Chloe and the Kaishao Boys

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The Liang family lunch is far from the ideal setting to celebrate my dream coming true.

Unless you're abroad or on your deathbed, attendance at Sunday lunch is mandatory. When my cousin Peter got his wisdom teeth pulled out, Auntie Queenie still brought him to the same Chinese restaurant our family has been going to since the beginning of time. So when I tried asking Pa if I could sit this one out, he gave me his go-to answer: "If Peter can make it to the restaurant with cheeks as swollen as tennis balls, you can too."

Things would be more bearable if Pa hadn't already broken the news about USC to my aunties. I begged him not to post anything after I told him that I got off the wait list. He stayed silent on Instagram, but I'd completely forgotten about the Liang family group chat.

His photo series went like this: a picture of my USC wait-list letter, me frowning, my acceptance letter, me smiling. All the photos had the accompanying hashtags #FromWaitListToYesList #CantGoLowyWithChloe.

Pa is weirdly obsessed with hashtags and adds them at the end of every message. He once spammed the groupchat with dozens of them, and I messaged him separately that they don't work that way. Auntie Queenie proceeded to reply with more hashtags and renamed the group #LiangFamGang.

In terms of USC, it's not that I want to keep secrets from my family. It's more that I already know what my aunties have to say.

"Chloe, I don't understand why you're considering going to America to study cartoons." Auntie Rita says "cartoons" like it's a dirty word. When my aunties first heard that I'd applied to a college in the US, they were shell-shocked. When they found out I wanted to study animation, they were downright offended. "How are you going to support yourself? You should choose a major that's practical. Something that you can build here." She turns to Pa. "Ahia, your daughter is getting too Americanized."

I bite my tongue and flash my polite smile, the

Mae Coyiuto is a Chinese-Filipino writer, born and raised in the Philippines. Mae earned her BA in Psychology from Pomona College and her Master’s Degree in Writing for Young Adults/Children from The New School. If she's not writing, she's usually fangirling over Beyoncé, tennis, Gilmore Girls, or all of the above. She currently lives in Manila. Follow her on Twitter @maecoyiuto.

Praise for Chloe and the Kaishao Boys:

A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year

An endearing story from a fresh voice of family, first love, and taking chances. Kirkus Reviews

A snappy, voicey debut filled with myriad embarrassing meet-cutes . . . A sweetly rendered, idiosyncratic cast who communicate via clever, Tagalog- and Hokkien-punctuated banter populate this laugh-out-loud exploration of Chinoy culture, first love, and intracommunal tensions. Publishers Weekly

Coyiuto s lovely debut is quite funny and filled with fantastic family banter. As readers follow Chloe through different dates, they will root for her as she struggles with matters of the heart, including romance, family, and how hard it can be to make a life changing choice. Booklist

Friendship, matchmaking, family expectations, and a Filipino debut come together in this sweet novel about finding who you are . . . Between love triangles and enemies-to-lovers, this novel explores a few romantic tropes, but the highlight is a relatable heroine who is leaving her childhood behind and focusing on the adult she wants to become. School Library Journal

Tells the story of the ups and downs of following one's dreams, with plenty of meet-cutes along the way.   PopSugar

Witty, fun, and filled with joyous moments, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is a delightful Pinoy rom-com about love, friendship, family, and figuring out the future.   Randy Ribay, National Book Award Finalist for Patron Saints of Nothing

Full of swoons and charm. Coyiuto has crafted a sparkling rom-com that you won't want to miss.   Jennifer Dugan, author of Hot Dog Girl and Some Girls Do
 
An immensely fun, smart, and endearing debut, Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is overflowing with laugh-out-loud moments and honest sincerity. A romance destined to instantly capture every reader s heart. Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions and Right Where I Left You