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Parachutes
Speak enters the world of Gossip Girl in this modern immigrant story from New York Times bestselling author Kelly Yang about two girls navigating wealth, power, friendship, and trauma.
They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California. Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.
Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate-team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. When her debate coach starts working with her privately, Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course.
Desperately trying to avoid each other under the same roof, Dani and Claire find themselves on a collision course, intertwining in deeper and more complicated ways, as they grapple with life-altering experiences. Award-winning author Kelly Yang weaves together an unforgettable modern immigrant story about love, trauma, family, corruption, and the power of speaking out.
They’re called parachutes: teenagers dropped off to live in private homes and study in the US while their wealthy parents remain in Asia. Claire Wang never thought she’d be one of them, until her parents pluck her from her privileged life in Shanghai and enroll her at a high school in California. Suddenly she finds herself living in a stranger’s house, with no one to tell her what to do for the first time in her life. She soon embraces her newfound freedom, especially when the hottest and most eligible parachute, Jay, asks her out.
Dani De La Cruz, Claire’s new host sister, couldn’t be less thrilled that her mom rented out a room to Claire. An academic and debate-team star, Dani is determined to earn her way into Yale, even if it means competing with privileged kids who are buying their way to the top. When her debate coach starts working with her privately, Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course.
Desperately trying to avoid each other under the same roof, Dani and Claire find themselves on a collision course, intertwining in deeper and more complicated ways, as they grapple with life-altering experiences. Award-winning author Kelly Yang weaves together an unforgettable modern immigrant story about love, trauma, family, corruption, and the power of speaking out.
496 pages, Hardcover
First published May 26, 2020
About the author
Kelly Yang
14 books1,738 followersKelly Yang is the New York Times bestselling, award-winning author of the FRONT DESK series, winner of the 2019 Asian Pacific American Award for Children's Literature. Her books include FRONT DESK, THREE KEYS, ROOM TO DREAM, PARACHUTES, NEW FROM HERE, and other middle grade and young adult novels. She was born in China and grew up in Los Angeles. She went to college at the age of 13 and graduated from UC Berkeley at the age of 17 and Harvard Law School at the age of 20. After law school, she founded The Kelly Yang Project, a writing and debating program for children in Asia. Prior to becoming a novelist, she wrote for many years for the South China Morning Post, The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Atlantic. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,975 reviews
February 22, 2023
2023: Jestem dumna, że mogę być matronką tej książki.
2020: 5/5
2020: 5/5
March 6, 2023
CZEMU? CZEMU NIKT MNIE NIE OSTRZEGŁ!?
Moje serce nie zniesie więcej
Moje serce nie zniesie więcej
Read
July 16, 2020freaking incredible. this book had such incredibly flawed characters trying their best at every turn. another book with an author's note at the end that begs to be read—knowing the author's inspiration behind this story made it all the more meaningful. i felt so much for Claire and Dani and for girls like them in the world, and i hope more people will pick up this book. CW: rape, sexual assault
July 17, 2020
100000000000/10 ⭐️ loved it so much, so important!
And note from Kelly Yang... I’m speechless 😖
And note from Kelly Yang... I’m speechless 😖
December 6, 2020
This is a tough one. I know that Yang usually comes with some hard hitting stuff but this is one that I don't think I was truly prepared to read. Please do not allow the beautiful cover to fool you. This book has trigger warnings for rape, racism, parental infidelity, sexual assault, predatory behavior by an adult, predatory behavior by another student, underage drinking, sex on page.
Kelly Yang has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with her Front Desk series last year and decided that I wanted to pick up her YA title. Parachutesfocuses on two girls by the name of Dani and Claire. Dani attends a private school on scholarship when Claire is forced to attend the same school ultimately making her a parachute. Dani and Claire definitely come from two different worlds in terms of goals, aspirations, and social ambitions. Dani is strictly focused on her debate team and finding the necessary means to alleviate financial stress from her mothers shoulders. Claire comes from a wealthy background but struggles with her the infidelity of her father and his absence. While they live in the same house and attend the same school, Dani and Claire do everything possible to avoid each other. In fact, while they have interactions throughout the book, the reader does get an individualized characterization of both girls which helps create extremely distinctive voices in the text.
This book tackles so many issues that to be quite honest I'm not even sure where to begin. I've seen people compare the idea of this book to Crazy Rich Asians but I am here to let you know that it is nothing of the sort. This story is much darker. There are aspects of the book where we see both main characters and side characters get to be normal teenagers that explore friendships, romantic relationships, sexuality and more. They get to out and party and have fun. But then there is this grim side of the book where we see them battle racism from other students and teachers. We see them silenced for speaking out against both rape and sexual assault. We seem them deal with parents that are so invested in their future that they have a difficult time understanding what their children are going through. There are times when we see school officials turn a blind eye to allegations to remain financially stable. It was anything but an easy read for me. In fact, I was shocked at how triggering this book was for me. I legitimately had to slow the audiobook down just to digest what was going on. There were moments when I just turned the audiobook off because I couldn't bear to listen to anymore. My heart broke for both girls knowing that their situations were realities that a lot of people end up facing in their lifetime.
