Delving back into the world of YA, Abigail Hing Wen takes us to Taiwan, complete with rushing nightlife and striking imagery. The complementary bake for Loveboat, Taipei: a steamed pork bun.
Everett Dances to Her Own Beat
What a bittersweet coming-of-age novel this was. It struck me as a YA marriage between the iconic (and problematic) Gossip Girl and Crazy Rich Asians.
Torn by the desire to fulfill her parents’ wishes or pursue her dreams to dance, Everett (Ever) Wong is used to making decisions based on her family’s rules and expectations. After secretly applying and getting admitted to the Tisch school of dance at NYU when she’d promised her parents she’d attend Northwestern as a med student in the fall, Ever’s parents are outraged. As immigrants who gave up everything to give her a good life in America, the choice to follow a dead-end, irreputable career feels like a slap in the face to the Wongs. Determined to show her the respect she owes their heritage and her upbringing, Ever’s parents surprise her with an educational trip to Taipei, where she will learn to speak and write traditional Mandarin properly, and perhaps return a chastened, more dutiful daughter.
Instead, Ever feels that this summer exile to Chien Tan is a punishment for her deceit, and determines to upend each of her parents’ sacred rules one by one while out from under their thumbs. If they won’t let her do the one thing that makes her happy, why should she feel obligated to satisfy their wishes? Quickly befriending other Chien Tan program attendees from all over the world, Ever learns that her time in Taipei will be slightly less educational than her parents had planned; the nickname for the program: Loveboat. It appears that along with attending classes and field trips, students are often sent on the trip to make romantic matches.
As Ever rewrites the rules with her new friends and explores a new world of possibility, she begins to wonder whether she actually wants to do what she’s doing, or if she’s just doing it because she knows her parents wouldn’t approve.
"My parents sent me to discover my heritage, but in the process, I’m also finding parts of myself, even if that self isn’t who they want me to be."
A tale of heartbreak, betrayal, friendship, growth, and assimilation, Ever’s story is just getting started.
Reading in 2D
I enjoyed this read. Sometimes, slipping back into the melodramatic urgency of YA can feel like putting on your favorite t-shirt; it's comfortable, and honestly, most teenage protagonists are pretty predictable. And Ever’s insecurities and determination to be her own person were so endearing, though at times hard to read. I definitely saw parts of my high school self in her, including the risky decision-making and desire to fit in and be seen. However, her story holds a great nuance and cultural depth mine never will, and it was heartbreaking to witness her internal conflict as she spiraled downwards and lost touch with herself. Ever’s eventual realization that she can be many things and is not just Chinese or just American was built up well throughout the narrative.
That being said, I felt there was a good deal of unpacking left to do re: her friendship with Sophie and her almost-relationship with Xavier. Both conflicts resolved too simply, particularly without doing Xavier justice. I won’t include spoilers, but frankly, I’m not sure I could have forgiven a friend like Sophie that quickly (or at all) after what she did to Ever. These characters with huge roles in Ever’s development felt pretty glossed over, and, in turn, undeveloped. I get that she was at a point when her choices were not the healthiest for her, but the author was ambitious in tackling so many plotlines, and naturally some fell flat.
Furthermore, I almost wished that characters like her sister Pearl and friends Meg and Dan were more integrated into her narrative; though I understand that this is Ever’s life and her perspective, the mention of these characters always felt a little sporadic and didn’t add much meaning to Ever’s story or their own roles. I only say this because with the great value she imbued her friendship and relationship with her sister, it felt like these relationships were not further developed or involved in the story beyond Ever’s character-building. Like, her moments with Dan seemed so significant, only to be built up into essentially nothing. And all we learn of her sister is that she’s good about warning Ever when their parents are upset? This shortcoming in tandem with the Sophie/Xavier debacle renders Ever one of the only three-dimensional characters in the novel.
Its characterization flaws do not overshadow the fact that Loveboat, Taipei engaged with the mental health of many characters, and explored darker subjects such as depression, racism, abuse, or manipulation. It wasn’t all some sinister, shadowy world, though; the imagery and movement evoked in Ever’s dancing scenes were consistently beautiful and well-conceived. The scenery and food, too, were described in lush detail, saturated with flavor and color. Note that I cannot speak to the accuracy of these setting, linguistic, or cuisine details, as I have never been to Taiwan or sampled much of their food.
The overall unfolding of the plot was well-paced, but overly ambitious. Hing Wen set out to accomplish a lot in just one narrative, and as a result couldn’t do every storyline or character justice. I appreciate the great breadth of social, cultural, and familial issues Hing Wen undertook in the novel, and felt like I really understood Ever. Though it is good to see the representation of these life events/circumstances and how they can and do intersect in the lives of many first- or second-gen immigrants, the amalgam achieved surface-level meaning rather than real depth for many of the aforementioned subjects.
I'd give this book between 3 and 3.5 stars out of 5, and recommend this book to readers who enjoyed To All the Boys I've Loved Before or Love & Gelato, and fans of the movie Easy A or the show Gossip Girl.
TW: mention of partner abuse, attempted suicide, slut-shaming, depression, racism, and illegal release of personal photos
The Bun I Never Knew I Needed
When perusing the novel for this week's baking inspiration, I was drawn to some options more than others. Perhaps Ever had something to prove to her new friends, but I had no inclination to sample snake blood sake, especially sober. But the salted eggs and delicacies like sweet rice cakes made my mouth water, and I was very tempted to try some bubble tea à la Ever from a nearby cafe.
However, I couldn't get over Ever's description of the steamed pork buns awaiting the Chien Tan attendees in the breakfast hall, and set out to support a local restaurant with my purchase. Let me just say, the steamed pork belly bun I got along with my sushi for lunch this week was so good.
Why haven't I had one of these before?? I have truly been missing out, and it's all my fault.
I have no clue if this is exactly like the pork buns Ever and friends enjoyed in Taipei, but this was beautifully steamed and filled with pickles, hoisin sauce, radish sprouts, and crème fraîche. Fancy, right? Thank you to Abigail Hing Wen and Ever for introducing me to this magical dish. I'll definitely be ordering this again soon, or maybe even venturing to recreate it myself!
Until next time,
XOXO Gossip Girl
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