Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by orchids
Ex Marks the Spot by Gloria Chao
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Viking Books for the Advanced Reader Copy!
"Ex Marks the Spot" follows recent high school graduate Gemma Sun just as her summer vacation before heading off to college starts. She has everything figured out; she is going to find a summer job to help her single mother pay her pricey college tuition when one day she opens the door and meets a lawyer who says that her grandfather passed away... but Gemma was always told that her grandfather died years ago! After taking the will and a mysterious clue to a supposed scavenger hunt for his inheritance, Gemma embarks on an adventure in Taiwan to not only find the treasure at the end but also learn more about the grandfather she never knew she had! The catch? She needs the help of her nemesis, her charming ex-boyfriend!
Admittedly, I thought this book would be full of corny "I hate my ex but I still love him" tropes and solely focus on trying to rekindle the romance. However, I was wrong! The book was more about Gemma's connection to her culture and her drive to learn more about her estranged family which I felt was the much stronger part of the narrative. While I am not of Asian descent, I resonated a lot with Gemma's longing to feel more connected to her family's cultural identity. Many of the realizations Gemma had about herself and her ties to her family and culture almost moved me to tears multiple times! I personally loved learning more about Taiwanese culture and places mainly because of how well Gloria Chao wrote them! I could really envision all the places Gemma visited and could feel how much heart Gloria put into describing them. Also, despite how hesitant I was about the romance portions, I did enjoy them. Nothing felt too forced or rushed; everything made sense to where Gemma was emotionally in the book. The multiple twists in the scavenger hunt and the grandfather's past really threw me for a loop, and I enjoyed it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
"Ex Marks the Spot" is truly a one-of-a-kind book. It has so much heart and soul, and the way Gloria Chao crafted this whirlwind story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world after everything she knows gets thrown out the window is spectacular. To see how far Gemma has grown in the epilogue of the book is so heartwarming!
"Ex Marks the Spot" follows recent high school graduate Gemma Sun just as her summer vacation before heading off to college starts. She has everything figured out; she is going to find a summer job to help her single mother pay her pricey college tuition when one day she opens the door and meets a lawyer who says that her grandfather passed away... but Gemma was always told that her grandfather died years ago! After taking the will and a mysterious clue to a supposed scavenger hunt for his inheritance, Gemma embarks on an adventure in Taiwan to not only find the treasure at the end but also learn more about the grandfather she never knew she had! The catch? She needs the help of her nemesis, her charming ex-boyfriend!
Admittedly, I thought this book would be full of corny "I hate my ex but I still love him" tropes and solely focus on trying to rekindle the romance. However, I was wrong! The book was more about Gemma's connection to her culture and her drive to learn more about her estranged family which I felt was the much stronger part of the narrative. While I am not of Asian descent, I resonated a lot with Gemma's longing to feel more connected to her family's cultural identity. Many of the realizations Gemma had about herself and her ties to her family and culture almost moved me to tears multiple times! I personally loved learning more about Taiwanese culture and places mainly because of how well Gloria Chao wrote them! I could really envision all the places Gemma visited and could feel how much heart Gloria put into describing them. Also, despite how hesitant I was about the romance portions, I did enjoy them. Nothing felt too forced or rushed; everything made sense to where Gemma was emotionally in the book. The multiple twists in the scavenger hunt and the grandfather's past really threw me for a loop, and I enjoyed it! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time!
"Ex Marks the Spot" is truly a one-of-a-kind book. It has so much heart and soul, and the way Gloria Chao crafted this whirlwind story about a young girl trying to find her place in the world after everything she knows gets thrown out the window is spectacular. To see how far Gemma has grown in the epilogue of the book is so heartwarming!