Loveboat, Taipei audiobook

I loved this so much. This really is a love letter to belonging and seeing all your different parts, and the parts you came from, and exploring those parts and connecting deeper to your culture. This is also a story very much about what it means to be asian american and how sometimes those two parts can make you feel not enough for either half. This was beautiful, and the story was so good, the romance (and love triangle) was everything, and I feel so honored to have read this.

Update!Here's my full review: https://bookishrealmreviews.blogspot....I had to take some time to think about this book because it was so intriguing. There were a few sections that I thought were too long considering the nature of the story but overall I thought it was good! I loved that this was written in a voice that we don’t hear that often in YA. I don’t know much about Asian culture and traditions but this definitely taught me a lot. As a person of color I’m always interested in how other races of color handle racism and culturally “clashes.” I think this was an amazing perspective. While I didn’t agree with the behavior of a lot of the characters, I think that together they were such an amazing unit.i learned so much about the Asian American experience and I hope to learn more. It was such a well written novel and a quick read. If you’re wondering why it didn’t get 5 stars it’s because I couldn’t get past something that a main character did. I know people make mistakes but I feel like this individual got off too easy. I’ll be doing a full review soon!

I had heard mixed reviews for this book, and went into it with lowered expectations. So I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up really enjoying it! Loveboat Taipei follows Ever Wong, a Chinese-American teen who is sent to Taipei for the summer by her parents. Little do they know, the program Ever is signed up for is known secretly as 'loveboat', and Ever vows to break the rules her restrictive parents had placed upon her. I loved the setting of this book! It felt like a boarding school mixed with a summer camp- two of my favourite settings. Yet despite the sheer amount of books I have read with similar premises, it still managed to feel refreshing and new. Ever is a character I am vastly different from, but I also felt connected to. She felt authentic and fleshed out, and I could understand her motivations. Her voice was clear and really helped her personality shine through. The writing of contemporaries I read are usually 'basic' and just tell it like it is. That is by no means a criticism, because it allows the story to be fast paced and just get to the meat of the story. That is why Loveboat Taipei really surprised me with its prose. While not necessarily the most flowery or purple, it was more descriptive and introspective than other books of its genre. Ever's love of dancing shone through in just the way she perceived everyday moments, and it was lovely to see how she saw the world around her. However, this more lyrical writing style did make the book longer than an average contemporary, and a little bit slower paced which could be a drawback. I loved the issues this book tackled. From mental health, to subverting stereotypes to parental pressure- Loveboat, Taipei was full of important commentary. I really enjoyed each of the characters' different struggles that come from their asian heritage, and how people try to fit them into set boxes. A major theme of this story was breaking out of those pre-assigned boxes and finding out who they really are. “We're breaking another taboo, talking about racism, but I've just broken a bigger one confronting that guy before the entire restaurant, instead of sticking to that Asian nonconfrontational thing. But these are rules meant to be broken. Something happens to a kid when they see their parent treated like that. Something happens to the parent.” Unfortunately, some of the more important issues were overshadowed by at times unnecessary drama and angst. Don't get me wrong- I love me some dramatics and romance, but I was loving the rest of the story so much that it was a little disappointing to focus on the more trivial aspects. The main thing that lowered my enjoyment was Sophie. I am really conflicted on her, because at the beginning I liked her character! However, after she did... something (if you've read the book you know), I could not forgive her. I really hated that addition to the story and I think it could have easily been removed from the story. I listened to the audiobook compulsively, and really liked the narrators voice for Ever (less so for the boys) and would recommend that if you want to read the book. Overall, this was a really enjoyable book that I would recommend for anyone looking for a more sophisticated and diverse contemporary, with drama and a heavy focus on the romance.

