Front Desk by Kelly Yang

My name is Mia, and my parents were hired by Mr. Yao to manage his motel. It seemed like a great deal, and my parents were desperate, but Mr. Yao is a penny-pinching, vile, bigoted miser. I know those are big words for a recent Chinese immigrant, but I love English and I've recently discovered Roget's thesaurus. I hate how unfairly Hank, one of our weeklies, has been treated by Mr. Yao and the police, and I want to help. While my parents believe in fate, I'm going to do something to get off our roller coaster life. I'm writing more letters and notes now, but I'm not sure if I'll write the most important one. It could change my family's lives, but I probably don't stand a chance. Then there's the $300 I need to do it. 

This book told an intriguing story of immigrants trying to live the American Dream. Mia's family learned that reality often differs from perceptions. They felt like slaves, since their lack of options led to Mr. Yao taking advantage of them. The big issue underlying many of the problems was prejudice and bigotry. The main targets were black citizens and Chinese immigrants. Mia's parents secretly assisted struggling friends, while Mia had her own obstacles in school. She had great compassion for others and wasn't content to sit back and ignore injustices. That was refreshing to see, as she experienced her own hardships. The topic of writing was also refreshing, as electronics weren't part of the story. They weren't prevalent in the 1990's, and the characters couldn't afford them anyhow. Mia actually wrote with paper and pencil and used stamps to mail letters! While the results of some letters were unrealistic, the plot demonstrates the potential positive consequences of people taking action. Don't expect good things to happen if you don't do something first. Overall, the book is inspirational for people who feel like they don't have a chance to succeed, and I recommend you give it a shot.