Cloudwish by Fiona Wood (review)

As a Vietnamese Australian student on scholarship at a posh private school, Vân Uoc knows a thing or two about prejudice and discrimination. She knows, for instance, that she will never stand a chance at attracting the attention of golden boy Billy Gardiner, who haunts her dreams. When she makes a wish that he would find her fascinating, however, it seems to work, and suddenly Billy is everywhere, practically stalking her. Pragmatic Vân Uoc doesn’t believe in magic; in fact, she believes it more likely that his attentions are the prelude to a practical joke, but when he persists in the face of her resistance, she decides to just enjoy the ride while it lasts. Guided by her best friend and channeling Jane Eyre, she gets her taste of first love even as she tries to find a way to undo the wish. Meanwhile, she does what she can to find out the story behind her mother’s periodic bouts of depression, which are triggered by the anniversary of her escape from Vietnam. Along the way, this sharp heroine offers a frank critique of white privilege and an equally frank exploration of the appeal of those who wear privilege like a second skin, as she tries to discover who she is and who she wants to be. Her self-talk is bracing and refreshing, by turns angry, humorous, or poignant and always honest, offering solidarity for immigrant readers and insight regarding the casual slights, intended and unintended, that regularly wound first-generation kids trying to find a new home.