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Girl Overboard

Justina Chen (Goodreads Author)

3.68 · Rating details · 2,030 ratings · 206 reviews

Everybody thinks Syrah is the golden girl. After all, her father is Ethan Cheng, billionaire, and she has everything any kid could possibly desire: a waterfront mansion, jet plane, and custom-designed snowboards. But most of what glitters in her life is fool's gold. Her half-siblings hate her, her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their friendship, and her own so-called ...more

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Hardcover, 339 pages

Published January 1st 2008 by Little, Brown and Company

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Jul 30, 2008 Erin rated it it was amazing

Shelves: alltime-favorites

I started this book at 11:15 last night. I went to bed at 5:45 this morning. I don't think I've ever done that before. It was a great read. Coming of age, but dark. Very good. ...more

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Jul 17, 2008 Sarah Woodard rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorite-books, own

Syrah was injured in a snowboarding accident. Her dream is to become a Pro-Snowboarder. Her family is unsupportive. Her father, Ethan Cheung, made the cell phone of today. Her mother, Betty Cheung, is both a fashionista and do charity fundraising. All she want to do is be on the slopes with her best friend, Age,but he is too busy with his new boyfriend.
She soon befriends Lillan, an energetic and kid person. That spends most of her time at Seattle Children's Hospital. Lillan's sister, Amanda, has ...more

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Dec 27, 2008 Becky rated it liked it

Girl Overboard stars a very unhappy girl, Syrah, who is frustrated with practically everything in her life: she's unhappy with how her knee is healing after a bad snowboarding accident; unhappy that there seems to be a mental/emotional block preventing her from moving on in her life after a disappointing first taste of love/lust; unhappy that her very best friend, Adrian "Age", has a girlfriend who won't allow him to see her; unhappy that her parents ignore her except for when they're bossing he
Girl Overboard stars a very unhappy girl, Syrah, who is frustrated with practically everything in her life: she's unhappy with how her knee is healing after a bad snowboarding accident; unhappy that there seems to be a mental/emotional block preventing her from moving on in her life after a disappointing first taste of love/lust; unhappy that her very best friend, Adrian "Age", has a girlfriend who won't allow him to see her; unhappy that her parents ignore her except for when they're bossing her around--how her mom is always onto her about her weight, how they both rarely take her seriously and how both want to keep her from ever snowboarding again; angry with her two half-siblings, Wayne and Grace, both much older than herself; disappointed that her only real friend in the house--her nanny if you will--Bao-mu is going to be leaving the family to go care for her own granddaughter; and super-super angry that her parents have told her that they're all moving to Hong Kong next year. Syrah has an oh-so-terrible life because her parents are oh-so-wealthy. But it has its advantages in a way too--when Syrah decides she wants to be a part of her family and use everything to get what she wants. And what Syrah ends up wanting more than anything is to help someone else--to save a life.

It's a coming of age novel heavy on the whine in the opening chapters. The first fifty pages didn't hook me. But I kept going, I kept reading and sure enough by the end I was enjoying it. While all the characters seemed a bit flat and stereotypical in the beginning, by the end, they were beginning (at least if not more) to become fully fleshed characters with heart and soul. Her developing relationship with her family--her mother, Betty; her half-sister, Grace; her mother's family whom she meets for the first time--her aunts and cousins, etc--add depth to this story. I liked how Syrah changed through the course of the book, how she came to be someone I could like, someone I could respect.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews ...more

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Nov 19, 2009 Sam rated it liked it

I bought Girl Overboard because I really enjoyed Headley’s latest book, North of Beautiful. The whole snowboarding premise seemed really interesting to me because I tried snowboarding once and I fell about a million times. I’m much better at skiing.

I was a little disappointed, however. For about the first 100 pages or so, I felt like I’d been thrown headlong into Syrah’s life without any explanation, even though there definitely was. I didn’t really feel a strong connection to her love interest, I bought Girl Overboard because I really enjoyed Headley’s latest book, North of Beautiful. The whole snowboarding premise seemed really interesting to me because I tried snowboarding once and I fell about a million times. I’m much better at skiing.

