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ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://justinachen.com/
CITY: Seattle
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME: SATA 337
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born April 15, 1968, in PA; married; children: two.
EDUCATION:Stanford University, degree (with honors); attended University of Washington.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and communications strategist. Microsoft Corp., Seattle, WA, formerly worked in marketing; editor and publisher of periodicals in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; StrataGem (consultant to nonprofit organizations), Seattle, founder; Chen & Cragen (communications agency), story strategist. Readergirlz (literacy website), cofounder.
AVOCATIONS:Running, walking, reading, yoga, snowshoeing, hiking, exercising with friends.
MEMBER:Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
AWARDS:Asian Pacific American Award for Literature, 2006, and Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults designation, American Library Association (ALA), 2008, both for Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies); Innovations in Reading Prize, National Book Foundation, 2009, for readergirlz website; ALA Amelia Bloomer Book List selection, 2009, for Girl Overboard; Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award, Assembly on Literature for Adolescents (ALAN), 2010, and ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults designation, 2012, both for North of Beautiful.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
A communications strategist, Justina Chen is the author of several award-winning novels for young adults, among them Girl Overboard and North of Beautiful. Originally publishing her fiction under the name Justina Chen Headley, Chen is also a cofounder of readergirlz, a literacy website that received the Innovations in Reading Prize from the National Book Foundation.
Called an “impressive debut” by a Publishers Weekly contributor, Chen’s young-adult novel Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies) introduces readers to fifteen-year-old Patty Ho. A Taiwanese American, Patty’s effort to fit in with her Caucasian schoolmates while also placating her Old-World relatives is made easier due to her healthy sense of humor. While attending summer math camp at Stanford University, Patty finds herself free from others’ expectations for the first time in her life. A caring aunt and a collection of family photos help the teen make sense of her single mom’s frustration and her feelings regarding her absentee father. During her summer adventure, Patty also becomes best friends with the self-reliant Jasmine, experiences her first kiss with good-looking Stu, and gains a stronger sense of self.
Praising the “creative wordplay” in Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), the Publishers Weekly critic also cited Chen’s ability to let Patty’s “lively, first-person narrative” track her “emotional maturation during the course of an eventful summer.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor wrote that the novel’s likable narrator “never loses her nervy bounce or her need to tell it all as it’s happening.” Noting Chen’s focus on “those who live between two distinct cultures,” School Library Journal reviewer Amy S. Pattee added that, with its “funny and thoughtful moments,” Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies) introduces “a new and much-needed” talent “that shows great promise.”
In Girl Overboard, Chen “incorporates intergenerational and intercultural conflict into a novel of personal growth and self-discovery,” according to School Library Journal critic Amy S. Pattee. Fifteen-year-old Syrah Cheng, the daughter of a billionaire entrepreneur, seems to have a charmed life, but a failed romance, disputes with her parents and adult half-siblings, and a debilitating injury following a snowboarding accident have left her confused and disheartened. After learning that a classmate’s younger sister needs a bone marrow transplant, Syrah finds an outlet for her frustrations by organizing a fundraiser, in the process drawing closer to her family. In Girl Overboard Chen “offers a stirring, layered novel” about a protagonist who “resolves to use her advantages to create large-scale change,” Gillian Engberg noted in Booklist.
In North of Beautiful high-schooler Terra Cooper carries two large burdens: her right cheek is covered by a port-wine stain, and her father, a disgraced cartographer, relishes the opportunity to remind the young woman of her imperfection on a regular basis. When Terra meets Jacob, a bold and unconventional teen who has been left scarred from cleft-palate surgery, they become good friends. During a trip to Jacob’s native China, both Terra and her reserved mother uncover hidden strengths. North of Beautiful was described as “an artfully written journey of self-discovery, self-actualization, and love” by Booklist contributor Frances Bradburn, while School Library Journal critic Amy J. Chow observed that Chen’s “ambitious novel is written in a beautifully crafted style that flows seamlessly.” “Patient readers will … find emotional food for thought here,” asserted Deborah Stevenson in a review for the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, “and they’ll be inspired by Terra’s mapping of her own life journey.”
Chen’s novel Return to Me centers on Rebecca Muir, a soon-to-be freshman at Columbia University who discovers, much to her dismay, that her family will be moving with her to New York City. Reb’s life takes an even more dramatic turn when her father drops a bombshell that devastates the family. With help from her mother and grandmother, who share the teen’s ability to see the future, she seizes the opportunity to reinvent herself. Debbie Carton praised Return to Me in Booklist, calling it “a satisfying read about family betrayals, ties, and acceptance.”
