I find myself needing to remember that not every book is meant to be fast paced. This was steady, and that was because it needed to be in order for you to feel the weight of these characters’ feelings and think about how this period in history was.

Our main character Lily deals with issues on multiple fronts: her dad facing deportation, her exploring her sexuality, attempting to be a good daughter in her family’s eyes, not fitting in as a Chinese-American, etc. I admire her bravery so much, going out of her way to do these things in order to find her true self and eventually live as authentically as possible.

Her situation feels so real and putting it into the historical context of the time she’s living in, it hits you HARD. I love that she didn’t dishonor herself even if it took a bit to get to that point.

I loved her relationship with Kath and how their love was so special and delicate. Their shared love for science was so refreshing especially since it was more widely believed that those careers and interests were not for girls. They were so gentle with one another, and Kath allowed Lily to discover herself without judgement.

I do think the ending was a bit abrupt, but it leaves on a nice and hopeful note that I am not mad about. As a queer person myself, I think of my own experiences growing up and coming to terms with it, and I see myself in Lily for sure.

Overall, loved this read and definitely left me with some good educational information as well!