BETWEEN TWO NAMES

An elite Chinese international student must confront an unlikely scandal in Wang’s novel.

In China, Cheng Ma takes on the English name Mark as part of an international college preparation program. This name change leads Mark to feel conflicted about his identity, finding himself between two names, two cultures, and two possible futures.The Western world feels invasive and dismissive of his culture, and Mark has limited options for his future due to his family’s financial struggles. While his peers chase after the latest iPhones, Mark is content with his uncle’s used Sony Ericsson. Among the school’s outsiders, however, he feels welcomed, which is much needed after he discovers that his program’s lead teacher, Ms. Vivian, is accepting bribes to assist students. With the right gift—money, or even the latest Prada bag—she will ensure passing grades. Mark eventually chooses to confront the scandal and protect students like himself by recording his teachers’ conversations in the bathroom. In this exploration of a clash of cultures, Wang spends a lot of time on the exterior reality of characters, giving readers details of their lived experiences, such as encountering McDonald’s, experiencing Lady Gaga’s music, and choosing English names. These details can sometimes feel like essays directed at Western readers and don’t emerge naturally from the story. Even so, these observations give the novel a distinctive voice. Unfortunately, the book stutters in its sense of stakes. Mark is never truly in danger, so his investigations into Ms. Vivian’s bribery lack suspense: “For three weeks, I followed this routine…Vivian never once suspected I was there. I had recordings of her arranging ‘special deals’ with parents…Then, one day, I stopped. I had the recordings I needed.” The characters rarely leave the school grounds, making the larger world feel distant. While the novel raises profound questions about identity, globalization, and belonging, it rarely goes beyond Mark’s private reflections into broader social critique.

A thematically rich novel about clashing cultures that lacks a tighter narrative.