Book Review: Chloe and the Kaishao Boys

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys by Mae Coyiuto

Chloe Liang is turning 18 soon and has never dated anyone. In the Philippines, it is marked with a debutante's ball, prompting her Filipino-Chinese family to set her up with Kaishao Boys. And this is all when she's about to move to America for college to follow her dreams as an animator. Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher.

If you are new to this blog, this is a site dedicated to reverse harem. It's when there are three guys or more who are romantically interested in the heroine. Since yours truly is a Filipina and the title and premise are well about Kaishao Boys, reading this was a priority. But this was not a reverse harem in a traditional four flower-sense. (see Levels of Reverse Harem) In a way. it can be a reverse harem if we put it from the perspective of one of her aunts: The trick to meeting boys is to collect and select. You’re supposed to collect as many potential suitors as possible before you select the best one. Bless her wisdom!

After reading non-stop Japanese light novels it took a while to get reacquainted with young adult reading hat mode. But before you know it, you can't put it down and you'll start enjoying the weird metaphors and their cringey families. It has a slice-of-life-ish feel and a cute romance that is not contrived. The writing captures the innocence of youth. The drama. The angst. Chloe's dilemmas are anything but chill but you'll get mellow vibes. Chloe and the Kaishao Boys take me back to my roots of Sweet Dreams 'pocketbooks' of my high school.

Being a Filipina I get all the jargon, the pop culture references...everything. Even then, it was hard to empathize with anyone at first but by end of the book you'll love them all and it is like they're all someone you know in your clan reunion. And of course, love Chloe. She seems so unassuming and low-key but she has a competitive streak and a one-track mind that needed a bit of nudging.

Pinoys (Filipinos) have these cliche assumptions of the Fil-Chi community so it's enlightening to get to know more of the family dynamics on a more personal level. There were also a ton of cheesy comical situations thanks to her family but the fun moments were the subtle ones. Like Chloe's memorable line: Shit. Was I on a date?

Kaishao is Hokkien for “to introduce.” It’s when friends or family introduce you to single potential partners. The first kaishao is hilarious. Her family's idea of meet-cute is one for the books. The second kaishao is equally hilarious. I was dying. Well, the last candidate is predictable but it's okay just to balance it out. Japanese light novels have illustration inserts, especially from the most critical moments which would have been perfect for the meetings with the boys. The cute cover art of the book is totally asking for it. Let's normalize more illustrations pretty please!

Debuts are a big deal in my country. And I can already imagine the debut party as a climax in a movie. Calling dibs that this will be your next THE romcom movie after To All The Boys I've Loved Before. The novel is not just about Chloe and the Kaishao Boys. It is pretty clever in sidetracking you. It ended on a cliffhanger and the only consolation is that it has a sequel or trilogy potential. And I'm recommending this not because I'm a Filipina, I'm recommending this because I simply loved it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

UPDATE: Attended a book signing with the author last December 17, 2023 and she recognized the name of the blog from the reviews!

Purchase titles/ related to the titles mentioned: (as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases):

Chloe and the Kaishao Boys https://amzn.to/3YnB3ja

The To All the Boys I've Loved Before Paperback Collection (Boxed Set): To All the Boys I've Loved Before; P.S. I Still Love You; Always and Forever, Lara Jean https://amzn.to/3ZmkjdC

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