Valentina has been obsessed with Valentine's Day since she was a kid, and it's not just because of her name. She started getting beautiful, anonymous valentines in the mail and she believed Cupid was sending them to her, and Cupid became her imaginary friend, encouraging and helping her to make personalized, handmade valentines for everyone. By high school, those no longer go over well--in fact one kid tears his up after it moves him to tears and other boys tease him. Valentina's best friend is dating a new guy every week and is encouraging Val to move on and grow up (but in a nice way.) Her first boyfriend, a coworker at the corndog stand at the mall, is okay but very boring and doesn't make her feel special. Then after she remeets her grandmother (who she hasn't seen since she was a small child) who takes her and her father to Tet, otherwise known at Lunar New Years, she's enchanted by the lion dancing, and also she meets Leslie, and his cousin Jae, who of course is the boy who tore up her valentine a few years ago. Leslie is gorgeous and they start dating right away, but he refuses to define their relationship. Meanwhile, Valentina has learned some things about her family, and becomes convinced they are cursed in love. She talks to St. Valentine's ghost and he proposes that if she gives him her heart, she can't be hurt by giving it to any human. She is tempted but also reluctant, so he gives her a year to think it over--during which time she's supposed to find her One True Love.
As someone whose heart has been broken, I was looking forward to a book where the main character wants to never have her heart broken and doesn't want to fall in love--except of course she really does. While love has caused great pain in her and her family's lives, it has also caused great joy. Because that's how it works. As Valentina learns to lion dance, learns about her family, and gets to know Les and Jae better, and herself better, she has an eventful year. Culminating in the return of St. Valentine, who needs an answer….
I couldn't stop reading this, and it healed my heart a little. Yes, I did cry, and part of me wanted Valentina to keep her heart protected but… that's not realistic and also not how books work. I did love the ending. It's perfect, but not exactly how you think it's going to get there.
This book is published by First Second, a division of Macmillan, my employer.
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