Scan barcode
nicolelovesbooks's review against another edition
4.5
Really liked this story about a girl “sentenced” to spending the summer with her grandmother, mainly hanging out at her senior center. It was endearing and tackled the difficult issue of dementia and loss of a loved one, but without being too sad or heavy-handed. There’s a great friendship storyline as well— how friendships evolve, and how new ones can come along. It took me a little while to warm up to MC Ruby, but I think that was intentional. 😉
jnishi's review
5.0
Such a wonderful book! I loved the connection Ruby had with her grandparents and the dynamic they had. This book took the whole coming of age thing and just created something truly beautiful out of that theme. The contemplations on change and growth and loss are excellent. Also it made me think of my own Chinese bakery we used to go to as a kid and made me desperately crave the cream buns and coconut buns of my past.
twirlingpages's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
i am SOBBING
stephanieridiculous's review against another edition
5.0
This was such an emotional read! Li does a fantastic job of distilling the spiraling sense of loss when you are young and grasping for stability. Ruby is so relatable, and refreshingly stays her age the entire time - a true feat in middle grade writing these days.
I love the growth we see from Ruby, her family, and the other characters. I love that the challenges are realistic and utterly believable, and their resolutions aren't neat little bows that would swing this to feel good mush - it stays authentic and real, but still has a lovely and satisfying conclusion.
I appreciated that we model a lot of apologizing - a very important skill for young folks to learn! - but I wish the adults had done a little more of it. I do maintain the interactions and resolution is all very realistic and entirely plausible, but all the same I would have loved Ruby's parents to take just a few small steps further. That being my only complaint, though! Highly recommend.
Content warnings for death of a family member, dementia, and what I would classify as emotional abuse of a child, but it may land differently with you.
I love the growth we see from Ruby, her family, and the other characters. I love that the challenges are realistic and utterly believable, and their resolutions aren't neat little bows that would swing this to feel good mush - it stays authentic and real, but still has a lovely and satisfying conclusion.
I appreciated that we model a lot of apologizing - a very important skill for young folks to learn! - but I wish the adults had done a little more of it. I do maintain the interactions and resolution is all very realistic and entirely plausible, but all the same I would have loved Ruby's parents to take just a few small steps further. That being my only complaint, though! Highly recommend.
Content warnings for death of a family member, dementia, and what I would classify as emotional abuse of a child, but it may land differently with you.
erinsbookshelves's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
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
4.25
odditiex's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
sad
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
3.0
minhjngo's review
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher Harper Collins, and the author Christina Li for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have nothing but good praise for Li's work. Li writes a well-crafted middle-grade/YA story. This book is perfect for the demographic and for Chinese/Asian Americans and represents San Francisco's Chinatown as an ethnography. Li places details of the city, such as the characters using public transportation through busses and the geographic areas of SF Chinatown. Li creates a well-rounded narrative of grief, the impact of losing a loved one, and how grief can cause misbehavior, such as Devi's character in Never Have I Ever (on Netflix by Mindy Kaling). This is also one of the few middle-grade/YA stories, including a 3rd/4th (depending on how you define it) Chinese or Asian American. I appreciate Ruby grew as a person and found her responses to her circumstances to be true and relatable. I also appreciate Li for keeping Ruby and Liam's relationship strictly platonic as friends matter too. Often friendship matters more than romance does. The lack of closure or resolve between Ruby's old friends is an element I enjoyed as well.
christywinemiller's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
raechsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Thirteen year old Ruby is having a rotten summer after a hard school year. Her parents send her to stay with her grandmother. Her older sister has no time for her. And she doesn't have her friends to lean on. However, she discovers that sometimes she may just have to learn when to listen and when to speak up. I highly enjoyed the characters and the journey they traveled.