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A review by onthesamepage
A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.0
This was an impulse buy back in 2021, but good job past me for picking this up, because it was delightful. I'm genuinely happy whenever I read a YA book and enjoy it these days, and this is one I would recommend in general. Both Bao and Linh were lovely characters to follow, and their struggles hit home. I have a soft spot for Linh in particular—I remember what it's like, being pressured to follow a specific academic course because a parent thinks that's for the best, even though your heart wants something else.
Because of the rivalry between the two families, I thought there would be more drama than there ended up being. Instead, Bao and Linh don't subscribe to their families' irrational hatred of each other, and I just really loved getting to see how they started interacting, and how the relationship grew from there. The problems they ran into were serious ones, not drummed up conflict for the sake of the story. The focus on food, culture, and family all brought something extra to the romance, and I thought the story was cohesive and well-written. The audiobook narrators also did a fantastic job.
Because of the rivalry between the two families, I thought there would be more drama than there ended up being. Instead, Bao and Linh don't subscribe to their families' irrational hatred of each other, and I just really loved getting to see how they started interacting, and how the relationship grew from there. The problems they ran into were serious ones, not drummed up conflict for the sake of the story. The focus on food, culture, and family all brought something extra to the romance, and I thought the story was cohesive and well-written. The audiobook narrators also did a fantastic job.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism