Girl Overboard

I think this was a good book, not as great as Justina Chen Headley's first book “Nothing But the Truth and a Few White Lies” but still showed the values of being Chinese American. This story chronicles the life of Syrah, the youngest daughter of her billionaire father and his much younger second wife, which already causes family problems between her and her two older siblings, Wayne and Grace. Both following the footsteps of their father in the business world, Syrah feels neglected by those who don't acknowledge her true passion of snowboarding.

Not only does Syrah have family problems, but also has insecurities about her inner feelings for her best friend. The typical teenage drama surely follows this theme such as the jealous girl who tears two best friends apart. The people who are super rich and only like you because of your name and not your personality amongst other cliched ideas.

What made this book worth continuing was the importance of family and how you need to stand up for what you believe in no matter how many times you have been put down in life. Headley did a nice job incorporating the sentimental aspects such as Syrah's mother's struggles in life to get to where she currently is. Her stiff, rigged persona was softened and it brought her closer to her daughter for the first time. Grace's stuck-up and stuffy attitude was also cooled down as we realize her jealousy for Syrah's in-your-face attitude and determination. Luckily not every single character changed at the end then it would have been the ending of a typical soap opera.

Lies, insecurities and alot follow Syrah's life but at the end, it was still something worth reading for the most part.