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A review by hickorynut
Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.25
This was a lovely story about a community of different Asian-Americans, lead by the perspective of a teenager named Valentina. She was raised by her father and this focuses on the way their relationship becomes strained and difficult as she ages and begins questioning everything her father has told her. It follows as Valentina struggles to find her place in her family and unravel the past, manages complicated relationships with peers, finds and develop a new passion for lion dancing, grapples with her identity as an assimilated Vietnamese American, and finds herself haunted by a specter of St Valentine that encourages her to give up her ability to love to protect herself from loss.
As an assimilated Asian American reader, this spoke to me in many ways. I loved how various cultures were brought together - Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean - and adored the abundance of diverse characters. The addition of the ghostly specter of St Valentine, who once appeared as a Cupid-like angel imaginary friend when she was younger, added a welcome touch of magical realism. Overall a beautifully written and illustrated story.
As an assimilated Asian American reader, this spoke to me in many ways. I loved how various cultures were brought together - Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean - and adored the abundance of diverse characters. The addition of the ghostly specter of St Valentine, who once appeared as a Cupid-like angel imaginary friend when she was younger, added a welcome touch of magical realism. Overall a beautifully written and illustrated story.