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ratkowe's review
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
The concept of the book is good and I found myself engrossed in the story at times. Unfortunately, it felt there were too many storyline that didn't get enough attention (or got too much as I could've done away with the entire romance plot). The antagonistic was cartoonishly evil and I found some characters extremely annoying.
cmrancee's review
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
carmentxx's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
a very easy read, butler tells an interesting story about how culture and heritage interact. it does read a little like a soap opera but i find the easy going nature of the book quite endearing in its naivety. some characters were fleshed out, like our protagonist, and others were very 2d. but the book gave me an affirming sense of my own identity and was an easy page turner.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Terminal illness
joannemiro1948's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
0.5
smalltownbookmom's review
4.0
I absolutely LOVED this debut about a Taiwanese-American young woman and the complicated relationship she has with her birth father and his family in Taiwan. Full of heart and family secrets, this story was utterly compelling and such an enjoyable read. I can't wait to read more by this author! Recommended for fans of books like Jen Frederick's Heart & Seoul series. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy! This was also great on audio narrated by Natalie Naudus (one of my fav narrators!).
kaiannepepper's review
4.0
(4.25/5) This book really surprised me with such a unique plot. I loved the interweaving themes of identity, family, and Taiwanese/Chinese culture. I think for yt people, some of these cultural identifiers may be a bit of a shock or just hard to understand, but this book brings up important differences and similarities in being a part of a family between the East and the West.
_basicbookworm's review
4.0
Lexa is half-Taiwanese but grew up in a family of blondes. When she was 8 she started visits with her Taiwanese father, until that summer when something happened that caused her to stop speaking to her Taiwanese family. 22 years later, her father dies and Lexa is faced with a choice: return to Taiwan and claim her inheritance or leave that part of her family in her past for good (and cause them to lose their homes in the process).
For the first half, the story is told between current moment and the story of Alexa’s childhood visits to Taiwan, starting 28 years ago. This creates an element of mystery and leaves you wondering what exactly happened “that summer” that led to Alexa and her father’s annual visits to stop and ended their relationship. This book has everything: it’s a story that shows how complex families can be, one where the main character is able to really find herself, it has a little romance, many delicious food descriptions, a lot of love, and ALL the drama. Like crazy soap opera levels of drama. This one had me hooked from the beginning and kept me engaged the whole way through because I truly had no idea what was coming.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and Let’s Talk Books Promo for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
For the first half, the story is told between current moment and the story of Alexa’s childhood visits to Taiwan, starting 28 years ago. This creates an element of mystery and leaves you wondering what exactly happened “that summer” that led to Alexa and her father’s annual visits to stop and ended their relationship. This book has everything: it’s a story that shows how complex families can be, one where the main character is able to really find herself, it has a little romance, many delicious food descriptions, a lot of love, and ALL the drama. Like crazy soap opera levels of drama. This one had me hooked from the beginning and kept me engaged the whole way through because I truly had no idea what was coming.
Thanks to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and Let’s Talk Books Promo for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.