Thank you NetGalley and First Second Books for this arc!

5/5 stars

This was such a touching read about family, identity, and love of all different types. Val has sure been through some shit, but with her friends and family she's healing and learning to trust again. Thus was beautifully illustrated as well, fantastic read

Happy Lunar New Year! If you are looking for a fantastic read that is great for both Valentine's Day and Lunar New Year, the new graphic novel LUNAR NEW YEAR LOVE STORY is an awesome choice. As I expect when I pick up a @geneluenyang story, the narrative isn't immediately straightforward--there's a new layer of storytelling waiting to be peeled back every few beats. This is no exception, and the family drama in play is depicted primarily in how it impacts the youngest generation. (Also, aunties and grandmas--Yang has a soft spot for these older ladies, and I do too.) @uyenloseordraw's is fantastic as always--I'm impressed at how consistently amazing her work is across formats, since before this I had known her work best from picture books and Princess in Black! Her style is really well suited to both the realistic and fantastic elements at play here. And I loved learning about the lion dance!

Definitely pop by your library or bookstore and check it out!

I loved this graphic novels so much, I loved the art, the characters, and the story. I want to get the physical to add to my collection. I liked the growth of the characters.

As a child, Valentina was in LOVE with Valentine's Day, but her obsession soured as a teen when she realized that everyone in her family has been unlucky in love. Perhaps she could avoid the almost certain heartbreak by evading that emotion all together? But, then again, there's this boy . . . well, TWO boys actually . . .

This book has EVERYTHING going for it: a great involving story, a fascinating exploration of multiple cultures, likeable, believable characters, great artwork, and some wacky relatives to provide the humor.

Plus - it ends with a big old AWWWW.

This happily non-sappy romance should be in every library's young adult collection.

Thank you so much, for letting me read this graphic novel. I very much enjoyed reading this story. I loved how heartfelt the story is written. And the artstyle really reflects the emotions of the story.

Absolutely brilliant. One of my favourite illustrators with a powerhouse of a comics writer - and the results are a perfect YA graphic novel. The characters are all richly developed, the movement in the dragon dance spreads is captivating, and I couldn't put it down. I'll be recommending this one to all my library teens.

I really liked Valentina's story and how everything unfolded with twists and turns and aspects I didn't see coming. I really liked the character of her grandmother -- very entertaining and such a force. The illustrations added so much to the story and were fantastic. Unfortunately I think this book is a bit too niche for our high school library patrons. I don't see a lot of them reading such a convoluted love story -- a lot of it was more Valentina's self discovery than it was love story which made it feel slower paced. The part with the ghost of St. Valentine was important for the plot but overall a bit weird; it didn't really work for me. I enjoyed the story overall and especially the ending and how it all came together.

When I saw that Yang had another book coming out, I was so excited! His basketball graphic novel is STILL one of my favorites! I love it so much! So when I heard this was coming out I knew I had to get my hands on this one. As much as I don’t like saying that cliche ass phrase lol But it’s the truth

The art in this is so amazing! Red is the prominent color and it ties in with Valentine’s Day and it means “celebrations and prosperity” in most Asian cultures. Sometimes it can be perceived as an angry color, but in this book is represented love, and luck, and good fortune. But the drawing is also amazing. I spent a lot of time just staring at some of the pages in the graphic novel because they looked so good. And idk what it is, but those full page spreads look BOMB on my iPad. Like even better than on actual paper. Reading graphic novels on my iPad is like the only way I can read them now thanks to this book lol

The story itself was good. It had some romance and some paranormal aspects to it. And that made me like it even more because I wasn’t expecting it. And the way the paranormal aspect is snuck in there is also pretty cool. Although the way she comes upon it is pretty sad. I don’t think I’ve cried from reading a graphic novel since I read The Prince and the Dressmaker. So when I felt myself getting teary when I read this, I knew that this was going to be a winner. And it was. I couldn’t stop reading this.

The writing in this was really good too. Normally when I read a graphic novel or a novel in verse I always feel like I’ve missed something or I feel a bit detached in some way. But I didn’t feel that at all with this one. I cried, I laughed, I swooned, and so much more. This book was nothing like I was expecting, and for that I loved it. I knew where it was going from the beginning, but the journey of how you get there is super cute.

Also, don’t go into this hungry…. The amount of pho they eat in this can only be rivaled by one thing….. The amount of pho I eat when it’s cold lol And they also brought up banh mi and I have never wanted to put fictional food in my face until that point. So now, I need some Vietnamese because just talking about it made me hungry.

This graphic novel was a lot of fun! I really hope you all pick this up. Not only will you get a great romance, you’ll also get some phenomenal art, and some knowledge about the Asian diaspora and how they celebrate things differently. This book is one of my favorite books of 2024 already!

This was was an enjoyable rom com that delves into serious family issues. I found the beginning engaging, though the middle felt slow before picking up towards the end. I loved the artwork.

In Valentina’s family, romance has always led to suffering and she fears that she is destined for the same fate. So when Saint Valentine suggests that Val give him her heart so he can keep it safe, she agrees … but bargains for one year to prove that her fate can be different from her family’s. When Val meets ultra-charming Leslie Liu through a lion dancing performance at a Lunar New Year’s festival, everything is absolutely perfect - at least, it looks that way on Les’s Instagram feed. Val worries that something is missing from her relationship with Les, and maybe it’s because her heart actually belongs to another lion dancer. Can she reveal her true feelings, and risk making herself vulnerable to real love, before her one year is up and Saint V claims her heart forever? Lunar New Year Love Story is divided into twelve chapters, each representing a month of the year, and each chapter has a color theme that corresponds with the feng shui wheel. There are so many levels to unpack and adore in this love story about family, friendship, and - of course - romance! No matter the temperature outside, this graphic novel will melt your heart!

Lunar New Year Love Story is a contemporary graphic novel that follows Valentina Tran, a teenager named after a holiday that used to be her favorite until the love in her life proved to be more lies and pain that happiness. One day, she meets a spirit named Saint Valentine, who tells her that her family is cursed in never finding true love or being unlucky (relationships end, death, etc). As Valentina is beginning to give into the curse, she meets two lion dancing brothers, Jae and Leslie, that sparks something within her and makes her want to prove her and her family aren't as unlucky in love as they seem. Unfortunately, I did not love this one but it was not terrible story either. I just wasn't invested in the story or the characters. I was more interested in the beautiful art style and culture portrayed on page. I wanted more of the family dynamics than the romance and Valentina's curse. Saint Valentine and the other darker subjected appears creepy in some panels, giving the story another layer and tone but at times they felt disconnected or like the background to Valentina's love triangle with Jae and Leslie. The balance between the dark panels and the important subjects versus the romance and excited curiosity for the culture and lion dancing Valentina had just felt off for me. 3.5 stars

Beautiful illustrations.

A heartfelt look at one we shouldn't close ourselves off to love, family, and friendship. The magical realism approach is just gorgeous. There are pages that I would buy as wall art.

This was such a beautiful graphic novel! The art was stunning + the colors were so vibrant. I was so interesting to learn about different aspects of the Lunar New Year! Valentina + Jae were adorable + I was rooting for them the whole time!

I loved this graphic novel. I read it little by little, chapter by chapter, and each time it captivated me more.

It has a lot of cultural information that I loved finding in this story, ideal to read in February, the month of love.

The basis of Lunas New Year Love Story is love, in all its facets, in all the ways one can express it. And it's also about self-love, and I loved that. Not only in romantic love, but we can find love in many other people. A father, a friend, a friend, in relationships that are not so conformed.

A beautiful story, full of curiosities to discover and inform yourself, to believe in healthy love, to heal, to have faith.

Thank you First Second Books for the ARC I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story and the art style! The theme of love and making valentines had my heart! Valentina’s relationship with her father was so sweet!

I received an e-galley of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham from First Second Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Valentina is named after Valentine's Day which is obviously her favourite holiday. But when she finds out the truth about her parents and why her mom is no longer in her life, she believes that love is a lie. In fact, she is sure that her family is cursed to never find love. But when confronted with the spirit of Saint Valentine who tells her that her family is cursed, she is determined to prove him wrong. This is just around the time when she meets a pair of cute lion dancers, and Val is determined to fight this fate and try to prove that true love is within her destiny. As Val gets to know Leslie and Jae, she will have to decide what exactly she wants out of love and how to determine who is the right person for her.

This graphic novel is such a fantastic story about love, relationships, and family - all intertwined with culture and traditions. I really liked how the events timed itself around Lunar New Year, which showed how diverse this holiday can be for many different cultures that celebrate.

I am a long-time fan of Gene Luen Yang, and this book is a sweet addition to his collection. What's best about Yang's stories is the way he layers history and culture with the main storyline. This graphic novel is multigenerational, and teaches readers about the Lunar New Year without being preachy. It's a mirror of many Asian cultures and a window for non-Asian cultures. The main character, Val, learns to trust herself and in love. And the story is aided by the artwork of LeUyen Pham, a Vietnamese artists I have followed for a while. Overall, this is a sweet sweet book, perfect for Lunar New Year or Valentine's, or any time.

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC of this book.

I enjoyed this book! I especially liked the cultural information. I was familiar with the Lion Dance but had no idea it was so complex and spanned so many cultures and countries. The love story was sweet, and I thought it ended well. The story moved a little slowly for me at times, but the illustrations were wonderful.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

This is a fun graphic novel that is being published just in time to enjoy this lunar new year. The illustrations are colourful and easy to follow. I'm not a huge fan of graphic novels, but love that this is aimed for older audiences as it is good to have more options in this area. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to check this one out.

In Lunar New Year Love Story, a YA graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang & LeUyen Pham, Val believes she’s cursed. Every romantic relationship in her family has fallen apart and led to heartbreak, and she believes she will never find true love. One Lunar New Year festival changes everything, and the story follows Val over a series of Lunar New Years as she tries to find love.

This graphic novel is a well rounded story about family, friendship and romance. It explores familial and platonic relationships just as much as romantic ones, and readers learn about the experiences of Val’s parents, her best friend Bernice and other minor characters alongside Val.

Val is a kind and loving character, but her journey is full of grief. It isn’t explicitly stated, but it’s clear to me that the story touches on depression. I wish this had been explored more but acknowledge that this would have taken away from the magical realism aspect of the story. The magical realism aspect is not described in the synopsis, and I think it’s better to read this book without knowing too much information.

The best thing about this story is the way it discusses love and grief. Several characters experience different types of grief, and the story recognizes that grief is unavoidable. But this book is also about the ways love will find you again, even when it feels impossible. As much as this book is about grief, it’s also about finding joy and embracing new beginnings. It’s full of hope, and I love the way it includes small acts of kindness that end up having a big impact in the lives of these characters.

I love this book but I do have one issue with it—something happens in the middle of the story that is clearly not okay, and I wish it had been handled differently. This book is otherwise wonderful and includes important messages about family, love and taking chances.

Lunar New Year Love Story is out now! Thank you First Second Books and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC to review.

Rating: 4.5/5