Chloe and the Kaishao Boys

When Chinese Filipina teen Chloe Liang is accepted into the University of Southern California’s prestigious animation program, the Manila resident can’t wait to become “Chloe in America.” Leaving the Philippines means escaping her overbearing family, including Pa, who exudes #ProudDad energy on Instagram but is emotionally distant IRL, and bossy Auntie Queenie. Before Chloe leaves, however, her family plans on turning her 18th birthday party into a traditional Filipino debut. Queenie insists that Chloe participate in a formal dance with 18 male friends, and proceeds to kaishao her—set up potential-partner introductions that Chloe calls “very Mulan matchmaker-esque”—with local Chinoy, or Chinese Filipino, boys. Meanwhile, Chloe’s Filipina best friend Cia works on fixing Chloe up with her crush, Cia’s charismatic older brother Jappy. The result is a snappy, voicey debut filled with myriad embarrassing meet-cutes involving boys within Chloe’s tight-knit cohort. A sweetly rendered, idiosyncratic cast who communicate via clever, Tagalog- and Hokkien-punctuated banter populate this laugh-out-loud exploration of Chinoy culture, first love, and intracommunal tensions. A Tagalog and Hokkien glossary concludes. Ages 12–up. (Mar.)