Boys I Know

A high school senior navigates messy boys and messier relationships in this bitingly funny and much-needed look into the overlap of Asian American identity and teen sexuality.

June Chu is the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother's unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically-planned, tipsily-executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word "girlfriend."

But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

An honest, humorous story full of candor. -Suzanne Park, author Sunny Song Will Never be Famous
Funny, sex-positive, and poignant. -Sonia Hartl, author of The Lost Girls​

June Chu is the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother's unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

A fresh tale about a teen's struggles to define herself. -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
Fresh, funny, and fearless. -Sarah Kuhn, From Little Tokyo, with Love
An honest, humorous story full of candor. -Suzanne Park, author Sunny Song Will Never be Famous
Funny, sex-positive, and poignant. -Sonia Hartl, author of The Lost Girls​

June Chu is the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother's unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

A fresh tale about a teen's struggles to define herself. -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

June Chu is the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her Taiwanese mother's unrelenting expectations or to get Rhys to commit to anything beyond a well-timed joke.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

But as the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

A modern Judy Blume meets Jenny Han, Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls. June Chu is an authentic if imperfect protagonist, and her journey of self discovery is as cathartic as it is uncomfortable. While watching June navigate her relationships with her immigrant parents, her Iowa friends, and the many different boys in her life, teens will learn what to expect of others and of themselves. A Summer/ Fall 2022 Indies Introduce Selection

A fresh tale about a teen's struggles to define herself. -Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review

June Chu has always been the just good enough girl. Good enough to line the shelves with a slew of third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet literally any of her mother's unrelenting goals, or to get Rhys to commit to anything more serious than a well-timed joke.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship to Northwestern (to study pre-med), June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys official.

But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

As the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

A modern Judy Blume meets Jenny Han, Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls, examining the complex overlap between teen sexuality and Asian American identity. June Chu is an authentic if imperfect protagonist, and her journey of self-discovery is as uncomfortable as it is cathartic.

A modern Judy Blume meets Jenny Han, Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls, examining the complex overlap between teen sexuality and Asian American identity. A sharp and unflinchingly honest journey of self-discovery.

June Chu has always been the just good enough girl. Good enough to line the shelves with third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet her mother's unrelenting expectations, or get Rhys to commit.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship, June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys official.

But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

As the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

A high school senior navigates messy boys, messier relationships, and the struggle of never quite living up to her Taiwanese mother's expectations.

June Chu has always been the "just good enough" girl. Good enough to line the shelves with third-place trophies and steal secret kisses from her AP Bio partner, Rhys. But not good enough to meet her mother's unrelenting expectations, or get Rhys to commit.

While June's mother insists she follow in her (perfect) sister's footsteps and get a (full-ride) violin scholarship, June doesn't see the point in trying too hard if she's destined to fall short anyway. Instead, she focuses her efforts on making her relationship with Rhys "official." But after her methodically planned, tipsily executed scheme explodes on the level of a nuclear disaster, she flings herself into a new relationship with a guy who's not allergic to the word girlfriend.

As the line between sex and love blurs, and pressure to map out her entire future threatens to burst, June will have to decide on whose terms she's going to live her life--even if it means fraying her relationship with her mother beyond repair.

Boys I Know is a raw and realistic look into the lives of teen girls, examining the complex overlap between teen sexuality and Asian American identity. A sharp and unflinchingly honest journey of self-discovery.