Boring Asian Female

An addictive novel about a young woman's all-consuming obsession with a rival of her own making and the desperate lengths she goes to in order to succeed, by debut author Canwen Xu.

'Xu is a writer to watch' Isabel Banta, author of Honey

'Smart, engaging, and thought-provoking' Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of The Leftover Woman

As Seen on Woman's Hour

A Love Reading DEBUT OF THE MONTH and STAR PICK

Elizabeth Zhang knows her place in the world. She knows she's in the tenth percentile for likability, the seventieth percentile for attractiveness, and the ninety-ninth percentile for academics.

With a hard-working ethic instilled in her by immigrant parents, armed with impeccable grades, Elizabeth thinks she is set for Harvard Law School. Until she is rejected for being too ordinary, which she translates to mean she's just another boring Asian female. But when her classmate Laura Kim gets in, everything falls apart. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?

At first, she follows her because she's just curious. What Laura eats for lunch. Where Laura shops. The answer for Elizabeth's failure must lie somewhere in Laura's life. But still, Elizabeth just can't see it. The only thing she sees is that Laura has taken her spot at Harvard.

A spot she knows she deserves. A spot that she'll simply have to take back.

Layered, subversive, and satirical, this novel brings to light how, in the face of societal expectations and self-inflicted pressures, a person can unlock the darkest parts of themselves and show how far they're willing to go to achieve their vision of success.