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pucksandpaperbacks's review
funny
lighthearted
tense
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? Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia and Racism
Moderate: Grief
wends_nblw's review
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? No
4.25
Ahhhhh!!!! This book was so, so cute! I found an ARC of it in a little free library and decided to read it. I'm so glad I did. I loved the main character and her journey. The way she and Miranda learned from each other was heartwarming! I hope to see more from this author <3
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Bullying
emily_mh's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I have so many good things to say. Firstly, the art style was lovely. I like the way that Xu draws people, and ADORE the way she draws food (seriously, don’t read this book hungry like I did!). I also appreciated that for a book about a cooking competition, we got to see so much of the PROCESS of cooking. The competition also provided excellent structure and pacing for the plot. Finally, I really enjoyed the themes that were explored in the book. During the story we see Cici coming to terms with her Taiwanese-American identity, cleverly symbolised in her A-Má and Julia Child influencing her cooking. The narrative stresses that to be accepted, to be American, you shouldn’t have to reject parts of yourself. Another theme in the book is figuring out what YOU want to do with your life, separate from your parents’ expectations. I appreciated that this was explored with the nuance of why these parental expectations exist in the first place in the case of parents of colour, who are also immigrants, living in a country such as the U.S.
In terms of negatives, there was just a little too much exposition. For example, sometimes there would be a text box describing what was clearly happening in the panel. As well as this, I thought that Cici’s white friends needed to acknowledge their racism and this wasn’t really done.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Xenophobia
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Ableism, and Death
Minor: climate change/global warminglilybear3's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I loved watching Cici grow into her own and finding friendship. I think it did a good job of showing what an Asian American immigrant family might function. I love her friend dynamic with her competitor because they show healthy competition and shows that people have a lot in common even if they have different cultural backgrounds.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
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