I’m Not Here to Make Friends
Written by Andrew Yang
Published by Quill Tree Books
When Sabine Zhang is picked for Hotel California, a teen reality show with an all-Asian cast, she jumps at the opportunity. As one of few Asians at her high school in the Midwest, she’s always felt as if she was playing a side character in someone else’s story. But on this show, she’ll finally have a chance to step into the spotlight.
All Yoona Bae wants is to get away. The girls at church think she’s mean, her mom thinks she’s a troublemaker, and she’s tired of fighting against her unearned bad reputation. So when she’s invited to appear on Hotel California, Yoona sees it as an opportunity to chill out, make some friends, maybe even get a tan.
But life on the show isn’t all sunshine and self-actualization. The producers want drama at all costs, even if it means pitting Sabine and Yoona against each other. With the season finale looming, can the girls figure out a peaceful way forward, before they lose control of their own narratives?
Primary ISBN: 9780063223271
Publication Date: July 2023
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older
Community Represented: Chinese/Chinese American, Japanese/Japanese American, Korean/Korean American, Nigerian/Nigerian American, Taiwanese/Taiwanese American, Unspecified (South Asian)
Themes: Coming of Age, Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Friendship, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Discrimination: Gender and Sexual, Discrimination: Racial, Family Relationship: Parents, Format: Audiobook, Identity: Exploration, Mental Health, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: United States (Moline IL, Palm Springs CA)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: Unknown Arrival
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
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