Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee | YA Romance

          

"Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee"
Book Review by Dhiraj Sindhi

Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee

Author: Sher Lee

ISBN: 978-1035028313

Genre: Young-Adult Romance

Length: 272 Pages

Publication Date: 15^th June 2023

Publisher: Pan Macmillan India

Cover Art: Myriam Strasbourg | Website: www.myriamstrasbourg.com

Cover Designer: Casey Moses | Website: www.caseymoses.com

Order your copy right now: https://amzn.to/44LeZ5u

About the author:

SHER LEE writes rom-coms and fantasy novels for teens. Fake Dates and Mooncakes is her debut. Like the main character, she has made mooncakes with her favorite aunt and has an abiding love for local street food (including an incredible weakness for xiao long bao). She lives in Singapore with her husband and two adorable corgis, Spade and Clover.

Sher Lee with Spade and Clover

Instagram: @sherleeauthor

Website: sherleeauthor.com

Disclaimer: This review is only intended for initiating discussions. The opinions and views presented in this article are my own and do not reflect anything about the book's author. 

REVIEW

"Fake Dates and Mooncakes" is a feel-good teen drama that had me hooked from the very first page. From the outset, it was clear that FOOD would play a vital role, and the delectable prose, steeped in Singaporean and Chinese culinary traditions, lived up to the promise hinted at in the title. Set in the vibrant backdrop of Brooklyn and the Hamptons, the narrative unfolds through the eyes of Dylan. His world revolves around family – Aunt Jade, along with her children Megan and Tim, not to mention their lovable pet, Clover the Corgi. Dylan grapples with a life-altering decision, torn between pursuing a career as a veterinarian or a chef. At the heart of it all lies Wok Warriors, Aunt Jade's Singaporean-Chinese takeout restaurant, where Dylan lends a helping hand when he's not buried in his studies. However, his world takes an unexpected turn when Theo, the son of a wealthy businessman, enters his life. Theo crashes his cousin's wedding uninvited, with Dylan reluctantly posing as his pretend boyfriend.

Watching Dylan navigate the world of "rich-people problems" alongside Theo was undeniably adorable. Dylan agrees to this charade because of his growing fondness for Theo. On the flip side, Theo's character raises some eyebrows. More often than not, Theo's well-intentioned actions and privileged background seem to bring more chaos than harmony into Dylan's life. Their relationship becomes overshadowed by the financial support Theo provides. Consequently, the focus shifts away from matters of love or genuine dating; it becomes more about friendship and Dylan's reliance on Theo, as it appears he has no other confidant in this endeavour—winning the mooncake-making contest to save Wok Warriors.

Honestly, I found it challenging to see their relationship as anything beyond friends with benefits. Dylan brings emotional depth to their connection through his rich cultural values, while Theo helps Dylan navigate the challenges of opulence, attention, and some rather indifferent individuals. This dynamic didn't resonate with me. Their relationship feels shaky right from the start, lacking the profound connection I was hoping for, aside from a few symbolic gestures like the bracelet, baseball cap, and 'remembrance,' which contribute to the plot but don't really add depth to their bond. However, apart from the aspect of love, other themes are skillfully woven into the narrative. I found myself captivated by the exploration of the legend of Chang'e, the sensitive handling of xenophobia, the tantalizing food, and the intricacies of mooncake-making. Whether you're seeking solace in a comforting read during your leisure time or looking to mend a wounded heart, this book is a perfect choice.

Happy Reading!

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Book Review: What If It's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera | Dhiraj Sindhi

Book Review

What If It's Us

by

Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera

ISBN: 978-1471176395

Genre: YA Romantic Comedy

Length: 448 Pages

Publisher: HarperTeen (October 9, 2018) (For India: Simon & Schuster)

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Order your copy right now: What If It's Us (Amazon Link)

About the authors:

Becky Albertalli is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of William C. Morris Award winner and National Book Award longlist title Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda (now a major motion picture, Love, Simon); the acclaimed The Upside of Unrequited. Becky lives with her family in Atlanta.

