★ 05/23/2022
A grieving Chinese American teen combats the model minority myth and its harm in Ho’s (Eyes That Kiss in the Corners) potent YA debut. Unlike her accomplished older brother Danny, Maybelline Chen, who wants to be a writer, feels as if she falls short of her parents’ expectations. It’s a shock to the entire family when Princeton-bound Danny dies by suicide. Their pain intensifies when local white Silicon Valley mogul Nate McIntyre publicly denounces “tiger moms and dads,” accusing May’s parents of pressuring Danny about academics, and potentially driving him to take his own life. Appalled, May pens a poem in response that’s published in Sequoia Park’s local paper, provoking debate within her community. Surprisingly to May, Chinese American classmate Alvin Lo condemns her for seemingly speaking for their town’s Chinese population at large. When May’s burgeoning notoriety threatens her mother’s job, May and Haitian best friend Tiya Marie Duverne rally their classmates to take back their narratives. With a layered, sensitive voice, May confronts her parents’ silence surrounding Danny’s depression and their complacency around maintaining the status quo. Using complex characterizations and intense dialogue, Ho’s weighty novel delves into themes of racism, classism, loss, and healing. Ages 14–up. Agent: Caryn Wiseman, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)
“A grieving teen fights Asian hate by finding her voice in this complex, timely story.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"With a layered, sensitive voice…Ho’s weighty novel delves into themes of racism, classism, loss, and healing." — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"The Silence that Binds Us is a propulsive reminder that race-based discrimination takes a multitude of forms, all of them insidious and traumatic. I adored this ornately carved window into the core of shared humanity. A fascinating exploration of what happens when deeply rooted cultural norms collide with privilege-centered notions of 'fairness.' Read and re-read. Then read it again." — Nic Stone, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Martin
"Zinger after zinger, Joanna pierces us with the truth we can’t ignore even as she cocoons us in love. Just like May, she’s taking back the narrative with her powerful pen." — Abigail Hing Wen, New York Times bestselling author of Loveboat, Taipei
“A held-breath of a novel that finds courage amidst brokenness, and holds a candle to the dark.” — Stacey Lee, New York Times bestselling author of The Downstairs Girl
“Ho confronts racism with care and nuance, capturing the complexities of grief and growth. A poignant call to action.” — Randy Ribay, National Book Award finalist for Patron Saints of Nothing
“A clarion call to search out, listen to, and uplift the narratives—personal, societal, and historical—that have been silenced by factors as intimate as shame and as broad as colonialism. Maybelline's insightful, honest narration frames her awkward conversations and her eloquent poetry to tell a vitally important story that everyone needs to hear.” — Misa Sugiura, author of This Time Will Be Different
“A vital message of the power of using your voice for change. Both challenging and accessible, realistic and aspirational.” — Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of When We Were Infinite
“I couldn't put Joanna Ho's The Silence That Binds Us down! This was a powerful empowering read that will inspire so many readers to scream, shout, stand up, speak out, and share their truths! I was so invested in May's family and her friendships and felt so proud of the characters and the ways they were able to transform by directly addressing the issues that impact them- racism, mental health, the culture of white supremacy, and the false ease of silence. I hope this book is read in every home, school, and library as it's an absolute necessary read!” — Tiffany Jewell, New York Times bestselling author of This Book Is Anti-Racist
“Inspired by the recent rise in hate crimes against AAPI… Ho’s story of inclusion, diversity, and social action rings true. Maybelline is a multifaceted narrator whose drive to right wrongs and stand up to injustice deserves applause. Ho illuminates both activism and mental health in marginalized communities, showing that even a bright, young achiever can experience depression without anyone knowing.” — Booklist
"A powerful, hopeful YA debut…May’s journey through personal and familial grief is poignant and questions of power and privilege are explored with nuance that will spark conversation among teen readers." — School Library Journal
A held-breath of a novel that finds courage amidst brokenness, and holds a candle to the dark.
"Zinger after zinger, Joanna pierces us with the truth we can’t ignore even as she cocoons us in love. Just like May, she’s taking back the narrative with her powerful pen."
A vital message of the power of using your voice for change. Both challenging and accessible, realistic and aspirational.
Ho confronts racism with care and nuance, capturing the complexities of grief and growth. A poignant call to action.
Inspired by the recent rise in hate crimes against AAPI… Ho’s story of inclusion, diversity, and social action rings true. Maybelline is a multifaceted narrator whose drive to right wrongs and stand up to injustice deserves applause. Ho illuminates both activism and mental health in marginalized communities, showing that even a bright, young achiever can experience depression without anyone knowing.
A clarion call to search out, listen to, and uplift the narratives—personal, societal, and historical—that have been silenced by factors as intimate as shame and as broad as colonialism. Maybelline's insightful, honest narration frames her awkward conversations and her eloquent poetry to tell a vitally important story that everyone needs to hear.
"The Silence that Binds Us is a propulsive reminder that race-based discrimination takes a multitude of forms, all of them insidious and traumatic. I adored this ornately carved window into the core of shared humanity. A fascinating exploration of what happens when deeply rooted cultural norms collide with privilege-centered notions of 'fairness.' Read and re-read. Then read it again."
07/01/2022
Gr 9 Up—High school junior Maybelline Chen is shattered when her beloved older brother Danny dies by suicide. Neither May nor her parents saw signs of depression in Danny, a Princeton-bound senior and popular athlete, and his death leaves them reeling with guilt. Then, a wealthy white parent at May's school lashes out with a racist gut-punch of an accusation, blaming "Asians" and "tiger parents" for increased student stress and competition and claiming that May's Chinese American father and Taiwanese mother placed so much pressure on her brother that he killed himself. Devastated and circumspect, May's parents ask her to keep quiet to protect her family from further backlash, but May's rage fuels her to writes a series of letters and poems for the local paper that evolve into broader collaborative and intersectional activism at school. Tackling a range of important, timely topics that include the history of anti-Asian discrimination in the United States, allyship among historically marginalized populations, and the power of narratives to uphold (or disrupt) systems of oppression, this is a powerful, hopeful YA debut from award-winning children's author Ho. While some dialogue veers into didacticism, May's journey through personal and familial grief is poignant and questions of power and privilege are explored with nuance that will spark conversation among teen readers. VERDICT Recommended for general purchase; hand to fans of Mark Oshiro's Anger Is a Gift, Misa Sugiura's This Time Will Be Different, or Kelly Loy Gilbert's When We Were Infinite. —Elizabeth Giles
★ 2022-03-16
A Chinese American teenager learns that silence can bind families together but also prevent them from standing up for larger causes.
Maybelline Chen is mourning the death of Danny, her beloved older brother who struggled with depression and died by suicide right after being accepted to Princeton. Her family’s deep pain is compounded when local Silicon Valley magnate Nate McIntyre publicly blames Asian families for the hypercompetitive school environment, attributing Danny’s suicide to what he claims are widespread Asian parental pressures. Infuriated and hurt, May writes an impassioned poem for the local paper in response, sparking a heated discussion about racism. But when her mother’s job working for Mr. McIntyre’s friend is imperiled by her activities, May must make a choice between speaking out and honoring her parents’ fear of making waves. With the help of her best friend, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, May rallies her classmates to reclaim the narrative while embarking upon a journey of recognizing her own complicity and complacency about racism. She acknowledges Asian discrimination against Black people, faces prejudice from other Asians, and comes to understand the harm of Asian silence and the model minority myth. The array of issues in this story is sensitively and beautifully handled, and May is an appealing character who moves through a complicated range of realistic emotions, including anger, fear, guilt, and jealousy.
A grieving teen fights Asian hate by finding her voice in this complex, timely story. (Fiction. 14-18)
Raechel Wong embodies the character of May Chen, a 16-year-old Chinese-American girl. After losing her smart, successful older brother to suicide, May and her family must endure racist stereotypes that accuse Asians of pushing their children too hard to succeed. Wong chooses not to create a unique voice for each character, but that choice in no way detracts from the effectiveness of her narration. Instead, her strength lies in expressing the emotions of the characters, which range from profound grief to bitter betrayal, from depthless anger to boundless determination. Listeners will be drawn in as Wong’s voice shakes with outrage, quivers with despair, stutters with disbelief, and, ultimately, sings with triumph and pride. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Raechel Wong embodies the character of May Chen, a 16-year-old Chinese-American girl. After losing her smart, successful older brother to suicide, May and her family must endure racist stereotypes that accuse Asians of pushing their children too hard to succeed. Wong chooses not to create a unique voice for each character, but that choice in no way detracts from the effectiveness of her narration. Instead, her strength lies in expressing the emotions of the characters, which range from profound grief to bitter betrayal, from depthless anger to boundless determination. Listeners will be drawn in as Wong’s voice shakes with outrage, quivers with despair, stutters with disbelief, and, ultimately, sings with triumph and pride. L.M.G. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
