Review Detail

The way the story is written is fantastic. The author discusses a lot of realistic issues and how they play out in real life. Having two Asian-American, queer characters in the main roles allows the author to dismantle the “model minority” stereotype in different ways, as well as talking about how intergenerational trauma plays a part in one of their lives. The author does all of this in a way that feels appropriate for the age range of this book (14+), although there is substance misuse that occurs throughout the book.


Some of the plot twists are a bit predictable, but it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story.

I got caught up in the mystery of it all, and couldn’t put the story down. We find out the outcome quickly, but it’s all the steps in between that are the real mystery. And as Chase slowly starts to discover what really went on, it was fascinating to see everything unfold. It’s a delicate process, and Lyu really takes care with the sensitive topics she writes about. She discusses grief, divorce, absent parents, difficult relationships within families, the pressures teens face in school and how realistic they are, mental health, and substance use. It’s a fantastic, twisty story, and done beautifully.