A heartbroken sixteen-year-old declares an embargo on dating in A Blind Spot for Boys. An aspiring photographer, Shana Wilde plans to spend her summer enhancing her portfolio in preparation for college admissions. During her jaunts around Seattle, she bumps into Quattro, an attractive and engaging young man who piques her interest. When Shana learns that her father is losing his vision, she joins him on a trip to Machu Picchu for a father-and-daughter adventure. To Shana’s great surprise, in the Peruvian Andes she comes face-to-face with Quattro, who is traveling with his dad, and when a natural disaster threatens to ruin the trip, his help causes her to reconsider her “boy moratorium.” A Publishers Weekly critic applauded Chen’s effort in A Blind Spot for Boys, citing “vivid characters and strong emotion” among its highlights.
Geared for younger readers, Chen’s picture book The Patch was inspired by her own daughter’s amblyopia, also known as lazy eye. In a story illustrated by Mitch Vane, five-year-old Becca is diagnosed with an eye problem that requires her to wear eyeglasses as well as a patch over one eye. Facing the other students in her kindergarten class becomes easier when Becca—sporting purple eyewear and a bright pink eye patch—taps her vivid imagination to create a team of alter egos. Calling The Patch “a lovely and surprising story” in which “Becca’s exuberance shines through,” School Library Journal reviewer Genevieve Gallagher predicted that Chen’s picture book would be popular with story-hour fans, while Booklist critic Engberg dubbed it “well-paced, reassuring offering on an unusual topic.”
Lovely, Dark, and Deep is another young-adult novel by Chen, about the day when eighteen-year-old Viola’s life turns upside down, or rather outside in. She is selling red bean baos, a Chinese dessert, at a bake sale and chatting with an attractive boy named Josh when she starts feeling dizzy and soon passes out. When she wakes up at the hospital, she learns she has developed a sudden and acute case of photosensitivity, meaning she must always wear special clothes and a hat, carry an umbrella, and avoid both sunshine and electric lights and video screens. As her condition worsens, the situation makes life stressful not only for Viola but also for her sister and parents. She gets support from Josh as they get to know each other, but the possibility of a long-term romance is uncertain, and meanwhile Viola worries that her dream career as a journalist will never happen.
A Publishers Weekly reviewer remarked that Lovely, Dark, and Deep “convincingly evokes not only Viola’s physical discomfort but also the emotional impact of living with an incurable disease.” A Kirkus Reviews writer, who was engrossed by the conflict between Viola—who is half white, half Chinese—and her overprotective parents, observed that “snarky humor and nontraditional narrative structures (lists, texts, cinematic scenes, etc.) offset an otherwise somber situation.” The writer called Lovely, Dark, and Deep “a strong exploration of resilience in the face of life unpredictable.” The Publishers Weekly reviewer concluded, “No matter the darkness of the subject, Chen provides glimmers of hope.”
(open new)Chen’s middle-grade debut, With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei, finds the title character reckoning with her identity. When she was a baby, Dessie was adopted from China by a white family. She is uprooted once again when her family moves to Seattle during her sixth grade year. At her new school, kids keep confusing her with another Asian classmate, and Dessie initially feels offended. However, when Dessie meets Donna, a girl who was also adopted from China, she realizes that Donna looks remarkably similar to her. Dessie and Donna become fast friends and lean on one another as they navigate tensions at home and at school. After taking a DNA test, they discover that they are actually twins, but Donna’s strict Taiwanese adoptive grandmother rejects Dessie and forbids Donna from associating with her. When the grandmother becomes the victim of anti-Asian violence, Dessie supports her and ultimately wins her over. Meanwhile, Dessie initially becomes frustrated with her own adoptive family but ultimately comes to appreciate the lessons they taught her, including about speaking out against racism. Ashley Larsen, contributor to the School Library Journal website, commented: “This moving novel carries a powerful message about the meaning of family and the importance of community. Highly recommended for all collections.” “Universal themes of identity and belonging radiate in this exploration of international transracial adoption,” remarked a Kirkus Reviews critic.(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, February 1, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of The Patch, p. 55; January 1, 2008, Gillian Engberg, review of Girl Overboard, p. 58; February 15, 2009, Frances Bradburn, review of North of Beautiful, p. 81; January 1, 2013, Debbie Carton, review of Return to Me, p. 112; August 1, 2014, Stacey Comfort, review of A Blind Spot for Boys, p. 15.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, June, 2006, Loretta Gaffney, review of Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), p. 454; April, 2008, Karen Coats, review of Girl Overboard, p. 335; March, 2009, Deborah Stevenson, review of North of Stevenson, p. 283.
Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 2006, review of The Patch, p. 42; March 15, 2006, review of Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), p. 291; November 15, 2007, review of Girl Overboard; January 15, 2009, review of North of Beautiful; December 1, 2012, review of Return to Me; June 1, 2014, review of A Blind Spot for Boys; May 15, 2018, review of Lovely, Dark, and Deep; May 1, 2024, review of With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei.
Kliatt, January, 2008, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review of Girl Overboard, p. 8.
Publishers Weekly, January 30, 2006, review of The Patch, p. 69; April 10, 2006, review of Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), p. 72; December 10, 2007, review of Girl Overboard, p. 56; November 26, 2012, review of Return to Me, p. 55; May 19, 2014, review of A Blind Spot for Boys; p. 69; May 14, 2018, review of Lovely, Dark, and Deep, p. 55.
School Library Journal, February, 2006, Genevieve Gallagher, review of The Patch, p. 103; July, 2006, Amy S. Pattee, review of Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), p. 104; February, 2008, Amy S. Pattee, review of Girl Overboard, p. 116; February, 2009, Amy J. Chow, review of North of Beautiful, p. 99.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2006, Rebecca C. Moore, review of Nothing but the Truth (and a Few White Lies), p. 46; June, 2009, Mary Arnold, review of North of Beautiful, p. 136; August, 2014, Courtney M. Krieger, review of A Blind Spot for Boys, p. 59.
ONLINE
Cynsations, http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (January 4, 2006), Cynthia Leitich Smith, interview with Chen.
Here’s to Happy Endings, http://www.herestohappyendings.com/ (July 31, 2018), review of Lovely, Dark, and Deep.
Justina Chen website, https://justinachen.com (November 4, 2024).
School Library Journal Online, https://www.slj.com/ (May 17, 2024), Ashley Larsen, review of With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei.
Justina Chen
USA flag
Justina Chen Headley wrote her first fifty-page novel when she was eight years old.
She is the winner of the Asian Pacific American Award for Literature for her debut novel, Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies), which was also a Borders' Original Voices nominee, BookSense pick, and NYPL Book for the Teen Age. Her most recent novel, GIRL OVERBOARD, is a Junior Library Guild Premier Selection, and Publishers Weekly writes, "Headley crafts a tale that will stand out in the crowd by offering a good dose of girl power and an intriguing family backstory."
After graduating from Stanford University with honors, Justina worked as a marketing executive at Microsoft. She now lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two children.
Novels
Nothing But the Truth (2006)
Girl Overboard (2008)
North of Beautiful (2009)
Return to Me (2013)
A Blind Spot for Boys (2014)
Lovely, Dark, and Deep (2018)
With Twice the Love, Dessie Mei (2024)
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Picture Books hide
The Patch (2006)
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Non fiction hide
What Now (2013)
Hi! I’m Justina.
I was fated to be a storyteller. After all, my middle name means illuminate, which is what I hope my novels do: shine a light in the world.
My novels include NORTH OF BEAUTIFUL, a finalist for 9 state book awards. NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES), winner of the Asian Pacific American Literature Award. And LOVELY, DARK, AND DEEP. Additionally, I’ve written a beloved picture book, THE PATCH, a number of other YA novels, and multiple storytelling guides for leaders.
My first middle grade novel for younger readers, WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI, is coming in May 2024. I can’t wait for you to meet Dessie and Donna, reunited sisters who discover what it means to truly belong. The book is available for pre-order now!
While I have called Seattle, Sydney, and Shanghai home, I feel at ease wherever I go among book-ish people.
Justina Chen is the author of nearly a dozen books, including six YA novels, a middle grade novel, a picture book, and a myriad of non-fiction books for leaders. Storytelling runs in her blood. After all, Justina’s middle name means illuminate, which is what story does: it throws light on a truth.
As a speechwriter and story strategist, Justina works with exceptional leaders throughout the world and regularly conducts popular storytelling workshops, drawing on her work with Xbox.
She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, children, and fur baby. When she’s not writing, you can probably find Justina friender-cizing—working out with friends, whether it’s snowshoeing, hiking, or rucking around her neighborhood.
