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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
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
A very sweet story! I can see why so many people recommend it. The illustrations were gorgeous and the lion dancing was very interesting to learn more about. While this is a romance, I liked that Val had impactful storylines involving her best friend and her family members, too. I was hoping it would be a bit more memorable but I enjoyed it for what it was.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Abandonment
emotional
funny
hopeful
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:
Complicated
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Basic love story structure of a girl who struggles to believe in love until she finds the right guy. The unique aspects include an all Asian-American cast (ex. Vietnamese, Chinese, and Korean), lion dancing (Chinese and Korean), and the ghost of Saint Valentine haunting the protagonist in three in different forms. Did I mention one of the love interests see his dead, cancer-withered dad's ghost?
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
love!!!
challenging
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Valentina loved Valentine’s Day as a little girl, so much so, that a cupid was her imaginary friend, St. Valentine. Following what she thought was the death of her mother, her family begins to strain. The love Valentina has for Valentine’s Day helps her to heal as Valentine’s from heaven pop up in her life. Now older, the holiday has lost some of its previous charm, but suddenly Valentina’s grandmother reappears. Now beginning to reconnect to her extended family, Valentina also reconnects with the Catholic church in her neighborhood, and her Vietnamese roots. Some of these roots bring her to the Vietnamese dancing school where she discovers the Lion Dance and two handsome cousins. Her grandmother told her that their family was unlucky in love, but can she change the course of the family? Can she find true love?
I loved this book! Lunar New Year Love Story is a sweet, realistic, high school romance that centers around Valentina, her love-hate relationship with Valentine's Day, her family secrets, and her imaginary friend/ghost. I also love that this book was set in the Bay Area. <3
I loved Valentina's relationship and interactions with her spunky grandma. There were small chunks of Vietnamese conversations thrown in which I also appreciated. If you don't speak Vietnamese, it's okay- the protagonist doesn't either (and Google translate will give you the gist). This was a beautifully written and illustrated, and non-cliched romance, with a deeper message for the protagonist and the reader. 5 stars.
I loved Valentina's relationship and interactions with her spunky grandma. There were small chunks of Vietnamese conversations thrown in which I also appreciated. If you don't speak Vietnamese, it's okay- the protagonist doesn't either (and Google translate will give you the gist). This was a beautifully written and illustrated, and non-cliched romance, with a deeper message for the protagonist and the reader. 5 stars.
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
I love this story and the art is so wonderfully done and I love how they dealt with the moral of the story so we'll done and even explores the Christian and Asian aspects of valentines day and Lunar new year
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated