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ruthiedr89's review
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Grief, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Classism, Death, and Death of parent
dizzymissruby's review
emotional
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? Yes
5.0
picked this up as yet another queer asian book and i love mooncakes. had no idea that the author and the main character are singaporean, like me. i would describe this book a mix of red, white & royal blue (sneaking around after hours in a famous museum?) and crazy rich asians (middle class & upper class, attending a wedding together, a mean “ex” who manipulatively tries to break them up, uptight parent intimidating the partner into breaking up, dramatic surprise reunion), except the characters are more racially diverse than CRA, representative of the actual ethnic makeup in singapore
it was so cool seeing my home foods - nasi goreng, calamansi, pomelo, gula melaka - being talked about, famous spots - marina bay sands, changi airport (taken that direct 18hr singapore airlines flight to and from nyc one too many times), jewel, hawker centers in general - being name dropped and even a mention of our famous architect moshe safdie. loved the small bit of singlish dropped in too (lah!). it was also another personal touch for me that this was set in new york, where all of my mom’s side of the family lives, but specifically brooklyn where all of my chinese relatives live too, one even in sunset park. like dylan, i lost my mom to cancer as well not too long ago and my family in new york has taken me in so warmly and made me feel like one of their own daughters.
one of my favorite things about this book was the complete lack of homophobia. it was never an issue for anyone in their families, being queer felt so natural and normal in this universe, never treated in any way like something different - so incredibly refreshing and we need more queer books like this. it especially warmed my heart to see how accepting dylan’s grandparents in singapore are of him, since homosexuality was still illegal up until a few years ago and there is still no recognition of same sex partners because the older generation are very steadfast in their “asian traditions” as they call it.
i also loved learning about all the food aunt jade and dylan make, especially as a huge asian foodie myself who loves trying new recipes. i can’t wait to try making their once in a blue mooncake recipe sometime!
idk if this was really a review, more just me gushing about what i loved and related to bc i want to remember it all. but i did love the story of dylan and theo, i appreciate a good use of tropes like fake dating, one bed, miscommunication and breakups. i could really feel how much they were crushing on each other so strongly just through dylan’s eyes. this book is probably my new favorite queer ya :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Cancer and Death of parent
its_vendetta's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
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
5.0
AHHH. I loved it! I think it was such a cute and heartwarming story. I loved Dylan and his motivations and immediately loved him and Theo together. The slow burn was real and then tension between them was !!!
I loved the conflicts and how both Dylan and Theo had to resolve issues, instead of it just being a one sided conflict. It really makes the story more realistic and interesting.
Honestly i’m sure there are flaws im forgetting to bring up, but the book just made me happy! I looked forward to reading it and it left me feeling cozy and giggly and that’s what really matters! My only wish was that it was longer, I wanted to stay with the characters more.
My favorite quote:
“You didn’t give me a fraction of what I have, Dylan.” His voice cracks a little. “You gave me a whole missing piece.”
I loved the conflicts and how both Dylan and Theo had to resolve issues, instead of it just being a one sided conflict. It really makes the story more realistic and interesting.
Honestly i’m sure there are flaws im forgetting to bring up, but the book just made me happy! I looked forward to reading it and it left me feeling cozy and giggly and that’s what really matters! My only wish was that it was longer, I wanted to stay with the characters more.
My favorite quote:
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent and Classism
Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Cancer, Car accident, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Abandonment, and Dementia
maki576's review against another edition
4.5
4.5⭐️
It was very sweet and cute, at some moments I even laughed out loud💕
Made me smile,laugh,cry and look at the non existence camera in my room with a shocked expression
I’m a sucker for cute familial relationships an this was a 10/10 on that scale
Only reason it’s not a 5⭐️ is because I wish it was longer. The start felt rushed and I wish we saw the characters become friends before they started fake dating.
I found it a bit odd how the characters saw each other like one time and then went to a wedding as fake boyfriends😐
Idk man that just made me annoyed but the rest of the story made up for it🤭
It was very sweet and cute, at some moments I even laughed out loud💕
Made me smile,laugh,cry and look at the non existence camera in my room with a shocked expression
I’m a sucker for cute familial relationships an this was a 10/10 on that scale
Only reason it’s not a 5⭐️ is because I wish it was longer. The start felt rushed and I wish we saw the characters become friends before they started fake dating.
I found it a bit odd how the characters saw each other like one time and then went to a wedding as fake boyfriends😐
Idk man that just made me annoyed but the rest of the story made up for it🤭
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Addiction, Car accident, Death of parent, Dementia, and Mental illness
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
torismazarine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Abandonment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Addiction, Alcohol, and Car accident
Minor: Cancer
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
foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
4.75
So extremely cute! I was crying happy tears all throughout the end. 100% would recommend this one!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Classism, and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cancer
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