Book: Mismatch by Lensey Namioka

Published February 2006 by Delacorte Books|217 pages

Where I Got It: I borrowed the e-book from the library

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

Sue Hua just moved from racially diverse Seattle to a suburban white-bread town where she feels like the only Asian American for miles. Then she meets Andy, a handsome and passionate violin player who happens to be Asian American. Sue feels an instant attraction to Andy, and her white friends think they’re “made for each other”–after all, they both use chopsticks and eat a lot of rice, right? But there’s just one problem. Andy’s last name is Suzuki. And while that may mean nothing to the other students at Lakeview High, Sue knows that it presents a world of problems to her family.

I’m not sure how I feel about Mismatch!  There were some things I liked, and some things I didn’t like.

I thought Mismatch did a great job at highlighting racism and stereotypes.  I did find it to be repetitive at times, which did get frustrating, particularly by the end of the book.  But at the same time, I can put the book down and walk away from it, but people who experience it can’t do that, so it did get me to think about that.

I totally understand why her grandma hated the Japanese.  You don’t get a lot of detail, but you do get enough to see why.  It’s the same with Andy’s dad, and even Sue’s mom.  You do get a glimpse of the history between China and Japan, and some of the things that happened during World War 2 and after, especially once Sue goes on the orchestra trip to Japan.

Some of the conflicts seem to be resolved really fast, and overall, the book skews towards the younger end of YA…maybe (MAYBE) the older end of middle grade.  (That’s a strong maybe, though, it sort of depends on the kid).  I wish there had been a little more to it, but I also think it’s a good way to talk about history and stereotypes and racism.

2 stars.  I don’t have a lot to say about Mismatch, other than what I’ve already said.