NEWS

May 30, 2026

Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, was named one of E! News‘s “Books to Read This Summer”: “beyond regaling listeners with tales of crisscrossing the world … [the novel] also details the more vulnerable side effects to living a life on the run.”

May 21, 2026

Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, was named one of Marie Claire’s “The 14 Best Mystery-Thriller Books of 2026 (So Far)””, noting that “[t]hough a stylish crime thriller on the surface, Yu-Mei Balasingamchow’s debut novel is an even more profound exploration of identity, immigration, and the irresistible pull of home.”

May 19, 2026

Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, was named one of NPR’s “15 books our critics can't wait for this summer”: “This picaresque is off to a rocking start, the first-person narration is charmingly self-effacing, and the story promises depth as well, exploring the emotional toll of being a fugitive.”

March 27, 2026

Publishers Weekly reviewed Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, calling it “A thrilling narrative full of hairpin turns and complex questions … Ophir is an endlessly companiable narrator despite her patently unreliable version of events, which careens like a roller coaster from one scrape, mistake, or escape to the next. It’s a blast.”

march 23, 2026

Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, received a starred review from Kirkus: “An unusual, compelling picaresque … [The narrator’s] unusual trajectory has as much to do with her search for peace as it does with eluding the authorities, making this book completely different from many on-the-run trajectories. … It’s an utterly original thieves’ confession you won’t be able to put down.”

December 16, 2025

Yu-Mei’s debut novel, Names Have Been Changed, was named one of Debutiful’s Most Anticipated Debut Books of 2026. Debutiful’s Adam Vitcavage wrote: “I first read Balasingamchow’s book last July, and I have been thinking about it ever since. Ophir is one of the most memorable characters to jump off the page and the inevitable Hollywood adaptation will have actresses chomping at the bit to play this role. Names Have Been Changed is crackling with energy.”

July 22, 2025

Yu-Mei’s interview with Jeremy Tiang about his debut novel, State of Emergency, and his translation of Delicious Hunger by Hai Fan was published in Electric Literature.

April 28, 2025

Yu-Mei’s interview with Roohi Choudry about her debut novel, Outside Women, was published in Electric Literature.

January 1, 2025

Yu-Mei joined Gaudy Boy as editor. She will read submissions, acquire and edit manuscripts, and lead titles through production to publication. Gaudy Boy is the imprint of the New York City-based literary non-profit Singapore Unbound, and brings poetry, fiction, and literary non-fiction by authors of Asian heritage to the attention of an American audience.

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