THE UNBEATABLE LILY HONG

A Hui Chinese Muslim tween living in a small town outside Seattle struggles to find balance between family obligations and her passion for film.

If Lily Hong isn’t making films with her best friends from Clarktown Middle School, Kelli and Lauren, or attending Hong Chinese Academy, her family’s business located in the community center, she’s competing with her nemesis, Max Zhang. But Lily’s project for the upcoming Clarktown’s Got Talent video competition is interrupted by the news that the community center is going to be sold to developers—Max’s parents. To help raise the $100,000 needed to save the center, Lily’s mom plans a traditional Chinese dance show featuring performances by the students of Hong Chinese Academy. Torn between creating her film and participating in the dance, Lily attempts to do both, but when she lies in an effort to appease everyone, she ends up alienating her friends. Eventually Lily cracks from the strain and spills everything to Max, who is surprisingly empathetic, though she later questions her trust in him. Ultimately, Lily must find a way to make amends with her friends and figure out what she really wants to do. Ma touches on friendship issues, racism, gentrification, and balancing family expectations with personal goals. There’s a nice balance between the action-packed plot, the serious themes explored, and Lily’s comedic antics. Lauren is cued Black; Kelli presents white.

A delightfully adventurous romp with a lovably scrappy protagonist.