User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
*UPDATE / June 2021*
Quickly dropping the news that there will be a companion novel to this one! Solving for the Unknown is more contemporary than rom-com and will star Bao's best friend, Viet, and Linh's older sister. Of course, APLS characters will make an appearance.
OK, that is all. I will close my eyes and not look at any reviews! But I do hope you enjoy APLS and will be excited about SFTU!
*ORIGINAL*
Wow. I published a novel? I'm still trying to comprehend that. Thanks for stopping by this page and giving me your stars. Whether you gave me five stars or one star, that's up to you. I'm just glad you saw something in A Phở Love Story initially--the cover, the description, my author bio (probably not; I'm boring)--and thought, hmm, okay, I'll check this out. From the bottom of my heart: Thank you. Readers, you matter so much.
Set in present-day California, A Phở Love Story is about first love, family expectations, and food rivalry. This is inspired not only by my obsession with food (phở, always) and by my experience as the daughter of immigrants pursuing a creative career, but also by my family who've always worked hard to provide the younger generation opportunities they didn't have. As a young adult reading young adult novels, I was often puzzled by the absence of families or parents--even though I understood that coming of age was about forming your own identity. But my identity was, and still is, undoubtedly tied to my parents, to my family. I am the child of immigrants--one being a refugee. My mom escaped Vietnam by boat with her sister, her sister's husband, and my two young cousins. That's a part of my identity.
Despite this harrowing history--and while the teen characters do feel some of the war's shadows through their parents--I wrote this novel out of joy. Happiness. If you love funny, life-affirming novels about young adults trying to figure out what they truly want, this is for you. If you want cute (awkward, flirty, uncertain) romance, this is for you. If you like characters who are firecrackers yearning to break out from a mold or characters who feel average but want to be MORE, this is for you. If you love food, this is for you. If you’re a child of immigrants or refugees, or have been stuck between two cultures, this is for you. If you love your families but don’t always totally understand them and want to, this is for you.
This is for you.
Thanks for being here. Be well!
Loan
Rating: really liked it
i read this book on an empty stomach - i am not a smart person. THERES. SO. MUCH. FOOD. haha.
and ive never actually had pho before, but now im super interested in trying it! so theres one positive for this book.
some more positives would be everything about the vietnamese culture, the own voices storytelling, baos gentleness, linhs drive, the easy-going writing, and the super cuteness of it all.
my only minor critique would be the slow pacing and long length - its just not a good combination as it felt like it dragged down an otherwise light story.
but other than that, this book will have you smiling and your stomach grumbling.
↠ 3.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
DNF @ 56%
I am so sad that this one didn't work out for me because I was so excited. But honestly, I was bored, and I didn't care for the writing, and the characters felt kind of flat, so I couldn't push myself through. To start with the positives, this book features some great Vietnamese American representation. It depicts the trauma of the characters as refugees and how that experience shaped their parents. The Vietnamese culture overall permeated every word of this story and that was a pleasure to read about. I think that's where it really shone. There also was so much food and the descriptions of it, my goodness did it make me hungry. However, the narrative was really clunky overall. It's dual perspective which normally I love, but in this case I think it bogged the story down. The two love interests were just too similar. Their voices were impossible to differentiate other than the differing hobbies. I had to keep flipping back to see whose perspective I was reading from, especially once they started to spend more time together. There also wasn't a whole lot going on throughout the story. It's a Romeo and Juliet retelling with these families having rival Vietnamese restaurants and the main driver is why are they enemies? But I didn't really have enough else to keep me going to find out the answers. I think the book was a bit too long for me personally. I'm so sad I didn't end up enjoying this one, but I think a lot of people will. I think it's a story many will see themselves in which is so important.
Rating: really liked it
As a pho-natic, just looking at the word makes me hungry.
This will be pho-nomenal. Pho sure.
Sorry, I’ll stop now.
Pho real.
Rating: really liked it
–
2.5 stars the bad: starting this book at 3 am when hungry and suffering because of all the food references
the good: eating Pho while reading this book and feeling like I accomplished something, when in fact I didn't accomplished anything by doing that. 🤣
I was hoping to find something
pho-nomental, but unfortunately everything was very
pho-gettable.
