Review: Of Curses and Kisses

Of Curses and Kisses
by Sandhya Menon

Publisher: Simon Pulse
Publication Date: February 18th, 2020

Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon centers around the star-crossed romance between uptight and responsible Princess Jaya Rao, and the brooding, reserved, and introverted son of aristocrats, Grey Emerson. Jaya and Grey are both really interesting and realistic characters, and there are lots of relatable and funny moments in this book where I actually found myself laughing out loud. There’s also a lot of internal character monologues, but it ends up adding a hefty portion of depth to the characters. It’s super sappy, but as long as you’re ready for that, it’s a really fun read!

Review: Loveboat, Taipei

Loveboat, Taipei
by Abigail Hing Wen

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: January 7th, 2020

Loveboat, Taipei, by Abigail Hing Wen, was such a fun read. In it, Hing Wen describes the struggle of being the only Chinese girl in her town. However, everything changes when she is sent to a summer program in Taipei. In Taipei, she has the summer she will never forget full of love, friendship, and betrayal. Although it is not my typical read, I am glad I picked it up, and thoroughly enjoyed its fast-paced, engaging plot, and characters that will leave you wanting to learn more. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a young adult book full of romance and interesting characters.

                                                          

Review: Almost American Girl

Almost American Girl
by Robin Ha

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: January 28th, 2020

Are you looking for a graphic novel to read? Or perhaps, a new nonfiction story that is interesting, heartfelt, and moving? Well, I know the right book for you. Almost American Girl is an illustrated memoir by Robin Ha, who uses drawings to tell the inspiring story of her unexpected move from Korea to America. Robin’s whole life is uprooted, and she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar environment, where she doesn’t understand the language or customs, and struggles to make friends. I haven’t read many stories like this in the past, but I will definitely seek them out in the future. I strongly urge you to pick this up off the shelf- you won’t be disappointed!                                                                      

Review: Wicked Fox

Wicked Fox
by Kat Cho

Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin
Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Written in a fresh voice, WICKED FOX by Kat Cho is a book unlike many others in the urban fantasy genre. By combining the lushness of ancient Korean mythology with the innovation of modern Seoul, Cho spins a tale of both romance and action through Miyoung’s and Jihoon’s stories.

Miyoung would be just like any other girl… except she is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. Taking Seoul as her hunting grounds, she survives by tracking down the worst men she can find to kill every full moon. This sets her apart from other characters because even though she can be considered a “bad person” for doing this, she specifically kills vile men she knows deserve death, and relishes in it. A quality like this sets her up to be the antihero of the story, something which not many recent urban fantasy books have. Yet Cho makes readers question this judgment through Miyoung’s actions that set her far apart from the typical YA antihero.

One full moon while feeding, Miyoung finds Jihoon being attacked by a goblin in the forest. Deciding to save him from a certain death, she exposes herself to him and loses her fox bead in the process. By saving him, she breaks every rule she knows, but does it regardless. Now with her fox bead missing, the very thing that holds her gumiho soul, Miyoung must team up with Jihoon before a generation-old feud is reignited. This will interest readers because Miyoung didn’t save Jihoon and risk her life out of love, like most other fantasy characters. Without spoiling why, I found this to be a fresh aspect to the urban fantasy genre, especially since Jihoon doesn’t start the book in the most favorable way. Characterized from the start as a cocky and idiotic school boy, he is not at all what readers would typically root for. And yet, Cho is able to build both him and Miyoung up into something more than the stereotypes that people often have about characters like them.

Cho continues with the tradition of fighting urban fantasy stereotypes until the end of the book. Reestablishing what it means to be an urban fantasy writer, she gives readers a story of two people who were never meant for greatness. Though Miyoung’s stakes do sound similar to many other characters' as she must choose between her immortal life and Jihoon’s, her story is much more than just that. If you are looking for a diverse modern-day urban fantasy that puts a spin on typical YA elements, WICKED FOX is the book for you.

Review: The Astonishing Color of After

The Astonishing Color of After
by Emily X.R. Pan

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 20, 2018

THE ASTONISHING COLOR OF AFTER by Emily X.R. Pan is a story of a girl desperate to hold on to her mother’s past. After committing suicide, Leigh’s mother has turned into a bird. When Leigh finds a note from her mom with the words, “I want you to remember” scratched out, she sets her sights on discovering her mom’s past and figuring out what it is she needs to remember. Her dad surprises her with a plane ride to Taiwan to meet her mother’s parents, whom she had never met before. Multiple visits from the bird and memories of times before her mother's death haunt her as she increasingly loses grip on reality. Frantic to hold on to her mother, she nearly destroys relationships, the most important being that with her best friend and true love, Axel. As the reader progresses through the story they follow Leigh as she discovers her grandparents’ past, learns about her culture and, while sifting through her own memories, finds herself. In the end, Leigh learns that all she can do is let her mother be free and embrace the present rather than the past.

This book is fascinating. It mixes reality with fantastic magical elements, so that the reader can’t predict whether something is real or just a figment of Leigh’s imagination. Pan incorporates compelling stories, spanning multiple generations of Leigh's family, that fit together in ways the reader might not expect. The language Pan uses is beautiful and expressive. While Leigh experiences things like the ghost festival, and eating pig's blood cake, the reader also gets to learn about the traditions of her family and heritage. Emily X.R. Pan’s debut novel is stunning.

Review: The Authentics

The Authentics
by Abdi Nazemian

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: August 8, 2017

THE AUTHENTICS by Abdi Nazemian is a powerful story of identity, self-discovery and friendship. Protagonist Daria Esfandyar and her three best friends call themselves “the Authentics” because, unlike everyone else in their Beverly Hills high school, they know who they are and don’t try to hide it. Daria, for one, is incredibly proud of her Iranian American heritage. But after being assigned a genealogy project at school, Daria realizes that she may not be as authentic as she once thought. As she begins to discover who she really is, Daria is forced to question everything she once thought was true about her family, her friends, and herself. I loved reading about the interactions between Daria and her friends as she navigates through this tumultuous time in her life. Her friends are all compassionate and supportive, but also deeply flawed, which made them very relatable. I also really enjoyed the focus on Daria’s changing relationship with her mother throughout the story; it added complexity and nuance to the plot and delivered some very emotional, heart-wrenching moments. Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone seeking a coming-of-age story with flawed, relatable characters.

Review: Love, Hate & Other Filters

Love, Hate & Other Filters
by Samira Ahmed

Publisher: Soho Teen
Publication Date: January 16, 2018

LOVE, HATE & OTHER FILTERS by Samira Ahmed tells the story of Indian-American, Muslim protagonist Maya Aziz, who is struggling to reconcile her own dreams of filmmaking with the expectations placed upon her by her parents, such as marrying a suitable Muslim boy or attending college close to home. These concerns seem almost trivial, however, when an act of terror is committed and the primary suspect happens to share Maya’s last name, she has to discover ways to cope with the rapidly surfacing Islamophobia in her community and discover those who are truly there for her. In the story, she also faces a choice between two boys, which was a bit predictable and fluffy but enjoyable nonetheless. Despite not being Muslim myself, I found Maya very easy to identify with because of her authentic, articulate voice. I could relate to her feelings of uncertainty about the future and thought that her insights were beautiful, thoughtful, and reflective. My favorite character by far was Maya’s fiercely loyal best friend Violet, who offers Maya invaluable advice and perspective throughout the novel. Overall, the subject matter was highly topical and I would definitely recommend the novel to anyone seeking a refreshing, well-written narrative that deals with some very prevalent issues in politics right now.