. Erin is white but was born in China and lived there for several years, before being raised in San Francisco's Chinatown. She struggles with reconciling her culture to what people expect of her based on her appearance. She also struggles with believing that her friends truly accept her as she is. There's some wonderful plot involving just how untrustworthy memory can be.

Lauren Bjorkman folds a bit of nonfiction in to the mix, as a real-life counter protest of the vile Westboro Baptist Church at Lowell happens during the course of the novel. Obviously, in MISS FORTUNE COOKIE it is fictionalized since the main characters are heavily involved. I thought it was an interesting touch, but I'm not sure it meshed well with the themes of MISS FORTUNE COOKIE. I can't say that I entirely mind a book stalling the story a little to say that hate is bad and God loves everyone, however. It's a point that needs to be made repeatedly.

MISS FORTUNE COOKIE will appeal to contemporary fans who like stories of female friendship with a touch of romance. All three of the girls have a love interest, and their romantic storylines ended up more realistic than I first expected. There's nothing particularly memorable about MISS FORTUNE COOKIE, but it does have an intriguing setting and charm. (less)

like 1 like · see review

Nov 05, 2012 Wandering Librarians rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family, fiction, friendship, realistic-fiction, romance, ya

Erin has a secret. She is the anonymous writer behind the Miss Fortune Cookie advice blog, which is only growing in popularity. Erin and her two best friends, Linny and Mei, are anxiously waiting to hear where they got into college. Mei has a serious problem. Her mother has wanted her to go to Harvard since her birth, but Mei wants to go to Stanford to stay near her boyfriend. Mei writes a letter to Miss Fortune Cookie asking for advice, and when she takes Erin's advice, Erin feels terrible. Try...more Erin has a secret. She is the anonymous writer behind the Miss Fortune Cookie advice blog, which is only growing in popularity. Erin and her two best friends, Linny and Mei, are anxiously waiting to hear where they got into college. Mei has a serious problem. Her mother has wanted her to go to Harvard since her birth, but Mei wants to go to Stanford to stay near her boyfriend. Mei writes a letter to Miss Fortune Cookie asking for advice, and when she takes Erin's advice, Erin feels terrible. Trying to undo what she's caused sends her off on an all-night adventure and far outside her comfort zone, all while dealing with her own dilemma: how will she tell Linny she got into Harvard herself, and wants to go?

Erin doesn't have a whole lot of confidence. She goes to a smarty-pants school, and she isn't even close to the smartest one there. She knows she's smart, but doesn't feel like she's anything special. She puts herself down a lot. While the book is about Erin and her relationships - with her mom, with her friends, with a cute boy - at its core it's about Erin realizing she has a lot more to offer than she thought and not selling herself short.

Erin and Linny have planned to go to the University of Southern California together since forever. When Erin gets into Harvard, she automatically assumes she won't go, but the more she thinks about it, the more she wants to give herself the chance. But how to tell Linny? Meanwhile, Linny is planning a counter protest to fight back against a hate group that's picketing their school. That's Linny's passion - human rights and advocacy and she isn't focused on formal education. Although she also goes to the smarty-pants school. Mei is very smart, but wants to go to Stanford, not Harvard, so she can be close to her boyfriend who will be at USC. Linny knows Erin is Ms. Fortune Cookie and Mei does not. Everyone is always asking Erin for advice, but Erin has a lot of stuff to figure out herself.

This is all against the backdrop of understanding a culture. Mei and Linny are Chinese. Mei's mother immigrated to America from China and Mei and her family are very traditional. Respecting your elders is of the utmost important, as is the importance of education. Linny, while Chinese, does not have the roots Mei does. Erin, who is not Chinese, but was born in China and spent her early childhood there, wishes she was. This had put a rift between Erin and Mei. Erin sometimes feels like she's not Chinese enough to hang out with Mei and Linny.

So there were a lot of different aspects about this book I liked. I liked Erin learning more about herself and deciding she's worth taking some risks. I liked the family and cultural aspect. The end, I thought, was far to tidy and neat, but you knew that was going to happen. Everyone lived happily ever after. I was a little worried, for a minute, that Erin was going to blow off Harvard because of the new, cute college boy she spent her crazy evening with, but she didn't. She still decides to go to Harvard and she and Wayland decided to try a long distance relationship. Best of luck.

Miss Fortune Cookie comes out November 13, 2012.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Nov 14, 2012 Kathy Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun contemporary story told through the eyes of a high school senior at an elite public school. It is the story of friendship and cultural differences and understandings and misunderstandings.

