2024 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize for Fiction (finalist)
Goodreads Editor's Pick • Publishers Weekly Author to Watch
"Packed with pop culture.... A beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time.” —Kevin Wilson, bestselling author of Nothing to See Here
Love is a numbers game...
Young Wang has received plenty of wisdom from his beloved uncle: don’t take life too seriously, get out on the road when you can, and everyone gets just seven great loves in their life—so don’t blow it. This last one sticks with Young as he is an obsessive cataloger of his life: movies watched, favorite albums . . . all filtered through Chinese numerology and superstition. He finds meaning in almost everything, for which his two best friends endlessly tease him. But then, at the end of 1995, when Young is at New York University, he meets Erena. She’s brilliant, charismatic, quick-witted, and crassly funny. They fall in love and, for Young, it feels so real that he’s thrilled and terrified. As Young and Erena’s relationship blossoms, we get flashbacks to Young’s first five loves. That means Erena is “number six.” Was his uncle wrong—is she the one and only? Or are they fated for failure to make room for Young’s final, seventh love?
A love letter to Western pop culture, Eastern traditions, and being a first-generation New Yorker, Abraham Chang’s dazzling debut reminds us that luck only gets us so far when it comes to matters of the heart.
Genre: Romance
"Packed with pop culture.... A beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time.” —Kevin Wilson, bestselling author of Nothing to See Here
Love is a numbers game...
Young Wang has received plenty of wisdom from his beloved uncle: don’t take life too seriously, get out on the road when you can, and everyone gets just seven great loves in their life—so don’t blow it. This last one sticks with Young as he is an obsessive cataloger of his life: movies watched, favorite albums . . . all filtered through Chinese numerology and superstition. He finds meaning in almost everything, for which his two best friends endlessly tease him. But then, at the end of 1995, when Young is at New York University, he meets Erena. She’s brilliant, charismatic, quick-witted, and crassly funny. They fall in love and, for Young, it feels so real that he’s thrilled and terrified. As Young and Erena’s relationship blossoms, we get flashbacks to Young’s first five loves. That means Erena is “number six.” Was his uncle wrong—is she the one and only? Or are they fated for failure to make room for Young’s final, seventh love?
A love letter to Western pop culture, Eastern traditions, and being a first-generation New Yorker, Abraham Chang’s dazzling debut reminds us that luck only gets us so far when it comes to matters of the heart.
Genre: Romance
Praise for this book
"Abraham Chang's debut crackles with energy and verve-a heartfelt tale about life, love, and the challenges we stumble into along the way. His thoughtful prose and sharp dialogue make his debut the kind of exploration of identity that will linger with you long after you've turned the final page." - Alex Segura
"An ecstatically written, sensory feast with a depth, range and inventiveness that perfectly encapsulates that period of your life where every time you look up your name is written in the stars. Expect to fall in love with this vibrant, powerful and memorable debut that will bowl you over-and leave your heart full." - Courtney Summers
"Packed with pop culture.... A beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time." - Kevin Wilson
"An ecstatically written, sensory feast with a depth, range and inventiveness that perfectly encapsulates that period of your life where every time you look up your name is written in the stars. Expect to fall in love with this vibrant, powerful and memorable debut that will bowl you over-and leave your heart full." - Courtney Summers
"Packed with pop culture.... A beautifully tender and funny examination of love, of identity, of making your way in a world that is getting bigger and smaller at the same time." - Kevin Wilson
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Used availability for Abraham Chang's 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers