The Tryout Summary, Characters and Themes
The Tryout is a heartfelt graphic novel memoir written by Christina Soontornvat and illustrated by Joanna Cacao. Published in 2022, it follows Christina’s middle school journey as she navigates friendship, identity, and self-discovery in a small Texas town.
Set in seventh grade, the story captures the challenges Christina faces while dealing with racism, the pressure to fit in, and the ups and downs of trying out for the cheerleading squad. Through her experiences, she learns about resilience, the importance of staying true to herself, and the beauty of finding her own path.
Summary
Christina Soontornvat, a seventh grader living in the small town of Grangeview, Texas, enters a new school year full of uncertainty. Her father, who immigrated from Thailand, runs a Chinese-style restaurant called the Golden Dragon, while her mother, a Texan, offers warmth and encouragement.
Christina’s best friend, Megan, has been by her side since they met in third grade. But as middle school begins, Christina feels an increasing distance between them.
Megan’s growing focus on gymnastics and academics leaves Christina feeling left out, while the pressures of fitting in at Venable Middle School weigh heavily on her.
On the first day of school, Christina faces teasing and racist remarks from a classmate named Tobin. She struggles with feeling out of place, especially as none of her teachers can pronounce her last name.
Christina’s attempts to navigate the school day leave her feeling overwhelmed and disconnected, though she finds solace in her family’s restaurant at the end of the day. She reflects on the move from Dallas to Grangeview, which she initially resented but has grown to appreciate.
Her dad’s restaurant feels like a comforting space amidst the challenges.
When Christina attends a football game and sees the school cheerleaders, she is captivated by their confidence and popularity. Intrigued by the idea of becoming a cheerleader, she starts dreaming of being part of that world.
But her efforts to seem more popular backfire when she accidentally hurts Megan’s feelings by making fun of her hair.
They reconcile, but Christina continues to grapple with her emotions, later lashing out at Tobin during an incident of racist bullying. Her mother helps her understand that while racism is hurtful, most people are kind.
Megan soon suggests that they both try out for the cheerleading squad, and Christina eagerly agrees.
As the tryouts begin, it becomes clear that Megan’s gymnastics skills give her a natural edge, while Christina feels the pressure to keep up. Megan pairs up with another girl for the tryouts, which leaves Christina hurt and questioning their friendship.
Partnering with a girl named Stephanie, Christina is determined to give her best. The stress of cheerleading tryouts and the possibility of growing apart from Megan weigh heavily on her.
As the tryouts continue, Christina visits her old temple in Dallas, where she reconnects with her Thai heritage.
Balancing her Thai roots with her new life in Grangeview, she begins to embrace her mixed identity. Meanwhile, she and Megan continue practicing, eventually addressing the tension between them.
Though Megan admits to choosing a different partner to improve her chances, their friendship remains intact, though both girls sense a shift in their relationship.
When the final tryouts arrive, Christina and Stephanie perform well, but neither she nor Megan makes the squad. While Megan is heartbroken, Christina eventually accepts the outcome.
Finding comfort in new friendships and discovering a talent for storytelling through an impromptu speaking class, Christina learns that not making the cheerleading team was just a detour on her path to self-discovery.
She realizes that sometimes, unexpected outcomes lead to even better opportunities, and she embraces her newfound confidence.
Characters
Christina Soontornvat
Christina is the protagonist of The Tryout, and her journey is central to the story’s exploration of identity, friendship, and self-discovery. As a seventh-grader navigating middle school, Christina is keenly aware of her difference from others, particularly due to her Thai heritage, which sets her apart in a predominantly white Texan town.
Throughout the graphic novel, Christina grapples with the social pressures of fitting in while staying true to herself. Her desire to be liked, popular, and accepted is most evident in her determination to join the cheerleading squad.
She initially sees cheerleading as the gateway to belonging, but her struggle to balance her individuality with this desire leads to moments of self-doubt and frustration. The racist bullying she endures from Tobin and her teachers’ inability to pronounce her last name further compound her feelings of alienation.
At the same time, Christina is a resilient character who grows throughout the story. Although she experiences setbacks—most notably not making the cheerleading squad—she finds other ways to express herself and connect with those around her, ultimately discovering her love for storytelling.
Her journey is one of self-acceptance, as she learns that external validation is less important than embracing her unique qualities, both culturally and personally. By the end, Christina has grown more confident, finding her own path and redefining her idea of success.
Megan
Megan is Christina’s best friend, though their relationship is tested by the pressures of middle school and the cheerleading tryouts. Megan is characterized by her natural athleticism and confidence, traits that make her an ideal candidate for cheerleading.