Erin and Mei were friends from early childhood who went a bit astray from each other in eighth grade. Now they are reunited along with a new friend Linny in high school. While Erin was born in China and has lived in San Francisco's Chinatown since she was very small, she is actually Irish but say...more This was a fun contemporary story told through the eyes of a high school senior at an elite public school. It is the story of friendship and cultural differences and understandings and misunderstandings.

Erin and Mei were friends from early childhood who went a bit astray from each other in eighth grade. Now they are reunited along with a new friend Linny in high school. While Erin was born in China and has lived in San Francisco's Chinatown since she was very small, she is actually Irish but says she has a Chinese heart. Mei and Linny are Chinese. And Erin has a secret. She writes an online advice column called Miss Fortune Cookie where she gives advice - some taken from actual fortune cookies - to those who write in.

Now that the kids are seniors in high school the problems are getting bigger. Mei's mother has worked very hard to provide for her daughter's education. Mei has been accepted to Harvard but her secret boyfriend has been accepted to Stanford. Mei is a dutiful daughter but having to choose between her mother's dreams and her own heart is not an easy choice. Erin has also been accepted at Harvard but she doesn't want to disappoint Linny who thinks that they are going to be roommates at Berkeley.

Erin is uncertain about going so far away from home and leaving her mother alone. It has been just the two of them since her father died when she was a baby. Erin also feels that she is lacking in poise and confidence. Her two friends have boyfriends but talking to boys makes Erin tongue-tied. That is, until Weyland enters the picture. At first, she can talk to him because she thinks he is Linny's secret boyfriend. When Linny straightens her out, she and Weyland have become friends.

The story was filled with wonderful characters. I was especially fond of Erin who was eager to help her friends but was uncertain about the best way to do so. But Linny, who was a champion always fighting for social justice, and Mei, the dutiful daughter who learned to stand up for herself, were also well-rounded and interesting people.

Fans of contemporary fiction who want to take a look inside another culture and read about kids who are nerds and darn proud of it will enjoy this story immensely.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 12, 2012 Bree rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, young-adult

I really enjoyed reading this book…it’s true “young adult” without all the gimmicks that the genre brings. 3 girls are about to graduate from high school, they’re worried about their grades, which universities they will be accepted to and, of course, boys.

I loved Erin’s character – she was a little bit sweet, a little bit sassy and VERY funny. She’s the kind of girl that I’d actually want to be friends with if she wasn’t a character in a book. Mei and Linny were a good addition to the story, mos...more

like 1 like · see review

Jan 04, 2013 Sandra rated it 2 of 5 stars

Oh man, this book didn't do it for me and that makes me sad because I really wanted to like it. I had two main issues with this book - first, I found Erin's relationships with her friends confusing. I don't understand why they couldn't have just been a trio of friends and why there was all this grudge-holding from fourth grade. But despite their strange friendship, I did like Erin's character. She only wanted to do what was right for her friends and for her blog followers. Most of the time I fou...more

like · see review

Mar 16, 2013 Assia rated it 2 of 5 stars

This was a solid contemporary YA novel. Which means no Wizards, Angels, Vampires, Zombies or Monsters.
It really reminded me of older YA, like Judy Blume's novels. Just a teenager having a normal problem and ultimately working it out.

If you haven't read anything by Judy Blume, you need to jump on that like yesterday guys. NO EXCUSE.

It was nothing really special, the main character, Erin, is a senior and making crucial decisions.

Spoiler : I didn't even see a decision that had to be made. Getting...more

like · see review

Jan 13, 2013 Hanna Morgan rated it 3 of 5 stars

I can't decide whether I like this book or not. I loved it and hated it at times. The main thing that bothered me was the chaotic nature of the main character's life, and in turn, the book. Perhaps because she's highly intelligent, she can handle a life of AP classes, dramatic friends, a very odd relationship with a crush, a protest, managing a blog, debatating what college to go to, meeting random people and suddenly becoming very close with them, but it was all very scatter-brained, chaotic, a...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2012 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

Erin's not your typical high school student. She works hard for excellent grades and the risky chance to get into Harvard, a top University. Her friends, Mei and Linny, are equally driven. Erin and her friends share the same dreams and desires, but do not share the same Asian ancestry. Believe it or not, Erin's non-Chinese genes cause her grief with her friends, specifically Mei, in the novel; is Erin's sadness misplaced, however?

