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The story follows a pair of men in a dangerous competition to earn a Japanese woman's hand. The heroine, Suah Hase, learns of her brother's plan to force men to compete for her, so she plans her escape and accelerates her journalistic career at the same time. After all, her brother only sees her as some "form of a prize."
This book is, in part, about feminism. However, the narrative explores other deep issues, too. For example, does love usually win in the end? What does the idea of a supreme being do for the soul and consciousness? In keeping with this question, one of the characters, contestant Andrew Jackson, talks about faith: "When you face problems like death or even look into the future, I think that you need a type of belief, that somebody is leading your way. Boosts confidence."
Yang seems to be a writing savant. Although only fourteen, he is astonishingly adept at painting pictures rather than merely telling stories in his book. He writes of the depths of love and disappointment skillfully. Humor is difficult for any writer to master, but he has readers chuckling regularly. Whether this book is the beginning of a series about the beautiful Suah and her fierce, strong, and loyal love, Andrew, or whether it stands alone forever remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: this is a suspenseful, fast-paced, and fun tale. Michael Jackson proved his talent even at a young age. Yang does the same and is an up-and-coming writer who deserves to be watched.