Love boat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen
This companion novel to Abigail hing wen's New York times bestselling debut, love boat, Taipei, takes readers back to Taipei through the eyes of fan favorites Sophie and Xavier on an unforgettable journey of glittering revelry and self-discovery that's perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Mary H. K. Choi., Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past. Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted but at least they're friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei at their summer program, Love boat forever. Now that fall is here, they're focusing on what really matters. Sophie has sworn off boys and is determined to be the best student Dartmouth's ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father's radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy. But the world doesn't seem to want Sophie and Xavier to succeed. Sophie's college professor thinks her first major project is too feminine. Xavier's father gives him an ultimatum finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance. Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop love boat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together or are they destined to combust. Praise for New York times bestseller.
- Suggested age range- 13 to 17 years
- Format- Hardcover
- Product dimensions- 5.6" W x 8.1" H x 1.5" D
- Genre- Young Adult
- Publisher- HarperCollins Publishers, Publication date- 01-25-2022
- Page count- 448
- ISBN- 9780062957306
Web ID: 17689025
Great sequel to Loveboat Taipei
LOVEBOAT REUNION picks up right after LOVEBOAT, TAIPEI. It's definitely a sequel and it's better to read this after reading the first book to have a better understanding of our two main characters, Sophie and Xavier. They were together for all the wrong reasons in the first book and I really enjoyed their journey together in Loveboat Reunion. Xavier is an heir to a big famous rich family in Taiwan and Crazy Rich Asians-level family drama to come with it. Sophie manages to wrangle the gang back in Taiwan for a school project and Xavier agrees to fly people over to collect his trust during his family's big Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. Once they're back in Taiwan, we get treated to luscious settings, parties, and mooncakes. We really get to know their ambitions, their insecurities, how they resolve their past and how they move forward together as friends. It's a jam-packed, whirlwind reunion. It's not one to miss!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Different from the first, but I ended up loving it
4.5 stars This was another winner for me, although it took a bit longer for it to get there for me, particularly because I didn't like Sophie much at all in the first book, and while I felt bad for Xavier by the end of the book, I felt like Evers and Rick belonged together. But Abigail Hing Wen can write, and she kept my interest in the alternating POV between Sophie and Xavier until I started to really care about each of them, for different reasons. Even when they both screwed up again on their trip to Taipei and yes, I cringed, I was hopeful that they would eventually figure it out. What I loved is that although each of them was able to help the other see more clearly (from an outside standpoint), their ultimate success depended on others as well, including many in the supporting cast who I ended up loving, especially Xavier's aunties. Without revealing any spoilers, by the time I got to the end, I wished there was a movie so that I could see what Xavier could see. This was definitely YA and there were some of the usual tropes included. I also felt several times like I was on the set of Crazy Rich Asians, especially when they attended Xavier's grandfather's 88th birthday, but also when they took Xavier's plane to Taipei and things got a little bit out of control. But the author can really write a good story and I ended up loving where she took the story. I also liked how she handled Xavier's learning disability and how she made it his strength, even though he couldn't see it initially. Working with students over the years, I've seen how a misunderstanding of a learning disability can completely derail a student, and not just in the academic department. And although she never talked about a disability for Sophie, she did talk a lot about Sophie the tornado and her different approach to life and, like Xavier, she had to learn how to turn it into a strength rather than wallowing in its weaknesses. But she also had to find the strength and confidence in herself. So I ended up loving this series not just because this took place in Taiwan and I am Taiwanese, but also because of the learning disability aspect, and Sophie's different way of approaching life. If you enjoyed the first one, don't expect the same story, especially because Sophie and Xavier are very different from Evers and Rick. But I would recommend you keep an open mind because I felt like it ended up being just as good as the first one, just different. I received an advance review copy from Netgalley for free (yay!), and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Makes You Feel Like a Pop Song
The Loveboat Reunion in the sequel to the book Loveboat, Taipei. This is a YA novel with mature themes. It is set partially in America, but mostly in Taipei, Taiwan. If you enjoy Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians, you'll enjoy this too and find it a lighter version of that. I absolutely adore books that let me enter into a firsthand account of someone else's culture. I found this book delivered, perhaps even better than the first book did. There is a large emphasis on what family culture means in Taipei and what traditions go along with that. This culture account is all packaged in an enjoyable soap opera about a group of young men and women but centers around one couple and their on/again, off/again relationship. I enjoy a good antihero, but I have to admit that until the very, very, very end of the book, I did not like the male protagonist. I found him to be rude and self absorbed and I really disliked his perspective throughout the book. However, the female protagonist is an absolute delight and makes this book. You will love seeing life from her perspective. She is flawed but absolutely adorable. This is a fun book for a quick read. It's not a deep book and I won't be re-reading it, but I did enjoy it. My one criticism is that the acknowledgements seem to imply that the author is a religious person but she includes steamy scenes in her book. I dislike this incongruity. Because of those steamy themes and one scene of drunkenness, I cannot recommend this book for a teenage audience. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com