I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.
Bao and Linh are teenagers whose families have been feuding for as long as they can remember, even owning competing Vietnamese restaurants across the street from each other. Bao feels like he is nothing special, Linh feels like her dream of being an artist is impossible. But a chance encounter sets events in motion that could bring the past to the light and bring hope to the future.
This was a really good read. At first glance, it seems like it would be a lovely light romance book, about two teenagers who find each other and fall in love despite the obstacles. And that is definitely part of the story, and a very enjoyable part-Bao and Linh are well-written, complex characters whose motivations and feelings ring real, and I was definitely rooting for them.
But there is also such a depth that Le has created, weaving in culture, tradition, familial ties, and the deep lasting impact a painful history can continue to have on those who lived it and those who now feel the reverberations of it. Le has written a really layered book here that I would definitely recommend.
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