Marie G. Lee,
F is for Fabuloso.
Avon Books, 1999

Marie G. Lee writes great books about Asian Americans in early adolescence struggling with good ol’ American teenage angst. Contemporary and generally set in Midwestern locations, her books are often about first or second generation kids struggling with an insensitive, if not hostile, bewildering world. Like most books in the "Young Adult" category, this book struggles to deal with complex issues while keeping the writing at an age-appropriate reading level. There is sometimes a tendency to oversimplify characters, particularly prejudiced towns people, but for the most part the characters and story in this book are solid and should appeal to kids in this age range who have some sensitivity to issues of discrimination and the desire to fit in.

Jin-Ha, the main character in this book, was born in Korea and has been in the United States for two years. Her father is working at a job far below his level of education and her mother is learning English. When Jin-Ha comes home with an "F" in math, she tells her mom the "F" stands for "fabuloso," her friend's favorite word. Then she must improve her math grade to cover up her lie. To her surprise, she gets the most help in this struggle from the star hockey player after school, the same boy who calls her racist names when his friends are around.

Lee's books give voice to a group of kids that aren't often heard from in the contemporary young adult fiction category, and she gives that voice authenticity. Although her stories are somewhat predictable, as stories in this category often are, in this book her situations are very real and her characters are recognizable.

Sumi Hayashi