Books by Asian, Native Hawaiian, & Pacific Islander Authors You Should Read ASAP

Starfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman

A half-Japanese teen grapples with social anxiety and her narcissist mother in the wake of a crushing rejection from art school in Akemi Dawn Bowman’s debut novel.

Our Wayward Fate by Gloria Chao

A teen outcast is simultaneously swept up in a whirlwind romance and down a rabbit hole of dark family secrets when another Taiwanese family moves to her small, predominantly white midwestern town.

My Summer of Love and Misfortune by Lindsay Wong

Crazy Rich Asians meets Love & Gelato in this hilarious, quirky novel about a Chinese American teen who is thrust into the decadent world of Beijing high society when she is sent away to spend the summer in China.

The Weight of Our Sky by Hanna Alkaf

A music-loving teen with OCD does everything she can to find her way back to her mother during the historic race riots in 1969 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in this heart-pounding literary debut.

A Place to Belong by Cynthia Kadohata

A Japanese American family, reeling from their ill treatment in the Japanese imprisonment camps, gives up their American citizenship to move back to Hiroshima, unaware of the devastation wreaked by the atomic bomb in this piercing and all too relevant look at the aftermath of World War II by Newbery Medalist Cynthia Kadohata.

American Panda by Gloria Chao

This incisive, laugh-out-loud contemporary debut follows a Taiwanese-American teen whose parents want her to be a doctor and marry a Taiwanese Ivy Leaguer despite her squeamishness with germs and crush on a Japanese classmate.

Permanent Record by Mary H. K. Choi

When Leanna and Pablo randomly meet at 4:00 a.m. at a Brooklyn bodega in the dead of winter, it’s absurd to think they’d be A Thing. But as they discover who they are, who they want to be, and how to defy the deafening expectations of everyone else, Leanna and Pab turn to each other. Which, of course, is when things get properly complicated.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Belly has an unforgettable summer in this stunning start to the Summer I Turned Pretty series from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, Jenny Han. Now an Amazon Prime streaming series!

Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi

Mary H.K. Choi’s debut novel is deeply relatable when it comes to the awkwardness of falling in love, especially in the age of texting. After Penny and Sam exchange numbers, they soon become digitally inseparable, sharing their deepest anxieties and secret dreams without the humiliating weirdness of having to, you know, see each other.

Want by Cindy Pon

Set in a near-future Taipei plagued by pollution, a group of teens risk everything to save their city in this thrilling novel from critically acclaimed author, Cindy Pon. Once you’ve finished this book, check out the sequel, Ruse!

Prepped by Bethany Mangle

Becca was raised in a doomsday community but she’s secretly planning her escape so that she can attend college far away. Her parents are arranging her marriage to Roy, the boy next door, and she doesn’t have the heart to tell him her plan. But when an accident pushes the doomsday community further into prepping and Roy proposes they run away together, Becca will have to risk everything—including her heart—for a chance to hope for the best instead of planning for the worst.

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon

Take a trip to St. Rosetta’s Academy in this Beauty & the Beast retelling. When Princess Jaya Rao discovers that the heir to Emerson clan, her family’s century’s old foe, goes to her new boarding school, she hatches a plan to make him fall in love with her so she can break his heart. But much to Jaya’s annoyance, Grey’s brooding demeanor and lupine blue eyes have drawn her in.

The Wild Ones by Nafiza Azad

From William C. Morris Finalist Nafiza Azad comes a thrilling, feminist fantasy about a group of teenage girls endowed with special powers who must band together to save the life of the boy whose magic saved them all.

Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao

Chloe hires a fake boyfriend to appease her traditional Taiwanese parents. She doesn’t expect to fall in love with him for real. The only problem: Drew is nothing like the perfect boyfriend persona she hired him to play.

The Infinity Courts by Akemi Dawn Bowman

Westworld meets Warcross in this high-stakes, dizzyingly smart sci-fi about a teen girl navigating an afterlife in which she must defeat an AI entity intent on destroying humanity. After you’ve read The Infinity Courts, read the sequel, The Genesis Wars!

Everyone Wants to Know by Kelly Loy Gilbert

All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this smart, twisty teen thriller about a girl who can’t stop pushing herself to be the best—even after losing her best friend and the love of her life.

When We Were Infinite by Kelly Loy Gilbert

This achingly romantic drama is perfect for anyone who’s a fan of Mary H.K. Choi. All Beth wants is for her tight-knit circle of friends—Grace Nakamura, Brandon Lin, Sunny Chen, and Jason Tsou—to stay together. Then Beth witnesses a private act of violence in Jason’s home, and the whole group is shaken. Beth and her friends make a pact to do whatever it takes to protect Jason, no matter the sacrifice. But when even their fierce loyalty isn’t enough to stop Jason from making a life-altering choice, Beth must decide how far she’s willing to go for him—and how much of herself she’s willing to give up.

A Pho Love Story by Loan Le

This funny, smart romantic comedy follows two Vietnamese American teens who fall in love and must navigate their newfound relationship amid their families’ age-old feud about their competing, neighboring restaurants.

When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon

Dimple and Rishi are exact opposites. Unfortunately for them, their parents are conspiring to arrange their marriage. When they meet at a computer summer program, it’s definitely not love at first sight. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways. Be sure to check the other books in the Dimpleverse: There’s Something about Sweetie and 10 Things I Hate about Pinky.

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi

From New York Times bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi comes a funny and emotional story about two estranged sisters and how far they’ll go to save one of their lives—even if it means swapping identities.

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Han

By now you’ve probably seen all three of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before movies on Netflix and fallen in love with the Song sisters. Pick up the books to read all about how Lara Jean’s love life goes from imaginary to really complicated when the love letters she secretly wrote to her past crushes get sent out in the mail.

The Love Match by Priyanka Taslim

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before meets Pride and Prejudice in this delightful and heartfelt rom-com about a Bangladeshi American teen whose meddling mother arranges a match to secure their family’s financial security—just as she’s falling in love with someone else.

I Will Find You Again by Sarah Lyu

All the Bright Places meets Ace of Spades in this smart, twisty teen thriller about a girl who can’t stop pushing herself to be the best—even after losing her best friend and the love of her life.

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