She is deeply involved in gymnastics and schoolwork, and while she remains friends with Christina, the novel hints at a growing distance between them. Megan’s decision to choose a different partner for the cheerleading tryouts, driven by her desire to increase her chances of making the squad, highlights a more competitive side of her personality.
While she remains loyal to Christina in many ways, this decision reveals her focus on her own goals and her willingness to hurt Christina, even if unintentionally, in the process. Despite these tensions, Megan is not portrayed as a villain.
Her apology to Christina after the partner incident shows that she is capable of recognizing her mistakes and values their friendship. However, the novel subtly illustrates how the dynamics of friendships can shift during adolescence as individuals grow and pursue different interests.
Megan’s reaction to not making the cheerleading squad is an important moment of vulnerability, showing that she, too, is struggling with the pressures of middle school, even if she handles them differently from Christina. Ultimately, Megan represents the changing nature of friendships as people evolve and pursue different paths.
Tobin
Tobin is one of the antagonistic forces in Christina’s life, embodying the everyday racism and cruelty that people of color often face in predominantly white spaces. From the beginning, Tobin mocks Christina’s heritage, using slurs and racist jokes to belittle her.
His behavior highlights the toxic culture that Christina has to navigate in Grangeview, a place where her Thai identity is treated as something foreign or inferior. Tobin’s actions are not just a reflection of his personal animosity toward Christina; they serve as a broader commentary on the challenges of growing up as a minority in a homogeneous environment.
His racism is a persistent issue for Christina, forcing her to confront the harsh realities of prejudice at a young age. What makes Tobin significant is not just his bullying, but the way he pushes Christina to seek comfort and support from her family and her heritage.
Her mother’s advice about how racism is, unfortunately, common but not representative of most people’s attitudes helps Christina contextualize her experiences. Tobin’s cruelty, in this sense, becomes a catalyst for Christina to stand up for herself and explore what it means to be both Thai and American.
Though Tobin is not a complex character, his role in Christina’s development is crucial.
Stephanie
Stephanie is a quieter but significant character who becomes Christina’s partner during the cheerleading tryouts. Initially, Christina is hurt that Megan doesn’t choose her as a partner, but Stephanie fills this gap, demonstrating that new friendships can develop even when old ones change.
While she is not as close to Christina as Megan is, Stephanie represents the idea that there are other people with whom Christina can connect and that friendship doesn’t have to revolve around just one person. She and Christina work well together during the cheerleading practices, and their relationship is built on mutual support and teamwork.
Stephanie’s presence in the story also highlights Christina’s growing independence. By working with someone new, Christina learns that she can rely on people outside of her immediate circle and that forging new friendships doesn’t diminish her old ones.
Though Stephanie does not have the emotional depth of some of the other characters, her role is essential in showing Christina that the world of middle school is larger than she originally thought. There is room for new experiences and people.
Christina’s Parents
Christina’s parents, especially her mother, play an important role in grounding her throughout the story. Her mother is a source of wisdom and comfort, particularly when Christina deals with racist bullying.
By offering her perspective on racism, Christina’s mother provides her with the tools to navigate these difficult experiences without internalizing them. Her advice about how most people are decent and kind, even though racism exists, helps Christina maintain a balanced outlook.
Christina’s father, though less central to the narrative, represents Christina’s Thai heritage and the sacrifices her family has made. The family’s restaurant, the Golden Dragon, serves as a metaphor for both their hard work and the blending of their Thai and American identities.
The comfort Christina feels when visiting the restaurant contrasts with the difficulties she faces at school, highlighting the importance of family and heritage in her life. Both parents encourage Christina to find her own path, and their supportive presence helps her navigate the ups and downs of adolescence.
Themes
The Search for Identity Amidst Cultural Hybridity and Assimilation
At the heart of The Tryout is Christina’s journey of self-discovery, shaped by the dual forces of her Thai heritage and the pressures of American assimilation. Christina, the daughter of a Thai immigrant father and a Texan mother, grapples with the complexities of her mixed identity.
Her struggle to navigate her own sense of self within the predominantly white environment of Grangeview, Texas, reflects the experience of many first-generation immigrants. Christina is forced to reconcile the dissonance between her cultural heritage and the expectations of her peers and society.
This tension plays out in subtle ways: from the mispronunciation of her last name by her teachers, which symbolizes the broader lack of understanding of her background, to her occasional frustration with her family’s restaurant, which serves as both a reminder of her roots and a source of solace. As she immerses herself in activities like cheerleading, Christina strives to fit into an American ideal of popularity and acceptance.
