When You Wish Upon a Lantern

Featured
When You Wish Upon a Lantern
Author(s)
Age Range
12+
Release Date
February 14, 2023
ISBN
978-0593464359
Buy This Book
      
Acclaimed author Gloria Chao creates real-world magic in this luminous romance about teens who devote themselves to granting other people's wishes but are too afraid to let themselves have their own hearts' desires—each other.

Liya and Kai had been best friends since they were little kids, but all that changed when a humiliating incident sparked The Biggest Misunderstanding of All Time—and they haven’t spoken since.

Then Liya discovers her family's wishing lantern store is struggling, and she decides to resume a tradition she had with her beloved late grandmother: secretly fulfilling the wishes people write on the lanterns they send into the sky. It may boost sales and save the store, but she can't do it alone . . . and Kai is the only one who cares enough to help.

While working on their covert missions, Liya and Kai rekindle their friendship—and maybe more. But when their feuding families and changing futures threaten to tear them apart again, can they find a way to make their own wishes come true?

Editor review

1 review
Fun and Lighthearted Romeo and Juliet Retelling
Overall rating
 
4.7
Plot
 
5.0
Characters
 
5.0
Writing Style
 
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
This is a story that focuses on finding and creating magic in your everyday life, despite all the worries that weigh us down. In this book, Liya and Kai are a modern, Chinese-American version of Romeo and Juliet that are fun, fluffy, and sweet, as well as compulsively readable.

The romance between the two characters is very slow-burning and it remains PG but wasn’t the only focus of the story. Since the characters live in an Asian-dominated area of Chicago, there’s a small-town feel with a heavy Chinese influence—the author incorporates a lot of Mandarin words that are easy to figure out the meaning of through context, although there’s also a glossary at the back of the book. The Chinese influence is evident through the inclusion of foods, traditions, language, customs, and celebrations, all of which work their way into the book in a natural and flowing way.

Overall, this was a fun read that had a surprising amount of humor in it. I loved learning more about Chinese culture, and it’s age-appropriate. The connection between the characters and their community members, as well as their family was easy to get lost in, and seeing how the characters were able to integrate ancient Chinese customs and festivals into a more modern American life was heartwarming. This is definitely a book to check out if you like YA romance.
Good Points
-OwnVoices
-Addresses grief and family dynamics
-Sweet and lighthearted romance
-Incorporates Chinese culture
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0

User reviews

There are no user reviews for this listing.
Already have an account? or Create an account