I was a little disappointed, however. For about the first 100 pages or so, I felt like I’d been thrown headlong into Syrah’s life without any explanation, even though there definitely was. I didn’t really feel a strong connection to her love interest, Age, because he was in about three scenes and most of them involved him telling Syrah that he couldn’t see her because he had a girlfriend now. The snowboarding thing also wasn’t as big of a plot point as I thought it would be; Syrah goes snowboarding twice in the entire book. I was expecting scenes and scenes of her flying down the mountain or something.

Another problem I had was that the narrative was a little bogged down by all of these ridiculous similes and metaphors. I recognize that is Headley’s writing style, because she did it in North of Beautiful, but it seemed a bit much. For instance, “And just like that, the sky goes blank with blackness, mirroring the what I’m thinking, how I’m feeling.” Or, “A rocket blazes a shrieking path, reaching higher than any of the other fireworks before it explodes, burning a hole in the night just as Jared did through my head and heart.”

There was also the fact that not that much really happened until about page 250 or so, so I was a little bored. The writing is pretty beautiful, but that can only buoy me for so long. When things did start happening, I almost didn’t care anymore because I’d been waiting for them to happen for so long.

One thing I did like, however, was Syrah’s nanny, Bao-Mu. She was the best character in the whole novel, I felt. In the beginning, I thought that she was going to be annoying, because Syrah did often feel a little annoyed with her, but as the story progressed, she wormed her way into my heart. Same with her mother’s family; they were so sweet and family-like that I kind of wished I had something like that. Mentions of all the Chinese food made me want to try some of this stuff, or at least make dumplings like they did (maybe I’ll ask my boss to make me some tonight!).

Overall, I tried to enjoy Girl Overboard, but there was some major flaws that I found with it. ...more

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Apr 23, 2009 Doug Beatty rated it did not like it

Shelves: teen

Syrah Chen is the daughter of Ethan and Betty Chen and the family is very wealthy. Syrah really enjoys snowboarding but after a run in the back country, Syrah damaged her knee and had to have pins put in. Syrah’s friend is Age who is dating Natalia even though Syrah would like him for herself. Syrah dreams of getting sponsors and becoming a snowboarding star. Syrah finds a friend in Lillian who she travels with to the hospital and helps her with a party she is having for the children. Lillian ha ...more

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Jan 22, 2021 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, read2021, ya, diverse, ntm2021

I really liked where Chen went with this story. It was about picking yourself back up after a fall and finding your place in this world. I also thought it was great to see mention of Gold Mountain and the Cultural Revolution, as well as the difficulties related to finding marrow donors for mixed race people. This is the second book I have seen mention it. It was something I was not aware of, and as the mother of a mixed race child, it was interesting information for me. I really loved seeing Syr ...more

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Jan 23, 2020 Natalie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020, young-adult, wintry-reads

3.5 stars

I found the main character beyond annoying for the first third of the book. She constantly felt sorry for herself and never talked about how she was feeling with anyone. I liked the book much more once she began to think about others instead of focusing on herself. I really liked Grace and Lillian, and I liked that the book ended on a positive note, because the tone of the beginning of the book was very somber. I didn’t care for the potential love interest. He wasn’t in the book enough ...more

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Apr 18, 2017 Annie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: surprisingly-good

I was afraid this was gonna be a poor-little-rich-girl story, and I don't know enough about snowboarding to care about it, but Syrah turned out to be a character easy to sympathize with.
I didn't need to know about snowboarding to believe that Syrah loved it.
I love character driven stories, and Syrah changes a lot, forming friendships and finding family far and close.
In particular, Grace and Syrah seem so odd (Grace is old enough to be her mother!) yet so perfect as sisters.
Truly wonderful re ...more

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Feb 25, 2008 Nancy rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: teenage girls

