Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other)

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher of HarperCollins, and the author Livia Blackburne for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Blackburne writes an entertaining YA story about Chinese/Asian Americans and the importance of Chinatowns/Asian ethnic enclaves and community. Blackburne's usage of the internet, social media, and social media activism remain topical and relevant to contemporary Asian/Chinese American activism. Blackburne's discussion of cultural tradition vs modernization/Westernization/fusion/adaptation echoes past debates within the Asian/Chinese American space and scene. Blackburne's discussion of these themes occurs with the main protagonist, Clementine Chan, and her love interest, Danny Mok. If readers are familiar with Chinese American history, they'll know and understand Clementine Chan as Chinese Americans have engaged in modernization/Westernization/fusion/adaptation throughout history. That's one of the ways in which Chinatown has been created and how Chinese Americans have survived in America. Think of Westernized Chinese food like chop suey, PF Changs, or General Tso's Chickens. Readers will also appreciate learning more about traditional Chinese tea culture. One minor critique is exploring more of the class dynamic between Clementine and Danny and how class as well as gender inform their lived experiences. I wished Clementine could unpack her class experience more and Danny with misogyny and being an Asian man. Nonetheless, this was a quick and fun breeze to read through.