Scan barcode
A review by 2treads
The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
I liked this story. Cho has chosen what all BIPOC readers from colonized countries will recognize: familial/parental obligation as the foundation for her story. However I felt like the romance was the B-plot here.
Both Renee and Ket Siong focus on the ways in which they can help their family almost at the detriment of their own dreams. Renee has to work towards realizing that her worth and success does not matter on the metric her father uses, fight to stand against misogyny and male entitlement, discard the ways in which her brothers have tried to hold her down in order to really come into her own.
Ket Siong was all too willing to put his dreams on hold for both his brother and mother who were dealing with the fallout of whistleblowing and corrupt multinational corporations.
Both Renee and Ket Siong focus on the ways in which they can help their family almost at the detriment of their own dreams. Renee has to work towards realizing that her worth and success does not matter on the metric her father uses, fight to stand against misogyny and male entitlement, discard the ways in which her brothers have tried to hold her down in order to really come into her own.
Ket Siong was all too willing to put his dreams on hold for both his brother and mother who were dealing with the fallout of whistleblowing and corrupt multinational corporations.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Sexual harassment