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poachingeggs's review against another edition
5.0
5 stars ! this was so magical. there was a quaint little family run flower shop. and there was flower magic. and flower symbolism. must i say more ??
i picked this book up because it was recommended alongside emma mills’ foolish hearts are contemporary young adult books that aren’t hyped up but are still incredible in their own way, and it really was incredible. i can’t say that cj was a wonderful main character and perspective to read from, but she was a flawed character in such a relatable way, and it was so interesting reading about her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and herself. i really enjoyed how the book discussed historical events, racism, and white saviorism in a relevant manner without sounding like a textbook or explicitly educational text while still delivering a lot of the message. i do wish the ending was wrapped up a little bit neater: so much of it tied together well in the end, but i want to know what happened to the high school ! and what happens between emily and brynn because brynn needs to take several steps to reevaluate her way of approaching BIPOC conversations without centering and victimizing herself as a queer white woman lol it was a necessary conversation to be had.
super ambitious (as in, it hit probably 8/10 targets it was going for) and interesting story !!
i picked this book up because it was recommended alongside emma mills’ foolish hearts are contemporary young adult books that aren’t hyped up but are still incredible in their own way, and it really was incredible. i can’t say that cj was a wonderful main character and perspective to read from, but she was a flawed character in such a relatable way, and it was so interesting reading about her relationship with her mother, her aunt, and herself. i really enjoyed how the book discussed historical events, racism, and white saviorism in a relevant manner without sounding like a textbook or explicitly educational text while still delivering a lot of the message. i do wish the ending was wrapped up a little bit neater: so much of it tied together well in the end, but i want to know what happened to the high school ! and what happens between emily and brynn because brynn needs to take several steps to reevaluate her way of approaching BIPOC conversations without centering and victimizing herself as a queer white woman lol it was a necessary conversation to be had.
super ambitious (as in, it hit probably 8/10 targets it was going for) and interesting story !!
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Book on CD performed by Joy Osmanski
3.5***
CJ Katsuyama never seems to meet her Type-A mother’s expectations. She’s not super smart, or talented at music, art or sports. She’s not a leader at school. She does like helping her aunt Hannah at the family flower shop, though she doesn’t buy into Hannah’s “magic of flowers” theories. Still, she shows a knack for creative and distinctive arrangements. But then her mother decides to sell the shop to the descendant of the racist man who swindled her grandfather out of his property by taking advantage of the USA’s policy to intern Japanese Americans during WW2. Now CJ is fighting mad and determined to make a difference.
This is a charming YA novel about family, social justice, friendship and loyalty. There’s also a little romance thrown in.
CJ is a pretty mature teen. Although she frequently doubts herself, she usually follows her inner compass and makes solid decisions. Of course, this is a young adult novel, so there is bound to be some of the drama typical in teen life – prom-posals, mean girls, cliques, attractions based strictly on looks, best friends who maybe aren’t anymore. There’s also an LGBTQ relationship in the mix; I liked the way CJ handled this.
On the other hand,
Joy Osmanski does a fine job of narrating the audio version. Her diction is clear, and she sets a good pace. The only difficulty is that there are several flashbacks, and at first, I didn’t catch on and that confused me for several chapters until she went back to it. That isn’t the fault of the narrator, however. But I think I would have been less confused if I had been reading the text rather than listening.
3.5***
CJ Katsuyama never seems to meet her Type-A mother’s expectations. She’s not super smart, or talented at music, art or sports. She’s not a leader at school. She does like helping her aunt Hannah at the family flower shop, though she doesn’t buy into Hannah’s “magic of flowers” theories. Still, she shows a knack for creative and distinctive arrangements. But then her mother decides to sell the shop to the descendant of the racist man who swindled her grandfather out of his property by taking advantage of the USA’s policy to intern Japanese Americans during WW2. Now CJ is fighting mad and determined to make a difference.
This is a charming YA novel about family, social justice, friendship and loyalty. There’s also a little romance thrown in.
CJ is a pretty mature teen. Although she frequently doubts herself, she usually follows her inner compass and makes solid decisions. Of course, this is a young adult novel, so there is bound to be some of the drama typical in teen life – prom-posals, mean girls, cliques, attractions based strictly on looks, best friends who maybe aren’t anymore. There’s also an LGBTQ relationship in the mix; I liked the way CJ handled this.
On the other hand,
Spoiler
I was not thrilled with how the author handled CJ’s pregnancy. Not at all sure that needed to be part of the story.Joy Osmanski does a fine job of narrating the audio version. Her diction is clear, and she sets a good pace. The only difficulty is that there are several flashbacks, and at first, I didn’t catch on and that confused me for several chapters until she went back to it. That isn’t the fault of the narrator, however. But I think I would have been less confused if I had been reading the text rather than listening.
8lueminn0w's review against another edition
4.0
«There’s no point in dwelling on the past, but you can acknowledge it and try to make things better. Or try a new way, and know that this time will be different.»
3.5 ⭐️
3.5 ⭐️
kvreadsandrecs's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. Skimmed the last 75 or so pages of this book. It felt like it was trying to do too many things at once and it sort of failed at all of them. I enjoyed the first part, but some parts were so cringey it felt visceral.
karen_hallam's review against another edition
5.0
CJ is such a great YA character! She’s very funny and I love how she struggles with her choices. Her mother is also a fierce character. All the characters are vivid and real. This story brings the USA’s harrowing racist history of internment camps to the present. CJ and her friends gather support to correct what they can about the past. Such a dynamic story! I cannot wait to read more from this author. Highly recommend.
gabrieyell's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
kimmiefmrcn's review against another edition
emotional
funny
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
3.0
cj kinda annoyed me
rovwade's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
3.0
yeli_yeli's review against another edition
2.0
Started off really liking it but then I felt like it went downhill.