A sixth-grader tries to adapt to the complex circumstances of adolescence in The Many Masks of Andy Zhou, an earnest, authentic middle-grade coming-of-age story by Jack Cheng (See You in the Cosmos).
Chinese American Andy Zhou and his best friend Cindy Shen are starting middle school. Cindy insists they need to "make a statement" and, though Andy has always followed her lead, he isn't sure he likes her current trajectory. When school starts, they find themselves on different paths: Cindy following "the tall girls," and Andy spending more time with a bully-turned-friend. At home, his grandmother and ailing grandfather are visiting from China, and the stresses of life have Andy pulling out his hair--literally. It feels important to Andy that he figure out who he is, but is that knowledge even attainable?
The Many Masks of Andy Zhou is a brilliant, heartfelt story of self-discovery. Andy faces challenges that Cheng deftly tackles without ever weighing down the story or pausing its momentum. These include generational and cultural differences, like Andy understanding his parents' Shanghainese but being unable to converse fluently in the language. Cheng also makes the timely choice to include a content note at the start of the book, so readers of all ages can be prepared for the topics within. The Many Masks of Andy Zhou is a sincere window into the complicated, tricky, and painful parts of growing up. --Kyla Paterno, freelance reviewer