Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee

 

Last night, I finished reading Maizy Chen's Last Chance by Lisa Yee. This realistic fiction novel is about Maizy Chen, an eleven-year-old Chinese American girl from Los Angeles who goes to Last Chance, Minnesota, with her mom to visit the grandparents she hasn't seen since she was eight when her grandfather, Opa, becomes sick. Although they only plan to stay for a couple of weeks to help out with the family restaurant, the Golden Palace, until Opa gets better, Maizy begins to make some discoveries about her family as the weeks go by and she listens to Opa tell the story of his grandfather, Lucky, who immigrated from China to America when he was just sixteen. Meanwhile, she wonders why her mom and her grandmother, Oma, argue so much and wants to know more about the people who are in the photographs on the office's wall in the Golden Palace. When someone steals the sculpture, Bud the Bear, located outside of the restaurant and leaves a racist note, Maizy sets out to figure out who it was with her new friend, Logan.

I thought this book was absolutely fantastic. Like Maizy, I fell in love with Last Chance and really enjoyed the stories that Opa told her about Lucky. I definitely looked forward to them as much as she did. It was also enlightening learning about the struggles that Chinese immigrants faced over the years. When Bud the Bear was stolen, it was frustrating realizing how much racism Chinese Americans still experience today and I was so angry that a hate crime happened at the Golden Palace because it really seemed like a wonderful place with great food. I certainly liked the mystery elements of the story, though. I thought it was cool how Maizy was into research and investigation, solving the mystery of the robbery and tracking down the paper sons that visited the Golden Place. While the ending is a little sad, it's mostly hopeful and satisfying. I can definitely imagine Maizy and her mom visiting Last Chance more often in the future. Additionally, there is back matter: an author's note, a recipe, and resources. With a wealth of themes, including family, identity, immigration, race, and prejudice, Maizy Chen's Last Chance is an important novel and adds to the growing collection of middle grade novels featuring Asian American characters. I recommend it to anyone who likes food and a little bit of mystery.