Review by Booklist Review
Leah Zhang doesn't have much going for her. She quit modeling, fumbled a traditional Chinese blessing and ruined her cousin's wedding, and is now on a two-week trip across China with none other than her irritating childhood nemesis. Leah doesn't know who she is or what the future holds, but she knows this much: she's going to get revenge on Cyrus Sui, even if it means making him fall in love with her. This task proves much easier than it initially sounds, as the two are thrown together again and again on their journey. The more time she spends with her fellow travelers, the more Leah blossoms into who she really is and the harder it becomes to remember that Cyrus is her enemy, not her friend--or boyfriend. Leah and Cyrus are kindling sparking off each other as the flame of their love grows. Liang's prose is stunning, the book full of jaw-dropping descriptions of settings paired with incisive insights into the teen characters' psyches. Leah doesn't see herself clearly at all, and her first-person narration reflects this, but through nifty storytelling tricks, Liang is able to give readers an accurate image of our leading lady. By turns laugh-out-loud funny, achingly earnest, and deeply romantic, Liang's latest rom-com is a journey of self-discovery and self-love that is a true delight.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this quintessential rom-com by Liang (I Hope This Doesn't Find You), a former model turns a cultural excursion into an opportunity for revenge on her childhood nemesis. Chinese American 17-year-old Leah Zhang isn't the strongest Mandarin speaker in her family. So when the language barrier leads to a mortifying faux pas at her cousin's wedding, her parents enroll her in a travel program voyaging across China, hoping the experience will help their daughter reconnect with her roots. For Leah, though, the trip offers a chance to escape from L.A. and the remnants of her past modeling career. That is, until she learns that cynical, sarcastic, and handsome former classmate Cyrus Sui is also attending the program. Leah still hasn't forgiven him for a past incident that forced her to transfer schools, and while she's tempted to shove him off the Yellow Mountain range, she instead hatches other revenge schemes. But as she learns more about Cyrus, she's torn between vengeance and romance. Hilarious and heartfelt, this story of budding young love simultaneously emphasizes the connections between romantic partners, between the characters and their culture, and with themselves. A comedic supporting cast adds further layers to this fast-paced trip of inward and outward discovery. Ages 12--up. Agent: Kathleen Rushall, Andrea Brown Literary. (June)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up--After an embarrassing mishap in front of Leah's nemesis Cyrus at her cousin's wedding, Leah's lack of Chinese culture gets her sent on an immersive "Journey to the East" trip to rediscover her roots. To make matters worse, not only is Cyrus on the same trip, but they're also forced to be partners in a competition. He's the reason her life drastically changed two years ago, but now, he seems different. Can Leah and Cyrus stop bickering long enough to discover who the other person truly is, or will their past block any future they could have? Liang adds to her rom-com repertoire with a feel-good story about finding comfort in the spontaneity and unknowable moments of life. Both Leah and Cyrus have past trauma that's impacted how they define and act in relationships. The "will they, won't they" plot draws readers into the story and helps carry the funny and sweet moments as the characters get closer. It's a whirlwind romance of connection, forgiveness, and growing up that many will find relevant. Although filled with endearing character arcs, some key plot points don't receive the follow-through desired to fully tie together Leah and Cyrus's evolving relationship. They are both Chinese American. VERDICT A comfort read for those struggling with connection and an easy purchase for libraries where romance fans of "he falls first" prevail.--Emily Walker
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A Chinese American teen ends up stuck with her nemesis on a whirlwind trip. Seventeen-year-old Leah Zhang is dreading her cousin's wedding, feeling self-conscious about her Mandarin abilities and her uncertain future after quitting modeling. At the wedding, she's dismayed to find she's seated at the same table as her former bully, Cyrus Sui, the subject of her nightmares ever since the Incident. The stress of his unwelcome presence causes Leah to commit a major linguistic faux pas, prompting her parents to send her on a two-week trip around China, run by the local Chinese school, to reconnect with her roots. Of course, Cyrus turns out to be going too. Leah decides this is her chance for revenge: She'll use her looks and the charm she's honed through modeling to make him fall for her, before dumping him unceremoniously--and publicly. But as she gets closer to him, Leah starts to wonder if he may not be the nemesis she made him out to be. And the more time she spends in her parents' homeland, the closer she gets to finding her true place in the world. Shanghai, Anhui, and other picturesque locations form a vibrant backdrop for the couple's swoony rom-com antics. Though Leah's revenge plot feels a bit contrived at times and some of the serious topics (intergenerational issues, Sinophobia, and Asian beauty standards) aren't explored with much depth, romance fans will enjoy watching the couple find their happy ending. A light and dreamy travel romance.(Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
