LOVE POINTS TO YOU

A teen artist navigates changes in her family and her romantic life.

When Lynda Fan’s widowed dad marries Amy, Lynda doesn’t have many feelings about the whole thing. Next year, she hopes to be at the Rhode Island School of Design; she’s sure she has the artistic skills to get in, though covering tuition might be a problem. So Lynda is less than thrilled to learn that her dad and Amy are spending a fortune on private violin lessons for her new stepsister. Lynda knows it’s time to take matters into her own hands. She just doesn’t expect salvation to come in the form of Angela Wu, a former it girl who’s now a standoffish brainiac. Angela, it turns out, is a secret fan of otome games—story-based video games with romance plotlines. She’s creating her own ancient China–inspired game, and she wants Lynda to develop the concept art and character design. And she can afford to pay well. As Lynda slowly gets to know Angela better, she’s surprised by what she finds. Lynda, who’s asexual, doesn’t always pick up on romance cues, but she’s pretty sure there’s something growing between her and Angela. Limited characterization and an abrupt ending keep this novel from reaching its potential either as a romance or as a coming-of-age story. Through her primarily Taiwanese American cast, Lin thoughtfully unpacks stereotypes around Asian parenting. Lynda’s changing family dynamics and her awareness of the role she plays are also highlights.

Promising but underdeveloped.