Review by zinelib - Imposter Syndrome and Confessions of Alejandra Kim

zinelib 's review for:

Imposter Syndrome and Confessions of Alejandra Kim by Patricia Park

4.5

challenging medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

I almost put this book down a few times before I got sucked in because it was confusing/nuanced. At her private school, Alejandra Kim, with her Argentinian first name and Korean last name (and appearance) is widely seen as a diversity case. Most students kind of keep that assessment to themselves--more because they're afraid of getting canceled than because they believe their take is problematic. When a famous author guest teacher says the quiet thing out loud, Ally (her name at school. vs. Ale, her name at home in Queens) doesn't make a fuss. However, her best friend Laurel white saves her, and the jerk is fired.

I wish Jonathan Brooks James had straight-up bungled my name, like my teachers before him did. Just like every day I wish I had a normal name, like Jane or Anjali or Jiyoung. A name that at least looks like what I'm supposed to be.

The dynamics between Ale/Ally and her friends and mother (her father died by suicide a year ago) show all of the characters as flawed, but not terrible, including Ale herself and her semi-imperfect YA love interest, Billy.

Ma said Papi used to be, like, a piano prodigy back in Argentina, but immigration. He never had the chance to pursue his dream of being a músico. He never had the chance to do a lot of things. I thought immigration was all about achieving the American dream. But in my family, immigration just seems to be the American dream killer.

The teacher who replaces Jonathan Brooks James's subject is cultural studies, which opens Ale's eyes to race and racism in America. That includes how some Asian kids feel that they're impacted by the model minority myth and college admissions.

Ask any Asian kid I went to Stuy with. It's like we get the worst of both worlds: all the cons of not being white, with none of the pros.