Review of To Have and Have More by Sanibel

*To Have and Have More* by Sanibel (2025). Published by Zando - 8th Note Press.

The theme of 2025, when it comes to reading for me is diversification. I began realizing in late 2024 there were very specific trends in the books I was reading, and that I wanted to break out of these tends. I’m a very curious person, so I take it as a challenge when I realize I’m getting too comfortable in my habits when it comes to reading and watching content.

Also, one of the many pros of being a book and lifestyle blogger is that when you’re reflecting on the books you read a lot, you develop a very curated sense of identity if you’re being thoughtful and intentional about it. I know what I like, but a part of being uncomfortable is going beyond that comfort zone and realizing there are so many more books out there in the world that I’m limiting myself to.

So when I had the chance to receive an advance copy of Sanibel’s To Have and Have More, it checked off my boxes in many ways, but also was a book that wasn’t within my comfort zone in other ways.

The boarding school setting, as well as the fact the book skewers towards young adult fiction (which I didn’t realize at first, as this is categorized as an adult fiction book—but it didn’t fully read that way to me), isn’t something I usually would go for on a library shelf. I’ve been tired of boarding school narratives, as they seemed to really be similar after a while—I was ultimately curious to see how this novel upended those preconcieved notions I had.

The book was also pitched as similar to Yellowface, which, in the end, I kind of got the resemblance in terms of the marketing. I enjoyed reading through Yellowface as a person of color who’s published in the industry (albeit not novels), as I know there are certain aesthetics and pandering to try to appeal to a white editorial board or feeling like one has to “prove” themselves as a BIPOC in order to make it in this industry.

Anyways, I flew through this book just like I did with Yellowface. I spaced out my reading over the course of two nights, as I was also reading an advance copy of Julie Chan is Not Dead (which has some pretty similar themes as this book, so they’re great to read together. That was a happy little accident.) at the same time.

I am very grateful for the publisher and author for the opportunity to read the book ahead of the release date with an advance copy. I truly appreciate it when I am considered for these opportunities!

Now let’s get into the review and what I thought about the book.

Two girls at a boarding school, one adopted and the other growing up in an Asian family, serve as mirrors for each other.

Throughout the course of the novel, the focus is on two different girls: Emery Hooper and Lilah Chang. Emery is technically Korean, but she was adopted into a wealthy white family and lives the stereotypically rich girl life at Derrymore, a prestigious boarding school for her fellow elite students.

Emery is also pretty white-washed and has some racist tendencies because she wasn’t exposed to other Asian Americans throughout her upbringing.

Enter: Lilah Chang. She grows up more middle class, although Emery assumes she’s poor at first. We see later in the novel that Lilah is actually someone who isn’t poor, as her parents help pitch in some money to afford the tuition at Derrymore, and they just want her to succeed.

Mrs. Chang, her mother, is a bit of a Tiger Mom in some ways from what we see from her, as she wants the best for her daughter.

At first, Emery wants nothing to do with people like Lilah Chang. Lilah is someone who is dedicated, and Emery sees her as someone who is a walking stereotype. She also doesn’t fit within the kind of people that Emery surrounds herself with (who are also lowkey racist, or, in some cases, directly racist), but that’s going to change throughout the course of the novel.

As typical high school drama and affairs unfold all around them (albeit with a rich flair), Emery and Lilah are going to find themselves interacting more than they would have ever expected with each other.

It’s going to get to the point where they might actually consider each other to be best friends, and Emery starts connecting more with her Asian roots.

It’s how she’s driven closer to Lilah, as she starts to notice how messed up the microaggressions against the Asian students are, especially when events like “Hug an Asian” day pop up and create even more mixed feelings between the two.

At the same time, Lilah wants to fit in more with the other students, especially as she doesn’t have all the nice things that her peers have, nor the same opportunities. Her mother warns her to not take anything from Emery, as the rules don’t apply to rich people as they do the more mundane folks like the Changs.

The novel takes place throughout the course of their four high school years at Derrymore. Throughout their time together in school, as they cram for SATs and realize even more that the rules are different for each other, it’s going to create a massive divide between the two girls that’s going to be a rupture that isn’t fixable.

Overall Thoughts

This was quite the interesting novel for me. I found it compelling because of how it focuses on Emery’s conflict as an adoptee and realizing her class privileges (in some ways), as well as how Lilah is trying to navigate this world that under more circumstances, she would be locked out of.

I mentioned earlier how this is classified as an adult novel but reads more like young adult fiction.

I think it’s a grey area between genres because while it does bring up some harder themes (which are brought up in YA novels, too, which is why I’m conflicted about this), the subject matter and writing itself feels more YA. It’s not targeted towards teens, but I find many people who read YA aren’t teens.

Regardless, I think this is a novel definitely worth picking up if you’re interested in the subject matter. I personally could note relate to many of the events happening in the book, as I have note really been in these elite spaces, but the thematic notes and subject are definitely still relevant today.

Give it a chance! Go to your local bookstore or library to pick up a copy if it seems up your alley.

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