Charming but skims the surface.
As they fall in love, two girls in Sài Gòn discover that family and food are connected.
Lan, who’s from a family of bánh mì sellers, moonlights as the writer for popular Sài Gòn street food blog A Bánh Mì for Two. When an upcoming journalism competition offers a way to bring much-needed income to her family’s business, Lan jumps at the opportunity to write her take on the theme of “The Most Beautiful City in the World.” But writing no longer feels the same since her dad’s recent passing. A chance encounter with Vivi, a Vietnamese American student who’s also one of her longtime followers, may be the spark she needs to write again. Vivi was inspired to visit Sài Gòn after reading Lan’s blog, but she also yearns to learn more about why her mom, who’s reticent on the subject, left Việt Nam (Vivi’s father became a refugee at age 3). When she finds hidden photos from her mom’s past, Vivi plans a secret trip to Việt Nam with her friend Cindy. Vivi comes to an agreement with Lan: She’ll help Lan overcome her writer’s block in exchange for help with finding her maternal relatives. Told in alternating perspectives, this book has an enticing premise, but the rushed pacing and lack of details distract from the tenderhearted moments that carry the story. More nuance would have helped with exploring the complexities of queerness, history, and culture within the book’s setting.
Charming but skims the surface. (Romance. 13-18)Pub Date: Aug. 20, 2024
ISBN: 9781250910820
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Henry Holt
Review Posted Online: May 17, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2024
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes.
The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.
Paedyn Gray witnessed the king kill her father five years ago, and she’s been thieving and sleeping rough ever since, all while faking Psychic abilities. When she inadvertently saves the life of Prince Kai, she becomes embroiled in the Purging Trials, a competition to commemorate the sickness that killed most of the kingdom’s Ordinaries. Kai’s duties as the future Enforcer include eradicating any remaining Ordinaries, and these Trials are his chance to prove that he’s internalized his brutal training. But Kai can’t help but find Pae’s blue eyes, silver hair, and unabashed attitude enchanting. She likewise struggles to resist his stormy gray eyes, dark hair, and rakish behavior, even as they’re pitted against each other in the Trials and by the king himself. Scenes and concepts that are strongly reminiscent of the Hunger Games fall flat: They aren’t bolstered by the original’s heart or worldbuilding logic that would have justified a few extreme story elements. Illogical leaps and inconsistent characterizations abound, with lighthearted romantic interludes juxtaposed against genocide, child abuse, and sadism. These elements, which are not sufficiently addressed, combined with the use of ableist language, cannot be erased by any amount of romantic banter. Main characters are cued white; the supporting cast has some brown-skinned characters.
A lackluster and sometimes disturbing mishmash of overused tropes. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)Pub Date: Nov. 7, 2023
ISBN: 9798987380406
Page Count: 538
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away.
A Mexican American boy takes on heavy responsibilities when his family is torn apart.
Mateo’s life is turned upside down the day U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. The Garcias live in fear until the day both parents are picked up; his Pa is taken to jail and his Ma to a detention center. The adults around Mateo offer support to him and his 7-year-old sister, Sophie, however, he knows he is now responsible for caring for her and the bodega as well as trying to survive junior year—that is, if he wants to fulfill his dream to enter the drama program at the Tisch School of the Arts and become an actor. Mateo’s relationships with his friends Kimmie and Adam (a potential love interest) also suffer repercussions as he keeps his situation a secret. Kimmie is half Korean (her other half is unspecified) and Adam is Italian American; Mateo feels disconnected from them, less American, and with worries they can’t understand. He talks himself out of choosing a safer course of action, a decision that deepens the story. Mateo’s self-awareness and inner monologue at times make him seem older than 16, and, with significant turmoil in the main plot, some side elements feel underdeveloped. Aleman’s narrative joins the ranks of heart-wrenching stories of migrant families who have been separated.
An ode to the children of migrants who have been taken away. (Fiction. 14-18)Pub Date: May 4, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-7595-5605-8
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 22, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2021
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