▁same ▁hall ways , ▁cr am ming ▁anx iously ▁for ▁tests ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁class rooms , ▁batt ling ▁riv als ▁on ▁the ▁same ▁vars ity ▁fields ." ▁ ▁Whit man ▁is ▁also ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁best ▁public ▁schools ▁in ▁the ▁nation ▁and ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁Beth es da , ▁Maryland . ▁ ▁" AP " ▁Frank ▁( l ater ▁just ▁Frank ) ▁is ▁a ▁Korean / white ▁college ▁fresh man ▁att ending ▁Harvard . ▁As ▁a ▁high ▁school ▁student , ▁he ▁had ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁hor r ifying ▁parent al ▁pressure ▁to ▁succeed ▁and ▁to ▁come ▁out ▁on ▁the ▁top . ▁ ▁His ▁Korean ▁mother ' s ▁traditional ▁Asian ▁up br ing ing ▁and ▁values ▁cl ash es ▁against ▁those ▁of ▁his ▁white ▁father . ▁ ▁Aud rey ▁is ▁a ▁His pan ic ▁junior ▁who ▁de als ▁with ▁per fection ism ▁throughout ▁the ▁book . ▁She ▁works ▁vig or ously ▁( o ften ▁on ▁week ends ) ▁on ▁a ▁physics ▁project ▁consisting ▁of ▁building ▁a ▁bridge ▁out ▁of ▁to oth p icks ▁that ▁can ▁hold ▁a ▁certain ▁amount ▁of ▁weight . ▁After ▁craft ing ▁it , ▁she ▁leaves ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁physics ▁class room , ▁only ▁to ▁discover ▁later ▁that ▁it ▁is ▁gone . ▁Her ▁teacher ▁gives ▁her ▁an ▁A , ▁but ▁Aud rey ▁still ▁wants ▁first ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁competition . ▁ ▁C . J ., ▁perce ived ▁as ▁the ▁class ▁fl irt , ▁has ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁mis con ception s ▁about ▁being ▁an ▁over ach ie ver . ▁