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tinysierra's review
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
Cute
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Racism, and Abandonment
katievallin's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
I loved this! A good story, great illustrations, lovable characters. The ending was a bit rushed, but otherwise I really enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Grief, and Death of parent
overthinkereading's review against another edition
4.0
Really great coming of age YA graphic novel that explores the different kinds of love, relationships, and forgiveness that can feel really disorienting in early adulthood.
As the title suggests, Lunar New Year is central to the story and I loved that we got the chance to learn about New Year traditions from Vietnam and Korea. The fantasy elements of the story were also really well done, and a clever device for illustrating the main character’s growth over the course of the novel.
As the title suggests, Lunar New Year is central to the story and I loved that we got the chance to learn about New Year traditions from Vietnam and Korea. The fantasy elements of the story were also really well done, and a clever device for illustrating the main character’s growth over the course of the novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcohol
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
greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death of parent
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
arrowsartsandbooks's review
challenging
emotional
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
This book is about a girl, named Valentina, who believes her family has a generational curse that makes it so none of the family members, including herself, will be able to experience love without extreme loss and heartbreak. She makes a deal with the spirit of St. Valentine that if she can't find true love within a year, she'll give him her heart, that way she'll never experience love or heartbreak. The characters in this book were lovable. The art style was amazing. I loved how the illustrator used drastic color difference from scene to scene to set the mood of each scene. The way St. Valentine was drawn was haunting and creepy. This book explores cultural identity, specifically Korean, Vietnamese, and Chinese Americans. It explores the traditions and activities in the cultures and how it can bring family, friends, and community together.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol
kayladaila's review
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Grief
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
This book is stunning. It tells the story of Valentina and her lifelong relationship with love and Valentine’s Day. Through the story, she also comes into more of her Vietnamese culture, and diverse Asian cultures at large through lion dancing. Every piece of this story is intentional, and the art is equally as beautiful and important.
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