Boring Asian Female
Apr 2026 · Sold by Penguin
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336
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About this ebook
“Thank you for your interest in our school, but we regret to inform you that…” you’re not special. You’re too average. You’re boring.
She’ll have to show them just how interesting she can be.
Elizabeth Zhang is well aware of her place in the world. She’s in the 10th percentile for likability, the 70th percentile for attractiveness, and the 99th percentile for academics. While she’s never been the most beautiful or the most liked, she knows she has the intelligence and ambition to achieve her greatest dream: Harvard Law School. But when Harvard rejects Elizabeth for not standing out enough—which she knows means she's just another boring Asian female—her carefully constructed life falls apart. What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, a classmate at Columbia, got in. Elizabeth can’t figure out how this could have happened. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?
At first, she follows her because she’s just curious. What Laura orders for lunch. Where Laura shops. What Laura’s hobbies are. All of these things must contribute to her overall package, what makes her an acceptable person to Harvard. But still, Elizabeth just can’t see it. The only thing she sees is that Laura has taken her spot.
A spot that she knows she deserves after working so hard. A spot that she’ll simply have to take back.
Subversive, addictive, and darkly funny, this novel unveils a young woman’s all-consuming obsession with a rival of her own making and the lengths she’s willing to go to achieve her vision of success.
She’ll have to show them just how interesting she can be.
Elizabeth Zhang is well aware of her place in the world. She’s in the 10th percentile for likability, the 70th percentile for attractiveness, and the 99th percentile for academics. While she’s never been the most beautiful or the most liked, she knows she has the intelligence and ambition to achieve her greatest dream: Harvard Law School. But when Harvard rejects Elizabeth for not standing out enough—which she knows means she's just another boring Asian female—her carefully constructed life falls apart. What shocks her even more is that Laura Kim, a classmate at Columbia, got in. Elizabeth can’t figure out how this could have happened. Why was Laura accepted? What makes her so interesting?
At first, she follows her because she’s just curious. What Laura orders for lunch. Where Laura shops. What Laura’s hobbies are. All of these things must contribute to her overall package, what makes her an acceptable person to Harvard. But still, Elizabeth just can’t see it. The only thing she sees is that Laura has taken her spot.
A spot that she knows she deserves after working so hard. A spot that she’ll simply have to take back.
Subversive, addictive, and darkly funny, this novel unveils a young woman’s all-consuming obsession with a rival of her own making and the lengths she’s willing to go to achieve her vision of success.
“Thank you for your interest in our school, but we regret to inform you that…” you’re not special. You’re too average. You’re boring.
She’ll have to show them just how interesting she can be.
Elizabeth Zhang is well aware of her place in the world. She’s in the 10th percentile for likability, t...
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About the author
Canwen Xu is a debut author whose writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Kansas City Star, Chalkbeat, Areo Magazine, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia University.
Canwen Xu is a debut author whose writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Kansas City Star, Chalkbeat, Areo Magazine, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia University.
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