Bad Asians: A Novel by Lillian Li (Starry Ferry Book Club Pick)

One of Lit Hub’s “Most Anticipated Books of 2026”

“Li (Number One Chinese Restaurant, 2018) writes provocatively about relationships, achievement, identity, and loyalty, while expertly intertwining the unprecedented growth and influence of streaming platforms to define (and defile) reality. A resonating multigenerational friends-and-family epic enhanced with penetrating, biting social commentary.”
—Booklist

“Imbued with humor and sharp social commentary, the novel beautifully explores Asian American identity; economic instability; relationships as both anchor and buoy; the malleability of success; and the ways that ambition manifests itself for better or worse.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The four friends at the center of Bad Asians are bonded by the brutal pressures of their immigrant parents, racist schoolyard bullies, their crushing expectations of themselves, and their jealousy of local ‘it girl’ and parent dream-come-true Grace, who seems incapable of doing any wrong. But when a film Grace makes of them goes viral, their collective fame as “bad Asians” threatens to destroy their bonds forever. The ugly underbelly of internet notoriety—and whether or not it’s survivable—is the riveting question Bad Asians explores. Lillian Li is an unsparing observer of our unsparing times.”
—Susan Choi, National Book Award-winning author ofTrust Exercise and Flashlight

“Bad Asiansis a richly drawn and emotionally honest novel that explores the complex entanglements between friendship and family, ambition and happiness, and childhood and adulthood. Lillian Li’s writing is poignant, funny, and filled with keen observations—in short, a perfect read for anyone trying to make sense of our unsettled times. A beautiful novel that made me think, gasp, and laugh.”
—Angie Kim,New York Times bestselling author of Miracle Creek and Happiness Falls

“With richly drawn characters and fantastic insights into class, upward mobility, parental expectations, and the false promise of the American dream and the toll it takes on those who pursue it, this is an engaging, darkly comic and thoroughly contemporary page-turner—a remarkable novel!”
—J. Ryan Stradal, author ofKitchens of the Great Midwest and Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club

“Bad Asians is a sharp, propulsive novel about ambition, identity, and the bonds that shape us—whether we choose them or not. Lillian Li’s masterful prose crackles with humor and insight, exploring the language of belonging—between cultures, generations, and the people we call friends.Bad Asiansis a novel about the stories we tell ourselves and the ones we can never quite escape.”
—Weike Wang, award-winning author of Chemistry and Rental House

“A smart, engrossing, beautifully observed examination of millennial friendship, social media and generational differences — I loved it.”
—Francesca Hornack, author ofSo Good to See You

“Li captures the tenderness and mess of youth. A book that reminds us how little we know about the people we treasure most. It made me want to call my oldest friends!”
—Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days

“This is a story for all the formerly ‘gifted and talented’ kids, the ones who believed that careers, love, and success in adulthood were supposed to look a certain way . . .Bad Asiansoffers a delightful dose of nostalgia-and an affecting interrogation of the personas we put on, both online and in real life. Lillian Li asks: What slivers of yourself are you willing to share on the Internet, at a new job, to your family and closest friends? The beating heart of this book is a core group of friends who have known each other forever—who have the choreography of their collective meet-cute story down. Li beautifully captures the ebb and flow of friendship. These characters are messy in the best way; reading this novel was like catching up on the gossip of old classmates. You’ll turn the pages with intrigue, and you’ll find yourself rooting for them. Li excels at pinning down the habits of long companionship: the rhythm of the dialogue, the little barbs, the big disappointments, the enduring love.Bad Asiansis a moving story about growing up and loosening your grip on the narratives you’ve held onto-but not necessarily the people who were there.”
—Katie Yee, author of Maggie; or, A Man and a Woman Walk Into a Bar

“A wild, propulsive ride of a novel that explores the damaging spiral of social media fame with razor sharp observations and dialogue.Bad Asiansis also a touching coming of age story about old friends who are trying to find their place in the world as they navigate the pressures of parental expectations, changing values in a close-knit multi-generation Asian immigrant community, identity and trying to hold onto their bonds as they are tested in every way. A raw and uncompromisingly honest portrayal of belonging and chosen family.”
—Emma Nanami Strenner, author of The Other Heart

Lillian Li is the author of Number One Chinese Restaurant, which was long-listed for the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Granta, and Travel + Leisure. She is from the DC metro area and lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.