April 24, 2023
Gary Võ and his best friend Preston Tru˘,o˘,ng, both 16 and Vietnamese American, often feel invisible in their majority-white school. But when popular kid Jordan Tellender, who reads as white, offers Gary the chance to be initiated into his exclusive Rooster Society, things begin looking up for the two friends. All Gary needs to do is befriend beautiful classmate Gloria Buenrostro—and steal and deliver to Jordan one of Gloria’s personal items, “worthy enough to be deemed a token” of Gary’s loyalty to Jordan and his crew. After a brief misunderstanding, Gary finds himself tandem biking across town with Latinx-cued Gloria, making deliveries for her family’s tailor and tamales business. Pressure from Jordan reminds Gary of their goal, but as Gary and Gloria grow closer, they open up about their lives in a way they never have with their friends or families, causing Gary to reconsider whether popularity is worth everything he could lose. Their easygoing relationship adds levity to thought-provoking themes of wealth privilege, stereotyping, and insecurity. In this sweetly rendered debut, Hoàng employs well-paced plot points and dynamic character development that coalesce into an amicable tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Alyssa Jennette, Stonesong Literary.
