  | Book Details Title: Loveboat, Taipei |
Book DescriptionReview “Abigail Hing Wen’s LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI is a poignant and honest examination of first love, family obligations and that strange place between high school and college, where we don’t quite know who we are and as such, anything could happen. A unique story from an exciting and authentic new voice.” (Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of AN EMBER IN THE ASHES)“Equal parts surprising, original, and intelligent, Loveboat, Taipei is an intense rush of rebellion, romance, and complex family dynamics. If you’ve ever wanted to feel as if you’re breaking all the rules without actually breaking any rules then this is the book you need to read.” (Stephanie Garber, #1 New York Times bestselling author of CARAVAL)“Not a ship, but a cultural phenomenon, get ready to board the Love Boat, where millions of Chinese Americans get their first taste of love and freedom. Abigail Hing Wen’s debut is fresh as a first kiss.” (Stacey Lee, award winning author of OUTRUN THE MOON)“Loveboat is a Crazy Rich Asians meets a Jane Austen comedy of manners—fresh, fun, heartfelt and totally addictive, a story about finding your place–and your people–where you least expected.” (Kelly Loy Gilbert, Morris Award Finalist author of Conviction)“[Loveboat, Taipei] is a wonderful read and I find the book has just stayed with me. It has so much to say about being the child of immigrants, about gender and sexuality, about identity and what makes a home. Ever’s search to define herself, with all her intersecting identities, in a world that wants to define her is really beautifully wrought and lovely.” (Anne Ursu, author of the National Book Award long listed novel The Lost Boy )“An entertaining and heartfelt debut that takes readers on a roller-coaster ride of romance and self-discovery.” (Kirkus Reviews)“Ever’s summer [turns] into one of love, mischief, and self-awakening that she will soon not forget… [but] It’s Ever’s resulting growth in the face of parental expectations and heartache that will resonate most with readers far and wide.” (Booklist)“Refreshing and exciting…YA readers will love the mix of romance, defiance, adventure, culture, and friendship.” (School Library Journal)“From tea eggs to snake blood sake, the energy of Taipei in the summer provides a winning backdrop to this joyful debut about a young American dancer who finds love and freedom by exploring her Taiwanese roots.” (Publishers Weekly)“There’s a sweetness to Ever’s rumspringa, and the hothouse atmosphere of Chien Tan, with its intense relationships and clever balance between respectability for parents and opportunistic freedom for their offspring, is deftly conveyed.” (Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books) Read more About the Author Abigail Hing Wen holds a BA from Harvard, a JD from Columbia Law School, and an MFA from the Vermont School of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing stories or listening to her favorite scores, she is busy working as an attorney in venture capital and artificial intelligence in Silicon Valley, where she lives with her husband and two sons. Loveboat, Taipei is her first novel. www.abigailhingwen.com Read more Customers Review: I went in ’96. Till this day, best summer of my life. This book triggered some memories I had forgotten (this was before social media and not everyone had cell phones or email, so it was difficult to keep in touch with people), and what it did was rekindle some conversations with friends I hadn’t talked to in decades. The story starts off a little slow, but necessary for character development. But once she gets to Taipei, the ball starts rolling and it doesn’t stop. I forced myself to only get through 1-2 chapters a day, but a friend of mine bought it on my recommendation and got through it in less than a weekend. We literally devoured it. Kudos to the writer. I felt like she was writing about someone I knew on the trip, each character could have passed for someone I was friends with, or someone that I had met. The counselors, side characters, etc. Regardless if you had gone to Love Boat or not, it is a very nice coming of age book, it comes from a character that grew up with a Tiger mom. The generational and cultural divide that children of immigrants all live through. | |
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