Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

I was looking forward to this book but while it was a good read, I unfortunately did not connect with it as much as I wanted to.

I liked Stay True's exploration of culture, identity and belonging but found myself being bored for the most part. I did not get most of the references and musicians (or at least that's who I assumed they are) nor could I picture the setting and vibes, so all of it felt really dry to me.

Nevertheless, I appreciate Hua Hsu sharing his experiences as a college student, the son of Taiwanese immigrants and a zine lover while navigating life and relationships (both platonic and romantic) as well as trying to find his place in the world. I found it striking how he seemed to eschew all things mainstream but was oh so very hipster.

In this reflective memoir, the author also grapples with the death of a friend and the guilt that comes with it. One part that stuck out to me in particular was when a mutual friend asked, "Were you and Ken really that close?" and Hua Hsu "panicked", acknowledging that maybe he'd misremembered a lot along the way, "But how could I ever be sure?"

Everyone grieves differently and being privy to the author's side of things was certainly illuminating and left me pondering.

Thank you to Doubleday Books and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.