Purchase to Support Our Program

“Debut author Wang’s blunt yet relatable rendering of Char’s small-town life makes for an easy-to-root-for protagonist. Throughout the teen’s varied conflicts, frank language attentively outlines IRL issues faced by aspiring tech professionals—particularly by people of color, women, and immigrants—as they struggle to enter the contemporary workforce.”

—Publishers Weekly

You Had Me at Hello World

Written by Rona Wang
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Sixteen-year-old Charise “Char” Tang is desperate to ditch her dead-end small town. So when she’s invited to a highly selective hackathon at MIT, she seizes the opportunity to jet across the country, spend the summer building an app, and maybe even snag the top prize—a golden ticket to a new life.

When she arrives, she teams up with Khoi Astor, coding wunderkind and creator of last year’s biggest mobile game. Khoi, who has soft eyes and a gentle smile. Khoi, who can make anyone laugh. Khoi, who is easy to fall for…and already dating her camp roommate. If only Char could reprogram her heart to forget about him.

As the competition heats up, so do things between Char and her teammate. But sabotage lurks around every corner, and she soon discovers that the glitzy tech world has a dark, dangerous underbelly.

Primary ISBN: 9781534488519
Publication Date: November 2025
Available As: Hardcover, Paperback, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 13 or older

Community Represented: ,

Themes: , , , , , , , , , ,

Setting: United States (Oregon, Massachusetts)

Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation

Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience

Click here for details about how we define our titles.

Engagement Projects & Resources:

Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.