Parachutes
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4.1 • 44 Ratings
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- $7.99
Publisher Description
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 United States 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. But Dani’s game plan veers unexpectedly off course when her debate coach starts working with her privately.
As they steer their own distinct paths, Dani and Claire keep crashing into one another, setting a course that will change their lives forever.
Told from the alternating perspectives of Claire and Dani, this gripping novel explores the dark side of privilege and the courage it takes to speak out.
Dual POV Narrative: Jump between the worlds of Claire, a wealthy Shanghai heiress, and Dani, her fiercely ambitious host sister, as they navigate the same elite high school from two totally different realities.A Powerful Look at Consent: This unflinching, ripped-from-the-headlines story confronts difficult questions of power, privilege, and the fight to be heard when the world wants you to stay silent.Class and Privilege: From the debate team to the social scene, Dani fights for her future while Claire grapples with a world where money can buy anything—except safety.Frenemies to Friends: Forced to live under the same roof, rivals Claire and Dani start out as enemies. But when their lives begin to unravel, they might be the only ones they can trust.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In her YA debut, Yang (Front Desk) draws from personal experience and the news to tell a contemporary story of class discrepancy, the pervasiveness of rape culture, and the Asian diaspora. Claire Wang, a high school junior living in Shanghai, is used to a life of luxury, while Filipina American Dani De La Cruz, a debate champ and Yale hopeful who is on a full scholarship at California's American Preparatory, is living a completely different life, cleaning homes to help make ends meet. After receiving a bad grade, Claire is appalled when her parents transfer her to an American high school: Dani's. American Prep is a magnet for parachutes, or "kids from China who come to the U.S. on our own," often scions of wealthy families. When Dani's mom rents out their spare room to an international student, the girls' lives become twined, even as they chafe at the other's socioeconomic misunderstandings. But when each girl experiences a traumatic incident, they learn about the devastating convergences of power, money, and male privilege. Despite occasionally flat side characters, this is a multifaceted read, by turns poignant, fun, and exultant in its celebration of the multitudinous experiences and strength inherent in diasporic identity. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Great book
i read this book twice over the summer and LOVED it!
A must read!
This book will have you feeling IT ALL. It was beautifully written and perfectly encapsulates the emotions of someone who has been through it. The character development is so natural and I was even able to be educated on ‘Parachutes’ which I hadn’t held much knowledge of before this novel. Thank you Kelly Yang. Easily my favorite book I was fortunate to read this year!