Language: R (53 swears 7 'f'); Mature Content: PG; Violence: G.
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ADVISABLE
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Linh's parents own a Vietnamese restaurant right across the street from Bao's family's restaurant. The families are more than competitors, there's something that seems to go deeper - a reason they don't like each other. Both Linh and Bao have been forbidden from even talking to each other, but when they are assigned to work on a series of articles for the school newspaper, they become friends and soon their friendship grows into something else, but how long can they hide this from their parents?
With alternating perspectives, the reader sees both sides, but I felt it made the pace super slow. I loved the cultural conflict - both inside the Vietnamese community as well as the racial tensions with the American patrons at the restaurant. Lots of nice issues - family problems, running a business, conflict with parents about your dreams, art, writing, school - I also liked the sprinkling of Vietnamese throughout - as an immigrant family with American born kids would do - speaking in both languages, sometimes mid sentence, it gave a very realistic feel to the story. Oh the foods described sounded delicious.
Lisa Librarian
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