While this book did get dark, there were moments in this book that I loved. Particularly that the characters were so well developed that I wasn't lost in anyone's narrative. The reader gets to meet a full cast of fun characters with human flaws. They made a lot of mistakes and in some moments completely let each other down, but I loved seeing the friendships that developed, grew and were continuously nurtured. And while it was tragedy that brought Claire and Dani together, I'm glad that they were willing to support each other in the end.
This book is long, but well worth every single page read. It wasn't easy and I'm not sure that this book will be easy for any reader, but Yang sent a clear message with this book and the authors note explains a lot of why she even decided to craft this story. It is a story that needed to be told. The writing as always was amazing and her ability to draw the reader in was still ever present. I would definitely take caution in how you consume this book, but this is definitely a book that is worth discussion.
Kelly Yang has quickly become one of my favorite authors. I fell in love with her Front Desk series last year and decided that I wanted to pick up her YA title. Parachutesfocuses on two girls by the name of Dani and Claire. Dani attends a private school on scholarship when Claire is forced to attend the same school ultimately making her a parachute. Dani and Claire definitely come from two different worlds in terms of goals, aspirations, and social ambitions. Dani is strictly focused on her debate team and finding the necessary means to alleviate financial stress from her mothers shoulders. Claire comes from a wealthy background but struggles with her the infidelity of her father and his absence. While they live in the same house and attend the same school, Dani and Claire do everything possible to avoid each other. In fact, while they have interactions throughout the book, the reader does get an individualized characterization of both girls which helps create extremely distinctive voices in the text.
This book tackles so many issues that to be quite honest I'm not even sure where to begin. I've seen people compare the idea of this book to Crazy Rich Asians but I am here to let you know that it is nothing of the sort. This story is much darker. There are aspects of the book where we see both main characters and side characters get to be normal teenagers that explore friendships, romantic relationships, sexuality and more. They get to out and party and have fun. But then there is this grim side of the book where we see them battle racism from other students and teachers. We see them silenced for speaking out against both rape and sexual assault. We seem them deal with parents that are so invested in their future that they have a difficult time understanding what their children are going through. There are times when we see school officials turn a blind eye to allegations to remain financially stable. It was anything but an easy read for me. In fact, I was shocked at how triggering this book was for me. I legitimately had to slow the audiobook down just to digest what was going on. There were moments when I just turned the audiobook off because I couldn't bear to listen to anymore. My heart broke for both girls knowing that their situations were realities that a lot of people end up facing in their lifetime.
While this book did get dark, there were moments in this book that I loved. Particularly that the characters were so well developed that I wasn't lost in anyone's narrative. The reader gets to meet a full cast of fun characters with human flaws. They made a lot of mistakes and in some moments completely let each other down, but I loved seeing the friendships that developed, grew and were continuously nurtured. And while it was tragedy that brought Claire and Dani together, I'm glad that they were willing to support each other in the end.
This book is long, but well worth every single page read. It wasn't easy and I'm not sure that this book will be easy for any reader, but Yang sent a clear message with this book and the authors note explains a lot of why she even decided to craft this story. It is a story that needed to be told. The writing as always was amazing and her ability to draw the reader in was still ever present. I would definitely take caution in how you consume this book, but this is definitely a book that is worth discussion.
November 25, 2022
You are not ready for this. Soon.
March 8, 2023
Takie mocne 4.5, może zmienię jeszcze na 5.
Bardzo dobra i wartościowa książka.
Bardzo dobra i wartościowa książka.
March 16, 2023
MUST READ!
January 5, 2021
This is my favorite book I have ever read. It’s fucking impeccable. I haven’t felt connected to a book like this in years and I am forever changed after reading this. I literally cannot.
June 20, 2020
I honestly don't know what to rate this. My first instinct is to give it five starts. It covers so so much: privilege from wealth, parents ignoring their children and foisting bad ideas onto them about sexuality and womanhood, familial expectations, cultural differences, racism, infighting between groups of the same "race," poverty, classism, the racism Asian people face in general (I think there's the idea that Asian people don't face racism, especially rich ones like Claire, but the author shows tons of micro aggressions they both face on a regular basis), the way young women are treated by young men, and then rape culture and sexual assault.
It was a lot. The book is very big. The first half I enjoyed a lot and the second half felt much heavier to me and harder to get through. That doesn't mean that it decreased in value! There were just a lot more tough topics coming out.
I really appreciate seeing both girls' points of view and how things were different for them. But by the second half, I was super frustrated with both of them for different reasons. I also liked seeing how the author planted seeds that grew into something later in the book. One thing she did really well was balancing so many different characters and none of them ever really felt secondary. The friend groups felt important and dignified. I struggle with that so I was impressed. I also loved the way Dani and Claire gradually came together, but felt bad because of major things that they had to reckon with.
I've written two books that explore sexual assault in some way, so I kept thinking about how this book came across to me and how mine might come across to others (kind of selfish, I know.) This felt overwhelming, but I think... it was supposed to. I also think this is really, truly the type of YA book that deserves the fancy awards and to be put on reading lists. There's so much to dissect.
My main criticism was that the characters acted like adults, especially toward the second half. And I wasn't sure if this was a deliberate choice (like a statement on how these girls are forced to grow up) or what, but it kept throwing me off. But overall, really fantastic YA debut. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
It was a lot. The book is very big. The first half I enjoyed a lot and the second half felt much heavier to me and harder to get through. That doesn't mean that it decreased in value! There were just a lot more tough topics coming out.
