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Thank you to BookBrowse and Berkley for a copy of Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu. I'd had this book in my radar as one I'd like to read, so I was excited to get an advanced reader's copy.

As the book description says, our main character, Elizabeth, an Asian American female, worked her entire academic career with the ultimate goal of getting into Harvard Law School. When she is rejected, she sets out to find out why she was rejected while another Asian American female classmate, Laura, was accepted.

Elizabeth is intense. It was difficult to spend time inside her head because her world view was so different than mine. As one example - and I don't see this as a spoiler, since she is doing this almost from the first page - she categorizes everyone, including herself, into percentiles. Percentiles of prettiness, intelligence, etc. It was exhausting! And I mean that with kudos to the author. Elizabeth is not a likable character, but she is compelling. I had so many moments of cringe throughout the book, thinking, she's not really going to go there, is she? And yes, she does. It was like gawking at a car crash. Then a train crash… Then a plane crash…

There are so many things to discuss in this book that I think it would make a great book club book. The topic of why she wants to go to Harvard Law School could take up an entire book club meeting alone, let alone other subjects like current admission standards, friendship, romantic relationships, sexual relationships, gender identity, parental relationships/motherhood, political action on college campuses, social media, stalking… and all of that is even before getting to any discussion of race, how Asian Americans - especially Asian American women - are perceived by society and each other, how experiences differ between children with one parent of Asian heritage and one parent of other heritage versus children of two parents of Asian heritage. There is just a lot here to absorb, think about, and discuss.

I look forward to what Canwen Xu writes next.

Intense and captivating story. A SIOW burn psychological thriller, the book depicts how unreasonable societal expectations and "self-inflicted" pressure can derail reason and bring out "the dark side" of one's nature.

Elizabeth Zhang has spent the last four years at Columbia waiting to be accepted into Harvard law school. She has high test scores and grade point. So when she's rejected and another girl, Laura Kim (with less distinction) is accepted, Elizabeth is astounded and upset. She sets out to find out what she did wrong and learns from her counselor, she's "boring." This sets Elizabeth on an obsessive course to get Laura to lose her scholarship, so she can get in, and the results are "astounding."

Elizabeth is a character you somewhat love to hate. Throughout her obsession with Laura, I kept wanting her to just accept what happened and maybe get to know Laura. However, the sly, clever ending disabused me of that. This a 50/50 character-plot-driven novel. Upon finishing the book I can understand why the author gave us the slow burn because she wants to show how Elizabeth's misguided beliefs about social class superiority that kept her out of Harvard and how she isn't liked are figments of her imagination-she never really tested any of her theories. Nonetheless these themes demonstrate how we can be our own worst enemies.

I enjoyed this read and highly recommend this book.

I really liked this book. The character growth and scenery really hooked me. The flow of the book was really nice too.

Confession: I really don't like books about stalkers, obsession, and disordered thinking which makes this a tough one for me to read and review. However, the writing is quite good, the secondary characters make sense, and the plot holds together. And the end twist is a hoot. So I'd recommend to those who enjoy this type of fiction.

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu is one of those books that quietly gets under your skin—and then stays there.

From the start, I felt unsettled, but also intrigued. Elizabeth Zhang is easy to sympathize with in the beginning. She's disciplined, ambitious, and painfully aware of how she's perceived—never quite exceptional enough in the ways that seem to matter. Her drive, shaped by both internal and external expectations, feels very real.

As the story progresses, though, that sympathy starts to erode. Elizabeth's choices become increasingly uncomfortable to witness, and what begins as determination starts to feel like something much darker. By the midpoint, I found myself less connected to her and more disturbed by her—watching her unravel in ways that felt, at times, extreme.

The novel leans heavily into that discomfort. The tone is consistently uneasy, and the fixation on Harvard Law School becomes almost overwhelming, especially as Elizabeth's actions escalate. While the story does build in intensity, I'm not sure the payoff felt entirely satisfying for me. It goes far—arguably too far—without fully delivering a sense of resolution that matches that escalation.

That said, Canwen Xu's writing is strong. The dialogue, in particular, stands out—it feels natural and sharp, and it does a lot of work in revealing character dynamics and tension. Elizabeth herself is fully developed, even if her behavior sometimes stretches believability. Her mindset—so driven by pressure, comparison, and the need to stand out—rings uncomfortably true.

This is not a light read. It's unsettling, intentionally so, and it lingers in a way that may not be enjoyable for everyone. But if you're drawn to character-driven stories that explore ambition, identity, and the darker edges of self-perception, this one is worth picking up.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group for providing this ARC for review consideration via NetGalley.

Canwen Xu's debut novel, Boring Asian Female, is a sharp, unsettling, and often compelling read. While not without its flaws, it left a strong impression and marks Xu as an author worth watching. The story follows Elizabeth Zhang, an ambitious and deeply unlikeable protagonist who nevertheless remains fascinating. A former high school valedictorian and current Columbia student, Elizabeth is determined to reject the stereotype of the "meek, submissive Asian woman." Instead, she evolves into a coldly calculating anti hero whose obsessive drive for success spirals after her rejection from Harvard Law School. What follows is a descent into resentment, entitlement, and serious mental health struggles, set against the competitive backdrop of academia.

One of the novel's greatest strengths is its total immersion into Elizabeth's internal world. The narrative immerses the reader completely into Elizabeth's thoughts, including her habit of ranking everyone she encounters into percentiles of attractiveness and intelligence. This fixation serves as a scathing critique of a culture that equates self worth with numbers, prestige, and relentless productivity.

At times, this psychological immersion can feel exhausting, and a few plot points strain believability. However, these moments are easy to forgive within the context of fiction, especially given how effectively they convey Elizabeth's deteriorating mental state. The intensity ultimately feels purposeful rather than gratuitous.

Overall, Boring Asian Female is a bold debut that tackles ambition, racism, and self destruction. While it may not resonate with every reader, those drawn to character driven literary fiction and morally complex protagonists will find much to admire. I look forward to reading future works by Canwen Xu.

Boring Asian Female by Canwen Xu is the story of the quest for perfection. All her life, Elizabeth Zhang has dreamed of attending Harvard Law School. She considers acceptance to Harvard to be her most successful achievement. She has planned and worked toward the goal of being accepted into Harvard Law School. When she is rejected, and her classmate, Laura Kim, is accepted, Elizabeth starts staking Laura. She becomes obsessed with finding out why Laura was accepted and she was not. She beings to assume that Laura took her spot. She knows Laura's every move, where she goes, what she does and who she sees. Elizabeth arranges to cause Laura harm. She uses her intellect to arrange a series of problems for Laura.

This novel is a study of how far a person will go to achieve a goal. Elizabeth's actions made me a little uncomfortable. Her actions against Laura are simply wrong. However, Elizabeth's quest to achieve her goal blocks everything and everyone out. I enjoyed this book, but I must say it was a little scary to see the lengths a perfectionist will go to achieve her dream.

Canwen Xu's debut novel, Boring Asian Female, provides a window into the mind of a college senior spiraling out of control when she learns of an academic rejection. As Elizabeth contemplates the loss of the life she planned, she concludes she is simply too boring, and rejects alternative life paths in favor of a series of disturbing attempts to make herself more interesting. In twists and turns alternately dark and entertaining, Xu explores friendships, dating, and family relationships in South Dakota and New York City. Despite Elizabeth's increasingly implausible strategies to rectify the situation, Xu kept me interested in the outcome. Her exploration of Asian female stereotypes—is an important focus of her work that I was ambivalent about in choosing to read the book, but I found her focus on the interaction among Asian women (and girls) was interesting and informative. I look forward to her future work!