Gorgeous colourful illustrations from Pham light up this YA graphic novel that is full of family secrets and two special holidays - Lunar New Year and Valentine’s Day.
Valentina Tran loves Valentine’s Day, she makes cards for all her classmates and even has an imaginary friend Cupid. But in high school, everyone thinks her cards are lame and she learns the truth about her parents’ relationship. And her imaginary friend transforms into a more ominous version, Saint Valentine, who demands she give up her heart.
I love that this book is set in Oakland - Yang is from the Bay Area - and that it features lion dancing, an important part of Lunar New Year celebrations. In the Bay Area, they perform at Chinese restaurants, malls, and businesses during the new year, bringing good luck and prosperity.
It was just lovely to have Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean characters celebrating the new year. Korean lion dancing was also featured. Valentina learns to connect back with her culture and her family. The teenagers, their struggles and how they dealt with them felt authentic, but I wanted to find out more about Valentina’s parents too (is there a sequel?).
Beautiful illustrations that frame a sweet coming of age story and a wonderful representation of the Asian diaspora.
Valentina Tran loves Valentine’s Day, she makes cards for all her classmates and even has an imaginary friend Cupid. But in high school, everyone thinks her cards are lame and she learns the truth about her parents’ relationship. And her imaginary friend transforms into a more ominous version, Saint Valentine, who demands she give up her heart.
I love that this book is set in Oakland - Yang is from the Bay Area - and that it features lion dancing, an important part of Lunar New Year celebrations. In the Bay Area, they perform at Chinese restaurants, malls, and businesses during the new year, bringing good luck and prosperity.
It was just lovely to have Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean characters celebrating the new year. Korean lion dancing was also featured. Valentina learns to connect back with her culture and her family. The teenagers, their struggles and how they dealt with them felt authentic, but I wanted to find out more about Valentina’s parents too (is there a sequel?).
Beautiful illustrations that frame a sweet coming of age story and a wonderful representation of the Asian diaspora.