Valentina used to love Valentine’s Day. But after her grandma shows up one February 14 with a family secret, the holiday is spoiled for Val. Worse, that day her best friend, Saint Valentine — who only she could see — transforms from a cherubic Cupid into a haunted Catholic priest. Saint V offers Val a deal: she has one year to find love, or he’ll take away her heart — and the prospect of heartbreak — forever.

Ever since then, Val has given up on love. But when she meets Leslie, a Korean-Chinese American lion dancer, she wonders if she could give it a chance after all. As she becomes immersed in lion dancing, and in Leslie, Val begins to wonder if the curse might be breakable after all.

Review

Lunar New Year Love Story is a collaboration between two of my favorite creators: Gene Luen Yang, creator of American Born Chinese, and LeUyen Pham, illustrator of, among other things, Shannon Hale’s “Real Friends” series. Their combined talents shine in this book: Pham’s whimsical yet grounded illustrations make Yang’s magical realism shine.

This book does so many things. Through the lion dance plot, it lovingly showcases the diversity within the Asian American community. Val and her father and grandmothers’ relationships highlight the complexity of intergenerational connection, especially in immigrant families. Val’s friendships, romances, and roller coaster emotions are a testament to the complexity of being a teen. And yes, this is a love story — between two teens, between a girl and the lion dance, between generations. A love letter from two incredibly talented storytellers to the Asian American community.