Hi everyone!
It feels like a mountain has been lifted off my back, but the anvil of the judge is yet to drop. (I'm done with my Board exams is what I'm trying to say lmao.)
I'm probably exaggerating, but it sure felt like that.
I'm so excited to be talking to you about this book, mostly because I have quite a few thoughts and some of the character's moments in this book hit hard.
Let's go!
Table of Contents:
RATING- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rep: Korean-American MC, Dyslexia
the discovery
I am so glad to have read this book because it had been such a long since I had read such a satisfying YA contemporary story. I think this is the first or second YA Contemporary I've read this year, and for me, that's such a surprise. I guess I had drifted a little more towards Adult contemporary and fantasy. But reading this duology brought back my love for YA contemporaries. This book felt so fresh, relatable and ripe with emotion. The character voice is rebellious and strong and our main character, Ever, and the complicated relationships she's faced with every day spoke to me in such a personal way.
Moodboard
the themes
The complicated relationships explored between immigrant parents and their kids- the way she tackles the really hard questions from the lens of a young girl who's struggling to make the right decisions for herself. Fighting to even have the right to make decisions for herself. She talks about the way families who have given up everything to move to a different country and started over scatch to make a good life for their kids, sacrificing their own ambitions and wants. But what is it like to be a second-generation immigrant? Do the kids not have their own life anymore? Does this mean that the kids have to pay back their parents for what they have given up for them? Because ultimately the parents did what they did to make their children happy. But when they take over the right to choose what's supposed to make you happy, what does it mean? It's a very delicate discussion, and I love the way she handles it.
I don't care what baggage they dragged over the ocean. They have no right to make me carry it the rest of my life.
At its core, it's a coming-of-age story filled to the brim with wild experiences, friendship, first love, and the novelty of freedom and adventure. I think the story will be immensely relatable to so many people. Doesn't matter if you identify with the representation in the book or not. That feeling of anticipation and fear when you finish school and have to venture to the bigger world for higher education, making the decisions about what you want to study and where you want to do it, leaving some friendships behind, and making new ones. THAT feeling of being on the cusp of adulthood and still being so young for the world is captured so perfectly by the characters and the tone of the story.
the characters
The characters are messy and flawed, just the way I like them. Ever Wong, our protagonist, is constantly under pressure from her parents to pursue medicine and it has basically been imposed on her all her life. She was never given a choice not to choose it. Even dancing, which is really her true passion, was looked down upon even when simply done as a hobby. That's where another theme that I could relate to as well. Any career that's not related to engineering, medicine, or law makes faces grimace and eyebrows raise when it comes to Asian parents.
I saw them, and I thought, maybe when you get that old, that’s when you find peace. Maybe the secret’s just living a fucking long time with the right people.
Listen to this podcast where the author talks about "Claiming Space With our Stories" Some might find Ever a bit annoying because she is a bit of a push-over, and it takes time for her to learn to stand up for herself. She makes some mistakes about relationships and friendships. She learns to deal with fall-out and forgiveness. She's a perfectionist, a bit of a goody-two-shoes in the beginning. But she gets that out of her quickly enough once she has the space to, at Loveboat. The side characters also were certainly well-written. Two of the more important characters, Sophia and Xavier, get their own story in Loveboat, Reunion. And I loved that as well.
KEEP SCROLLING FOR THE REVIEW OF THE SEQUEL!!
Loveboat, Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen- RATING- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The second book in the series, this book follows the story of Sophia and Xavier after the events of Loveboat, Taipei. I was in such a mood for a YA contemporary this month and even got to read some really good ones. Sort of glad that I'm finding my love for it again. I think it's mostly the slightly older YA books now though that I enjoy more frequently, the ones where the characters are in their last two years of high school or gearing up for college life. Getting back to the book (and sorry for that tangent), Loveboat Reunion was a perfect sequel. It reacquainted us with characters we loved in Book 1 and gave us the same slice of drama and relationship angst but leveled up with a bigger scope. This time there is a million-dollar company and a college scholarship at stake if our characters don't make the right decisions. Just be aware that even though it starts off right at the moment the first book ends, it does not follow the same characters. It might reference them, but it's a story that can stand on its own because its essence is different from what Loveboat, Taipei is supposed to be. This time it's a dual perspective format, as readers get an insight into both Xavier and Sophia's minds. We follow them sort of right at the end of the camp when everyone is at the airport and leaving for home.
'We can never fully capture the colors of the real world on a camera or in a painting. I’ll never be able to capture hers. But I can see myself trying for the rest of my life.”
As the synopsis says, Sophia and Xavier have had a tumultuous history, with both of them making mistakes. In the end, they agree to just remain friends. But neither of them is very sure if that is even possible, but surprisingly, it is.
They both go their separate ways but remain in contact with one other until fate once again brings them together for another adventure.
This time as they prepare to reunite with the friends they made on Loveboat, they have a lot more time to get to know each other along the way. They have learned from their mistakes and are still learning. But this time it's family that's standing in the way.
This book gives us a lot more insight into the Chinese culture and family dynamic. The special traditions, vibrancy, and festivity of the whole atmosphere. Hing Wen just has a way of writing where it feels so refreshing and youthful and brimming with vitality. I'm not able to describe it properly, but I'm a huge fan of it.
I like the way the story builds and deconstructs the most complex relationships.
Xavier's relationship with his father is really complicated. No one had ever really acknowledged his struggle with his dyslexia and dysgraphia, and he was constantly blamed for being difficult and rebellious instead. You come to appreciate him so much more in this one. His love for photography and his art is reflected in his perspective. Undoubtedly, Xavier deserves everything good in this world.
There is so much growth we see in the two characters from the end of the first book to the end of this one. Xavier and Sophia are there for each other in their most difficult times and help each other see all the amazing things to be proud of in themselves. I'm a little hesitant to say this, but I actually might have liked this better than the first book, because another reason was that I shipped these two together from the very beginning of the first book and felt so glad to see them be together.
That little extra sweet tidbit the author gives us at the very end was one of my favorite moments and just made the whole arc of the characters seem more magical and like soulmates.
“You are a romantic, hopeful visionary—exactly the kind of person we need among us. You see potential where others see obstacles and barriers. That’s why you are going to touch the stars.”
Time to Chat!
Thank you so much for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it. Don't forget to let me know your thoughts on any of my social media- Instagram (@aamnaiswriting_) and Twitter (@AamnaRehman6).
What are your thoughts on YA contemporary books? Have you read this book? Did you like it?
