I received a review copy of this book through Edelweiss. This does not affect my rating or opinions.

3.5 stars.

This is the good #ownvoices content I've been looking for. As Joan He discussed on Twitter, there's a level beyond the details that authors outside a culture can't really capture: in brief, the way the characters think and see the world. Hoang continues to exemplify authentic, personal rep, and it made me so happy to see sensitivity readers listed in the acknowledgments for this book — everyone's experience is different, so it can be a really helpful process even for ownvoices authors.

The dual POV, split between Khai and Esme, brings both dimension and delicious tension to the narrative. They're privileged in different ways (Khai socioeconomically, Esme being neurotypical) so there are moments that made me cringe but which also rang so true to life, especially since there is forgiveness and growth and acceptance and trust and respect, all of which are crucial in healthy interpersonal relationships (romantic, platonic, familial, etc.). And in addition to complementing each other really well, our protagonists have individual arcs that make it so easy to root for them to make it.