This study explored 22 ninth-grade English students' reading engagement and interpretation of a young adult multicultural novel dealing with biethnic identity development. The descriptive multicase study charted students' literary engagement in an urban technology magnet school and a rural Hawaii high school. The research question was: What are the characteristics of students' writing during the reading and interpretation of a multicultural young adult novel? Detailed analyses of seven students' journal freewriting, character interpretation dialogue journals, and research papers on the novel's cultural authenticity revealed that students: (1) produced more personal and interpretive reactions to the novel than a simple description of events; and (2) students had a strong sense of agency and voice, supported by the reader-based style of teaching in both classes. This study points to the need for students to have opportunities to read and talk about literature that explores ethnic and cultural identity development. (Contains 18 references.) (Author/RS)