Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim - by Patricia Park

About the Book

"Alejandra Kim doesn't feel like she belongs anywhere. At her wealthy Manhattan high school, her super Spanish name and super Korean face do not compute to her mostly white "woke" classmates and teachers. In her Jackson Heights neighborhood, she's not Latinx enough. Even at home, Ale feels unwelcome. And things at home have only gotten worse since Papi's body was discovered on the subway tracks. Ale wants nothing more than to escape the city for the wide-open spaces of the prestigious Wyder University. But when a microaggression at school thrusts Ale into the spotlight--and into a discussion she didn't ask for--Ale must discover what is means to carve out a space for yourself to belong."--

Book Synopsis

A multicultural teen struggles to fit into her elite prep school, her diverse Queens neighborhood, and even her own home. A hilarious, poignant, and powerful YA novel from the award-winning author of Re Jane.

"Simply brilliant!" --David Yoon, New York Times best-selling author of FRANKLY IN LOVE
"Scathingly funny." --Gayle Forman, New York Times best-selling author of IF I STAY
Alejandra Kim feels like she doesn't belong anywhere.

Not at home, where Ale faces tense silence from Ma since Papi's passing. Not in Jackson Heights, where she isn't considered Latinx enough and is seen as too PC for her own good. Certainly not at her Manhattan prep school, where her predominantly white classmates pride themselves on being "woke". She only has to survive her senior year before she can escape to the prestigious Whyder College, if she can get in. Maybe there, Ale will finally find a place to call her own.

The only problem with laying low-- a microaggression thrusts Ale into the spotlight and into the middle of a discussion she didn't ask for. But her usual keeping her head down tactic isn't going to make this go away. With her signature wit and snark, Ale faces what she's been hiding from. In the process, she might discover what it truly means to carve out a space for yourself to belong.

Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim is an incisive, laugh-out-loud, provocative read about feeling like a misfit caught between very different worlds, what it means to be belong, and what it takes to build a future for yourself.

Review Quotes

★ "Park's work paints an educational but entertaining portrait of what it is like to be a person of color in today's world.... [A] fantastic read." --School Library Journal, starred review

★ "[An] entertaining, well-paced story.... Ale is a thoroughly appealing protagonist." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Alejandra's powerful story will leave readers with much to think about." --The Horn Book

"This humor-infused tale poignantly captures one teenager's experience learning to stand up for what she believes in." --Publishers Weekly

"This is a powerful debut YA novel." -Buzzfeed News

"Hilarious, whip-smart, and refreshingly honest--this novel is simply brilliant."
--Brendan Kiely, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling All American Boys

"An authentically funny, honest, and real portrayal of the fight to be seen. Magnificent."
--Ellen Oh, award-winning author of Finding Junie Kim

"Will give readers the courage to truly define 'imposter' and to smash those definitions that no longer serve us."
--Jennifer de Leon, author of Don't Ask Me Where I'm From

"The joys and travails of Alejandra Kim at 'Quaker Oats Prep' made me laugh one moment and cry the next. . . .I loved this novel!"
--Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of Finding My Voice and Hurt You

"Imposter Syndrome is funny and moving, wonderfully earnest and slyly satirical, and an absolute pleasure to read."
-Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer's English

About the Author

Patricia Park is a tenured professor of creative writing at American University, a Fulbright Scholar in Creative Arts, a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, and the author of the acclaimed adult novel Re Jane. The Korean American reimagining of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre was named an Editors' Choice by the New York Times Book Review; a Best Book of 2015 by the American Library Association; an O, The Oprah Magazine pick; and an NPR "Fresh Air" pick, among other honors. Her writing has also appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Guardian, Salon, and others. Patricia lives in Brooklyn, NY, and online at patriciapark.com.