January 1, 2025
A teen artist navigates changes in her family and her romantic life. When Lynda Fan's widowed dad marries Amy, Lynda doesn't have many feelings about the whole thing. Next year, she hopes to be at the Rhode Island School of Design; she's sure she has the artistic skills to get in, though covering tuition might be a problem. So Lynda is less than thrilled to learn that her dad and Amy are spending a fortune on private violin lessons for her new stepsister. Lynda knows it's time to take matters into her own hands. She just doesn't expect salvation to come in the form of Angela Wu, a former it girl who's now a standoffish brainiac. Angela, it turns out, is a secret fan of otome games--story-based video games with romance plotlines. She's creating her own ancient China-inspired game, and she wants Lynda to develop the concept art and character design. And she can afford to pay well. As Lynda slowly gets to know Angela better, she's surprised by what she finds. Lynda, who's asexual, doesn't always pick up on romance cues, but she's pretty sure there's something growing between her and Angela. Limited characterization and an abrupt ending keep this novel from reaching its potential either as a romance or as a coming-of-age story. Through her primarily Taiwanese American cast, Lin thoughtfully unpacks stereotypes around Asian parenting. Lynda's changing family dynamics and her awareness of the role she plays are also highlights. Promising but underdeveloped.(Romance. 12-17)
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February 1, 2025
Grades 9-12 Lynda Fan, a high-school junior with big dreams of pursuing art at RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), is on her own to make that happen. Her dad just got remarried, and instead of helping Lynda with her college savings, he's chipping in for her stepsister to study under an eye-raisingly expensive violin tutor. After a new step-cousin breaks her trusty iPad on which she draws, Lynda is astonished when classmate Angela Wu not only buys her a new iPad but also hires her to draw characters for an otome game--a story-based romance video game--she's building. As Lynda and Angela spend time together working on the game, they start to fall for each other. Lynda's passion for her art is strong and gets her into some hot-headed scrapes, but her best friend Bora and new stepsister help keep her grounded. Lin's sophomore novel deftly tackles familial relationships as well as people's differing relationships to their art form of choice and simultaneously tells a sweet queer love story. The end result is a satisfying YA romance.
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