Shelves: 2008

After reading Justina Chen Headley’s debut novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), I was anxiously waiting for Girl Overboard, expecting great things from a Chinese American writer. I shouldn’t have. Five chapters into the book and I already felt the enthusiasm slipping away, replaced by a blank expression as I wondered why I’d been so eager to check this out at the library. It’s the story of a billionaire’s daughter who, despite what everyone else thinks, isn’t exactly leading the After reading Justina Chen Headley’s debut novel, Nothing But the Truth (and a few white lies), I was anxiously waiting for Girl Overboard, expecting great things from a Chinese American writer. I shouldn’t have. Five chapters into the book and I already felt the enthusiasm slipping away, replaced by a blank expression as I wondered why I’d been so eager to check this out at the library. It’s the story of a billionaire’s daughter who, despite what everyone else thinks, isn’t exactly leading the most blessed life. She has her own set of problems, whether it is with her family or her friends. It’s a story of finding yourself, what you want, and what you can accomplish, with or without the money.

To start off on a more positive note, it’s always interesting to read about brand new characters. Syrah, named after a brand of wine, has elements that don’t jump off in the Young Adult shelves nowadays, particularly her love for both manga and snowboarding. This athletic interest gives Syrah a more American edge to it, while the other hobby gives the reader a glimpse into Chinese-related topics. Most authors like to play with the same characters—whether they’d be the damsel in distress, a witty girl heroine, or a cynical bad boy reformed—and create stories that don’t spark any originality. But Ms. Headley has once again put life into a girl that possesses some unique qualities that will also be relatable to most teenagers.

Aside from delightful supporting characters in addition to Syrah, there are lessons to be learned. It is the typical uncomfortable and pressuring family members that bring out the issues about relationships and just how high expectations can be. Considering all these things, it brings out a sense of realness to the story. As overused as the “rich girl” idea is, the author simply tells us that no one can lead a golden life, but much more in a way that doesn’t result in considerate groaning on my part.

However well the book might have been in the start, the same expectation does not flow towards the middle of the book. Whether it is books or television, I’ve come across enough of dramatic storylines to voice my opinion about the dragginess and overall unnecessary points of information included. In TV, some shows can be finished without needing the extra two or more episodes, and that’s the case with this book. I remember liking how, in the beginning, each chapter ends in a meaningful way that makes you ponder, but midway, I start to notice all these side stories that unbalance the first portion. Not only does Syrah have to juggle her family, her crush, her newest friend and her sister, but she finds out her mother was adopted and Syrah has a whole other family she doesn’t know about. Just trying to summarize all these different characters makes my head ache. Is it really necessary to incorporate so many characters, stories and messages in one novel?

I’ve learned that for every book an author writes, there is a purpose. But when I look at this book, I just see a battle of messy ideas that tries too hard to overlap each other. It’s like watching a group of children rush for the vacant swing, pushing another out of the way. And through that fuzzy mess, you just can’t be sure who the lucky winner is. I can’t be sure what message I’m walking away with.

Although Girl Overboard doesn’t reflect Ms. Headley’s best work, it has some good passages that pull me in otherwise. While I will not recommend this, simply because of the soap opera-like dramatics and the many loose endings that really need to be tied together, I will suggest readers to read her debut novel. However, if you like little irrelevant stories, hundreds of side messages, and a non-existent relationship between one of the most important figures in her life (her best friend Age), you know the way to the nearest bookstore.

(This is also my Writing Arts Review.)
...more

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Nov 13, 2014 Sharupa rated it it was amazing

I would rate the book Girl Overboard 5 stars. This book is really touching and inspiring. The book is about this girl Syrah whose father is a mega millionaire but she is only known as a rich spoiled girl not who she wants to be when she grows up. In this book the author Justina really describes the emotions of Syrah and how she feels that she is not known as someone who she truly wants to be. Also she uses a ton of sensory imagery to describe what Syrah looks like and how her physical traits are ...more

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Jan 15, 2009 Ash R. rated it really liked it

Shelves: 7th-grade-ir-books-sadelle

If you are looking for a book that is about a Rich girl and her perfect life don't read this book. If you want to read about a rich girl who has everything perfect her and she wants that to change then you should read this book. This book is about a girl who struggles to keep being rich out of living a normal life. She wants to be able to do things regular people do. She is tried of being different and doesn't want to be the Rich bratty girl, but the girl who is just like me.

I can make a text t ...more

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Oct 17, 2014 Zyrelle rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: young adults

Do you want to read a book about a teenage girl who has everything? Well, I know a good book that you would really love, its called Girl Overboard by Justina Chen Headley.
Girl Overboard is full of surprises. Syrah the main character loves snowboarding. One day she gets into a very horrifying accident while hitting the slopes and that event changes many things in her life. With her father being a billionaire it also changes the way people think of her. Syrah's parents are not very supportive o ...more

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Jan 09, 2015 Payal Jain rated it it was amazing

Girl Overboard is one of the best coming of age books I have ever read. It made my heart melt!

The characters felt incredibly real. They were all far from perfect but were beautiful all the same. Bao-mu! I loved her. :)
The writing style was very graceful and fluid.

The book tackled self discovery, healing, friendships, familial relationships, the meaning of life, love - and did it successfully. This is my favorite aspect of Chen's works. Every book has so many facets that I learn something new wit ...more

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Mar 15, 2008 Caitlin rated it it was ok

Shelves: fiction, economics, young-adult

I had high hopes that this book would have a strong empowering messages for girls, but unfortunately it fell short of that goal. Although the author strives to leave the reader with positive messages at the end of the book, these cliches are overshadowed by the shallowness of the rest of the story.

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Nov 10, 2011 Rameela (Star) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2011

wow! i wish there was more! unless there is.... then I HAVE TO GET IT! :)

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May 06, 2017 Yasmin Sanchez rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. The story is about a girl, Syrah Cheng, that is struggling to figure out the problems of her and her family's life. The main characters are Syrah, Age, Lillian, Betty, Ethan, Grace, and Bao-Mu. Syrah is at a point in her life where after her accident she isn't sure whether she trusts herself enough to continue to pursue her dreams of professional snowboarding. Age is Syrah's best friend who is easily influenced by his girlfriend to stop hanging out with Syrah which also helps bring out unspoken The story is about a girl, Syrah Cheng, that is struggling to figure out the problems of her and her family's life. The main characters are Syrah, Age, Lillian, Betty, Ethan, Grace, and Bao-Mu. Syrah is at a point in her life where after her accident she isn't sure whether she trusts herself enough to continue to pursue her dreams of professional snowboarding. Age is Syrah's best friend who is easily influenced by his girlfriend to stop hanging out with Syrah which also helps bring out unspoken emotions between the two best friends. Lillian is a girl just trying to make sure her sister beats her leukemia, even if that means playing along with the meanest girls in school because of their parents connections. Betty, Syrah’s mom, is hiding a secret about her past that she doesn't want Syrah to find out about. Ethan, her father, just wants her to focus on something more stable than snowboarding. Bao-Mu, her elderly nanny, just wants her to follow her heart desires, while she is still holding secrets about Syrah’s family's history. The main characters all are forced under certain circumstances to eventually help Syrah figure out her problems. The main characters all are forced to face their problems and to fix them. One example would be Betty is faced with the past she wanted to forget. The main characters also do go on adventures. An example would be when Syrah takes a trip to Canada to try to reconnect to her mother’s past. My favorite character is Lillian. She is very strong and would do anything to save her family.
Personally I could relate to Syrah because she solves all her problems by facing them head on. I have felt like nothing can go right for my family like Lillian. Although I have also felt like Betty by trying to hide secrets.
I really enjoyed this book. My favorite part of the book is when her mother and father suprise her with her birthday gifts because she realizes that her parents do care about her. My least favorite part of the book is when she has to force herself into a small dress and it makes her feel so low about her appearance. The author, Justina Chen, did an astounding job writing Girl Overboard.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book. It shows how a person can overcome their problems by using their resources. I believe that people who love fiction would really love this book. ...more

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Aug 22, 2019 Caledonia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: i-loved, e-book, borrowed

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 08, 2019 Anya Zhang rated it really liked it

I honestly enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would, because it was so touching in places and absolutely hilarious in others. I like how the author also incorporated other controversial topics along with Syrah's story, like the "right" body shape. I actually cried when Syrah's Bao-Mu said goodbye to Syrah. The only big complaint I have is that the book didn't really have a satisfying ending; I would've liked to see what happened with Age and with Wayne. But overall, it was a great r ...more

