Emily's journey unfolds as she transitions from being the sole Chinese student at her private school to attending I.S. 23 in Chinatown for 8th grade. Despite her hopes for connection, she grapples with feelings of disconnection and identity. This coming-of-age novel-in-verse explores her struggles and search for belonging, highlighting the challenges of cultural identity and the quest for self-discovery.
A lyrical novel-in-verse that takes us through the journey of coming of age in New York during the 80s. Alma's life is a series of halfways: She's half-Chinese, half-Jewish; her parents spend half the time fighting, and the other half silent; and she's halfway through becoming a woman. But as long as she can listen to her Walkman, hang out with her friends on the stoops of the Village, and ride her bike around the streets of New York, it feels like everything will be all right. Then comes the year when everything changes, and her life is overtaken by constant endings: friends move away, romances bloom and wither, her parents divorce and--just like that--her life as she knew it is over. In this world of confusing beginnings, middles, and endings, is Alma ready to press play on the soundtrack of her life?