I really appreciate seeing both girls' points of view and how things were different for them. But by the second half, I was super frustrated with both of them for different reasons. I also liked seeing how the author planted seeds that grew into something later in the book. One thing she did really well was balancing so many different characters and none of them ever really felt secondary. The friend groups felt important and dignified. I struggle with that so I was impressed. I also loved the way Dani and Claire gradually came together, but felt bad because of major things that they had to reckon with.
I've written two books that explore sexual assault in some way, so I kept thinking about how this book came across to me and how mine might come across to others (kind of selfish, I know.) This felt overwhelming, but I think... it was supposed to. I also think this is really, truly the type of YA book that deserves the fancy awards and to be put on reading lists. There's so much to dissect.
My main criticism was that the characters acted like adults, especially toward the second half. And I wasn't sure if this was a deliberate choice (like a statement on how these girls are forced to grow up) or what, but it kept throwing me off. But overall, really fantastic YA debut. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
May 12, 2021
Such an important read. So glad I read it. Major trigger warnings for rape and sexual assault. One of the best books I’ve read dealing with this topic.
February 14, 2023
Po kilku latach nadal ma szczególne miejsce w moim sercu.
May 30, 2021
~ 4.5 stars ~
TW/CW: rape, sexual assault, racism, grooming, victim-blaming, slut-shaming.
This was a very meaningful and important read for me. I absolutely loved it how it dealt with the specific topics it was trying to discuss.
There were minor aspects that weren't my favorite, but the overall theme of this book made those things seem irrelevant because I know this story will stick with me for the next few days, as any good book should.
Following Dani and Claire, and seeing how they dealt with the main conflict was heartbreaking and I felt as if it was presented in a realistic manner. Of course the setting is a bit lavish, but the struggles of the characters felt real.
They were both violated in different, yet similar ways, and had to navigate through all the chaos in their lives, but still came out stronger. This book deals with many issues from being racially stereotyped and dealing with micro aggressions, to sexual assault and rape.
It took a moment to reflect on the society which blames the victim and silences their voices, and the self serving ways that further that, ignorance being very prevalent.
The authors note at the end made the story feel more special, and overall, just an amazing read I recommend to everyone.
TW/CW: rape, sexual assault, racism, grooming, victim-blaming, slut-shaming.
This was a very meaningful and important read for me. I absolutely loved it how it dealt with the specific topics it was trying to discuss.
There were minor aspects that weren't my favorite, but the overall theme of this book made those things seem irrelevant because I know this story will stick with me for the next few days, as any good book should.
Following Dani and Claire, and seeing how they dealt with the main conflict was heartbreaking and I felt as if it was presented in a realistic manner. Of course the setting is a bit lavish, but the struggles of the characters felt real.
They were both violated in different, yet similar ways, and had to navigate through all the chaos in their lives, but still came out stronger. This book deals with many issues from being racially stereotyped and dealing with micro aggressions, to sexual assault and rape.
It took a moment to reflect on the society which blames the victim and silences their voices, and the self serving ways that further that, ignorance being very prevalent.
The authors note at the end made the story feel more special, and overall, just an amazing read I recommend to everyone.
February 17, 2023
2022: 4.5⭐️ bardzo wartościowa książka, która porusza ciężkie tematy i dodatkowo robi to w bardzo dobry sposób. Mój jedyny zarzut to zbyt szybki rozwój niektórych relacji, ponieważ nie mogłam uwierzyć w ich prawdziwość.
2023: skonczylam reread i pokochałam tę historie jeszcze bardziej, niż za pierwszym razem🫶🏻 przez to, że wiedziałam już się wydarzy mogłam patrzeć bardziej na podpowiedzi, które rzucała nam autorka. Tak, jak za pierwszym razem wzruszyłam się na końcówce i notce od autorki. Ta książka zdecydowanie jest jedną z powieści, które najbardziej uderzyły w moją wrażliwość. Zróbcie sobie przysługę i przeczytajcie - ale koniecznie sprawdźcie TW!!
2023: skonczylam reread i pokochałam tę historie jeszcze bardziej, niż za pierwszym razem🫶🏻 przez to, że wiedziałam już się wydarzy mogłam patrzeć bardziej na podpowiedzi, które rzucała nam autorka. Tak, jak za pierwszym razem wzruszyłam się na końcówce i notce od autorki. Ta książka zdecydowanie jest jedną z powieści, które najbardziej uderzyły w moją wrażliwość. Zróbcie sobie przysługę i przeczytajcie - ale koniecznie sprawdźcie TW!!
August 5, 2020
content warnings:
rep:
tl;dr The themes and rep are great; I personally found the execution lacking, but though it's not for me I sincerely hope this book will resonate with others.
I really wanted to like this more since it engages thoughtfully with issues of privilege and rape culture, in part based on the author's own experiences (!!!). But in a nutshell, and at risk of sounding callous, I just had so much trouble sympathizing with any of the characters and the pacing felt awkward.
The latter first, because my feelings here are more straightforward. Basically the plot seemed to comprise a lot of whining about privilege, through naive and self-absorbed lenses — until the last quarter or so, when (dun dun dun) Very Bad Things Happen. Because of the pacing, there wasn't space for much development or exploration of the conflict/consequences of the climax (aka the part that felt like the whole point of the story), just quick resolution and cheesy platitudes.
