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A review by nothingforpomegranted
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Raised in rival restaurants, Bao and Linh share a childhood memory of brief bonding over artwork and superheroes before being pulled apart by their parents, whose unspoken history has led to decades of tension and hatred. Bao and Linh reunite in high school, paired on a school newspaper project reporting on restaurants in the area and their date night potential, which develops into a sweet romance that ultimately uncovers some of their own family secrets.
This is a book I would love to have in my middle school classroom, but honestly, I didn't enjoy reading it myself. While all the food was described in scrumptious detail, Bao and Linh were both a bit bland: teens trying to make their own way under tremendous family expectations and pressure. Indeed, the two characters were hardly distinct from each other, and without the dual narration of the audio, I think I would have struggled to determine who was talking (as I did during some of the non-signposted dialogue). Accordingly, their romance was pretty boring; I didn't buy the chemistry in moments of tension or passion, though I did love how supportive they were of each other's dreams. That kind of sweetness is exactly what I'd hope to set middle school students up for in their romantic relationships. My final complaint is how preachy the book was, characters constantly reminding each other to "follow their dreams" while also "respecting and loving their parents and family traditions," hardly more delicately than that. This heavy-handed messaging had me rolling my eyes rather than appreciating those values, which is unfortunate.
I would be remiss to finish my review without mentioning that this book features Vietnamese characters with Vietnamese names, food, language, and culture. I love that Le didn't translate all of the phrases from Vietnamese to English, and I really appreciated the moments of history that she incorporated into the families' stories. I knew little about emigration from Vietnam to the United States and the status of Vietnamese refugees upon their arrival after the Vietnam War. This world history was tactfully incorporated into the characters' lives, highlighting the impact of immigration without turning this into a refugee story.
I received an educator's advanced listening copy of this book from Libro.fm. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio, Books for Young Readers as well as author Loan Le. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: February 9, 2021
This is a book I would love to have in my middle school classroom, but honestly, I didn't enjoy reading it myself. While all the food was described in scrumptious detail, Bao and Linh were both a bit bland: teens trying to make their own way under tremendous family expectations and pressure. Indeed, the two characters were hardly distinct from each other, and without the dual narration of the audio, I think I would have struggled to determine who was talking (as I did during some of the non-signposted dialogue). Accordingly, their romance was pretty boring; I didn't buy the chemistry in moments of tension or passion, though I did love how supportive they were of each other's dreams. That kind of sweetness is exactly what I'd hope to set middle school students up for in their romantic relationships. My final complaint is how preachy the book was, characters constantly reminding each other to "follow their dreams" while also "respecting and loving their parents and family traditions," hardly more delicately than that. This heavy-handed messaging had me rolling my eyes rather than appreciating those values, which is unfortunate.
I would be remiss to finish my review without mentioning that this book features Vietnamese characters with Vietnamese names, food, language, and culture. I love that Le didn't translate all of the phrases from Vietnamese to English, and I really appreciated the moments of history that she incorporated into the families' stories. I knew little about emigration from Vietnam to the United States and the status of Vietnamese refugees upon their arrival after the Vietnam War. This world history was tactfully incorporated into the characters' lives, highlighting the impact of immigration without turning this into a refugee story.
I received an educator's advanced listening copy of this book from Libro.fm. Thank you to Simon and Schuster Audio, Books for Young Readers as well as author Loan Le. Opinions stated in this review are honest and my own.
Release Date: February 9, 2021
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief