This book epitomizes the power of "quiet" books: where the stakes are more (inter)personal than global or societal but still important. Although Danny's family situation is certainly not one that most readers will immediately relate to — his secret family history is pretty dark and complex; I don't consider myself an easily fazed reader, but I was definitely taken aback at each successive reveal — the coming-of-age themes are still universal, as are the contemplations of mental health, morality, loneliness, hope, family, and more.

One of the most noticeable themes in this book is that of support, specifically from your community. Daniel's best friend Harry, elected class president year after year after year, genuinely cares about creating a positive class culture / atmosphere; naturally his success is limited because "teenagers will be teenagers," but he certainly makes a difference. Their other best friend, Regina, is a feminist and an aspiring reporter who goes after the truth at risk of personal reputation and detention. And Danny's parents aren't your stereotypical "you have to get straight A's then become a doctor-lawyer-engineer" tiger parents: although they're hardworking immigrants, they consistently support Danny's plan to go to art school and do their best to prepare him for the real world. Tragedy brings their community together, but even in the quiet everyday moments they show their love in a million different ways.

Cupertino's hundred percent rule is this: if you go out in Cupertino, there's a hundred percent chance you'll see someone you know. (Its corollary is the two hundred percent rule, which is that if you're wearing pj's/haven't showered, your odds double.)

Because the story is set in the Silicon Valley, the background cast is pretty diverse; in particular there are a lot of Asian and Asian-American characters, representing multiple versions of what it's like to be Asian(-American) in America. On top of that, mental health is discussed fairly extensively and extremely sensitively: multiple characters have mental health conditions (and it's far more nuanced than "oh, you know, all teenagers have depression and anxiety these days") which manifest in different symptoms and lifestyle impacts. There isn't always a diagnosis, and sometimes it's matter of fact — like Danny's casual comment that he's not attracted to girls — and taken together the representation in this book is just phenomenal.

Interestingly, although this book does have extensive passages contemplating "life, the universe, and everything" (whether it's scenes where Danny explains his drawing process, or reflects on the nature of loneliness) which I normally don't like, they're well balanced: mixed in with "action" scenes, and varied in length. Some readers may find it over the top, because there's definitely a lot — I swear I've highlighted at least half this ebook — but I personally found it extremely poignant.

And the story itself is exquisitely crafted. It does jump back and forth between different parts of the timeline, but it's differentiated by verb tense and there's built-in context to make the change clear; the reveals are masterfully timed and given room for emotional impact. I was in tears by the ending, because this is one of those rare books that (cliche as it is to say) genuinely touched my heart.

content warnings:

Spoiler

racism, on-page witnessed panic attack, off-page secondary character death, suicide, depression

rep:

Spoiler

gay Chinese-American MC, Taiwanese-American best friends, parent with anxiety (panic attacks)