Boring Asian Female

An addictive novel about a young woman’s all-consuming obsession with a rival of her own making and the desperate lengths she goes to in order to succeed, by debut author Canwen Xu

Elizabeth Zhang knows her place in the world. She knows she’s in the tenth percentile for likability, the seventieth percentile for attractiveness, and the ninety-ninth percentile for academics.

Raised by immigrant parents who instilled in her the value of hard work, she’s never been the most beautiful or the most liked, but she is intelligent, with impeccable grades and a flawless GPA. So when Harvard Law School rejects Elizabeth for not standing out enough—which she knows means she's just another boring Asian female—her carefully constructed life falls apart. What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, her classmate at Columbia, got in. Elizabeth can’t figure out how this could have happened. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?

At first, she follows her because she’s just curious. What Laura orders for lunch. Where Laura shops. What Laura’s hobbies are. All of these things must contribute to her overall package, what makes her an acceptable person to Harvard. But still, Elizabeth just can’t see it. The only thing she sees is that Laura has taken her spot at Harvard.

A spot that she knows she deserves after working so hard. A spot that she’ll simply have to take back.

Layered, subversive, and satirical, this novel brings to light how, in the face of societal expectations and self-inflicted pressures, a person can unlock the darkest parts of themselves and show how far they’re willing to go to achieve their vision of success.

Story Locale:New York City