YA novels tend to be set in high school, but in American Panda, author Gloria Chao mines the college setting of MIT for all that it's worth. Mei is a 17-year-old who is on track to become a doctor, marry a nice Taiwanese man, and have children. However, that's not the future she wants; it's the one her parents want for her. After reconnecting with her brother, Mei begins to realise that she needs to be honest about what she wants for herself, no matter the cost.