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May 16, 2019 La'Niya rated it liked it

This book was alright it was kinda difficult for me to read but this book is about a girl name syrah and everyone thinks shes an golden girl and she has everything a kid would wish to have. i gave this book a 3 star cause it didn't really impress me as much but yeah its a good book for people who like young adult or fiction. ...more

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Jan 02, 2020 Francesca rated it liked it

this book I could kinda relate to in the scene of how the felt and how people would use her but other then that there was little to no emotion throughout the story and it became
very boring very fast. The theme or message could've been not to use someone or to understand what people want and not to only be selfish about yourself ...more

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Jun 30, 2017 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

3.75

Some things could have been more flushed out, but I liked it overall. It was a good uplifting read (in its message), and I enjoyed it. It makes me want to work harder on attaining my own dreams.

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Mar 05, 2018 Christie rated it liked it

I thought there would be a lot more snowboarding in this book then there was; it's mainly in the beginning chapters and the last ones. It's a nice read however, especially if your hillside. I found some parts boring. ...more

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Jun 29, 2018 Galion Public Library Teens rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013

Review by J.M. : "I liked this book because I liked Syrah's personality. She was open & truthful. I would recommend this book to my friend." (2013, 3.5 stars) ...more

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Jul 08, 2019 Meghan rated it it was ok

Not as fatphobic as her last book but I still don’t like how she handles body image and food in this one. Sadly, I’ll be moving on to other authors.

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Sep 22, 2019 Christi Massey rated it it was amazing

Shelves: bought

GREAt read! Loved the character and story development of this book.

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Oct 07, 2019 MaryB97 rated it liked it

I did not really like it. They changed the subject so quick!

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Sep 30, 2020 Grace Shim rated it it was amazing

I don't have a lot to say except that I LOVED IT. ...more

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Jun 03, 2019 Dotty rated it liked it

Shelves: realistic-fiction, sports, 2018-19-school-year

Took me a bit to get into this and the ending seemed a bit "draggy" but interesting point of view and characters. ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Katerina Habers rated it it was amazing

Great book. A bit slow at the beginning but picked up towards the middle and got better. I believe we all go through an event or an eye opener and realize what is most important, its been in front of us the whole time. We just need to change our perspective and priorities.

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Feb 22, 2018 Laura rated it really liked it

Shelves: young-adult, modern-realistic, sports-and-athletes

I picked this book up at the school's library. It's rare to find a book about a female involved in sports.

I had a hard time getting into it. It begins so whiny and angsty. But then I began to get a feel for the character and realized how lonely she is. Poor little rich girl is definitely the characterization here until she decides otherwise.

I'm going to recommend this book to my Meg Cabot fans. ...more

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About Justina Chen

Justina Chen

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Justina Chen is an award-winning writer. Her latest book, THE ART OF INSPIRATION: LEAD YOUR BEST STORY, is for any leader who wants to inspire employees, customers, and constituents. Her YA novel, NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, was named to Best Books lists by Kirkus Reviews and Barnes & Noble. Her other novels include A Blind Spot for Boys, Return to Me, Girl Overboard (a Junior Library Guild premiere selec ...more

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Quotes from Girl Overboard

“Isn't it funny that what the Japanese authors consider their first page is our happily-ever-after last one? When you think about it, it's not a bad way to approach life. What appears to be an ending--heartbreaking wounds that you can and cannot see--may just be a beginning, a start of a brand-new adventure.” — 2 likes

“How unfair is it that snowboarding guys can look as skanky as they want? If they don't shower for five days, who cares? So long as they tweak out more amplitude than than the next guy, go bigger and cleaner, they could be the scroungiest dirtballs on the slopes and still score sponsorships. But girls? No matter how good their tricks are, how high their jumps go, the pro snowboarding girls have got to work their sex appeal, watch their figures, stay in shape in season and out. Their bodies, not just their skills, make them marketable: boobs on boards.” — 0 likes

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