dermkat's profile picture

dermkat 's review for:

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen
5.0

I picked this book because it showed up in a list and fit multiple challenge prompts but really had no expectations going into it. I really enjoyed it, as it was a romance but was also very much about finding yourself and your path. Ever is an 18 year old first generation Asian American girl who has just graduated high school. She got into both Northwestern med school (her parents' choice even though the sight of blood makes her dizzy) and Tisch for dance (her secret dream). Her parents find out and send her to Taipei for an eight week intensive camp learning Mandarin and other traditional culture. When she gets there she finds out that the other kids call it Loveboat because everyone hooks up and sneaks out and does what they want as long as they don't get caught, with some even finding future spouses. This book addresses racism against Asians and Asian Americans, family traditions and pressures, immigration and more. I learned a lot while still enjoying the will they won't they love triangle drama in the story.