This isn't the first time I've read a story with the term "Parachute Kids" (that was Parachutes by Kelly Yang, but only read that if you're in the right mindset because it also deals with sexual assault), but the stakes seemed higher in this one than the YA book. Three kids, on their own, trying to figure out basically how to live as adults. It's based on the author's own experiences, and everything that happens Feng Li and her siblings feels realistic and the author doesn't flinch away from their hardships.

Like a few other reviews I've read, the book does seem to end abruptly. I know this is set in the 80s, but I was also disappointed with how the brother's storyline was handled. It ends abruptly, with no resolution for the inforomation we've learned about him throughout the course of the story. Of course, the book is mostly from Feng Li's point of view, but something with a bit more hope for him would have fit better for a middle grade audience.

There were some points brought up in another review about the way this is framed in comparison to other minority communities, like the Latinx community and the Black community that I didn't think about but are valid points. See that review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5484641663

All in all, I can see why this is getting praise because it is (mostly) well written and well illustrated, but I wanted just a bit more resolution there at the end, especially for it being a middle grade text.