Scan barcode
lizzynotbennet's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Death
kindredbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I received an e-galley of A Pho Love Story by Loan Le from Simon and Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest review.
I love pho and I love a good love story and that is exactly what you get in this new YA romance novel. Linh and Bao have grown up watching one another from across the street as their families hate one another. Both families run Vietnamese restaurants and seem to always be trying to one-up the other. When fate intervenes one night and Linh and Bao are thrown together, the two teenagers find themselves drawn to one another despite knowing the opposition they will face from their families. As they grapple with their identities and passions as teenagers are bound to do, they will also have to uncover some family secrets that may reveal once and for all the root of all the family rivalry, but it may prove to be too much for young love to handle.
I absolutely love that #ownvoices stories are becoming more available and that the style of writing feels very authentic. While I am not Vietnamese, I enjoyed seeing the language within the novel as it resonated with my own experience of having grown up with a different language at home. The use of language is so important and speaks to so much about families, relationships, and culture. While Loan Le doesn’t translate these Vietnamese phrases, I think that she always gives enough context for you to understand what is going on. I thought that the relationship between Linh and Bao was very sweet, including their first interaction as kids, and how they were able to support one another and help each other grow in their respective passions.
Finally, all this talk and description of the delicious Vietnamese food in this novel has me craving Vietnamese food so badly. There were mention of food that I’d never tried before (I’m a creature of habit and tend to always only order pho) and I just really want to order everything that was mentioned in the book. I think that Vietnamese restaurants are about to see an increase in customers once this book is out.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley.
I love pho and I love a good love story and that is exactly what you get in this new YA romance novel. Linh and Bao have grown up watching one another from across the street as their families hate one another. Both families run Vietnamese restaurants and seem to always be trying to one-up the other. When fate intervenes one night and Linh and Bao are thrown together, the two teenagers find themselves drawn to one another despite knowing the opposition they will face from their families. As they grapple with their identities and passions as teenagers are bound to do, they will also have to uncover some family secrets that may reveal once and for all the root of all the family rivalry, but it may prove to be too much for young love to handle.
I absolutely love that #ownvoices stories are becoming more available and that the style of writing feels very authentic. While I am not Vietnamese, I enjoyed seeing the language within the novel as it resonated with my own experience of having grown up with a different language at home. The use of language is so important and speaks to so much about families, relationships, and culture. While Loan Le doesn’t translate these Vietnamese phrases, I think that she always gives enough context for you to understand what is going on. I thought that the relationship between Linh and Bao was very sweet, including their first interaction as kids, and how they were able to support one another and help each other grow in their respective passions.
Finally, all this talk and description of the delicious Vietnamese food in this novel has me craving Vietnamese food so badly. There were mention of food that I’d never tried before (I’m a creature of habit and tend to always only order pho) and I just really want to order everything that was mentioned in the book. I think that Vietnamese restaurants are about to see an increase in customers once this book is out.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Death and Death of parent
linesiunderline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I can picture this book as a sweet, quiet, character driven movie, with all kinds of amazing kitchen scenes. Le has a real talent for making you want to drop everything and place a huge order from your local Vietnamese, family run restaurant. (I’m very lucky to have one of those 5 minutes away). Her food writing is outstanding. I can’t recall a book in a long time that made me this hungry!
I loved how both of the main characters grew believably throughout the novel, and the love story was a really sweet one. Very PG for those who like to know that kind of thing.
The author also brings in challenging themes related to the refugee experience, immigration, defending one’s family and place in the community, and loss. She handles these topics with a balance of gentleness and directness.
Go into this prepared for a slower moving read. I can’t decide if I might have appreciated that if I had been in a different reading mood, or if the book could have used some more editing / refining in the pacing department. Something about the pace did feel very true to life however. It was just slow at times and occasionally felt like it could benefit from something more dramatic at stake in the plot department.
Recommended for foodies and lovers of gentle romance.
I loved how both of the main characters grew believably throughout the novel, and the love story was a really sweet one. Very PG for those who like to know that kind of thing.
The author also brings in challenging themes related to the refugee experience, immigration, defending one’s family and place in the community, and loss. She handles these topics with a balance of gentleness and directness.
Go into this prepared for a slower moving read. I can’t decide if I might have appreciated that if I had been in a different reading mood, or if the book could have used some more editing / refining in the pacing department. Something about the pace did feel very true to life however. It was just slow at times and occasionally felt like it could benefit from something more dramatic at stake in the plot department.
Recommended for foodies and lovers of gentle romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Death and Grief
bookforthought's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a cute book! I fell absolutely in love with this Romeo-and-Juliet-like story and its delightful cast of characters. Much like a delicious bowl of pho, this book was heartwarming and cozy and generally perfect for helping me get through the struggle that was January.
Bao and Linh in particular were super-cute and relatable, and I really felt for them, which is something that doesn't happen to me all that often anymore when I read YA contemporary. I guess that's a sign I'm getting old... Bao's struggle to find his purpose and Linh's conflict between her passion for art and her parents' expectations were 100% realistic and something I could really sympathise about. The romance was also adorable, and I just could not get enough of these two!
The secondary characters were also really well developed, and I enjoyed seeing all the various relationships developing and changing. This is really a book about family and friendship and community as well as romance, and I loved seeing that come through so naturally in the secondary characters as well.
It was extremely refreshing to read about Vietnamese-American characters, something which I hadn't done before, and I feel like this allowed me to get a glimpse of such a rich culture. Bao's and Linh's families come from a traumatic past, which heavily influences their choices, but always remains in the background, never taking over. I particularly loved the vivid and rich descriptions of various Vietnamese foods, and it made me curious to try more of them. The downside: I was hungry for most of this book!
One thing I would have liked to be done differently is the way that Vietnamese language is used throughout the book. There are many passages where whole sentences and exchanges are conducted in Vietnamese, which in itself is a wonderful thing, but often there was no translation or summary of what was said to accompany that. Now, I could sometimes guess what was said or make it out from the context, but there were a few instances where I was left completely clueless as to what had just been said, and that took something away from the experience for me.
Overall, this is a very pleasant, lighthearted ownvoices read with lovable characters. Fair warning: do not consume on an empty stomach, as it will cause unlimited cravings for delicious Vietnamese foods, going well beyond the better-known pho.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book in any way.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death and Racism
More...