Tropic of Orange
Sophisticated
Profound
Vibrant

Tropic of Orange

“David Foster Wallace meets Gabriel Garcia Marquez” in this novel set in a dystopian Los Angeles from a National Book Award finalist (Publishers Weekly). Irreverently juggling magical realism, film noir, hip hop, and chicanismo, Tropic of Orange takes place in a Los Angeles where the homeless, gangsters, infant organ entrepreneurs, and Hollywood collide on a stretch of the Harbor Freeway. Hemmed in by wildfires, it’s a symphony conducted from an overpass, grandiose, comic, and as diverse as the city itself—from an author who has received the California Book Award and the Association for Asian American Studies Book Award, among other literary honors. “Fiercely satirical . . . Yamashita presents [an] intricate plot with mordant wit.” —The New York Times Book Review “A stunner . . . An exquisite mystery novel. But this is a novel of dystopia and apocalypse; the mystery concerns the tragic flaws of human nature.” —Library Journal (starred review) “Brilliant . . . An ingenious interpretation of social woes.” —Booklist (starred review)
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Reviews

Photo of lily
lily@flowerings
3 stars
Jul 23, 2025
Vibrant
Photo of Abby
Abby@jagged-dust-jacket
3 stars
Nov 18, 2024
Bold
Profound
Original
Ambitious
Avant-garde
Page turning
Sophisticated
Thought provoking
Photo of cyn
cyn@bookbear
3.5 stars
Nov 20, 2023
Photo of Elena Kuran
Elena Kuran@elenakatherine
4 stars
Feb 7, 2024
Photo of Nav Singh
Nav Singh@nav67
4 stars
Dec 21, 2023
Photo of Ava Dysarz
Ava Dysarz@cyborgava
3 stars
Aug 15, 2022
Photo of Liv Ellis
Liv Ellis@livvy
4 stars
Mar 15, 2022
Photo of Zoe Smolen
Zoe Smolen@booksatlunch
4 stars
Oct 20, 2021