Adam Silvera is the groundbreaking New York Times-bestselling author of They Both Die at the End, More Happy Than Not, and History Is All You Left Me. Born and raised in the Bronx, Adam spent a large portion of his teen years reading Harry Potter and writing fan fiction. Growing up, he also set a goal for himself: By the time he turned twenty-five, he would be a published author. Adam is as tall as ever and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Follow them on Instagram: @beckyalbertalli @adamsilvera

Check out their website: Becky: https://beckyalbertalli.com/ & Adam: http://www.adamsilvera.com/

Twitter Handles: @beckyalbertalli @AdamSilvera

REVIEW

What If It’s Us is the story of two teenagers who meet in New York. The story is narrated in two POVs of these two main characters, Arthur and Ben. Arthur’s chapters are narrated by Becky Albertalli and Ben’s chapters are narrated by Adam Silvera.

Arthur is only in New York for summer while Ben lives in New York. The story sets in the summer of 2018 at NYC. They both first meet at the post office. Arthur believes that the universe can deliver a show-stopping romance when you least expect it. Ben thinks if the universe had his back then he wouldn’t be on his way to post office carrying a break-up box. The location of the novel has its very good impact on the story, simply by the magic of New York City. The subway, the Central Park, the mall, the New York streets, buildings and apartments. And yes not to forget, the post office.

What If It’s Us is Young and Adult Romantic-Comedy Fiction. Being little specific, theme is Gay Romance (LGBT Romance). There are all sorts of details that refer to the struggles of gay teenagers these days. How difficult it is to find the one. Starting a relationship and maintaining it through ups and downs. The pressure of making their first-date perfect because there’s nothing like second-first-date. Well, it gets serious in the novel. There is a lot to laugh about in this book like on each page you would find a dialogue, a scene that is so realistically funny. So, it becomes a very light read. Also, the writing style of both the authors is so amazing, matching with the modern lifestyle of teenagers and youngsters. This book includes all references like FaceTime, Lyft, Instagram, Craigslist, and et cetera.

Talking about the plot, What If It’s Us follows two main characters as previously mentioned, Arthur and Ben. Arthur’s home is in Georgia and is only in New York for summer and Ben is New Yorker. They accidentally meet at post-office and also get separated just in time. Since, both the characters have strong feelings about each other, the universe has got plans for them. Arthur has two best friends in Georgia, Jessie and Ethan, to whom he just came out. Ben has just broke-up with Hudson, now his ex-boyfriend. Dylan is Ben’s best friend, who just broke-up with Harriet, who completes their four-friends circle. Arthur is an intern at his Mom’s office and Ben is in summer school and he doesn’t like this at all. Arthur and Ben surely meet again, they are obsessed with their do-overs. Everything else would seem like a spoiler but they actually become boyfriends. And there also comes a time when they feel other person in the relationship is not trying hard enough to be in the relationship. It’s funny and at the same time it’s heart-breaking.

Apart from this all, Harry Potter references are something to mention. Also, the book is filled with references to Broadway Plays/Musicals, Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dear Evan Hansen by Benj Pasek and Steven Levenson.

What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play?

But what if it is?
What if it's us?

What I loved about this book? I loved almost everything in the book. It kept me awake at nights to read that another chapter. The characters are outstanding, leaves that exceptional impression with you for ever. The descriptions and writing style is as commendable as their previous works. I loved it absolutely. The plot, scenes, do-overs, friends, not to forget their families are cute AF. And colleagues too. Epilogue is a bit unexpected but then I realized, it is more realistic than anything else. The most important thing authors have talked about is, HOMOPHOBIA. Because let’s face it, why not?

Concluding with a bottom line─ It made me happy. It felt joyful whenever I picked it up. Becky and Adam, I love you so very much.

Highly Recommended!

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Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Don't forget to subscribe. Don't forget to subscribe for more content. Thank you so much for reading!

Will see you in the next post. Till then buh-bye. Take Care. Peace.