Solving For the Unknown by Loan Le

 

SPOILER ALERT! The characters in the author’s previous book, A Pho Love Story do appear, but it is unnecessary to read the first book in order to enjoy this one.

‘To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.” - taken from Goodreads

Evie is Lihn’s sister and Viet is Bao’s friend from A Pho Love Story. This tender story about college life and personal relationships is a quick read told from each of the characters’ points of view. A quick and clean read that gives readers not only a satisfying ending but a glimpse into the lives of previous characters.

Visit Loan Le’s website.

When We Collided by Emery Lord

“Can you fall in love when you’re falling apart?”

“We are seventeen and shattered and still dancing. We have messy, throbbing hearts, and we are stronger than anyone could ever know…

Jonah never thought a girl like Vivi would come along.

Vivi didn’t know Jonah would light up her world.

Neither of them expected a summer like this…a summer that would rewrite their futures.

In an unflinching story about new love, old wounds, and forces beyond our control, two teens find that when you collide with the right person at just the right time, it will change you forever.” - Goodreads 

At the heart of this book, this was Jonah's story. I really wanted to shake Vivi for some of her choices but she was the breath of fresh air in the small town of Verona Cove. And the town and Jonah were better for Vivi being there. The beginning of this story wasn't really capturing my attention but I was in tears at the end. Grief, mental illness, and recovery are what makes this book. 

Visit Emery Lord’s website.

Darius the Great Is Not Okay by Adib Khorram (Darius the Great book 1)

 

“Darius doesn't think he'll ever be enough, in America or in Iran.

Darius Kellner speaks better Klingon than Farsi, and he knows more about Hobbit social cues than Persian ones. He's about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. In Iran, he gets to know his ailing but still formidable grandfather, his loving grandmother, and the rest of his mom's family for the first time. And he meets Sohrab, the boy next door who changes everything.

Sohrab makes sure people speak English so Darius can understand what's going on. He gets Darius an Iranian National Football Team jersey that makes him feel like a True Persian for the first time. And he understands that sometimes, best friends don't have to talk. Darius has never had a true friend before, but now he's spending his days with Sohrab playing soccer, eating rosewater ice cream, and sitting together for hours in their special place, a rooftop overlooking the Yazdi skyline.

Sohrab calls him Darioush—the original Persian version of his name—and Darius has never felt more like himself than he does now that he's Darioush to Sohrab. When it's time to go home to America, he'll have to find a way to be Darioush on his own.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I adored Darius and his emotional journey as he visits his mother’s family for the first time in Iran. Dealing with depression and a belief that he doesn’t live up to his father’s expectations, Darius discovers himself and comes into his own during the trip.l Darius discovers his heritage, makes a true friend, and meets for the first and last time his dying grandfather. 

I loved all of the details of Iran and it felt like I was there alongside Darius. The ending was emotional and satisfying. I cannot wait to see where Darius goes next.

Book two, Darius the Great Deserves Better, is out now. 

Visit Adib Khorram’s website.