Her journey ultimately reveals the importance of embracing both aspects of her identity, rather than choosing one over the other. This theme of cultural hybridity and the search for identity speaks to the deep, often unspoken, challenges of living between two worlds.
The Intersection of Friendship, Loyalty, and the Fear of Abandonment
Throughout the novel, Christina’s relationship with Megan serves as a focal point for exploring the theme of friendship under strain. As childhood best friends, Christina and Megan’s bond is initially depicted as one rooted in shared experiences and loyalty.
However, as they grow older, particularly during the cheerleading tryouts, the pressures of competition and popularity introduce cracks into their relationship. Megan’s decision to choose another partner for the tryouts becomes symbolic of the growing distance between them, igniting Christina’s fear of abandonment.
This fear is multifaceted: it’s not just about losing Megan as a friend, but also about the possibility of being left behind in the social hierarchy of middle school. Christina’s jealousy and insecurity over Megan’s natural cheerleading abilities mirror a more universal adolescent anxiety—the fear that friendships forged in childhood may not survive the shifting allegiances of teenage life.
Yet, the resolution of their conflict, where Christina and Megan apologize and reaffirm their bond, suggests that true friendship can evolve even as individuals change. It highlights how loyalty and understanding are essential to maintaining relationships amidst the turmoil of growing up.
The Impact of Racism and Xenophobia on Adolescent Self-Worth
Racism is another significant theme in The Tryout, affecting Christina’s perception of herself and her place in her community. Tobin’s racist taunts at the beginning of the story illustrate the overt hostility Christina faces because of her Asian heritage, setting a tone of exclusion and alienation that permeates much of her school experience.
These instances of racial bullying are not isolated; they point to a larger, systemic issue of xenophobia within her predominantly white town. Christina’s struggles with self-worth are exacerbated by this racism, as she constantly questions whether her differences will prevent her from being accepted or liked by her peers.
The novel also delves into the internalized effects of racism, as Christina finds herself trying to mold her identity to fit in with the white-dominated culture around her—aspiring to be a cheerleader, which represents an ideal of American popularity and success.
Her journey toward self-acceptance involves acknowledging that her worth is not diminished by her race, and that she can forge her own path independent of the superficial markers of success that her environment holds in such high esteem. This exploration of racism in the novel is nuanced, showing how it not only affects outward interactions but also invades Christina’s inner world, forcing her to confront both external prejudice and internalized self-doubt.
The Psychological Burden of Popularity and Social Pressure
The pursuit of popularity looms large over Christina’s seventh-grade experience, making The Tryout an incisive commentary on the psychological burden of social hierarchies in adolescence. Cheerleading, in this context, becomes not just a physical competition but a metaphor for acceptance, visibility, and status.
Christina’s desire to join the cheerleading squad stems from her belief that becoming a cheerleader will guarantee her a place in the school’s social order. This belief, however, leads to a subtle unraveling of her emotional well-being, as the pressure to conform to an ideal of perfection—smiling constantly, being confident, and fitting in—intensifies her insecurities.
Her fixation on the tryouts and her fear of failure reveal how the societal expectations placed on young girls to be popular can erode their sense of self. This pressure manifests in various ways, from Christina’s brief conflict with Megan to her heightened self-consciousness around her peers.
Ultimately, the novel illustrates that the pursuit of popularity can be as toxic as it is alluring, with Christina’s eventual failure to make the squad serving as a critical moment of realization. In not achieving her goal, Christina learns that her self-worth is not contingent on being popular, and that true fulfillment comes from following her own passions rather than striving for external validation.
The Role of Resilience and Self-Discovery in Overcoming Adversity
Christina’s journey in The Tryout is one marked by repeated setbacks, but it is through these challenges that she learns the value of resilience and self-discovery. From the racist bullying she faces, to the strains in her friendship with Megan, to her eventual failure in making the cheerleading squad, Christina is continually forced to confront disappointment and rejection.
Yet, these moments of adversity are not framed as defeats, but as catalysts for growth. The novel portrays resilience not as a passive ability to endure hardship, but as an active process of self-reflection and adaptation. Christina’s decision to enroll in a storytelling class after the cheerleading tryouts underscores this theme.
In discovering her talent for public speaking and storytelling, Christina finds a new avenue for self-expression and confidence—one that is entirely her own, free from the pressures of popularity or conformity. This shift in focus from external validation to internal fulfillment highlights how adversity can lead to unexpected sources of personal strength and satisfaction.
By the end of the novel, Christina’s journey is not about achieving what she initially set out to do, but about discovering her own unique capabilities and building a sense of self that is resilient and self-sustaining.