River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure

River East, River West (2024) is a modern coming of age tale and a poignant look at how the people of China have continuously struggled to adapt to the changes forced on them. The story alternates between Alva, a biracial teen fighting to find her place in modern Shanghai society and Lu Fang, a young man in the 1980s, recovering from the upset of the Cultural Revolution and yearning for more global experiences.  Author, Aube Rey Lescure, pulls on her personal experiences growing up in Shanghai and creates a great sense of place while taking you back to being a teenager, just trying to fit in, find where you belong and be loved and accepted.