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rachxkat's review against another edition
emotional
funny
medium-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? Yes
3.5
blondelibrarian's review against another edition
5.0
Will and Jocelyn fall in love while saving her family’s restaurant. I fell in love with the characters.
rohboat's review against another edition
4.0
this book <3333
it literally encompasses so much of my life and what i’ve been through that i adore it on an incredibly personal level. the romance is adorable, but i love how the book focuses on issues such as cultural differences, racism, and mental health as well!!! it’s a beautiful book and one that i’m so happy to have read :)
it literally encompasses so much of my life and what i’ve been through that i adore it on an incredibly personal level. the romance is adorable, but i love how the book focuses on issues such as cultural differences, racism, and mental health as well!!! it’s a beautiful book and one that i’m so happy to have read :)
livfeinstein's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
rlwertheimer's review against another edition
4.0
Great destigmatizing of mental illness within communities of color and first generation immigrant teens.
erinmcalpine's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I do not recommend, this book very boring and the ending is weak.
a_ab's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Even with some of the YA-lit treatment simplifications, this is a very complex and nuanced book, which manages a skillful discussion and illustration of a multitude of real issues, concerns, and cultural realities. Yet, while accomplishing all that, - and this is the most impressive bit, - it also manages to stay true to the characters, their emotions and relative ages.
I was prepared to not finish this book when I started reading it - mostly because I didn't think it would fit my mood at the time. The book was due at the library, so I decided to give it a go before returning it - just to get an idea of whether I should plan to check it out again... I finished it in one sitting, staying up too long to do it. This is not a high stakes thriller by any stretch, but the raw emotions in this book rang so true that I got ridiculously invested in the lives of these characters.
This is also not an easy or fluffy read, despite the technical subject matter affiliation with young love and lack of tragedies or real drama on page. The story is very slice-of-life and matter-of-fact in tone, but it hits all the right notes to have an impressive impact.
I am extremely surprised and very much impressed.
I was prepared to not finish this book when I started reading it - mostly because I didn't think it would fit my mood at the time. The book was due at the library, so I decided to give it a go before returning it - just to get an idea of whether I should plan to check it out again... I finished it in one sitting, staying up too long to do it. This is not a high stakes thriller by any stretch, but the raw emotions in this book rang so true that I got ridiculously invested in the lives of these characters.
This is also not an easy or fluffy read, despite the technical subject matter affiliation with young love and lack of tragedies or real drama on page. The story is very slice-of-life and matter-of-fact in tone, but it hits all the right notes to have an impressive impact.
I am extremely surprised and very much impressed.
cushneramy's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
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
3.0
rfish0615's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Eating disorder
charmaineac's review against another edition
2.0
This was not my favourite book, at no fault of the author. I didn't like living in Jocelyn's head (although I bet she didn't either).
I appreciate the message that it's "okay to not be okay." But like... couldn't anyone in this story be okay? Because as much as mental health issues are normalized these days, I think it's also good to demonstrate that people can be stable without professional help. Maybe Priya? But seriously, we ran the gamut of ADHD, depression, anxiety, and anorexia. I don't know if I believe this idea that "Everyone has demons" and "Everyone has a problem that can be labelled."
I also felt that some of these characters were a bit flat, like Mr. Wu. The accents felt like caricatures. Mostly, I felt ashamed that I couldn't understand the pinyin despite being Chinese (my fault!). I was pleasantly surprised by some of the demonstrations of parental support by the end though.
The one contradiction that bugged me a TON throughout the story was Jocelyn's perspective on Utica. She kept lamenting that all she wanted was to "get out of this town" and "not be tied to the restaurant forever." Um, that's literally what your parents were proposing at the start of the book, by moving to New York City?? Why did you go on this giant campaign to stay and save the restaurant? It was illogical, and I don't support the idea of writing off the contradiction as a byproduct of Jocelyn's own inconsistency.
I appreciate the message that it's "okay to not be okay." But like... couldn't anyone in this story be okay? Because as much as mental health issues are normalized these days, I think it's also good to demonstrate that people can be stable without professional help. Maybe Priya? But seriously, we ran the gamut of ADHD, depression, anxiety, and anorexia. I don't know if I believe this idea that "Everyone has demons" and "Everyone has a problem that can be labelled."
I also felt that some of these characters were a bit flat, like Mr. Wu. The accents felt like caricatures. Mostly, I felt ashamed that I couldn't understand the pinyin despite being Chinese (my fault!). I was pleasantly surprised by some of the demonstrations of parental support by the end though.
The one contradiction that bugged me a TON throughout the story was Jocelyn's perspective on Utica. She kept lamenting that all she wanted was to "get out of this town" and "not be tied to the restaurant forever." Um, that's literally what your parents were proposing at the start of the book, by moving to New York City?? Why did you go on this giant campaign to stay and save the restaurant? It was illogical, and I don't support the idea of writing off the contradiction as a byproduct of Jocelyn's own inconsistency.