Awards
Justina won the Asian Pacific American Literature Award for Nothing but the Truth (and a few white lies). North of Beautiful was a finalist of 9 state book awards. Her other accolades include:
A Kirkus Best Books of the Year
Booklist Top Ten Books
Texas Library Association Lone Star Reading Lists
IRA Notable Book
New York Public Library Best Book for the Teen Age
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best
Junior Library Guild premiere selection
Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People
That was my official bio. Here’s a little more about me:
I’ve always wanted to write. When I was eight, I penned my first 50-page novella: a young adult novella. Seriously. Even then.
During my freshmen year at Stanford, a professor dismissed my writing in front of my entire seminar, announcing to me—and everyone—that I’d never be published. So I buried my dream of writing and went to work for Microsoft instead.
After having the first of my two kids, I realized I couldn’t allow one (grumpy, unhappy) person’s opinion to derail me. If I did, what on earth was I teaching my children? So I joined SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), hauled myself to a writing course at the University of Washington, and wrote my heart out. On my final day of class, I sold my first book, THE PATCH. My first two novels—NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH (AND A FEW WHITE LIES) and GIRL OVERBOARD—were sold a couple of months later at an auction.
Since then, I’ve written a half-dozen novels for young adults, a picture book, a book for leaders, a survival guide for women…and dream of all dreams—a middle grade novel. I absolutely adore writing for kids ages 8-12.
The lesson: live your best story, no matter what anyone tells you.
That’s the flag I carry whenever I speak, whether at classrooms, conferences, or companies.
QUOTED: "Universal themes of identity and belonging radiate in this exploration of international transracial adoption."
Chen, Justina WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins (Children's None) $18.99 5, 7 ISBN: 9780063306523
A spirited girl processes challenging feelings around change, grief, identity, family, and adoption, all triggered by her family's move.
Dessie Mei Breedlove has already experienced one momentous transition: from an orphanage in China to her white American adoptive home. Now she must transfer schools in the middle of sixth grade. She knows that they've moved to Seattle to help Grammy, who's struggling with dementia, but she'd still rather have stayed put. Dessie's first day in her new school starts off with kids confusing her with another Asian girl. But when Dessie gets a good look at Donna Lee, she realizes it's not just another microaggression--it's like looking in the mirror. Could the girls be twins separated at birth? As they navigate this unusual situation, Dessie and Donna quickly bond, but before long, cultural differences threaten their relationship (Donna's adoptive family is Taiwanese). On top of that, Dessie faces bullying friend drama, racism, and imposter syndrome, plus her mother's insecurities. Thankfully, connections with caring adults and her own introspection help her accept herself and use her voice to make "good trouble." The sheer number of issues packed into this volume could be overwhelming, but the storyline is clear, thanks to well-crafted writing. Many tweens will relate to Dessie's turbulent emotions and insecurities and her experimentation with various personalities. Readers will root for her as she grows.
Universal themes of identity and belonging radiate in this exploration of international transracial adoption. (author's note, resources and further reading) (Fiction. 9-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Chen, Justina: WITH TWICE THE LOVE, DESSIE MEI." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A791876856/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=aff32316. Accessed 15 Sept. 2024.
QUOTED: "This moving novel carries a powerful message about the meaning of family and the importance of community. Highly recommended for all collections."
FICTIONWith Twice the Love, Dessie Meiby Justina ChenHarperCollins/Katherine Tegen. May 2024. 336p. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9780063306523.COPY ISBN Gr 3-7–On her first day at her new school in Seattle, 11-year-old Dessie meets a girl named Donna who not only looks exactly like her, but shares the same birthday. They were also adopted from the same orphanage in China; Dessie by a white family, and Donna by a Taiwanese-American one. A secret DNA test reveals the shocking truth that they are actually twins, but Donna’s grandmother Amah disapproves of outspoken Dessie and forbids their relationship. Feeling distant from her adoptive family, and ignorant of her biological family and culture, Dessie struggles to understand who she is and where she belongs. But when Amah is the victim of an anti-Asian hate crime, Dessie finds that the values she has learned from her adoptive family, especially her activist Granny, can help build a community where everyone belongs. Rich with emotional and cultural details, and complex characters, this novel is a poignant portrayal of an adoptive family’s struggle to navigate issues of identity and belonging. Dessie loves her parents but is frustrated that they don’t really understand her need to learn more about her roots, while worrying that they will regret adopting her. Set against the backdrop of a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes, the book captures the conflict Dessie’s family faces between keeping their daughter safe, and allowing her speak out against discrimination and bigotry.VERDICT This moving novel carries a powerful message about the meaning of family and the importance of community. Highly recommended for all collections.Reviewed by Ashley Larsen , May 17, 2024