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4.43 AVERAGE
4.43 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The combination of Gene Luen Yang's complicated twisty stories (Val meets both of her grandmothers!) and LeUyen Pham's deceptively complex illustrations (there's lots of details that you need to look for) is powerful in the this tale. The characters may be teens, but the long arc of the story and the circumstances of their lives make them feel older.
TW: parental death, substance abuse (alcohol), depression
5 stars = enjoyed, would look for other books by author, would recommend
TW: parental death, substance abuse (alcohol), depression
5 stars = enjoyed, would look for other books by author, would recommend
emotional
hopeful
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 absolutely loved this read. Full of culture, self discovery, and romance, this graphic novel was a great idea of how much emotion and important topics can be portrayed through images. Themes such as family loyalty, friendship, generational trauma, and belonging were explored really well. The graphics were engaging, incredibly complex, and unique. I would recommend this to anybody!
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
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
I really do wish this book got a longer epilogue or maybe even a second book! I just want to see more between the main characters and how everything turned out for them!
Nonetheless I really enjoyed this book and even though the age of the characters were maybe in high school, I didn’t get too annoyed at their actions. Even if they really should have just talked it out & eventually they did.
But really, I enjoyed the journey of the characters and how they were able to resolve their problems. As well as the complexities of love. Or the beautiful and ugliness in love. Plus all of the characters were mostly loveable.
Nonetheless I really enjoyed this book and even though the age of the characters were maybe in high school, I didn’t get too annoyed at their actions. Even if they really should have just talked it out & eventually they did.
But really, I enjoyed the journey of the characters and how they were able to resolve their problems. As well as the complexities of love. Or the beautiful and ugliness in love. Plus all of the characters were mostly loveable.
If you have ever been to the Lunar New Year Festivals, you have probably seen the lion dancers. What I didn’t know, until reading this graphic novel was that each country has its own interpretation of how the lion dances, and even what it looks like.
Valentina decides she wants to learn lion dancing. Valentina is trying to decide if she should give up on love. Valentina has been told by her grandmother that generations of her family have been unlucky in love, and she should just face the facts.
Valentina’s best friend loves falling in love. She just hates it when love is not so fresh anymore, and you have to work at the relationship part. To her, it is a party all the time, and she encourages Valentina to just fall in love anyway, and then move on.
And it doesn’t help that the spirit of St. Valentine is haunting her and encouraging to just give up on love, and not to bother with having feelings at all.
There were so many good personalities and moments in this book. I love how blunt the grandmother is. I love how the dragon dancers are drawn, along with the sounds of the drums. I love how Bernice just accepts whatever it is that is going on with her best friend. And I love the quiet moments, such as when Val is looking at the stars Jae.
It is probably best to go into this story without knowing too much, as there is so much going on, and being revealed, throughout the story.
Suffice it to say, I am a little biased because I love everything Gene Luen Yang writes. He has just such a great way of telling his stories, whether they are contemporary, or tales of Superman, or historical fiction in the time of the Boxer Rebellion.
I highly recommend you go out and get your hands on this. Although it is a romance, it isn’t really one of those typical YA ones.
Valentina decides she wants to learn lion dancing. Valentina is trying to decide if she should give up on love. Valentina has been told by her grandmother that generations of her family have been unlucky in love, and she should just face the facts.
Valentina’s best friend loves falling in love. She just hates it when love is not so fresh anymore, and you have to work at the relationship part. To her, it is a party all the time, and she encourages Valentina to just fall in love anyway, and then move on.
And it doesn’t help that the spirit of St. Valentine is haunting her and encouraging to just give up on love, and not to bother with having feelings at all.
There were so many good personalities and moments in this book. I love how blunt the grandmother is. I love how the dragon dancers are drawn, along with the sounds of the drums. I love how Bernice just accepts whatever it is that is going on with her best friend. And I love the quiet moments, such as when Val is looking at the stars Jae.
It is probably best to go into this story without knowing too much, as there is so much going on, and being revealed, throughout the story.
Suffice it to say, I am a little biased because I love everything Gene Luen Yang writes. He has just such a great way of telling his stories, whether they are contemporary, or tales of Superman, or historical fiction in the time of the Boxer Rebellion.
I highly recommend you go out and get your hands on this. Although it is a romance, it isn’t really one of those typical YA ones.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment
Minor: Alcoholism
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated