Front Desk

By Kelly Yang

Front Desk was published in 2018, and I instantly knew it was a magnificent and multi-layered story that everyone should read. At the time I was in an adult book group, but when it was my choice to pick the book, I chose Front Desk. It starts off slow, but once you get to know Mia, her family, and her friends, you are hooked.

Mia is a smart girl who has a somewhat unusual living arrangement. She lives in a motel. This might sound like she is constantly on vacation, but nothing could be further from the truth. She helps her parents with their business, goes to school, and also helps with taking care of her aunties and uncles. However, she also has to put up with a bothersome classmate who intentionally is trying to make things difficult for her. Will she be able to balance everything? If you like a suspenseful story with a cast of interesting characters, then give this one a try. And if you like this book, there are now two more books in this series.

I found Front Desk an intriguing and ultimately uplifting tale. It shows how clever children can be and if supported, what great solutions to big and little problems they can come up with.

Find out more at the author’s website: https://www.kellyyang.com/.