A review by kthornette
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp

4.0

“But do you feel like it’s … you? Or do you feel like it’s who others want you to be?”

This question’s harder to answer. “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like a choice, and sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes it feels like the only weapon I have against being an outsider… and sometimes it feels like a weapon other people use against me.”

I’m prefacing this review by saying this cover is hot.

I’ll be real with you guys, I enjoyed this book a lot more than I thought I would’ve. I’ve read a lot of books talking about immigrant kids and their problems, but this was really stood out from the bunch. Pen and Xander both had their own family and self-identity issues but they both contrasted in hers being centred on her future and his about his past while fearful for his future. I even liked the addition of Pen’s anxiety and the classic immigrant parent projection. Both of them were strong protagonists and I enjoyed reading their stories. My only critique is that more attention was given to Pen’s POV and problems so I would’ve loved more of Xander’s.

As a note, I also love all the food descriptions.

“What you’ve gotten yourself into is the most faithful and fucked up family you’ll ever meet.”