When my favorite author recommended this one, I knew I had to check it out. As I get older, YA has to be really well-written for me to enjoy it, and this one was fantastic and kept me engaged the entire time I read it! 

The puzzle and adventure aspect of this was so fun and engaging; it kept me on the edge of my seat, waiting to find out what happened. Chao takes time to create characters representing the many different Taiwanese/Chinese diaspora experiences, including our MC, Gemma, who was desperate for a connection to her culture because of her mom's assimilation, and our Love Interest, Xander, who spoke Mandarin and was very connected to his culture. On their trip to Taiwan, the other side characters further represent this diaspora experience. 

The romance between Gemma and Xander was incredibly sweet. It was obvious to me as a reader that Xander didn't harbor the same sort of dislike that Gemma did and was instead trying to rekindle their relationship from their freshman year of high school. They both had to grow as people on this trip, with Gemma relaxing and Xander understanding Gemma's struggles with his nonchalance to certain things. 

The adventure plot was incredibly compelling as it explored certain histories of Taiwan and its culture, including the history of the queer experience there. Not to give away a lot, but Chao does a great job of detailing the experience of those othered during the 1960s in Taiwan and China. It made me incredibly emotional at times and I appreciated that while it was a plot device for our straight MCs to grow closer, it didn't feel like that and instead felt like our MCs were learning about their families, their connection, and their history. 

This was a lovely story with some great puzzles for our MCs and for us!