It probably doesn't help that the prose involves a lot of telling instead of showing, particularly regarding feelings. Chapters open with "I'm so happy that [whatever happened previously]" and similar phrases, which to me felt contrived rather than stream-of-consciousness. There's a lot of recapping what's already happened and how characters feel/react/are thinking of reacting.
With regards to the former: given the plot, I honestly feel bad even expressing that I actively dislike every single member of the cast except . Obviously a victim doesn't and shouldn't have to be perfect to be believed or to be blameless, but I got the impression that we were meant to like Dani and Claire, and I ... couldn't.
In short, I always have trouble empathizing with characters who can't be bothered even trying to empathize with others. Part of the reason I didn't DNF was that I hoped to see significant character growth — but if it happens, it's dramatic and squeezed in at the end.
In more detail: They repeatedly make selfish decisions and snap judgments, blow hot and cold towards each other and their alleged friends/love interests and their parents, and seem genuinely surprised that their actions have consequences. They gossip behind people's backs, judge everyone else by their own values and priorities and life experiences. What really got me is that both Dani and Claire somehow .
So as stated in the tl;dr, I don't want to totally dismiss how much this book may mean to other readers. It just really didn't work for me.
>> Buddy read with Soph! (Thanks for being my vent buddy as always.)
-----------
CONVERSION : 5.53 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 1 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5
rep:
tl;dr The themes and rep are great; I personally found the execution lacking, but though it's not for me I sincerely hope this book will resonate with others.
I really wanted to like this more since it engages thoughtfully with issues of privilege and rape culture, in part based on the author's own experiences (!!!). But in a nutshell, and at risk of sounding callous, I just had so much trouble sympathizing with any of the characters and the pacing felt awkward.
The latter first, because my feelings here are more straightforward. Basically the plot seemed to comprise a lot of whining about privilege, through naive and self-absorbed lenses — until the last quarter or so, when (dun dun dun) Very Bad Things Happen. Because of the pacing, there wasn't space for much development or exploration of the conflict/consequences of the climax (aka the part that felt like the whole point of the story), just quick resolution and cheesy platitudes.
It probably doesn't help that the prose involves a lot of telling instead of showing, particularly regarding feelings. Chapters open with "I'm so happy that [whatever happened previously]" and similar phrases, which to me felt contrived rather than stream-of-consciousness. There's a lot of recapping what's already happened and how characters feel/react/are thinking of reacting.
With regards to the former: given the plot, I honestly feel bad even expressing that I actively dislike every single member of the cast except . Obviously a victim doesn't and shouldn't have to be perfect to be believed or to be blameless, but I got the impression that we were meant to like Dani and Claire, and I ... couldn't.
In short, I always have trouble empathizing with characters who can't be bothered even trying to empathize with others. Part of the reason I didn't DNF was that I hoped to see significant character growth — but if it happens, it's dramatic and squeezed in at the end.
In more detail: They repeatedly make selfish decisions and snap judgments, blow hot and cold towards each other and their alleged friends/love interests and their parents, and seem genuinely surprised that their actions have consequences. They gossip behind people's backs, judge everyone else by their own values and priorities and life experiences. What really got me is that both Dani and Claire somehow .
So as stated in the tl;dr, I don't want to totally dismiss how much this book may mean to other readers. It just really didn't work for me.
>> Buddy read with Soph! (Thanks for being my vent buddy as always.)
-----------
CONVERSION : 5.53 / 15 = 2 stars
Prose: 4 / 10
Characters & Relationships: 3 / 10
Emotional Impact: 1 / 10
Development / Flow: 3 / 10
Setting: 5 / 10
Diversity & Social Themes: 4 / 5
Originality / Trope Execution: 2 / 5
Memorability: 1 / 5
October 12, 2020
I thought that this was going to be a story of a messy rich girl doing messy rich girl things in a foreign country. I couldn't really be more wrong. Sure, there are those moments but even without those I enjoyed the narrative being told.
I think that the story takes a little while to get going. I can kind of understand why we spent so long setting things up, but I do almost wish that the story had started when Claire moved in with Dani, but again, I can also understand why it was that Yang decided not to do that. As for Dani's arc int his book, it was definitely hard to read at times. Not only because of the uncomfortable vibes I was immediately getting from her debate coach, but I just didn't like her. I think that all of the things that she did made sense for the most part and I was never mad at her, she was just the kind of person I would never get along with and seeing that fully realized on the page was a lot to process.
As for the story I'd call it more of a slice of life novel than anything with a serious plot. Dani's story has more of a goal she's working toward while Claire's arc is more of a personal growth story. Lastly and completely random as well written as both of the protagonists were Zach was definitely my favorite character and the messy dynamic he was in the middle of was truly the best.
I don't have anything else to say really but if you do plan on picking up this book it does have a page for content warnings in regards to sexual assault and rape but I'd also warn readers about that debate coach and his habit of sexually harassing his students.
I think that the story takes a little while to get going. I can kind of understand why we spent so long setting things up, but I do almost wish that the story had started when Claire moved in with Dani, but again, I can also understand why it was that Yang decided not to do that. As for Dani's arc int his book, it was definitely hard to read at times. Not only because of the uncomfortable vibes I was immediately getting from her debate coach, but I just didn't like her. I think that all of the things that she did made sense for the most part and I was never mad at her, she was just the kind of person I would never get along with and seeing that fully realized on the page was a lot to process.
As for the story I'd call it more of a slice of life novel than anything with a serious plot. Dani's story has more of a goal she's working toward while Claire's arc is more of a personal growth story. Lastly and completely random as well written as both of the protagonists were Zach was definitely my favorite character and the messy dynamic he was in the middle of was truly the best.
I don't have anything else to say really but if you do plan on picking up this book it does have a page for content warnings in regards to sexual assault and rape but I'd also warn readers about that debate coach and his habit of sexually harassing his students.
May 5, 2021
there's just something so incredibly frustrating about the ways that women have systemically been silenced— by the rich & powerful, by their own families who want to avoid shame, and by the people who were supposed to protect them but end up sacrificing them instead
anyways, thank you kelly yang for ripping my heart out & shoving it back in, i truly appreciate it 💞
When everyone said this book was going to be heavy, for some reason I thought it was going to be Gossip Girls / drama-filled rich kids heavy, and no... I don't think I would compare this to Gossip Girls at all...
Unlike Gossip Girls, this book actually confronts privilege and resentment between social classes in what I thought was a meaningful way... which I don't remember Gossip Girl ever doing. 😳 (still love the show tho, even if i will never rewatch because of the amount of angst)
🪂 meet Claire, a high school Chinese junior dealing with infidelity from her dad alongside her mom, who is basically being emotionally manipulated by the dad. because Claire refuses to cheat on her essays, like the majority of her peers, she is "highly encouraged" to go to America, where she won't have to take the gaokao & can have a "foreign education."
🪂 meet Dani, also a junior & Filipino girl, who unlike her peers at American Prep, attends based on a scholarship & has to clean houses in order to survive. unfortunately, she's the subject of a lot of scorn because she's a scholarship student, but none of her classmates will ever understand her daily experiences.
I loved how this book highlighted the cyclical nature of generational trauma, particularly within Claire and her mom. Claire resents her mother for constantly siding with her father, a man who's almost never there and demands respect even though he clearly doesn't deserve it. However, she soon begins falling into similar patterns with a boy her age— someone who doesn't prioritize her, and yet she forgives him constantly.
There were so many things about these characters that frustrated me, and I think that's what made it so real: Claire makes bad decisions, and so does her mother, but I could never find myself completely hating them.
I even found myself getting frustrated at Dani for speaking up— why make trouble when you could easily stay silent for self-preservation?— and it just further emphasizes how hard it is for women to speak up, when they are already emotionally hurt in a way that is incredibly hard to heal, and when there are so many systems against them.
The author's note was heartbreaking to read as I learned that this story comes from experience: the shame, the hurt, and the trauma, and that Kelly Yang's hope for writing this book is that more schools will prioritize their students the way Harvard Law never did her. 3
To conclude, I do think this could have been written better (lmao), but it's such an important story of two girls, from different levels of society, coming together because of shared experience. My favorite part of the novel was 100% their friendship (and also DANI'S MOM!!!!).
representation includes chinese mc (ownvoices), filipino mc, mostly chinese cast, sapphic side characters
content/trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault & harassment, racism & racial microaggressions, infidelity
anyways, thank you kelly yang for ripping my heart out & shoving it back in, i truly appreciate it 💞
"So do you know any other parachutes here?" Jess asks as she walks.
"Parachute?" I ask.
"That's what they call us. Kids from China who come to the US on our own, without our parents. We parachute in... get it?" she tells me.
When everyone said this book was going to be heavy, for some reason I thought it was going to be Gossip Girls / drama-filled rich kids heavy, and no... I don't think I would compare this to Gossip Girls at all...
Unlike Gossip Girls, this book actually confronts privilege and resentment between social classes in what I thought was a meaningful way... which I don't remember Gossip Girl ever doing. 😳 (still love the show tho, even if i will never rewatch because of the amount of angst)
🪂 meet Claire, a high school Chinese junior dealing with infidelity from her dad alongside her mom, who is basically being emotionally manipulated by the dad. because Claire refuses to cheat on her essays, like the majority of her peers, she is "highly encouraged" to go to America, where she won't have to take the gaokao & can have a "foreign education."
🪂 meet Dani, also a junior & Filipino girl, who unlike her peers at American Prep, attends based on a scholarship & has to clean houses in order to survive. unfortunately, she's the subject of a lot of scorn because she's a scholarship student, but none of her classmates will ever understand her daily experiences.
"Life's ugly sometimes," she yells. "You wanna build something great? You have to be willing to sacrifice!"
She jabs her finger into her fancy wooden desk, and I stare at her conviction. That's what astounds me—she actually thinks she's doing the right thing. As I get up to leave, I say, "Yeah. You sacrificed us."
I loved how this book highlighted the cyclical nature of generational trauma, particularly within Claire and her mom. Claire resents her mother for constantly siding with her father, a man who's almost never there and demands respect even though he clearly doesn't deserve it. However, she soon begins falling into similar patterns with a boy her age— someone who doesn't prioritize her, and yet she forgives him constantly.
There were so many things about these characters that frustrated me, and I think that's what made it so real: Claire makes bad decisions, and so does her mother, but I could never find myself completely hating them.
I even found myself getting frustrated at Dani for speaking up— why make trouble when you could easily stay silent for self-preservation?— and it just further emphasizes how hard it is for women to speak up, when they are already emotionally hurt in a way that is incredibly hard to heal, and when there are so many systems against them.
The author's note was heartbreaking to read as I learned that this story comes from experience: the shame, the hurt, and the trauma, and that Kelly Yang's hope for writing this book is that more schools will prioritize their students the way Harvard Law never did her. 3
To conclude, I do think this could have been written better (lmao), but it's such an important story of two girls, from different levels of society, coming together because of shared experience. My favorite part of the novel was 100% their friendship (and also DANI'S MOM!!!!).
representation includes chinese mc (ownvoices), filipino mc, mostly chinese cast, sapphic side characters
content/trigger warnings for rape, sexual assault & harassment, racism & racial microaggressions, infidelity
March 14, 2021
literally so good omfg
August 26, 2020
I definitely needed to take a beat after finishing Kelly Yang's Parachutes, because it's a powerful book that hits hard from the first page until the last. Yang fully immerses you in the world she's created, and I'm still coming back down to Earth from it.
The book covers a looooot of social issues (racism, xenophobia, classism, sexual harassment, and rape, to name a few), and while focusing and parring them down might've helped narratively, I completely understood from Kelly Yang's powerful author's note at the end why she chose to have so many different plots in this one and how all of them were interconnected.
What was personally a little difficult was the utter length of this book. You know me: I feel like 70% of books above 400 pages could be shorter, and this one was no exception; at 500 pages, I think taking out 100-150 pages would've made the storylines a lot sharper and more concise. It took me a good 150-200 pages to really feel like the novel was moving, and I know a lot of people won't necessarily wait that long to vibe with a book.
All of that said, Kelly Yang has created something so important and special with Parachutes that once again proves why the YA genre is such a force in today's publishing world. The kids are all right because they have books like these at their disposal.
This one's around 3.5ish stars for me.
Content warning: Sexual harassment, rape, classism, xenophobia, racism
The book covers a looooot of social issues (racism, xenophobia, classism, sexual harassment, and rape, to name a few), and while focusing and parring them down might've helped narratively, I completely understood from Kelly Yang's powerful author's note at the end why she chose to have so many different plots in this one and how all of them were interconnected.
What was personally a little difficult was the utter length of this book. You know me: I feel like 70% of books above 400 pages could be shorter, and this one was no exception; at 500 pages, I think taking out 100-150 pages would've made the storylines a lot sharper and more concise. It took me a good 150-200 pages to really feel like the novel was moving, and I know a lot of people won't necessarily wait that long to vibe with a book.
All of that said, Kelly Yang has created something so important and special with Parachutes that once again proves why the YA genre is such a force in today's publishing world. The kids are all right because they have books like these at their disposal.
This one's around 3.5ish stars for me.
Content warning: Sexual harassment, rape, classism, xenophobia, racism
March 5, 2023
(4,75)
I’m speechless rn, notka od autorki złamała mi serce :’(
To jest tak ważna książka, jedna z tych które pozostają w pamięci na baaaardzo długo bo po prostu nie da się o nich zapomnieć, zbyt wstrząsa.
Można powiedzieć, że od początku domyślałam się w którą stronę to pójdzie i zwracałam uwagę na „małe wskazówki” które zostawiała nam autorka ale still- zszokowało mnie to po prostu.
Ogromnie się cieszę że została u nas wydana <3
!Ze względu na TW pamiętajcie o ograniczeniach wiekowych i nie sięgajcie po nią jeśli czujecie że nie jesteście gotowi.
I’m speechless rn, notka od autorki złamała mi serce :’(
To jest tak ważna książka, jedna z tych które pozostają w pamięci na baaaardzo długo bo po prostu nie da się o nich zapomnieć, zbyt wstrząsa.
Można powiedzieć, że od początku domyślałam się w którą stronę to pójdzie i zwracałam uwagę na „małe wskazówki” które zostawiała nam autorka ale still- zszokowało mnie to po prostu.
Ogromnie się cieszę że została u nas wydana <3
!Ze względu na TW pamiętajcie o ograniczeniach wiekowych i nie sięgajcie po nią jeśli czujecie że nie jesteście gotowi.
Read
April 26, 2020I wondered how the pitch "Speak meets Gossip Girl" would work but indeed, that's a great meets pitch.
Dani is a poor girl, living with her mom in East Covina, California, where she works as a cleaner for a company that contracts with many of her wealthy classmates' families. Her school is known for hosting "parachutes," or Chinese students sent by their wealthy families to America to get an edge in their education. There's money to be had in hosting these students, so Dani's mother decides to host one in their home.
Enter Claire, who comes from extreme wealth and privilege in Shanghai. She's not interested in going to school in America, but her parents give her no choice. When she arrives, she's quickly taken in by other Chinese students in the same position as her. She also finds herself falling for a boy named Jay, who is said to be tough to get with and who, she later discovers, has connections to the entire foreign exchange program. Their relationship is not good, nor is the fact Claire is beginning to fall for another boy named Zach...who happens to be Dani's crush, making what was a budding friendship between the two housemates more complicated.
Dani is killer at speech and debate, but with so much going on in her life, it's getting a little harder to invest fully, despite her passion and the knowledge that it's her ticket to Yale. So when her coach offers private lessons, she's game. That is, until he begins making passes at her and ignores all of her pleas for him to stop.
