A review by tsundoku_
When You Wish Upon a Lantern by Gloria Chao

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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 was pretty cute. It was definitely on the cheesy side but it did help me get out of a reading slump. It was lighthearted and fluffy whilst still having depth with the family issues and grief. Both families but specifically Kai's brother and father were absolutely insufferable to the point that I wanted to yell at them. I don't think Kai's family got as complete of a resolution that Liya got with her family. I would've also liked it if Kai and Liya got together a bit sooner because there wasn't much left of the book once they finally did start dating. Also, the reason they stopped talking for a few months was so silly but, I can understand the embarrassment on both ends that caused the misunderstanding. I really enjoyed learning about different Chinese and Asian foods, traditions, festivals, and folktales. It's always fun to learn about a culture you don't know much about. I also really enjoyed the lighthearted personalities of Liya and Kai. Kai is such a golden retriever which was absolutely adorable. I liked how much they laughed with each other. I also really enjoyed that we got both Kai and Liya's POV. Overall I'd recommend this.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings