The Situation: Việt is not sure what will happen at home once he goes off to college. Living on a campus six hours away means no longer having to witness the constant bickering between his parents, which has been going on as long as he can remember. Even on moving day, the fighting does not stop, and once his parents leave, Việt is suddenly living with a stranger, and on an unknown campus where he must now find his own way to new friends and experiences. Evie is in her third year at UC Davis, and is looking forward to hanging out with friends, maybe securing a job at a clinic, and being with her boyfriend Jake. It is through a clumsy accident that she and Việt meet, but they soon find themselves securing an important place in each other's lives.
The Problem: Việt's weekly calls home confirms what he has feared. His parents are still fighting, the old familiar patterns playing out even without him there. And while he has managed to make friends at college, even finding a peaceful balance with a roommate he has very little in common with, what he would really like is to be closer to Evie, who is still with Jake. But Evie struggles to admit to herself what her friends seem to see, which is that she and Jake no longer really fit. And she worries about Việt, who seems to retreat into himself and away from others when things get to be too much. But the two of them, along with their friends, continue to navigate college life, and the chaos that can come with it.
Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction book that takes place in and around UC Davis in California. In alternating chapters, it follows first-year student Việt, and third-year student Evie, as a third-person narrator details the events. Việt and Evie are also from the same area of California as Bảo and Linh from A Pho Love Story. In fact, Việt is Bảo's friend, and Evie is Linh's older sister. So this story's two protagonists each know what the other pair had to go through to be together. This book also deals with mental health struggles, which can become more pronounced in college, as well as family expectations, and the experience of simply wanting to be seen.
My Verdict: I always lament that there are not more books that are set during the college years as most young adult novels take place during high school, or even in that summer between high school and college. Việt's experience of suddenly having to occupy a too small space with someone you just met will be relatable for many people. Plus, there is the balance of new friends, and challenging courses, plus making space for any outside interests, all of which Le portrays well. And the relationship (or lack thereof) between Evie and Jake is clearly flawed, but the author manages to show how there can be just enough positive moments that will keep someone hanging on, despite the bigger red flags. There is more conflict and tension here, which many believed Le's first book lacked, and readers will get to follow-up on Bảo and Linh.
Favorite Moment: When Việt gets involved in a forensic science club, this mean he is occasionally presented with practice or test cases to solve, and these were definitely interesting to me, almost like fun side puzzles in the middle of the bigger story.
Favorite Character: Việt is certainly believable as a somewhat dorky and offbeat freshman student bumbling his way through his first year of college. Things get better for him once he finds a solid group of friends who refuse to simply let him go when he begins to retreat.
Recommended Reading: I recommend Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, also set during the main character's first year of college.
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