”Maybe part of fighting the unhappiness in this world is to seize happiness when we can”.Este libro me pareció súper divertido y no me lo esperaba. Fue uno de estos libros que vi alguna vez muy baratos en BookOutlet y dije ”why not?”, pero definitivamente fue una gran compra. Aquí nos encontramos con la historia de Ever Wong, una adolescente asiática que vive en Ohio y cuyos padres son tremendamente estrictos y tiene todo su futuro planeado para ella. El problema es que es un futuro de medicina y no de baile como ella quiere. Decididos a que Ever se reconecte con sus raíces y aprenda mandarín, sus padres la envían durante todo el verano a una afamada academia en Taipei. Sin embargo, muy pronto Ever se dará cuenta de que la academia, cuyo apodo es Loveboat no es tan estricta como se pensaría y, además, va a hacer que conozca a un montón de personas que abrirán sus horizontes y posibilidades. Quizá una de las cosas más divertidas del libro es ver cómo Ever va saliendo de su caparazón y dejando de lado todas las ataduras que su crianza le ha inspirado. Toda su vida le han dicho cómo debe vestirse, cómo debe actuar, con quién debe salir y a qué carrera debe aspirar. Pero Loveboat le permite descubrirse a ella misma sin estar bajo la lupa de sus padres. Que sí, que todo lo que hacen por ella lo hacen pensando en su futuro y en que tenga las mejores oportunidades, pero eso no evita que la estén ahogando en parámetros de siglos pasados. Algo que no me esperé de Loveboat, Taipei fue la cantidad de romance y de tensión que existe en la historia. La verdad me sorprendió muchísimo y me encantó ver que no sólo era Ever, sino todos los chicos de la academia, quienes se sentían coartados por su crianza y habían decidido romper todos los paradigmas y las reglas con las que habían crecido. Verlos salir a clubes, bailar, vestirse como quisieran, besar a quien les gustara y salir con otros chicos y chicas me pareció genial y, a través del tono del libro, súper liberador. Ahora, a pesar de todo este romance enloquecido, creo que el libro representa bastante bien lo que se debe sentir al crecer como hijo de inmigrantes y todas las expectativas que la gente tiene sobre ti. Además, creo que esta es una historia espectacular que resalta lo importante de todo el movimiento own voices. Cuando un autor escribe sobre lo que sabe y sobre lo que ha vivido, los lectores nos conectamos muchísimo con problemas y perspectivas a las que nunca podríamos haber accedido de otra manera. Loveboat, Taipei no es sólo un libro entretenido, sino que también nos abre la puerta a entender lo duro que es el racismo, el lidiar con la salud mental siendo asiático y el aprender a que no se debe agachar la cabeza ante las injusticias, sino que se debe luchar contra ellas. Cuando empecé a leer este libro no sabía que iba a ser una bilogía, ¡pero menos mal lo será! Quiero leer qué va a suceder con las vidas de Ever, Rick Woo y Xavier Yeh. Los amé muchísimo a los tres.

I got this book as a present and I couldn’t be more happy 😊 This book is about this Asian-American girl called Ever, she have a dream to become a dancer, but her family wants her to become a doctor. One day she discovers her parents are sending her aboard to Taipei, so she can learn her culture and study Chinese, but what her parents don’t know is the place is also known as “ loveboat” where everything can happen , and Ever promise herself to break every single family rule. I gave this book 4 stars, I enjoyed this book a lot, to be honest I just started to get into it more towards the end ( where all drama starts) 😂🙈 I think a few dramas where a little exaggerated and a lot of things going on at same time, but overall was a good book . I do recommend this book to everyone with some curiosity about Asian culture and some topics like racism, cheating, domestic violence, dislexia and mental illness this book have it all, but if you’re very sensitive towards any of it, then maybe this book is not for you. 🤪