━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
WHAT WORKED ━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
➸ this is an own voice story so the viet rep is pretty accuate which is like a huge plus pho ppl who aren't familiar with viet culture and are interested to read about it.
➸ cute, light and easy to get through.
➸ the food. all the food pho sure.
━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
WHAT DIDN'T ━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━
➸ the pho-bidden romance between two rival families sounded good on paper pho sure, but felt very flat. The two main characters Linh and Bao just meet everywhere and pretty much everyone besides their parents knew they were seeing each other so that was boring. I need a little more angst than that.
➸ the whole reason why the two families hate each other is kinda stupid, because it's just another misunderstanding/miscommunication and if they only would sit down and talk about it (what should be expected since they were so close before everything fell apart) then all the headache could be avoided.
➸ there are a lot of vietnamese phrases/words without any translation. for me it wasn't a problem since I could understand everything, but I imagine it to be a different language and it would definitely destroy the reading flow to constantly look up the meaning and copying everything in google translator. a translation for everything would be great for ppl who don't speak the language.
just looking at this gif makes me want to eat again.
Rating: really liked it
In an ideal world, I would not be writing this review without fulfilling the pho craving that I have had ever since I picked this book up, but considering I'm coming to you live from 12:40 pm in the suburbs, that is a feat I cannot pull off.
Never forget the sacrifices I make to bring you mediocre book reviews.
Speaking of: This book was fine.
I never know how to write middle of the line book reviews. Everyone has been cursed with the knowledge of how prepared I am to write rants (hello, character-limit-hitting one star reviews, how are you doing), and I at least get to enjoy the fun of sharing good books when I write four star reviews (or five star ones, when there's a full moon and an eclipse and a meteor shower and humidity is at exactly 54% and so on), but three stars?
Who knows.
This was just okay, for me. The characters were all right. Their arcs were acceptable. The food descriptions were excellent, obviously, but otherwise I have been reading so many YA contemporaries lately with the exact same I Need To Figure Out What I Want To Do With My Life But I Know For Sure It Isn't That Thing My Parents Insist I Do plotline lately, and this one...well, it's not a standout.
Again, excluding those food descriptions.
Bottom line: I am so hungry. This can apply both to my still as yet unfulfilled pho situation, or the number of dissatisfying contemporaries I have read in this, the season of contemporaries. Pick your poison.
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well. can't say i didn't warn myself.
review to come / 3 stars
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honestly so brave of me to read this book knowing it will cause a weeks-long debilitating pho craving.
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taking lily's idea and reading only books by asian authors this month!
book 1: the incendiaries
book 2: last night at the telegraph club
book 3: dear girls
book 4: sigh, gone
book 5: frankly in love
book 6: emergency contact
book 7: your house will pay
book 8: convenience store woman
book 9: on earth we're briefly gorgeous
book 10: we are not free
book 11: searching for sylvie lee
book 12: the displaced
book 13: schoolgirl
book 14: sweet bean paste
book 15: little fires everywhere
book 16: trust exercise
book 17: front desk
book 18: the bride test
book 19: interior chinatown
book 20: it's not like it's a secret
book 21: almost american girl
book 22: never let me go
book 23: prairie lotus
book 24: earthlings
book 25: a pho love story
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars
TW for loss of a loved one and racism
This was such a cute YA romance!! I really loved how Bao and Linh haven't talked to each other for their entire lives because of their family feud until Bao approaches Linh outside of her restaurant their senior year when she's having a rough time. Their budding friendship was so cute and I loved how they both bonded over the pressure from their parents and the unknown of their futures. This was more a friends to lovers and they were forced to hang out through a school assignment, which was fun. Even though Bao and Linh had similar parents who were very strict and had high expectations for their children, they were still very different characters and had pretty different families, which I appreciated.
The reason I knocked my rating down half a star is because I wanted just a little more from the romance. I think we had a long build up and then didn't really get a lot of them genuinely happy together. They were always worrying about their parents and then, of course, things blow up. I did enjoy how their families were forced to confront their issues and also confront what Bao and Linh genuinely wanted from their respective futures. And can we talk about the food? Both families own restaurants and this book had me hungry all the time! There was so much food and the atmosphere of this book was just amazing. I was lost in this world and could not get enough of this story!
Overall, I really loved this book. The characters were all so memorable and the romance was adorable. This also tackles racism and the life of an immigrant, and Bao and Linh struggle being the children of immigrants with such high expectations and responsibilities placed on their shoulders. I couldn't recommend this enough!
Rating: really liked it
A Pho Love Story follows Bao Nguyen, a boy who's still hesitant about who he wants to be in life, and Linh Mai, a girl who wants to follow her dreams as a painter and an artist. They've been avoiding each other for years but they meet again, become friends, and start developing feelings for each other. Unfortunately, the sole reason why they kept evading each other's presence is that the Mais and the Nguyens have been in rivalry and competition for their neighboring pho restaurants in the past years.
The family drama between the Mais and the Nguyens was interesting but I didn't give enough care about it, it felt unoriginal. Still, this book didn't only revolve around rivalry and romance, it also talked about racism, the immigrant experience, trauma and grief, family pressure and expectations, and finding your passion. I liked how the author touched those topics in a great way. Also, the first half of this book was boring and dragged. It felt longer than it should be.
Thankfully, this never failed to make mee hungry. The delicious descriptions of the foods made me drool. I think I haven't eaten a Vietnamese cuisine yet. so next time, this is definitely one of the things I need to try.
The writing was mediocre, it wasn't that bad. There were a lot of Vietnamese dialogues. I couldn't understand them at all but luckily, there was the audiobook to help. Both narrators had cool voices.
“Or maybe, one day, what you can help her understand, is that for people like us, sadness is part of our inspiration. Others might bottle up their sadness and pour it out on certain occasions, but we let it pour from us and into our medium. It’s the same for most emotions, and we do it so that we can make room for more.” The characters were all average. Linh aspires to be an artist, yet her parents have their different plans for her. Here, we can see her navigating through her dreams. She may sometimes be over dramatic but she had some character growth. I adored how she would voice out her ideas and feelings through art.
"It saddens me that you don’t recognize this. It’s an unfortunate reminder that as much as my community represents the true American Dream- building a foundation out of uncertain hopes and dreams- people like you would rather be ignorant or spread hate than accept this reality.
But your racism has no power here. Your words mean nothing in Little Saigon. So whatever you hoped to accomplish- in person and online- you have failed." Bao isn't sure on what he really wants to pursue in life. Then, journalism came at him like they're meant to be. He writes to portray his emotions and thoughts, and he plays with words to make them meaningful and powerful.
I was hoping for a more slow-burn, forbidden-y romance between Linh and Bao but they quickly became friends. Although thhe tension that I was hoping for wasn't there, they were still a cute couple.
Overall, this was fun. I enjoyed learning a few things about the Vietnamese culture and I was delighted with the mouth-watering food descriptions. There were still elements lacking here but it wasn't a full disappointment. I liked the family dynamics and the lessons it gave on finding and following our passions.
3.25 stars!
—
this was really cute, fun, and entertaining!!
review to come.. (rating might change)
Rating: really liked it
4 stars A Pho Love Story was such a cute book. I enjoyed listening Bao and Lihn’s story so much. They are two Vietnamese teenagers who come from feuding families. Their parents own competing restaurants right across from each other and they’ve always seemed to keep their distance. Until their senior year. Lihn and Bao end up working together on a school thing and start spending more time together. This is very much a romeo/juliet type romance and a coming of age story. I loved the family dynamic and finding out what caused the feud etc. The couple together… adorable. Would recommend this to all lovers of YA romance.
Audio book source: Libby (library borrow)
Story Rating: 4 stars
Narrators: Ryan Do and Vyvy Nguyen
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary YA
Length: 9h and 53m
Rating: really liked it
[4/5] First of all, the descriptions about the Vietnamese food here would only leave you drooling. My best advice? You better order yourself some before you start this and you're going to get yourself a full experience. Get yourself a Phở or maybe Gỏi Cuốn. Get everything before you regret it! In fact, I think half of the stars in the rating is for food only.
And as an Asian myself, this hit quite close to home. By any means, I am no immigrants so I would never understand the struggle when you're in another country, to earn a living while getting discriminated against just because you're seen as inferior. However, the issue of racism is still something that we have to deal with in here, today, everywhere which is heartbreaking. And this book really helps you to learn and explore more of the Vietnamese culture.
Not to say, that Asian parents' representation has never been so accurate and relatable lmao.
