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robinks's review
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This graphic novel is so beautifully illustrated, and the plot had so many twists and turns. It included a lot of different topics but in a way that didn’t feel too overwhelming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Violence, and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Death of parent
btwnprintedpgs's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
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
5.0
This was such a fantastic story. I loved learning more about the lion dances and seeing the differences between Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean ways of celebrating Lunar New Year.
I also love how the different types of love were presented - love in friendship, in family, and in romantic love. It was so heartwarming and a little bit magical combined with everything else in the story.
That all being said, the grandma was definitely my favourite character. We love a fun granny.
The art was stunning, the story was heartwarming and hopeful, this book was definitely a win for me.
TW: alcohol consumption; mentions death of a parent, violence, cancer
I also love how the different types of love were presented - love in friendship, in family, and in romantic love. It was so heartwarming and a little bit magical combined with everything else in the story.
That all being said, the grandma was definitely my favourite character. We love a fun granny.
The art was stunning, the story was heartwarming and hopeful, this book was definitely a win for me.
TW: alcohol consumption; mentions death of a parent, violence, cancer
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, and Violence
scifijunkie21's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Loved this charming and emotional YA graphic novel. Perfect intersection of Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day. The art is beautiful and I loved the characters; there are some fantastical elements but they feel completely organic to the story. Also a nice look at a wide swath of Asian-American culture.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence and Abandonment
idesofmarch's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Grief, and Cancer
Minor: Violence
indeedithappens's review
emotional
funny
reflective
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abandonment, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent
bookishmillennial's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial
I did not expect this to be so vulnerable and poignant 😭 I teared up reading this graphic novel about Valentina, a teenager who used to love Valentine’s Day until a shocking family secret is revealed. She was visited by Saint V, a cupid-esque spirit who helped her make paper Valentine’s day cards for everyone, up until freshman year of high school. Then, after the secret is revealed and her relationship with her father deteriorates, Saint V transforms into a more sinister-looking spirit and gives her an ultimatum of one year to find true love or he will take her heart away. Valentina thinks she has found love with Les, and seasoned romance readers will know what is happening, but that doesn’t make the journey there any less worthy to follow.
I really appreciated the slow-paced storytelling in this, as it added to sympathizing with Valentina’s confusion, heartache, and deep loneliness as she held onto any semblance of love she could find. She felt her family was cursed to never have a happily ever after, and that’s a heavy, desolate burden for her to carry. The representation of both her distant relationship with her father and her Vietnamese culture really spoke to me too, as she grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and wasn’t part of any bigger community to learn about it either. It also showed the emptiness one can feel when someone was their entire world before (in this case, Valentina & her dad) & then how isolating it feels when that relationship sours. I really felt for them & thought Luen Yang did an excellent job of portraying this sorrow and pain.
Valentina’s grandma was an absolute joy and reminded me so much of my grandma; she forgave both Valentina and her son/Valentina’s dad immediately whenever they apologized for their distance or words/behavior, and she went to their home at the drop of a hat when it was clear she was needed. She was a pistol and boldly and fearlessly dropped hard truths left and right 😭
With regards to the romance, I thought this was artfully done. We got to see Valentina assess how she felt both in the moment and afterwards as she reflected on what just transpired. Your body language and your mind just *knows* when you have found someone who makes you feel appreciated, seen, braver, and cared for. I loved how this took place over the span of a year and the questioning was really drawn out, rather than Valentina or her love interest just making impulsive choices for the sake of a “grand gesture”. The connection built up steadily and Valentina was able to contrast her feelings of disconnect and frustration against the quiet romance in how she felt around her trueeee love interest. I just ate that up 🥹
Valentina’s familial trauma was so devastating. I can only imagine being in that situation and I think LY illustrated this so authentically to how a teenager would behave, and gave each character enough nuance where no one ended up being the villain in this family. They were all capable of making poor decisions out of fear, selfishness, and pain, but everyone still deserved love, hope and connection. This graphic novel really surprised me, and I’m so glad I read it.
I did not expect this to be so vulnerable and poignant 😭 I teared up reading this graphic novel about Valentina, a teenager who used to love Valentine’s Day until a shocking family secret is revealed. She was visited by Saint V, a cupid-esque spirit who helped her make paper Valentine’s day cards for everyone, up until freshman year of high school. Then, after the secret is revealed and her relationship with her father deteriorates, Saint V transforms into a more sinister-looking spirit and gives her an ultimatum of one year to find true love or he will take her heart away. Valentina thinks she has found love with Les, and seasoned romance readers will know what is happening, but that doesn’t make the journey there any less worthy to follow.
I really appreciated the slow-paced storytelling in this, as it added to sympathizing with Valentina’s confusion, heartache, and deep loneliness as she held onto any semblance of love she could find. She felt her family was cursed to never have a happily ever after, and that’s a heavy, desolate burden for her to carry. The representation of both her distant relationship with her father and her Vietnamese culture really spoke to me too, as she grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and wasn’t part of any bigger community to learn about it either. It also showed the emptiness one can feel when someone was their entire world before (in this case, Valentina & her dad) & then how isolating it feels when that relationship sours. I really felt for them & thought Luen Yang did an excellent job of portraying this sorrow and pain.
Valentina’s grandma was an absolute joy and reminded me so much of my grandma; she forgave both Valentina and her son/Valentina’s dad immediately whenever they apologized for their distance or words/behavior, and she went to their home at the drop of a hat when it was clear she was needed. She was a pistol and boldly and fearlessly dropped hard truths left and right 😭
With regards to the romance, I thought this was artfully done. We got to see Valentina assess how she felt both in the moment and afterwards as she reflected on what just transpired. Your body language and your mind just *knows* when you have found someone who makes you feel appreciated, seen, braver, and cared for. I loved how this took place over the span of a year and the questioning was really drawn out, rather than Valentina or her love interest just making impulsive choices for the sake of a “grand gesture”. The connection built up steadily and Valentina was able to contrast her feelings of disconnect and frustration against the quiet romance in how she felt around her trueeee love interest. I just ate that up 🥹
Valentina’s familial trauma was so devastating. I can only imagine being in that situation and I think LY illustrated this so authentically to how a teenager would behave, and gave each character enough nuance where no one ended up being the villain in this family. They were all capable of making poor decisions out of fear, selfishness, and pain, but everyone still deserved love, hope and connection. This graphic novel really surprised me, and I’m so glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Abandonment
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
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