I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

In Lunar New Year Love Story, Valentina Tran adored Valentine’s Day, until two years ago when everything changed. Now, her senior year of high school, she’s barely talking to her father or grandmother and has one year to find true love. If she doesn’t, she’ll have to give up her heart to the ghost of Saint Valentine, who’s followed her since she was young—and this will mean giving up on love entirely, forever. So when a young man who does lion dancing comes into her life, Valentina thinks she’s finally found her chance. But life isn’t so straightforward, and love is messy. So Valentina navigates through family drama, personal anguish, and stress about finding “the one,” hoping against hope that she’ll succeed.

This is a gorgeous story! I’ve never read anything by this author, and now I’m kicking myself for it. And the illustrations by LeUyen Pham are stunning, so full of life and movement and emotion. I almost want some of the spreads in poster-size on my wall.

Firstly, I loved the magical elements of this story. The ghost of Saint Valentine was a fantastic character, and the design of him was so cool-looking! He added an eerie element to this that I think was a perfect addition to what would otherwise be a much more typical romcom/coming-of-age tale.

Furthermore, the exploration of identity and teamwork is great, especially as it’s portrayed through dragon dancing. This isn’t something I knew much about before this, as it isn’t something in my culture, but it’s a fantastic form of dance. I loved learning more about it, and—not to gush about the illustrations again, but—the artwork of those scenes is spectacular!

Aside from romance, the other themes are fantastic, too. Valentina struggles a lot with her fraught relationship with her father, concerning the loss of her mother’s presence in their lives, and this is portrayed with lots of nuance. These feel like real people, even though they’re fictional. And the way her grandmother plays into all this is both moving and delightful.

And as for the romance, I saw where it was going immediately, but I still loved watching Valentina make that journey. She ends up with the right person, and it’s so cute. But it’s also not entirely about finding the right guy; it’s also about Valentina learning who she wants to be and embracing that.

So in the end, Lunar New Year Love Story is a beautiful tale with amazing characters, themes, and plot structure. I don’t really have any criticisms that I can think of right now, and so instead I’ll take the opportunity to once again compliment Pham’s artwork. And also Gene Luen Yang’s writing. This is just such a great graphic novel, and I encourage you to pick it up.

Lunar New Year Love Story is available now!