This is a perfect example of the kind of YA stories I miss and want to read more of! And it's one of the few stories I'd rather listen to than read (if only for the pronunciation -- I'm a language nerd).

The characters all feel age-appropriate. They sound and act like 18-year-old recent high school grads. And the adults were all flawed, realistic adults. The academic enemies-to-lovers and inheritance scavenger hunt are just unhinged enough to remind me of the early days of YA. It made me smile. And Gemma and Xander are so sweetly earnest and adorable.

I love the story of learning about your heritage and culture. And I loved how each character on the TARP trip had a unique relationship with it. It's also very cool to see these young people realize their parents and grandparents are people. Taiwan felt like its own character in all this. Gloria did such a lovely job with the setting that I felt like I could see all the action and activities playing out.

The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is for how Gemma's "different wavelength" was handled. She's so obviously neurodivergently-coded -- why couldn't that just be said? Her mom assimilated them so much that I doubt it would be out of character. It just struck a weird cord with me every time it was brought up. For a book that's all about understanding yourself and where you come from, it felt like something of a missed opportunity.

That said, it's a wonderful book and I'm recommending it to everyone!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Viking Books, and the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.