This is a book about how young women navigate the #metoo era, living with experiences that fill them with tremendous terror about speaking up and out. But what makes this book especially sing is the fact both characters are girls of color and come from very different social classes. Claire is Chinese, while Dani is Filipina. Claire has access to wealth and privilege. Dani has to keep secret that she has a job cleaning houses. These intersections matter, and yet, both girls experience sexual harassment and assault in very similar -- and different -- ways, which puts them in a place where they are no longer what their backgrounds are. They're victims.
Smart, well-developed, and an essential book for YA readers.
Dani is a poor girl, living with her mom in East Covina, California, where she works as a cleaner for a company that contracts with many of her wealthy classmates' families. Her school is known for hosting "parachutes," or Chinese students sent by their wealthy families to America to get an edge in their education. There's money to be had in hosting these students, so Dani's mother decides to host one in their home.
Enter Claire, who comes from extreme wealth and privilege in Shanghai. She's not interested in going to school in America, but her parents give her no choice. When she arrives, she's quickly taken in by other Chinese students in the same position as her. She also finds herself falling for a boy named Jay, who is said to be tough to get with and who, she later discovers, has connections to the entire foreign exchange program. Their relationship is not good, nor is the fact Claire is beginning to fall for another boy named Zach...who happens to be Dani's crush, making what was a budding friendship between the two housemates more complicated.
Dani is killer at speech and debate, but with so much going on in her life, it's getting a little harder to invest fully, despite her passion and the knowledge that it's her ticket to Yale. So when her coach offers private lessons, she's game. That is, until he begins making passes at her and ignores all of her pleas for him to stop.
This is a book about how young women navigate the #metoo era, living with experiences that fill them with tremendous terror about speaking up and out. But what makes this book especially sing is the fact both characters are girls of color and come from very different social classes. Claire is Chinese, while Dani is Filipina. Claire has access to wealth and privilege. Dani has to keep secret that she has a job cleaning houses. These intersections matter, and yet, both girls experience sexual harassment and assault in very similar -- and different -- ways, which puts them in a place where they are no longer what their backgrounds are. They're victims.
Smart, well-developed, and an essential book for YA readers.
March 8, 2023
AUTENTYCZNIE NIE MAM SŁÓW, ŻEBY OPISAĆ SWOJE UCZUCIA.
Uśmiech, złość, płacz. Wszystko!
Uśmiech, złość, płacz. Wszystko!
November 5, 2020
This was so heartbreaking to read.
It was difficult following Claire and Dani as they traversed their toxic environments: the classism, sexism, racism, and xenophobia they faced is unfortunately all too common.
The last 100 pages were especially intense. I almost wanted to cry. Claire and Dani are so brave for enduring everything they went through.
I appreciate Kelly Yang for telling a story with such sensitive themes in a beautiful and engaging way. I barely noticed this book was 500 pages long. Despite the heavy themes, her writing style and character development made this a joy to read.
It's a highly recommend from me.
It was difficult following Claire and Dani as they traversed their toxic environments: the classism, sexism, racism, and xenophobia they faced is unfortunately all too common.
The last 100 pages were especially intense. I almost wanted to cry. Claire and Dani are so brave for enduring everything they went through.
I appreciate Kelly Yang for telling a story with such sensitive themes in a beautiful and engaging way. I barely noticed this book was 500 pages long. Despite the heavy themes, her writing style and character development made this a joy to read.
It's a highly recommend from me.
March 5, 2021
Damn. Just Damn. The messages in this book were so powerful. I’m speechless. I don’t know what to say. I teared up so many times throughout this book, especially in the authors note. The amount of victim-blaming this book made me seethe. UGH. Why can’t people just believe women?? Why is it so hard??
Obviously, there were a few things I didn’t like and things I wish were elaborated more on, but they were vastly overshadowed by all the other positive things.
➡️ 4.5 stars
Obviously, there were a few things I didn’t like and things I wish were elaborated more on, but they were vastly overshadowed by all the other positive things.
➡️ 4.5 stars
February 16, 2021
I'm speechless with the end of this book. It's a huge story and a remarkable one. "Parachutes" spoke to me on so many levels! I hope more readers find this book, it's necessary and important to talk about these issues. Thanks to Kelly Yang for sharing Dani and Claire with us, their voices will echo in my heart for a long time.
January 21, 2023
recommended to me by a friend🤭
July 22, 2021
EDIT: Reli e gostei ainda mais desse livro! AAAAAAAAA <3 Depois veio com impressões. Melhor YA que já li na vida.
Resenha original:
(Gatilho: assédio sexual, estupro, racismo e homofobia)
Que. Livro. Fenomenal!
"Parachutes" é uma história sobre duas garotas.
Claire Wang é uma garota chinesa muito aplicada nos estudos e com o sonho de conseguir passar nos testes e entrar numa boa faculdade. Sua família é rica, então seu pai decide para ela que vai mandá-la para os Estados Unidos. Assim, imagina ele, ela terá a melhor educação possível. Risos.
Dani De La Cruz tem ascedência filipina, mas nasceu nos Estados Unidos. Ela é bolsista e ajuda na renda de casa trabalhando num serviço de limpeza da casa de outros estudantes do colégio que estuda. Poucos sabem disso, porque ela só é chamada para trabalhar quando não está em casa.
