Language: PG (26 swears, 0 ‘f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing); Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS - ADVISABLE
APPEALS TO: SEVERAL
17yo Catie Carlson feels like she is living between two worlds. Adopted as a baby from Taiwan and raised by white parents in California, she knows almost nothing about where she came from, just that her birth mother left behind a name, a letter, and a whole lot of unanswered questions.
When her summer plans fall apart, Catie finds herself working at a bubble tea shop with Toby, a charming, goofy, slightly chaotic classmate. He offers to teach her Mandarin so she can finally write to her birth mom. In exchange, Catie has to teach Toby how to flirt and win back his ex. What starts off as a deal turns into late-night talks, shared secrets, and maybe something a lot more complicated. As Catie reconnects with her heritage, faces family truths and falls for someone she never expected, she begins to learn that love, in any language, is never simple, but it might just be worth it.
I really enjoyed First Love Language. It is a very heartfelt and relatable story that I liked because of its mix of humor, romance and real emotional depth. Catie's journey to reconnect with her culture and figure out who she is could hit hard with readers if they have ever felt caught between identities. I thought her relationship with Toby was cute and awkward in all the best ways and their fake-dating deal leads to some sweet and funny moments.
Catie is Taiwanese American and Toby is white.
Jessica Nelson CTHS Librarian
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