Abigail Hing Wen delivers a poignant and thought-provoking story with The Safe Side of Tomorrow, blending heartfelt emotion with a sharp exploration of ambition, identity, and family dynamics. Wen’s characters are authentic and relatable, and the narrative beautifully captures the complexities of balancing personal dreams with familial expectations.

A touching and resonant read for fans of contemporary fiction with depth.

2.9⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley for this arc.
I can see why others would enjoy this book, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. It has drama and running away from bad guys which a lot of people would enjoy. I on the other hand didn’t connect to the characters enough to care about the whole plot. The good thing is, most characters end up improving by the end of the story.

A high stakes YA thriller slash second chance romance that has a group of teens and one underaged sibling racing to crack the code on some stolen coins while mysterious thugs chase them down. Fast paced, smart and suspenseful, this was a fun read and a welcome departure from the author's previous Loveboat series. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review! Great narration by Eric Yang and perfect for fans of authors like Jesse Q. Sutanto.

3.5

Very fast paced YA thriller/mystery. I enjoyed the story overall, although I felt like it was a little too leading. I felt like the foreshadowing was too telling and I knew what was going to happen very early on. I feel as though the build up to the solution could have been elongated and more elaborate. That being said, I think that if you was looking to start reading thrillers/mysteries, ya is a good place to start and this would be a great one to read.

This high-stakes YA thriller is like one of those action movies that's a bit outlandish in its twists and turns, but you just keep going because you have to know how it ends. The MMC is into coding and the coding element is pretty vital to the story, the five year old little sister is actually pretty useful to the plot, there's a tattooed nun, a little nod to the noir element of the woman in danger, a bit of romantic tension with a love triangle, and lots of life-or-death scenes with close calls.

From an educator perspective, I think this would be a fine addition to a classroom library, and a good independent reading recommendation for kids who need something action-packed. The book does have a bit of a slow start at the beginning because it is hard to believe that kids would be in such situations, so I think it has to set things up just right.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing a free arc of this novel.

This is a fun summer read. It’s pretty unique in my opinion because it has a very modern mystery plot, set in the present day with average teenage protagonists tackling a conspiracy that’s actually not too far-fetched to occur. I loved the tech-centered aspects of the novel. There were tons of points in the story when Tan’s ability to code came in handy, which I thought was really cool. Weirdly enough, I just wish there was more detail on how the coding actually happens. There were points where it felt like he was doing “magic coding:” something needs to get done, so he just “does the tech thing” and it happens without many details on how it was accomplished (I’d give examples but I’m trying to keep this spoiler-free). I know it’s a ya novel, not a coding manual, but I enjoy it when I can learn about something I’m unfamiliar with while reading for fun. Idk, that’s probably just a me thing. Also, it might’ve been my imagination but I thought there were a couple inconsistencies plot-wise here and there. But then again, I just might have missed something.

I love all the contrasting and unique personalities of the main characters. Tan was an awesome choice for a main character, very in touch with how teens are today. He has insecurities and some flaws, has some concerns about the future, but is kind and tries to make the best decisions based on what he knows. He also has super niche tech knowledge, which added another dimension to his character. The author also managed a three-point character arc for him, which was very well thought out. Our other cast of characters include the mischievous but well meaning younger sister, the kind yet strong Winter, and the glamorous yet calculating ex-girlfriend (seriously, Rebecca is a genius, and I love her character growth, too).

There were plot twists and little coding tricks throughout. The plot took things in an unexpected direction, but it made the reading experience all the more enjoyable. Again, I really love that the book features a very modern mystery, centered on the growing digital space in our world.

DNF at 28% WTF did I just read...
This was unfortunately really really really bad. Maybe if this was meant to be funny?

High school best friends Tan Lee and Winter Woo have been left to babysit Tan’s younger sister, Sana, while the adults all vacation in Hawaii. If that doesn’t sound bad enough, Tan’s ex-girlfriend, Rebecca, suddenly shows up with millions of stolen money and a bunch of thugs on her tail. The four of them go on the run to try to evade the bad guys and save Rebecca from her parents, who want to keep her in their bubble. Not only was this plot hard to follow at times, but so many things happened that didn’t make sense. As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the author’s Loveboat Taipei trilogy, this book fell flat, especially where the romance was concerned. 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars

For me I had difficulty connecting to the characters in the story. It started out strong but it felt like it was unravelling.

The story couldn’t keep my interest/attention at all.

I restarted listening a few times to see if I could get into it, but just the overall experience of the story was just a bit boring and slow moving for me.

This was a fast paced and fun YA book. It was a thrilling ride with a lot of action and trying to outwit the bad guys. I love books about teens pulling one over on adults.

Not very believable but FUN!

Winter just had a magical prom date with his friend that is living with his family but the night ends with his date Tan unsure if Winter is over his ex. They skirt around each other at home until one day Winters parents declare they are going on vacation with Tans mom and leaving them to watch his 5 year old sister. (Wut?!) When they leave Winters ex shows up at his house begging for help with running away from her Billionaire dad.

We’ve got Chaos, henchmen, nuns, kissing and coding.