Erin began her Miss Fortune Cookie questions/answer blog to boost...more

like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Esther rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Check out this book and more at: http://apocalypsereads.blogspot.com/

I picked up a copy of Miss Fortune Cookie at the signing Ms. Bjorkman did at Alamosa Books on Friday. I have to admit the email Alamosa sent had me intrigued. This is definitely not the usual book on my TBR list, but I went for it. My book buying sense probably knew I needed and escape after my somewhat disastrous week at work. I really enjoyed Miss Fortune Cookie. I’ve not been in the mood for much reading lately and I’ve not...more

like · see review

Dec 23, 2012 Shayna rated it 5 of 5 stars

You know how sometimes, you can look at the ingredients to a recipe you’ve never tried, but know exactly how it’s going to taste? Well, for me, Miss Fortune Cookie was just like that. Okay, it was almost just like that, because it tasted even better than I thought it would!

Miss Fortune Cookie is the delightful, fun-filled story of Erin, an Irish girl living in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Erin is one of the most unique protagonists I’ve read all year. I was very intrigued by Erin’s desire to essen...more

like · see review

Dec 08, 2012 Amelia rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-2013-reading, best-books-ever, best-main-character, best-character-set, best-humor, best-original-idea, best-plot, best-romance, contemporary-fiction, recommended, reviewed, under-300-pages

Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

I picked up Miss Fortune Cookie in response to seeing it everywhere -- on blogs, on people's profile picture, on Goodreads status updates. Out of sheer irritation, I looked it up to see what the heck all the commotion was about, and I was surprised to see that it looked like a very promising, cute book. I immediately checked it out from my local library and buzzed in anticipation for the moment when I would finally be able to read it. It w...more Originally posted on The Authoress: Book Review and More.

I picked up Miss Fortune Cookie in response to seeing it everywhere -- on blogs, on people's profile picture, on Goodreads status updates. Out of sheer irritation, I looked it up to see what the heck all the commotion was about, and I was surprised to see that it looked like a very promising, cute book. I immediately checked it out from my local library and buzzed in anticipation for the moment when I would finally be able to read it. It was worth the wait. Miss Fortune Cookie won me over with its instantly likable main character, Erin, and the passion behind the presentation of Chinese-American culture. But what really got me was that it felt true.

Truth in fiction may seem, at first, to be a bit of a paradox. Readers will tell you, however, that fiction is the best gateway to the truth. Miss Fortune Cookie, despite its...creative elimination of swear words (s***!), felt like something that could really happen in a way that differentiated itself to me from other contemporary novels. There was something there that really connected with me. Maybe it was the nerdiness of Erin in the way she compacted truths down to equations, or the love for her family and culture, or struggling with college choices. Whatever it was, there was a shard of truth there, and it resonated with me.

I think what won me over wholly, though, was the main character, Erin. I loved her innocently sarcastic and self-deprecating narrative, as well as her sarcastic and self-deprecating humor. And although she had some dim moments, don't we all? Things that generally irked me about a character made me love Erin all the more.

Lack of passion in a novel is the bane of my existence, but Lauren Bjorkman has passion in spades. From the details that neatly frame Erin's tiny, shoebox apartment to the way Bjorkman carefully crafted Mrs. Liu's speech, I could sense the painstaking effort and heart that went behind the story. It made the exotic culture of Chinese-American lifestyles to come through loud and clear for me. (Also, I got a kick out of the presentation of Asian stereotypes that happen to be very true. One of my good friends from high school is Asian, and would probably get a real kick out of this book.)

With the humor, charming cultures, and wacky adventures, Miss Fortune Cookie is a real gem of young adult contemporary literature. And at just under three hundred pages, it's a short, fun read for anyone who wants a good story.(less)

like 1 like · see review

Dec 01, 2012 Isa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-english, 2012, family, friendship, fiction, teen-young-adult, first-reads, reviewed

Okay, so I won this book in a giveaway, so I cherish it anyway. Because yay, I won something. Not even going to lie, I entered the giveaway because of the pretty cover and no matter how the content actually turned out, five stars in my heart just for winning and being super pretty.

I read some reviews before I got it and was marginally upset that some people were complaining that they couldn’t foresee the next events of the plot, which struck me as an odd thing to say because I feel that I don’t...more Okay, so I won this book in a giveaway, so I cherish it anyway. Because yay, I won something. Not even going to lie, I entered the giveaway because of the pretty cover and no matter how the content actually turned out, five stars in my heart just for winning and being super pretty.

I read some reviews before I got it and was marginally upset that some people were complaining that they couldn’t foresee the next events of the plot, which struck me as an odd thing to say because I feel that I don’t need to read a book anymore if I can guess all of the plot. In hindsight, I can see what they meant, but let’s roll it up from the beginning. Spoilers ahead, not everything is a spoiler beneath this but better safe than sorry, right?

(view spoiler)[+ Enticing title and lovely cover art. I adore it and want to hug it simply for being pretty. You can call me shallow, but pretty books are the next best thing after ~ye olde leather bound tomes~ because they liven up the shelves.

+ Incorporating other cultures. I may have been thrown by some things at times, but it was very very interesting to read about the cultural parts in this book.

+ A somewhat diverse assortment of characters. I ended up liking people I really didn’t expect to like (namely Mrs Liu) and I did enjoy being surprised by character appearances. For instance, Lincoln may or may not be the most awesome kid ever. He may not be 100% made of 9-year-old essence, but I thoroughly enjoyed his existence and his very wise input in the MLC answers. Cigarette Willie, too, was an enjoyable if only minor addition to the cast.

+ The blog! I thought it was an interesting take on blogs and advice columns and I really did like that this was Erin’s project. It made her grow on me.

+ Loved the fortune headings for each chapter, they made me smile.

+ Mrs Liu saying that Erin is her second daughter: “Lucky for Meihua my number two daughter go to Harvard this year.” It made me appreciate her all the more and it poked the lump coal that sits where my heart should be and stirred up some warmth in me.

– Erin’s character is interesting for sure, but I got really annoyed at times because I felt she kept flaunting her intelligence in my face while also walking down the Bella Swan path of self-esteem. I realise that people and characters like this do exist and there is no shame in that, but there’s a fine line between what is acceptable and what is begging for the reader’s sympathy.

– The book made me feel stupid, which blows. I’m not a stupid person and I do try to be lenient when judging things, because there will always be stuff that I won’t understand due to not being a native speaker, but honestly, I didn’t enjoy some parts at all because of feeling stupid. It has been a while since I went to school and had actual classes in actual and there were a lot of things I wasn’t taught, so I didn’t really like seeing emotion-based pseudo-formulas that I simply couldn’t make sense of or having chem references flung in my face. Or in one case dealing with an odd way of talking about first period (which was even explained in parentheses, so I just don’t understand why it had to be a special snowflake instead of making it simple and understandable for everyone).
It just made me feel like I was raised by wolves and am mentally challenged, which sounds harsh but like I said, I don’t appreciate feeling stupid, least of all caused by a book. It tore me out of the reading flow a couple of times, too, sadly.

– The pacing was odd. How many days did this book even span? A week? A lot has happened in that week, if that’s the case. Same for plot connection. It didn’t happen often, but I did get flustered a handful of times because I simply didn’t understand how one sentence had led to the next. It’s not a plothole issue as much as it is a strange and sometimes flaky narrative. (hide spoiler)]

All in all, I did like it though and I did enjoy several parts of it. Especially the last third raised the other two from perdition — I kid, it would’ve been still ok if the book had continued in the same way throughout the last third, but still, it got a little better there.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 06, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

I received this book as a surprise Christmas gift. At first I didn't think much of it. However I read this entire book in a day and was surprisingly hooked on it! It was cutesy and nerdy. It manifested a lot of what I am feeling right now, as a high school senior. Worries about college, boys, friends. How the characters dealt with their problems might not have been too realistic and very drastic in some cases, but it also gave me insight on how I should solve my own problems and worries for the...more

like · see review

Jan 02, 2013 Mary Kate rated it 5 of 5 stars

Smart is going to cause problems in life. That's what this book shows. It shows that no matter how smart you are, you will love, you will have family problems, and you will make mistakes. This story is one of one true fact. Love for family. Mei wants to respect her family and go to Harvard. Love for boys. But she would rather go to Stanford to be closer to her loving boyfriend. Erin becomes close to Wayland while trying to help me. And most of all love for friends. Mei, Erin, and Linny have prob...more

like 2 likes · see review

Apr 06, 2013 Jenni French rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: age-5-grades-9-12, genre-contemporary-fiction, topic-multicultural

Erin lives in San Francisco where she spends time with her Chinese friends and writes a "Dear Abby" style blog under the name Miss Fortune Cookie. But Erin has trouble following her own advice, and when her friends' lives and her blog get mixed together, she's not sure what to do.

