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mirandyli's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
This is the lighthearted queer Asian YA romcom that is perfect when you need a mental health boost. Super fast read and an adorable story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Racism, Cancer, Car accident, Grief, Classism, Xenophobia, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Alcohol, Abandonment, Terminal illness, Alcoholism, and Death of parent
Minor: Racism
litoreads's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Toxic friendship, Racism, and Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Cancer, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Sexual content
dodgeremerson's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Cute YA romance. Does not give you anything beyond what it promises, but it's an enjoyable read. I found the two boys (Dylan and Theo) very sweet and the ending is very heartwarming.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Mental illness, and Cancer
Minor: Alcoholism, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, Xenophobia, Racism, Alcohol, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Car accident
kal517's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Car accident and Alcoholism
Minor: Dementia, Cancer, and Racism
bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This was a really fun read. I found the main character really compelling. i like that romance angle didn’t take over the whole story. i also liked his family and the way that their culture was depicted in the story. at times, the narrative felt rushed and some characters felt more like stereotypes rather than real people. i also felt like the dialogue functioned as exposition in way that really stuck out negatively. still it was a great story and i’m glad to have read it
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Alcoholism, and Car accident
Minor: Dementia, Racism, and Abandonment
arturo_luzen's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, and Death of parent
Minor: Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Racism, and Animal cruelty
sab_rose's review
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
bookwormbi's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
This book was entertaining as hell and I very much was kicking and screaming the entire time I was reading. Whatever Sher Lee’s smoking, I want some
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Racism
wardenred's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Feel free to tell your nosy aunt to mind her own business…but what’s holding you back?”
I shrug. “He lives in a huge mansion and drives a Ferrari. I ride a bike with a squeaky front wheel. Our worlds are as far apart as the sun and the moon.”
“They align every now and then,” Aunt Jade points out. “Eclipses are pretty memorable.”
In many ways, this was an amazingly cute and witty YA romcom. I smiled and got emotional so many times while I read it. The characters grew quickly on me, especially Dylan, and I enjoyed reading about their very different family lives: Dylan's for that great family feel where a bunch of people are genuinely loving and supportive, Theo's for the glorious mess. There was a lot of cozy foodie stuff, a lot of interesting cultural details about Singapore, and the mutual pining-fueled fake dating trope was executed so well. I feel like the part of the story that focuses on Dylan's grief was handled sensitively and relatably.
However, there were some problems here and there that broke my immersion sometimes. One of them was how injecting all those interesting cultural details was handled: a bit heavy-handed. I guess all those mini-lectures made sense, since Theo was explicitly looking to learn about his heritage and Dylan was helping him. But they still often felt like mini-lectures inserted into the narrative instead of a genuine part of it.
Another was the approach to the whole class difference things. Some aspects of it were definitely glossed over, and sometimes people like Dylan's family just acted like the problem was entirely in Dylan's head and he should simply embrace the romance with Theo. Despite the fact that Theo is just throwing money at problems left and right, and Dylan's family is struggling. Though this brings me to another point: I feel like the story might ring better if Dylan was just average, not struggling. Because the struggles get brought up when it matters to the plot, such as when Dylan should get to swoop in and save the family's business, and the rest of the time Dylan and his cousin are all, "Trendy haircuts in salons! Favorite band's concerts and merch!" without any of it being a problem, or a reason to then cut back on something else, etc. That... doesn't match my own experience with major we're-about-to-lose-everything financial struggles.
Finally, something that detracted from my investment in the boys' relationship was Theo's friendship with Adrian that harder ever wavered despite all the shitty things Adrian did. I wish the shittiness was acknowledged and dealt with better, instead of sweeping a lot of it under the rug. Although the more I think of it, the more I kind of understand why Theo holds on to this friendship like this and treats Adrian's shittiness like this. It makes sense for the character, but I wish there was still a bit more focus on how this isn't okay.
All in all, though? Lots of cuteness, very tropey in a good way, awful rich people problems are amusing, and it was great that no matter what messes built up around the two leads, homophobia was never part of the equation. A nice and easy summer read to finish off June.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cancer, and Racism