If you want something fun and don’t need reality this is a great time.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an alc

3.5 stars

This fun, fast-paced YA read is a little Adventures in Babysitting (movie) and Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto. Tan Lee has a knack for breaking codes and hearts. Winter Woo and her mom live with the Lee family. When all three parents leave for a trip to Hawaii, Winter and Tan are put in charge of watching Tan's little sister, Sana (age 5) for a week. Tan and Winter awkwardly alternate their babysitting roles because neither one can forget about the magical kiss they shared at prom when Tan's ex, Rebecca shows up from Shanghai after stealing valuable coins from her parents.

Tan, Winter, Sana, and Rebecca flee the Lee home after thugs try to kidnap Rebecca and the coins. On the run, Tan is forced to help Rebecca out-maneuver her father's thugs, keep his sister safe, and navigate his heart.

Eric Yang narrates the audiobook really well. His voice makes it easy for the listener to understand Tan. His intonation and pace bring Tan's character to life. I do find the voice that he uses for Sana to be annoying - sounds more like a toddler and less like a kindergartner.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of the audiobook.

I really enjoyed everything about this. It was easy to follow and hard to put down. My heart raced through the entire adventure!! I highly recommend!

This book was good!

It is fast paced and keeps you guessing (a little out there but it’s fun!).

I’ll start by saying Tan is a treasure we all must protect. I adored him. He was the most wholesome character. Winter is also a character I really liked but I feel like we didn’t really get to know her as much which is a bummer. Rebecca. Didn’t like. I mean I get where she’s coming from and everything but just didn’t love her. She does grow on you a bit by the end but still not my favorite.

Sana and The Cove kids! This bunch. They are the heart and soul of this book. I LOVED THEM. They brought the story together.

Highly recommend. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read and review.

This was a fun YA read, but a lot of the setup for this story was very unrealistic. However, I do think teen audiences will enjoy the storyline and the idea of these teens needing to find their own way out of trouble. Secondary purchase. (Title is incorrect in netgalley catalog)

This required a heck of a lot of suspension of disbelief, but if you can accomplish that, it was a cute and fun fast-paced read.

I really liked the characters and I loved the Cove. It was such a warm and welcoming home for kids without homes. And even though it was located in a church-related building and run by a nun, the religious aspect wasn't really pushed. I appreciated that. Also that it welcomed a nonbinary kid who got kicked out by their parents with open arms, bending the gendered sleeping quarters rule for them.

The scenes with the Cove and the kids there were the best parts; luckily they took up quite a bit of the book.

The plot was unrealistic to the extreme, but a handful of kids running from international thugs made for a great story. It was sort of like if you combined the Boxcar Children with Mission Impossible. I don't know if the parts about digital security and codebreaking were accurate as that's not my area of expertise, but they seemed at least internally consistent and were believable enough to keep me immersed in the story. It would make a fantastic action movie.

The love story was sweet although too much time was spent telling me how the characters thought and felt for my taste. I prefer to be left to figure it out from context. But it's a YA book and so it falls into that trap of overexplaining feelings that many YA books fall into.

I also really liked that, no matter how determined Tan was to handle everything and keep everyone safe, especially his little sister, Sana played a huge role in the big showdown at the end. The kids from the Cove did as well. It very much kept to the theme of 'we're stronger together' which gave it a nice wholesome feel.

I also liked the San Francisco bay area setting. One, because it makes sense for a family so heavily into digital currency security and codebreaking, and two, because it's just familiar enough to me that I could really picture a lot of the scenes.

The audiobook was really well done and helped keep me immersed in the story. The character voices were easily distinguishable and made sense. The narration flowed smoothly and the pacing was good.

Although it was a little difficult to get into the story at first, and I really had to suspend my disbelief, I had a great time with this story and would definitely read more by this author.

*Thanks to Feiwel and Friends and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing an early copy for review.

I really enjoyed the many nuances of Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies by Abigail Hing Wen. Part romance, mystery, and survival this contemporary YA novel includes brilliant teens that are trying to live their best lives. The cryptocurrency aspect of the story was of particular interest to me as well as the secret codes and cyphers throughout. I also loved the theme of altruism presented within the text in multiple ways. As an additional bonus, I can share this YA novel with my grades 6-8 students who are looking for a more advanced story without inappropriate language or explicit themes.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC! I cannot wait to share this with my students!

Having already read, "Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies,” when I saw the audio with the same cover, I jumped at the chance to listen to the audiobook titled "The Safe Side of Tomorrow," thinking it was the sequel to "Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies." To my surprise, it was the same story!

The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. However, their portrayal of Rebecca made her selfishness truly exasperating. She never seemed to grasp the consequences of her actions. As Mr. Spock said in Star Trek, "...the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
Tan's younger sister, Sana, is a constant source of frustration. She plays hide-and-seek to get attention, showcasing the typical stubbornness of a young genius. While the narrator perfectly captures Sana's whininess, it could be tiresome for listeners. Oddly when I read it, it didn’t come off as excruciating.

This audiobook is more suited for middle-grade/very young, young adult listeners.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with a digital audio copy in exchange for this honest review.

This one felt and read very elementary, more so than YA. It was an easy read and it was hard to suspend belief for so long. I just couldn’t get into this one.