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen I was beyond excited to be one of the first chosen to read this ARC. I have been waiting for something like this to be written, specifically about the young adult Taiwanese American experience - not just about the Chinese or Asian experience growing up in America, but as a Taiwanese specifically and to have it written ever so accurately by someone who understood, is pretty special. College bound Ever Wong was sent to Taiwan the summer before entering college to study medicine. Ever’s parents feel she is too American and a cultural immersion experience in Taiwan is just the answer. In Taiwan, Ever discovers her true passions and matters of the heart. Ever’s parents were immigrants and her father, though a doctor in Taiwan, struggles here in America. The hopes and dreams of immigrant parents are passed on to their children dictating their future - this was not unusual. Ever deep inside would rather be performing as a dancer, and is struggling with the decision of going to Art School instead but fears the disappointment of her parents. Wen wrote an amazing story! The book is absolutely enjoyable and read very quickly despite it being over 450 pages, and I almost didn’t want it to end. Wen created characters that I was immersed in, and fell in love with. I felt the angst, tension, love of a parent to a child, the sacrifices, and strength to be honest with each other, throughout the book. Additionally, Wen writes masterfully about friendship, first loves, challenges and the competitive drive to be better. For many they really just want to experience love and understanding from their family. Asian or not, these themes are relatable and will be enjoyed by a wide variety of readers who enjoy YA, New Adult, and coming of age stories. I highly recommend this book!

I loved this. I loved the complexity and depth and messiness of the characters, I loved that the book was a love letter to belonging, Asian-American identity, and to the people who have found their passions but feel that they cannot express themselves in ways that feel true to them.- Follows Ever, a Taiwanese-American teen whose strict parents send her to a study summer program for Taiwanese students before she goes to med school -- despite harbouring a passion for dance. - Something that I loved about this book is that it shatters stereotypes about Asian people. The book gives room to the Asian characters in the book to breathe, make mistakes (and make REALLY bad mistakes), to grow, to lose their way and then find it, to be messy, and to ultimately define themselves.- I really liked Ever as a character - she doesn't really know who she is and throughout her experience in Loveboat, she figures out who she is. She makes mistakes! She does things that she will regret. But her growth is beautiful and incredibly satisfying.- There is a love triangle, but I think this is an example of a book that does a love triangle really well. I loved that Wen fleshes out the emotions of being in a love triangle, even the ones that feel weird and morally ambiguous. - Oh heck, the family feels in this book. I looked forward to see how this book would end, how Wen would resolve Ever's predicament, and I was not disappointed at all. Trigger/content warning: (view spoiler)[sex (not explicit), racism towards Asians (challenged), friendship betrayal [friend leaks the MC's nude photos] (resolved), slut shaming, mentions of suicide, mention of abuse, blood mention (hide spoiler)]

I’ll be honest: The whole “American individualism vs. Asian collectivist values & family-centeredness” conflicts that I’ve read about in YA contemporary stories led by Asian American teenagers... usually fail to impress me. In fact, I tend to dislike them (see, for example, American Panda). So, I went into this with incredibly low expectations.But I was blown away by the nuances in Loveboat, Taipei. Full review to follow.

"I would die for my family if I needed to. I would emigrate to a foreign country and give up dancing to unwrap blood-soaked bandages every hour of every day if it meant food and shelter for my family. But because of them, I don’t have to." "I never talk to my parents about the books I read or the music I love or the dances in my head. I can't trust them not to take what bit of soul I offer them and not throw it away into a dumpster.""And as I lunge and whirl my bo staff, dancing to the ancient drum beats, I feel all the parts of myself coming together: glad that a part of me is Chinese, a part of me American, and all of me is simply me." 5 full stars. Loveboat, Taipei is at once a dazzling romp through Taiwan and a love-letter to growing up Asian-American. I went into this novel with little-to-low expectations; I'm still not over how fucking good this was. Abigail Hing Wen somehow managed to write a novel that is the perfect amalgamation of an Asian Gossip Girl/Teenage Crazy Rich Asians and a coming-of-age narrative that tackles important, timely topics ranging from the fetishization of Asian women to the guilt Asian-Americans feel for pursuing their dreams because of all of the sacrifices their parents made for them in coming to America. While this is an entertaining foray into Taiwan, snake-blood sake and late-night clubbing included, it also manages to include conversations about issues relevant to Asian-Americans without feeling forced or overly heavy. While this book isn't flawless, I loved almost every aspect of this novel: from prose, to characters, to plot, and more.The prose of this book snuck up on me. When I read contemporary, unless I know otherwise, I don't really expect much out of the prose apart from the fact that it is readable and captures the voice of the character whose POV the the story is from well. Not only is this book's prose compulsively readable, but it managed to so perfectly capture Ever's voice as a young, talented Chinese-American girl just trying to find her footing both externally and internally. Her thoughts are beautifully expressed with a prose that just barely verges on purple; the best way I'd describe this Wen's writing is graceful. She paints the world through Ever's eyes in such a vivid way. All the imagery in this book is described with same finesse that Ever has when she dances: it's fluid, intricate, and detailed perfectly. I also firmly believe the prose is at its best when describing Ever's thoughts on being Asian-American. Every single thought, passage, and sentence describing Ever's thoughts on her being Asian-American and the burden she feels destined to carry as the child of immigrants who sacrificed everything to get here felt like they had come straight out of my head. Some of the passages of this book felt like someone saying "I understand you" and I can not emphasize how amazing that feeling is. Plot and pacing. Interesting and paced in a way that zips along. One of my favorite things about this novel is that as you go on throughout the novel, at least in the first half, you don't have a clear idea of what direction the plot is going (in a good way). The events are thrilling and exciting, and Hing Wen avoids falling into a repetitive structure by having events such as clubbing and dancing and performances and more happening, but not having them occur right after one another in any particular order. I also did love the final direction the plot took: (view spoiler)[Ever's dance performance at a large theater in Taipei being the end of this novel worked well on a narrative, thematic, and character level. (hide spoiler)] There was also brief fake-dating in this! Now for characters. Every single important character in this novel is intricately characterized in a way that I envy as a writer. The four "main" characters of this novel I'd argue are are Ever, Rick, Sophie, and Xavier. Each one of them has layers that the narrative takes care to explore. Ever is a fish-out-of-water, a young woman trying to figure out her place in the world as she is forced to attend a summer program in Taiwan; Rick is the child genius that has been the gold standard for Ever ever since she was young that is hiding a dark secret. Sophie is a fashionable, powerful young woman who has much more to her her beautiful appearance than you'd expect while Xavier is one of the best takes I've seen on the "YA bad boy player" I've seen in recent memory. In particular, I love how each of their character arcs are intrinsically related to being Asian-American. Ever's obvious conflict with her wishing to follow her dreams, but worrying she is wasting all of the sacrifices her families made for her is one thing, but the other three's character arcs are also very heavily related to being Asian-American. (view spoiler)[Sophie is "boy-crazy" because of the remarks from her parents that she'll never find a good husband because of her strong personality, while Xavier's narrative is a commentary on Asian attitudes towards mental health since he is dyslexic, never got the help he needed, and such thought he was intrinsically lacking but just lacked the resources he needed. As for Rick, his narrative with Jenna and the way it relates to mental health and the reasoning behind while he plays football... chef's kiss. (hide spoiler)] All of them grow and develop over the course of this novel. I'd say this novel, at its core, is a character study of Asian-American teens set against the backdrop of Taiwan. As you can guess, one of the key components of this novel is the romance. Yes, there is a "love triangle." However, I believe it was done in a way that befitted the story and allows each of the characters to retain the integrity they deserve. In my eyes the "love triangle" between (view spoiler)[Ever, Rick, and Xavier (hide spoiler)] isn't really a love triangle as two of the people involved don't love each other, romantically or otherwise. It's not a true love triangle unless all the legs of the triangle do, at least in my opinion. However, I will say that what I liked about this novel is that the narrative takes time to show the reader that Ever doesn't have an obvious choice, and I changed ships several times throughout this novel. I won't spoil who she ends up with, but I was satisfied by who she did at the end. Conclusively, I highly recommend this book and I know we're only in January, but I think this is may be a contender for my favorite book of the year already. It was such a joy seeing the Asian-American experience reflected on page in what on the surface levels, appears to be a fluffy, escapist story about partying in Taiwan. Thank you, Abigail Hing Wen for writing a story that expresses so many of the thoughts I've had but could never put into proper words.

