Room to Dream by Kelly Yang

Where to start?! Since my last adventure with Mia, a lot has changed for her: Lupe has moved to different classes from Mia so they aren’t spending a lot of time together. Jason has been acting weird all of a sudden and she keeps catching him looking at her. The rival hotels on the street have been closed for renovations so the Calivista is doing amazing. But after her outstanding words from the last book, Mia can’t seem to catch a break, which is evident by the stacks and stacks of rejection letters she has received. Losing faith, Mia wonders if her dreams of being a writer will ever come true or is she just a one hit wonder?

The biggest news for Mia though is…… SHE IS GOING TO CHINA!! Mia is set to travel back to China, a country her parents decided to leave so they could offer her a better life. Will anything have changed since she has been gone or is she in for a big shock? When Mia finds some fame in China, she thinks her luck is finally turning round but little does she know, she is in for a rollercoaster of emotion.

Life in Anaheim is beginning to change too. All the small, independent shops are disappearing, being replaced with chain stores. The streets is set for some shocking news when the rival hotels reopen but not in the way everyone expected. The Calivista must once again fight for their lives against mega corporations wanting to take over the city.

With everything changing around her, both in America and China, it’s up to Mia to save the day. Will what she has gained in China land her in big trouble in America? Will Lupe and Mia be back on the same page and what is Mia going to do about Jason?!

Room to Dream is the perfect continuation of Mia’s journey in an ever changing world. Realising that just because America has changed the laws on immigration doesn’t mean that anyone different is going to be accepted overnight. On school picture day, Mia and Lupe are forced to the back of the photo, Mia begins to think that life isn’t as good as it should be. This is only compounded when Hank decides to tag along on the family holiday to China. Faced with seeing how Hank is treated by the people in China, how they treat her since she’s been in America and how people in America see her, Mia begins to wonder what her identity means to her. Is she an Asian-American or has she become a full American like her Chinese relatives tell her?

Three Keys