This love story is SO DANG CUTE! True love might be on the horizon, but to get there Valentina has to fend off some meddling spirits (and family members). The narrative is a blend of Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures, lion dancing is abundant, and the illustrations are absolutely gorgeous! I seriously couldn't put it down and I finished reading with a giant smile on my face.
When I started reading the short preview I thought it was a middle grade book but then realized as I kept going that Valentina grows up and it's really a YA story. I have loved LeUyen Pham's younger kids books so immediately loved the style of illustrations, but this was my first introduction to Gene Luen Yang's work and I can't wait to check out more of his books. I loved learning about different Asian cultures threaded throughout this love story at its core, but it was just as much about family as it was the romance, so it felt very three dimensional as a whole. Can't recommend enough!
When I started reading the short preview I thought it was a middle grade book but then realized as I kept going that Valentina grows up and it's really a YA story. I have loved LeUyen Pham's younger kids books so immediately loved the style of illustrations, but this was my first introduction to Gene Luen Yang's work and I can't wait to check out more of his books. I loved learning about different Asian cultures threaded throughout this love story at its core, but it was just as much about family as it was the romance, so it felt very three dimensional as a whole. Can't recommend enough!