My Thoughts:
This is listed as a YA romance, but I think it can also work in middle level since the romance scenes are mild. When Liya loses her beloved grandmother and finds out that her family's lantern store is struggling, she is determined to resume the secret wish fulfillment activities that she and her grandmother once did to bring the community together and save her family's store.
Her parents seem to not care about the store so Liya needs to put away her shame over the embarassing incident that broke her friendship with Kai. Despite the feud between Kai and Liyaʻs fathers, Kai has always been Liya's best friend. Besides that, Liya's grandmother loved Kai.
The two teens set out on a great wish fulfilling adventure in their community and along the way, they start to fulfill their own secret wishes. Cute, cute, cute! The pacing captures the reader and only forced sleep will stop reading this devour-worthy book in one take.
I really enjoyed this glimpse of Chinese culture through both the different types of wish lanterns, moon cakes and the different cultural festivals that bring the community together. The fact that Liya and Kai are both interested in helping the elders of their community find love was so cute. Chao's characters are good kids who deserve all the love.
From the Publisher:
Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.
Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.
While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?
Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.
While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?
Publication descriptions:
Author: Gloria Chao
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers (2/14/2023)
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