this is going to be very long but i really enjoyed loveboat, taipei ! at first i thought it was just going to be a light, fluffy romance (which it was !!) but in fact it ran a lot deeper than that. reading it made me feel seen, and heard, and recognised.being half chinese and half australian, my chinese mother was always telling me to be the best, to push myself & to pursue something vaguely medical related. the issues loveboat, tapei brought up hit really close to home. i would always feel like i was an ungrateful person whenever i said i wanted to be an author or an artist, but not a doctor. i felt guilty for not making her proud, and my efforts in tests and assignments were done not for myself or my personal best, but for my mother, to make her feel proud of what i achieved. whenever i didn't do well on a test, my first thought would be that she would be so angry at me, and i'd feel ashamed. reading this novel made me realise that i have a lot to be thankful for and i still love her, and i wouldn't change her for anyone. she's done a lot to get me where i am today.before i read loveboat, taipei, i never really liked my chinese features like my eyes or my straight hair, or china, or its history. i don't know why, it must've been because that was the thing people always saw first when they looked at me, that i was east asian, and from there they'd make an assumption with all the typical stereotypes that come with being chinese. after reading this book i've come to appreciate who i am as a chinese australian, and i've realised that being chinese is something i'm proud to say, not something i should try and deflect or avoid. it's who i am, it's part of me. like ever, i had a lot of restrictions (my mum has these three rules. the first is studying hard. the second is finding a good job. the third is finding a good husband.) but now i've realised that it's more than just rules. it's something my mum wants to be able to rely on, something firm and unchanging. but that's not who i am anymore. this book has taught me to realise that i shouldn't be afraid to share my favourite music with my parents, or tell them about the book i'm reading or the movies i watch. it's taught me to follow my passions, but also knowing that my parents won't try to steal the joy and happiness i get from them, and loving the chinese side of myself. i adored this book, and i'm so thankful for coco for recommending it !

A great use of genre-defining tropes without letting the story be even remotely cliche: a teenage moving far from her parents, finding new friendships, a love triangle and coming of age. A story that can effectively tug at the reader's heartstrings and be swoon-worthy at bits.Loveboat, Taipei is a YA contemporary romance set in a Taiwanese program that focuses on cultural education and matchmaking for East Asian-Americans.A Taiwanese-American daughter, Ever, is forced to fly to an overseas summer program in Taiwan by her immigrant parents after her secret application to her dream course in dancing is exposed. Despite being granted admission to a path that would lead her to a career she aspires the most, the parents can't look ahead of her decision to not pursue medicine. Typical of Asian parents, they assume a program focused on resuscitating young Chinese-Americans with a better knowledge of Mandarin, a better understanding of their cultural roots, and a better determination to fulfil the much sought after American dream will help her. Officially know as Chien Tan, this educational program is also knows as 'Loveboat' for its lack of adult supervision. Relatable and predictable yet exciting and adventurous, Ever's eight-week stay at the program is an unmissable ride as she reconnects with her heritage and finds a creative outlet for her dancing. It creates a positive apprehension and genuine fun around the idea of being in a completely new setting while wondering what belonging to this place would feel like or should feel like. The pages light up from the stunning, sparkling night-life of Taiwan and ooze sensitivity when guiding through the various cultural references. The theme of carrying out your passion against societal or familial expectations, of contemplating on whether to cherish the newfound freedom or hold on to the values of belonging—or find a balance between the two—makes it so easy for the readers to completely immerse themselves. A drama running on friendships and love excellently knits young dilemma with strands of identity and dreams. With side characters like: a boy with good grades, extra-curricular enthusiast, sports champion, well-mannered, handsome—exactly what every Asian parent ultimately wishes for; a boy with a bad reputation who is brooding, hates rules, loves art, and flaunts a personality meant to hide his true self; and a girl with simple dreams and fun personality who searches for true love. When these three and Ever cross paths, the line between creating a new way and holding on to the roots is blurred. Despite being a little cliche, this story features a love triangle that rides on an emotional wave as a golden good boy and a mysterious bad boy develop feelings for this rebellious yet grounded girl who can drink snake-blood sake when challenged and can dance like its an incurable addiction. It's impossible to not take notice of the riveting undertones of defiance, communication, trust, and mistakes. While the complicated relationships, as and when they're building and readjusting, effortlessly hold the reader's attention through a book you won't even realise is 400+ pages long, it unfortunately doesn't consistently impress—especially if one has a bias against triangles and quadruples. Heavily and successfully relying on the coming-of-age theme, Loveboat, Taipei explores intimacy and love, friendship and family, heritage and belonging, privileges and expectations through a heartwarming and endearing tone that makes you appreciate the imperfect characters at every turn. ↣ an early digital copy received via netgalley.

I was very nervous when I picked this book up because it's a first book in a contemporary series, but I'm very happy to say that this book didn't disappoint. It lived up to the messy hijinks that I had expected complete with a heart at the center of it. I also very happy that Loveboat tells a complete story.Ever as a protagonist was a joy to read from. If there was a complaint I wish that I could have had more of Pearl and Ever's relationship. Because of the actual plot of the book, I get why we had the moments that we had, still gonna hold out hope that book two delivers on some more quality sisterly bonding.As for the love quadrangle, that delivered. It was the perfect ball of mess that hit the fan at just the right time in all the right ways. Truly could not have asked for a better execution.I really wish I had something more eloquent to say about this book, but this mess of a discussion is really all I have. I do think that it took a moment to connect to the characters but once the story hit its stride, around the time we actually landed in Taipei, I didn't want to put the book down. Would almost certainly recommend this book to others, particularly those that have a similar taste in contemporaries that just want to see people living their messiest lives and maybe growing from it along the way.

Read with the Between the Pages bookclub for our April Member’s BOTM.Join the Between the Pages bookclub here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/....3.5 🌟Well look, I certainly enjoyed this book, and as a person who is Chinese-Australian and the son of parents who are immigrants from China, I could certainly relate to many points brought up in this novel. That being said, there were some things regarding execution that I didn’t vibe with, and there was also a love triangle, which I’m afraid to say aren’t my thing. I still enjoyed it despite that, and I had a solid time reading this. I liked the characterisation of Ever, our main character. I thought she was well developed, and her actions made sense considering the kind of person she was and how she grew up and how her parents treated her. I actually liked her revelation at the end of the novel that she had about her parents(no spoilers, won’t go into detail) and at how she was able to shape her own journey and truly discover who she was as a person and what she was comfortable with. The characterisation of some of side characters were ok, but not brilliant. I honestly would have liked more depth from some of them. Also, some of their actions made little sense at times, especially this pretty major incident with Sophie, that just didn’t seem like the kind of person that she was. I found Xavier to be fairly interesting and at how he grappled with his issues, and overall, I just thought that his arc that he had was neat. I both dislike but also sympathise with Ever’s parents. I understand their worry and plight because of the background they came from and while they think they know the best for their child, which is having a stable career and financial security, because they lacked that. On the other hand, they do come off as being far too controlling of Ever’s actions and it is too much.I thought the plot was fine. It had some nice moments, and I liked the way it ended, even if it was predictable. In a sense, it is all over the place, but that was to be expected, considering it is a contemporary where the focus is on the characters. I felt that there were some plot conveniences, or that some things were wrapped up too easily, or that there were no real consequences for a lot of things. It’s hard to say that it was unrealistic, but I’m come to realise far too many things can be realistic over the course of this past year and a bit.It does focus on a lot of stereotypes regarding Asians living in western countries. I think it handled it well. Not fantastically, as there was a lot of issues raised here and some things were glossed over, but it provides a taste to non-Asian readers as to what Asian people, or specifically East-Asian people may feel of go through and the pressure and all that sort of stuff. It’s both funny and sad that I was trying to piece together the pinyin in this book as while Chinese is atrocious and, in a sense, I could seriously relate to the main character in that way. Also, the whole medicine thing and I’m not up to that stage in life yet being the teenager that I am, but I am the sort of person that would go off and do an Arts degree instead medicine or law and it’s interesting at how these stereotypes are brought up. It does create a lot of racist narratives for sure, and yet, many things that this novel touches on can be perfectly accurate so it’s an interesting thing to look at and analyse.Anyways, I enjoyed this, thought it was solid, but didn’t end up loving it. 7/10