Activist teens will love ‘The Downstairs Girl’ despite flaws
Oct 24, 2019
3 minutes
I really wanted to like “The Downstairs Girl,” the young adult novel by Stacey Lee. I loved "Outrun the Moon," her 2016 book, and had pleasant expectations for a follow-up with similar elements: YA, historical fiction, a plucky Chinese protagonist, and an emphasis on social justice.
Unfortunately, “The Downstairs Girl” lacks the grace and confidence of “Outrun the Moon.” Lee adds so many powerful flavors to her writerly stew that readers may struggle to taste the important ones.
Suffragism! Streetcar segregation! Interracial love! Women
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