This book was not too bad. I enjoyed the San Francisco references, especially the goofy passengers on the Muni, but the rest of the book wasn't super-enjoyable. It wasn't bad, but it didn't stand out as wonderful or awe...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2013 Tiffany Myers rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

This is a truly endearing and fast read. I do not think Erin's character was flawed enough. Granted, she is a high school girl who is more brainy and thoughtful than dramatic and popular, but I still felt her character lacked a little more drama than a virgin martini. In the start of the book, I felt like I was being taught a lesson in Chinese history/culture/language. This evened out later in the book to the point I didn't really feel like I was being taught something, but I was more absorbing...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2013 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction

The two highlights of this book (for me) were the setting (Chinatown in San Francisco!) and the voice of the narrator. I found Erin, the narrator, to be quirky but likable, deep but believable, and confident but vulnerable. I thought the story was a little jerky, and I wasn't quite sure where it was going or why it was going there. In the end, it resolved nicely though I felt there were parts of the climax that suspended reality in ways the rest of the book didn't.

I would recommend it as an exa...more

like · see review

Apr 11, 2013 Jeanbooknerd rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Lauren Bjorkman's Miss Fortune Cookie is a fun and entertaining story about friendship, family, and the struggles of being true to yourself. The story centers around Erin, the anonymous writer for a popular advice blog, and her two Chinese-American friends, Mei and Linny. Erin and Mei had recently tried to rekindle their friendship that had fallen apart in the eight grade. Being seniors in high school, their concerns consist of choosing which college to go to. Mei has a boyfriend that she kept s...more Lauren Bjorkman's Miss Fortune Cookie is a fun and entertaining story about friendship, family, and the struggles of being true to yourself. The story centers around Erin, the anonymous writer for a popular advice blog, and her two Chinese-American friends, Mei and Linny. Erin and Mei had recently tried to rekindle their friendship that had fallen apart in the eight grade. Being seniors in high school, their concerns consist of choosing which college to go to. Mei has a boyfriend that she kept secret from her very traditionalist mother. Her mother insists that she attends Harvard but she does not want to be away from her boyfriend. So Mei confides in Erin's blog and sends a letter for help. In an attempt to help a friend, she acts out on Mei's letter. Her efforts in trying to fix the mess puts her in peculiar predicaments that will open her eyes on what being a friend is and the importance of family and especially herself.

The one aspect that readers will enjoy about this endearing story is how it is far from your normal YA selections of the supernatural and paranormal. The theme of friendship makes the story very realistic as the three girls' relationship is tested and they realize that they are important to one another. Although the friendship is strong, the three still see conflicts. Erin often tries to patch it up but is torn between the truth or sparing their feelings.

Instead of a standard tale of senior year shenanigans, the cultural aspect adds a lot of intrigue and interest. I like the approach of having Erin as the narrator as she presents her world to readers from the viewpoint of an outsider looking in. She is Caucasian and even though the Chinese culture has always been around her life, she never quite feels as though she belongs. For Erin, she has always embraced the Asian culture, but her two friends who are Chinese, are doing everything that goes against tradition.

The Chinese culture described in this book was a nice touch. I am always intrigued with other cultures and author Lauren manages to deliver a strong presentation. Not only was I entertained by its storyline, I was also educated in the Chinese culture which is always a plus for me. Miss Fortune Cookie is a powerful story about friendship and family. There's plenty of whim to keep readers intrigued and interested. The down-to-earth writing style and bubbly humor in this story are relatable. The issues of family expectation, friendship and desire and how the characters react to them spark interest and warm sensation to readers’ hearts and minds.(less)

like · see review

Feb 04, 2013 Jodie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: own

Miss Fortune Cookie is not the average read. That's why, when Lauren had asked me to review it, I kindly and gladly accepted. The story is about a girl named Erin, who happens to be of Irish descent but grew up knowing and breathing nothing but the roots of China. She wanted to fit in with her best friends and knew that she didn't. In my eyes, Erin also lacked a few social skills, even admitting to not having a boyfriend. Now for the intriguing part. She began a blog, titling it Miss Fortune Co...more

like · see review

title link	preview: Miss Fortune Cookie
avg rating	preview: Miss Fortune Cookie Goodreads rating: 3.46 (169 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7120131-miss-fortune-cookie?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1346183587l/7120131.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7120131-miss-fortune-cookie?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman[/url]

Miss Fortune Cookie

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (2)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

About Lauren Bjorkman

Books by Lauren Bjorkman

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Miss Fortune Cookie

Quotes from Miss Fortune Cookie