Okay I legit cried when I found out that I got accepted for this blog tour, which meant that I got accepted to read this book early. You have no freaking idea how much I was looking forward to reading this book, supporting Hing Wen, and just all in all loving what this book had to offer me. Thank you so much to Karina for this opportunity!

Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sarah Dessen, and praised as “an intense rush of rebellion and romance” by #1 New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Garber, this romantic and layered Own Voices debut from Abigail Hing Wen is a dazzling, fun-filled romp. 

“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.”

And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.

But not every student is quite what they seem:

Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.

Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.

Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.

And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.

When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.

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Abigail Hing Wen is a Silicon Valley venture lawyer working with AI startups. She is a Vermont College of Fine Arts graduate, Wild Things blogger, and YA writer of her debut, Loveboat, Taipei.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Edelweiss, Afire Pages, and HarperTeen for this free copy.

Honestly I love you guys so much for dealing with me and my inability to even put into words how I felt about this novel. I made this into a mini review post because I feel like I really need to sit on this more in order to explain why I loved it so much, and I wouldn’t give this book justice if I didn’t do it this way.

So anyway, I was just… wow. I really loved this book and it meant the world to me. I know technically this book doesn’t come out until January of 2020, but I can honestly say that I anticipate this being one of my all time favorites of the year. The representation that this book has, the experience that these teens get to go through on their own, without the watchful eye of their parents and all the expectations they have pushed on them from an early age… this just speaks volumes to me because I freaking get it. I’ve been there. I’m still there – not the age but you know what I mean. And I just get it.

I cried reading this novel from the beginning. Before Chapter One even started. Those rejection letters? That was me. Choosing the one school that you got accepted to because that’s all you can do. Everything else you got rejected and you can only imagine the disappointment coming from your parents and other relatives. The words being whispered behind your back and in front of your face about what happened that made you not admitted to one of the “top schools” in the country. I felt that.

Going to camp to study Mandarin. I DID THAT. Sure, it was in Hawaii and I didn’t get to actually go to mainland China like I wanted to, and sure I don’t look Chinese either and didn’t grow up speaking it so I know I was underestimated a LOT doing that camp, but that was me. I related so much to this book in so many ways, and I rarely read a book where I can see bits and pieces of me reflected within the words and pages and feel proud to be who I am, what I am.

This whole book was just amazing. And I can’t wait for you to hear more of what I have to say about it come January.