Set in Queens, New York, “The Queens of New York” is a skillful, heartwrought portrayal of friendship and growing up. This story centers around Jia Lee, Everett Hoang, and Ariel Kim- 3 Asia-American girls who live very different lives but have been best friends since they were seven. This novel is told from their alternating points of view, allowing readers to follow along their momentous summer.

Jia Lee is the daughter of Chinese immigrants who desires a seemingly impossible future beyond her parents’ Chinatown restaurant. In the midst of waitressing, and caring for her ailing grandmother, Jia falls for a new neighbour but struggles to share her humble life with him.

Superstar Everett Hoang dreams of the bright lights, and the big stage. She is on her way to a prestigious theatre summer program in Ohio where she hopes to leave her mark, and kickstart her Broadway career. When she arrives however, she is faced with racist microagressions, and a play that only supports false stereotypes about Asian immigrants.

Ariel Kim, STEM prodigy, is spending her summer in San Francisco after winning a scholarship. All is not well though, because her estranged sister died in South Korea a year ago following a boating accident. Ariel is struggling to come to terms with her death, while being the perfect daughter her sister never was.

The stage is set for these 3 girls to overcome their individual challenges, while still proving that distance only strengthens their bond. There is individual growth, and Ariel, Jia, and Everett are flawed but ultimately grow up as this story progresses.

The pacing of this novel is perfect, and these characters were developed carefully to the point where each of them could get their individual novels. It was incredibly easy to read, and it kept me hooked till the end. I also greatly appreciate how the author handles weighty themes like grief, racism, and parental expectations. There is a soft, delicate hand crafting these characters, leading them to eventually make the right decisions and it left me very satisfied.

This is exactly the kind of book suitable for older and younger readers alike. The topics covered here are synonyomous with different stages of life, and at no point did this book feel unrelatable even though I am a Ghanaian, adult reader. I recommend ths novel highly. It was a delightful ease into reading after a long break.