Alexandra Chang

The plan is to leave. As for how, when, to where, and even why - she doesn't know yet. So begins a journey for the twenty-four-year-old narrator. As a staff writer at a prestigious tech publication, she reports on the achievements of smug Silicon Valley billionaires and start-up bros while her own request for a raise gets bumped.

Days of Distraction

A wry, tender portrait of a young woman--finally free to decide her own path, but unsure if she knows herself well enough to choose wisely--from a captivating new literary voice The plan is to leave. As for how, when, to where, and even why--she doesn't know yet. So begins a journey for the twenty-four-year-old narrator of Days of Distraction. As a staff writer at a prestigious tech publication, she reports on the achievements of smug Silicon Valley billionaires and start-up bros while her own request for a raise gets bumped from manager to manager. And when her longtime boyfriend, J, decides to move to a quiet upstate New York town for grad school, she sees an excuse to cut and run. Moving is supposed to be a grand gesture of her commitment to J and a way to reshape her sense of self. But in the process, she finds herself facing misgivings about her role in an interracial relationship. Captivated by the stories of her ancestors and other Asian Americans in history, she must confront a question at the core of her identity: What does it mean to exist in a society that does not notice or understand you? Equal parts tender and humorous, and told in spare but powerful prose, Days of Distraction is an offbeat coming-of-adulthood tale, a touching family story, and a razor-sharp appraisal of our times.

A Novel

Is every method of communication a way to connection? It seems so in one form or another 

“…I've learned that journalists love to gossip. I'm not immune, I love it, too. Maybe gossip isn't the right word-we merely enjoy talking about each other. What's that if not some form of affection?”

jennifer 

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Felt like a very whole picture of a normal life of someone different than me. I liked that

I enjoyed the prose and the loose, piecemeal writing style of this book. Not too much of a narrative though, which is not to my preference. Definitely thought provoking and reflective of the "perpetual foreigner" and first gen Chinese American experience imho.

jam 🍯

Vicky (A City Girl's Thoughts)

As an American woman in my 20's who is of (partial) Chinese descent I am glad this popped up in my recommendations feed! I enjoyed Alexandra's journey as she learned more about her heritage, Asian-American history, racism between Asians and Whites, her love life, and herself! 

There is a South-Asian slur used, in a historical context, that should've been censored, since Alexandra is 100% Chinese, and the novel ended in such an abrupt way that made me feel as if the rest of Alexandra Chang's story is missing, but other than that I enjoyed it

An Asian-American story about immigration, identity, and how little control we have against the distraction of the internet. It's not as complex or heavy as other stories of kids of immigrants in American. The added educational journey of Jinjin made this somewhat worthwhile to read and digest.

Nate

Katie Chua

i thought this book was like actually bad ... if the main conceit was about the main character's struggle to justify why she was dating a white dude, then at least make their relationship even a little bit compelling? i did not care for them at all, i did not see why they had stayed together for so long except for the fact that they've been together for a long time, i despised the narrator and found her drab, boring, and infuriatingly passive, all while trying to sound smart? and then the random inclusions of articles/essays taken from old articles, history books, etc. about the history of the chinese in america felt clunky, and to be honest, fairly irrelevant. i know what the author was trying to do but it was just executed really ... poorly. i struggled to finish it and thought it was a waste of time, tbh

Anika | @chaptersofmay

Days of Distraction is a timely coming-of-adulthood tale that follows the life of a twenty-something Chinese-American woman working in the tech industry in San Francisco. The book explores Jing Jing’s journey with identity and belonging, as she seeks to learn more about her heritage, society and Asian immigrants of the past.

Chang has a straightforward prose that gives the book a slow pace but with a refreshing tone. It doesn’t point fingers, but pushes the reader to empathise and contemplate as the story unfolds. She does a wonderful job at highlighting the chauvinism, office politics, and racism Jing Jing faces as one of the only Asian-American employees at her company. Sadly, there’s engrossing action missing to make the plot memorable, so the best way I could describe this debut is quiet but profound.

I really enjoyed reading the thoughts of a millennial mind as she navigates life. I’m a huge fan of coming-of-adulthood tales, and although this book does move quite slowly, it was an insightful read. The narrator’s observations and reflections contain plenty I can personally relate to, from insecurities to xenophobia to microaggressions to people just not getting it. But I enjoyed reading this from the perspective of a different race, that’s what makes this book stand out to me. The author includes references from history through Jing Jing’s family, quotes, and articles to paint a deep and grounding portrait of immigration, interracial relationships, and Asian culture.

I think Days of Distraction would make a great impact on the screen, but as a book the flow just wasn’t engaging enough. Nevertheless, I loved the insight into the Asian-American experience, the exploration of identity and the author’s natural wit. A great debut and a great read for May.

Days of Distraction

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