"I twist my head to the right and check the actual time: eight o'clock, instead of an hour later like she just said"
Like, is that you mother? ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡ And me waking up for school thinking I'm gonna be late only to see that I am nowhere near late. Yup.
Going into the characters, I really love Linh and Bảo. They both are the same yet so different. Having to meet their parents' expectations and still trying to figure out things they wanna do beyond school. This book focuses heavily on family values and I truly enjoy the dynamic.
I find Bảo's interest in pompous words to be entertaining. He really be throwing random unheard words at times he finds fits (￣▽￣)ノ
"Infestation." The word is usually negative, referring to bugs or something else that causes illnesses, but it accurately describes how thoughts of Linh swarm my mind lately
Okay Bảo, we got it. You're smitten.
Not to say all the side characters are amazing. I love all their friends, Chef Lê and Saffron? Linh's art teacher, Yamamoto? Although the rivalry between the two families may strain the relationship between the main characters but the rest of the characters have been very sweet, supportive and understanding, you will just love them all ( ˘ ³˘) ♡ However, since the main "supporting characters" have been Linh and Bảo's parents/family so the other characters weren't that prominent but I still think the author did a great job in trying to emphasizing their significance in the book.
Except for one thing that I was curious about was Linh and Bảo's school project which required both of them to work together; each has to write and draw for the newspaper. I don't know how the American school works but I was thinking why they don't take pictures of the subject for their articles? I just don't see people really draw for newspapers these days.
And honestly, the prolonged conflict could’ve easily been resolved through communications as all the years of duel happened only due to misunderstanding. So, it was such a balk. Other than that, I think this book is great. I still enjoy them and Loan Le really did a great job, perfectly mixing food, family and romance for A Pho Love Story. The author balances both happy and sad moments very well, you'll find some cute romance and some serious and emotional scenes later. It leaves you to mess up (I was thinking about Vietnamese food and suddenly Loan Le thought it's the best time to suddenly make me tear up?) For what???
Overall, for a debut book. I think this is definitely a success. I hope more people will discover this & feel the same way as I do.
Rating: really liked it
This review and others @Bookerification
Rating: 3 stars Cover: 🌟🌟🌟 A fun and cute illustration that alludes to key aspects of the story. However, nothing about this design is particularly eye-catching.
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟.5 The simple writing is easy to follow and enjoyable, but it is not hugely striking or engaging. Even the alternating points of view between the two main characters fail to add much to the story as information is often summarised and repeated with each narrative switch. What I loved was the slight integration of the Vietnamese language. This is just one of the many ways Loan Le shows that she is unapologetically proud of her culture, and I was here for it!
"There’s so much in your life that you can’t control.… So maybe you can use this chance to do something for yourself.” Storyline: 🌟🌟🌟 The storyline starts with a simple introduction to the two main characters and their families. I really enjoyed learning about the Vietnamese culture, especially the family history and food. The complexity of the storyline is then enhanced through the light exploration of themes like racism, family, and chasing your dreams. Although there are several twists and revelations, these were predictable as numerous hints are given in advance. Moreover, the focus on the regular life of the two main characters and their relationship means that the pace of the storyline is slow, making it dull at times.
Main character(s): 🌟🌟🌟.5 I really appreciated just how different the two main characters - Linh and Bao - are. They are given distinct personalities and challenges that made them very relatable in different ways. Art lover, Lihn, dreams of becoming an artist despite her parents' concerns. Bao is an average student who is not particularly passionate about anything and is uncertain about the future. As their worlds collide, they beautifully support each other through personal and family issues.
Secondary characters: 🌟🌟🌟 The secondary characters consist of family members and friends of the two main characters. While their experiences and behaviours make fairly interesting sub-plots, these characters lack much depth or complexity.
Romance: 🌟🌟🌟🌟 I am a sucker for awkward, clumsy moments, and I really liked that this story has a few of these. The romance that develops remains light-hearted and sweet from start to finish, with some serious moments. However, the romance does suffer from a few drawn-out disagreements that make the story less interesting.
"...for people like us, sadness is part of our inspiration" 'A Pho Love Story' is a short read that presents a cute romance while exploring themes surrounding racism and family. The writing, storyline and characters are all good, yet, the simplicity failed to keep me engaged and invested in the story.
Rating: really liked it
3.5/5 ⭐
I appreciate this book.
And I say that because first of all, it was a really quick and very cute read with an adorable love story and with lots of yummy-sounding dishes!
For real, food should always be top priority when it comes to cute love stories.
Second of all, I did appreciate the little insights we get in here about the Vietnamese culture.
Like the uncultured swine I am, I have to admit that I haven't crossed paths with many Vietnamese things in my life so this was definitely a very educational story for me regarding that. Thank you for it!
Yes, it might have been a bit predictable at parts, the storyline being simple, but overall it was a very cute read that I recommend if you need some light and fluffy reading!
Rating: really liked it
Will not finish - 37% A Pho Love Story was listed as part of my most highly anticipated 2021 releases. And so, it hurts my heart a little to admit that I don't have the energy to finish this book.
This isn't a badly written book. It's just not a story for me. I know that
A Pho Love Story will resonate deeply with a lot of readers from the Asian diaspora, especially among immigrants. In fact, I highly recommend reading the reviews of Michelle and Lauren.
However, as someone who's been born and raised in Asia,
I guess I've reached a point where I crave representation that goes beyond the struggles of being Asian and American. Quite frankly, I'm sick and tired of this lens. And that's not a reflection of the author's writing. It's a reflection of where I am mentally and emotionally as a reader seeking characters who look like me
and live like me.
Moreover, while I cannot comment on the book as a whole, I will say that
I think there's a missed opportunity here. I was really looking forward to the intensity and tension derived from rivals turned lovers. However,
the relationship between Linh and Bao is more of a forbidden romance, and I was a bit disappointed that the rivalry is solely between their parents. In fact, Linh and Bao identify their common ground right away and easily bond. This is also partially why my interest immediately declined. I would've loved to see them being ruthlessly competitive, slowly unlearning their biases, and working towards bridging the chasm between their families. But alas, this is not that story.
On a more positive note,
A Pho Love Story delves into
the trauma experienced by refugees of the Vietnam War, which is a discussion that is very sorely-needed. Undoubtedly, this debut novel brings something meaningful to the YA contemporary genre.
Disclosure: I received a digital ARC of A Pho Love Story from its publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.🌻🍃 More bookish content on Shut up, Shealea 🍃🌻
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Rating: really liked it
This looks ridiculously cute, and I am super excited.
Rating: really liked it
This book definitely succeeded at something: making me hungry.
Besides that, I was saddened to find the characters flat and hard to differentiate aside from their hobbies. The perspectives were so similar sounding that for a few chapters I thought both protagonists were women, until a specific pronoun clued me in that I’d been completely wrong about Bao. I found it a little funny that I could be so mistaken, but it has to be a fault of the narrative that led me to believe it for quite some time.
~★~ What is this book about? ~★~ A Pho Love Story is kind of like
Romeo & Juliet between rival family-owned restaurants. Linh wants nothing more than to pursue art, but her parents would never approve of her doing so. Bao is unsure of his future career path, so with senior year coming to an end, he’s hoping to figure it out quickly. They both work for their parents’ Pho restaurant, and when they meet, they feel an instant connection despite their parents warning them to never speak with each other. Linh and Bao meet up in secret, and grapple with the possibility of disaster if their parents ever find out about their relationship.
~★~
It’s a shame that I didn’t enjoy this book, because the prose sounded really lovely. As I mentioned before, the protagonists didn't have much depth outside of their interests, which I felt took away from the book largely. I didn’t mind Linh and Bao in the beginning, but once the romance sparked I lost even more interest due to the odd pacing and execution of their relationship.
“But in anything you love, isn’t there always some bit of sadness, some essence of suffering? That, to me, is what makes art worth it. Suffer through it—mine the emotions you keep inside yourself, face whatever’s emotionally burdensome, take control of it—then emerge reborn in the end.”
Loan Le’s writing was probably the best thing about this book. I was able to get through it in two days or so despite not liking it, which is testament to the accessible narrative. It wasn’t the most unique writing style, but I can’t fault it much since it propelled the story even when the plot and characters didn't. Another small aspect I liked was the familial conversations near the ending. I was glad to see Linh and Bao’s parents learn from their past mistakes and work towards betterment.
Thank you to Netgalley and Simon Schuster for the arc!
