Language: R (40 swears, 2 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG-13 (College drinking); Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
College freshman Viet initially struggles to fit in at UC Davis, but he joins the running club, which opens the door to him becoming friends with a group of juniors, including Evie, who is the older sister of Viet’s friend from home. They make an instant connection as the children of Vietnamese immigrants who are both from the same hometown, and Viet starts to have feelings for Evie, who is already in a relationship with Jake. In this alternating perspective book about college life, Viet joins the forensic science club and finds friends, while balancing his challenges with depression and his worries over his parents’ volatile relationship. Meanwhile, Evie pursues a competitive volunteer position at a clinic and struggles as distance grows between her and her boyfriend. Evie and Viet’s friendship continues to blossom as they support each other through their challenges, but could their relationship ever turn into more?
This book’s sweet and not-at-all-spicy romance, the focus on good friends watching out for each other, the lovable characters, the thoughtful portrayal of depression, and the discussion of relationship dynamics and challenges hit all the right notes for me. Yes, you can immediately predict the outcome, but the journey was delightful, with drama-free friendships and relatable characters. It is an overall lighthearted read, but it includes realistic and moving descriptions of real challenges. I especially liked the interspersing of Vietnamese words as a window into the immigrant experience. There is plenty of context to understand what they’re saying, but I worry that students may get frustrated by not understanding every word. While I didn't love the fact that the friends are almost too sympathetic and unrealistically always know the right thing to say, the characters were so lovable that it was easy to overlook. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book!
The main characters, Viet and Evie, are Vietnamese. Others are unspecified Asian. Two characters are LGBTQ+.
Marinda, librarian
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