The Boy Next Door
Content : Chronicles of a Koreaboo.
Popularity often comes at a price. For Dara, that price is lying.
“There are not many ways to survive starting at a new school. Either you blend into the crowd and keep your head down, hoping to slip through unnoticed. Or you make a dramatic entrance that will leave a lasting impression. My name is Dara, and I have never been very good at blending into anything.”
This year, Dara has decided to have a good time at school. And to make that happen, he has come up with a plan: everyone has to believe that he is Korean. His Cambodian heritage is best forgotten. And it works — very quickly, everyone takes an interest in him! Except that Dara soon finds himself overwhelmed by his own lie when a video of him dancing to K-pop, filmed without his knowledge, goes viral. He is now the most popular boy in school. But for how long?
By the talented Grace Ly, creator of the podcast Kiffe ta race, author of contemporary fiction and of the short story The Poetry of Bubble Tea, published in Rageot’s collection Our Identities: The Ones Imposed on Us, the Ones We Hide. Her writing reflects her commitment to fighting racism and promoting diverse representation in literature.
A thoughtful and nuanced novel exploring identity, the process of embracing one’s origins, as well as everyday racism and bullying.
Told in the first person, the novel introduces us to Dara, a sensitive teenager who, like many young people his age, fears rejection above all else. His authentic voice will resonate strongly with teenage readers.
A thought-provoking exploration of teenagers’ fascination with Korean culture, which can be both a gateway to discovering other cultures and, at times, a form of cultural appropriation that can make other Asian cultures invisible, such as Cambodian culture, which is part of the protagonist’s heritage.