Os pais de Claire acabam alugando um quarto na casa de Dani para a garota ficar... e é aí que nossa história começa a se desenrolar.
Esse livro fala sobre assuntos extremamente relevantes. Fiquei surpreso de encontrar um YA com personagens tão ricos e bem desenvolvidos -- não porque isso não exista em YAs, mas porque nunca tinha visto um trabalho tão delicado e complexo assim. Família, dinheiro, amizade, poder, corrupção, preconceito e muitos outros assuntos são abordados de duas perspectivas muito diferentes. A história também tem um ponto focal que vai se desenrolando enquanto acompanhamos o ano escolar das garotas: assédio sexual e estupro.
A nota da autora foi poderosa, eu definitivamente não esperava por aquilo. Acho que o livro fez um belo trabalho de mostrar que as vozes das vítimas sempre devem ser ouvidas.
Uma leitura rica, complexa e genial. Um dos melhores livros que já li. Com certeza recomendo!
Resenha original:
(Gatilho: assédio sexual, estupro, racismo e homofobia)
Que. Livro. Fenomenal!
"Parachutes" é uma história sobre duas garotas.
Claire Wang é uma garota chinesa muito aplicada nos estudos e com o sonho de conseguir passar nos testes e entrar numa boa faculdade. Sua família é rica, então seu pai decide para ela que vai mandá-la para os Estados Unidos. Assim, imagina ele, ela terá a melhor educação possível. Risos.
Dani De La Cruz tem ascedência filipina, mas nasceu nos Estados Unidos. Ela é bolsista e ajuda na renda de casa trabalhando num serviço de limpeza da casa de outros estudantes do colégio que estuda. Poucos sabem disso, porque ela só é chamada para trabalhar quando não está em casa.
Os pais de Claire acabam alugando um quarto na casa de Dani para a garota ficar... e é aí que nossa história começa a se desenrolar.
Esse livro fala sobre assuntos extremamente relevantes. Fiquei surpreso de encontrar um YA com personagens tão ricos e bem desenvolvidos -- não porque isso não exista em YAs, mas porque nunca tinha visto um trabalho tão delicado e complexo assim. Família, dinheiro, amizade, poder, corrupção, preconceito e muitos outros assuntos são abordados de duas perspectivas muito diferentes. A história também tem um ponto focal que vai se desenrolando enquanto acompanhamos o ano escolar das garotas: assédio sexual e estupro.
A nota da autora foi poderosa, eu definitivamente não esperava por aquilo. Acho que o livro fez um belo trabalho de mostrar que as vozes das vítimas sempre devem ser ouvidas.
Uma leitura rica, complexa e genial. Um dos melhores livros que já li. Com certeza recomendo!
May 10, 2021
“As she starts the car, I put my feet up on the dash. Two girls from opposite sides of the earth, emerging from the ashes, stronger.”
This book was so good.
I wasn't a fan of the characters at first but Claire grew on me... Unfortunately, not Dani tho. I feel like while Claire actually learned something after coming to California and grew personally, Dani didn't. Both of them were actually strong characters, I really liked how they came together at the end. But I wish they spent a bit more time together. Yes, they both had different social circles but they lived together for a while. They were always doing their own thing and interacted like 4 or 5 times, which I don't think is realistic.
Nevertheless, this tackled so many important topics and did it so well.
This book was so good.
I wasn't a fan of the characters at first but Claire grew on me... Unfortunately, not Dani tho. I feel like while Claire actually learned something after coming to California and grew personally, Dani didn't. Both of them were actually strong characters, I really liked how they came together at the end. But I wish they spent a bit more time together. Yes, they both had different social circles but they lived together for a while. They were always doing their own thing and interacted like 4 or 5 times, which I don't think is realistic.
Nevertheless, this tackled so many important topics and did it so well.
April 12, 2021
5/5 ⭐
Nie wiem czy powierzenie, że ta książka mi się podobała byłoby na miejscu ponieważ wydarzenia tu opisane zdecydowanie nie są przyjemne, choć opis ani pierwsza połowa książki tego nie zapowiadają. Od samego początku podziwiałam to jak autorce udało się wykreować bohaterów i to nie tylko Dani i Claire, ale wszystkich. Każdy z nich jest człowiekiem z krwi i kości, ma swoją historię, która w mniejszym bądź większym stopniu wpływa na nasze główne bohaterki. Wydarzenia tu opisane są naprawdę wstrząsające lecz uważam że naprawdę takie książki są potrzebne i cieszę się że się z nią zapoznałam.
Nie wiem czy powierzenie, że ta książka mi się podobała byłoby na miejscu ponieważ wydarzenia tu opisane zdecydowanie nie są przyjemne, choć opis ani pierwsza połowa książki tego nie zapowiadają. Od samego początku podziwiałam to jak autorce udało się wykreować bohaterów i to nie tylko Dani i Claire, ale wszystkich. Każdy z nich jest człowiekiem z krwi i kości, ma swoją historię, która w mniejszym bądź większym stopniu wpływa na nasze główne bohaterki. Wydarzenia tu opisane są naprawdę wstrząsające lecz uważam że naprawdę takie książki są potrzebne i cieszę się że się z nią zapoznałam.
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