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majaisabella's review against another edition
4.0
As a romance = 3.5, as a historical fiction = 5, YA = -.5
jaymour's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
ghostbat's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and War
c14r4c's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
amy_cjackson's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
lottie1803's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
mychemicalseal's review against another edition
4.5
adored the writing style of this book, a very compelling story. there's so many elements to the story, from being a teenage girl growing up, being a young woman in a world that expects you to get married and have children but not be an astronaut, being Chinese in America when there's a prejudice against immigrants in general and the Chinese exclusion act and being a lesbian when homosexuality is still more or less illegal. It was a rich broth of a teenager learning who she is and what's important to her, and I loved how she didn't give up on her dream of working at the Jet Propulsion Lab.
cridenhower's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
jenet's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
bookobsessedmommy's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Lily is a teenager in 1954 San Francisco pursuing forbidden love amid the fears of the Red Scare and the cultural pressures of Chinatown. The writing in this is exquisite. I felt like I was right there with Lily, feeling the excitement, confusion, fear, and rage. Lo paints every scene so intricately that I basically had a movie playing in my head. All the societal and cultural obstacles Lily has to navigate seem impossible, but she goes from being this mousy young girl dreaming of space to a strong young woman who knows her mind and is willing to fight for what she wants. I liked the additional peeks at the lives of her mom and aunt, because they give more context to who they once were and how they became who they are. I honestly want to read it again, and that right there is the hallmark of a great story.