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nothingforpomegranted's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Raised in rival restaurants, Bao and Linh share a childhood memory of brief bonding over artwork and superheroes before being pulled apart by their parents, whose unspoken history has led to decades of tension and hatred. Bao and Linh reunite in high school, paired on a school newspaper project reporting on restaurants in the area and their date night potential, which develops into a sweet romance that ultimately uncovers some of their own family secrets.
This is a book I would love to have in my middle school classroom, but honestly, I didn't enjoy reading it myself. While all the food was described in scrumptious detail, Bao and Linh were both a bit bland: teens trying to make their own way under tremendous family expectations and pressure. Indeed, the two characters were hardly distinct from each other, and without the dual narration of the audio, I think I would have struggled to determine who was talking (as I did during some of the non-signposted dialogue). Accordingly, their romance was pretty boring; I didn't buy the chemistry in moments of tension or passion, though I did love how supportive they were of each other's dreams. That kind of sweetness is exactly what I'd hope to set middle school students up for in their romantic relationships. My final complaint is how preachy the book was, characters constantly reminding each other to "follow their dreams" while also "respecting and loving their parents and family traditions," hardly more delicately than that. This heavy-handed messaging had me rolling my eyes rather than appreciating those values, which is unfortunate.
I would be remiss to finish my review without mentioning that this book features Vietnamese characters with Vietnamese names, food, language, and culture. I love that Le didn't translate all of the phrases from Vietnamese to English, and I really appreciated the moments of history that she incorporated into the families' stories. I knew little about emigration from Vietnam to the United States and the status of Vietnamese refugees upon their arrival after the Vietnam War. This world history was tactfully incorporated into the characters' lives, highlighting the impact of immigration without turning this into a refugee story.
I received an educator's advanced listening copy of this book from Libro.fm. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio, Books for Young Readers as well as author Loan Le. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: February 9, 2021
This is a book I would love to have in my middle school classroom, but honestly, I didn't enjoy reading it myself. While all the food was described in scrumptious detail, Bao and Linh were both a bit bland: teens trying to make their own way under tremendous family expectations and pressure. Indeed, the two characters were hardly distinct from each other, and without the dual narration of the audio, I think I would have struggled to determine who was talking (as I did during some of the non-signposted dialogue). Accordingly, their romance was pretty boring; I didn't buy the chemistry in moments of tension or passion, though I did love how supportive they were of each other's dreams. That kind of sweetness is exactly what I'd hope to set middle school students up for in their romantic relationships. My final complaint is how preachy the book was, characters constantly reminding each other to "follow their dreams" while also "respecting and loving their parents and family traditions," hardly more delicately than that. This heavy-handed messaging had me rolling my eyes rather than appreciating those values, which is unfortunate.
I would be remiss to finish my review without mentioning that this book features Vietnamese characters with Vietnamese names, food, language, and culture. I love that Le didn't translate all of the phrases from Vietnamese to English, and I really appreciated the moments of history that she incorporated into the families' stories. I knew little about emigration from Vietnam to the United States and the status of Vietnamese refugees upon their arrival after the Vietnam War. This world history was tactfully incorporated into the characters' lives, highlighting the impact of immigration without turning this into a refugee story.
I received an educator's advanced listening copy of this book from Libro.fm. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio, Books for Young Readers as well as author Loan Le. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
girlonbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? No
5.0
🖌️🖌️🖌️🖌️🖌️ (five stars as rated in Linh Mai’s paintbrushes)
Bảo Nguyen has known about Linh Mai for years. He knows she’s an artist, he knows she’s his same age, he knows she’s really pretty and he knows that, as the daughter of the family that opened a rival phở restaurant across the street from his family’s own phở restaurant, she is completely off limits. When a school project throws Linh and Bảo together the chemistry between them is undeniable. The couple starts to wonder if perhaps there isn’t more to their two families’ ongoing feud. And, if there is, what does it mean for Linh and Bảo’s budding romance?
Bảo Nguyen has known about Linh Mai for years. He knows she’s an artist, he knows she’s his same age, he knows she’s really pretty and he knows that, as the daughter of the family that opened a rival phở restaurant across the street from his family’s own phở restaurant, she is completely off limits. When a school project throws Linh and Bảo together the chemistry between them is undeniable. The couple starts to wonder if perhaps there isn’t more to their two families’ ongoing feud. And, if there is, what does it mean for Linh and Bảo’s budding romance?
"When I paint, there’s always a moment where I just know that I’m finally finished. The colors and textures come together to depict a feeling of rightness. Us here is that rightness.”
Reading this book was one of the most heart-fluttering, giggle-inducing, tear-jerking book experiences I’ve had yet in 2021. This story has everything I am looking for in a YA love story. The relationships are dynamic, the characters are compelling and an author that can make you laugh in the midst of palpable heartbreak is probably the definition of literary excellence. The characters are as fun as they are strong while also being beautifully vulnerable and complicated. Even at the most difficult moments, the parent-child relationships are written with compassion and empathy which really is so important. In the words of my friend Amanda (with whom I buddy read this book and who is half Vietnamese herself), “I wish more books like this existed so Asian kids can maybe resent their parents less if we speak about it and read about it in a loving way.” In A Phở Love Story Loan Le has managed to illustrate the immigrant experience – as well as that of second generation Asian American teenagers – sincerely and respectfully while still keeping the overall tone of the book lighthearted and profoundly hopeful. If that doesn’t deserve five stars then I honestly don’t know what does.
✨ Rep in this book: Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American MC’s and supporting characters
✨ Content warnings for this book: racism, generational trauma, death of a loved one, refugee experience, grief, drowning, mentions of war
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Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Racism and Death
studiolindsay's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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? It's complicated
3.0
The romance and meet-cute was sweet, and the food descriptions were delicious. But the two main characters read a bit too fictional to me because we only knew one of their interests/hobbies each.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Grief and Death
snowhitereads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I’ve seen this book float around bookstagram quite a lot recently so I decided to give it a shot.
First of all, this book made me so hungry.
This was a cute, quick and easy read.
But also an important one.
It tells a story of immigrant parents and the struggles and dilemmas that comes with that. It deals with xenophobia and harmful asian stereotypes.
Alongside a cute read, I feel like I learnt more about Vietnamese culture and history.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Murder, and Grief
sydneyj's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
Content Warnings
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Racial slurs, and Xenophobia
Minor: Death and Grief
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
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