Review: We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu

Wow, a review! Haven’t seen one of those in a while, have we? I am hopefully going to change that, starting with the book I most recently finished: We Were Dreamers. I’ve been wanting to read this for a while and I finally got the chance to. I am happy to say this book did not disappoint.

Title: We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story
Author: Simu Liu
Genre: Adult Nonfiction
Series: None
Page Count: 285 (hardcover)

Marvel’s newest recruit shares his own inspiring and unexpected origin story, from China to the bright lights of Hollywood. An immigrant who battles everything from parental expectations to cultural stereotypes, Simu Liu struggles to forge a path for himself, rising from the ashes of a failed accounting career (yes, you read that right) to become Shang-Chi.

Our story begins in the city of Harbin, where Simu’s parents have left him in the care of his grandparents while they seek to build a future for themselves in Canada. One day, a mysterious stranger shows up at the door; it’s Simu’s father, who whisks him away from the only home he had ever known and to the land of opportunity and maple syrup.

Life in the new world, however, is not all that it was cracked up to be; Simu’s new guardians lack the gentle touch of his grandparents, resulting in harsh words and hurt feelings. His parents, on the other hand, find their new son emotionally distant and difficult to relate to – although they are related by blood, they are separated by culture, language, and values.

As Simu grows up, he plays the part of the pious son well; he gets A’s, crushes national math competitions, and makes his parents proud. But as time goes on, he grows increasingly disillusioned with the expectations placed on his shoulders, and finds it harder and harder to keep up the charade.

Barely a year out of college, his life hits rock bottom when he is laid off from his first job as an accountant. Unemployed, riddled with shame and with nothing left to lose, Simu finds an ad on Craigslist that will send him on a wildly unexpected journey, into the mysterious world of show business.

Through a swath of rejections and comical mishaps, it is ultimately Simu’s determination to carve out a path for himself that leads him to not only succeed as an actor, but also open the door to reconciling with his parents. After all, the courage to pursue his ambitions at all costs is something that he inherited from his parents, who themselves defied impossible odds in order to come to Canada.

Content Warnings

abusive parents – physical abuse

There are no spoilers in this review.

We Were Dreamers is the first memoir that I have willing read. As I’m sure many of you know, Simu Liu played the lead role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and he did so fantastically. Besides having good looks and starring in one of my now favorite Marvel movies, I was interested in how he got to where he is today. And when I found out he wrote a memoir, I was intrigued. I mean, who writes a memoir when they’re only in their thirties?

This book is not a stunning piece of literature, I will admit. But I really liked Simu Liu’s writing style. It’s very conversational; it’s like you’re sitting with him and he’s telling you his story. I loved his chapter titles, especially the ones that had humor in them.

I learned so much in this book. We Were Dreamers tells the story of Simu Liu’s upbringing and career before he committed to acting. I feel like I know him so well after reading this. From what happened during his childhood, you can understand why he’s so determined to do his best in everything he does. This was a very deep look into his childhood and what it was like to grow up as a second-generation kid in Canada. It wasn’t easy and Simu Liu recounted the old, sometimes painful, memories.

“Hollywood was no longer a faraway fairy tale, an unobtainable fantasy–it was close enough to touch.”

Simu Liu wasn’t the only one that had a starring role in this book. His parents’ story was also told and reading their story showed what they each had to go through in order to achieve their dreams. Simu’s parents’ childhoods weren’t easy either–they both endured a lot to get to Canada. I’m glad Simu shared his parents’ stories as well; it put things in perspective and shows why they risked so much.

We Were Dreamers was an engaging and deep dive into Simu Liu’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wondering about his earlier experiences.

My Rating: 4/5 dragons

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Have you read We Were Dreamers? Is it on your TBR?
What are some memoirs you recommend?