Review: Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1)

Title: Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1)
Author: Abigail Hing Wen
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: January 7, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.” 

And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, snake-blood sake flows abundantly, and the nightlife runs nonstop.

But not every student is quite what they seem:

Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.

Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.

Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.

And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.

When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget.

Review:

This was an exciting book about a group of teenagers sent to Loveboat, where they are supposed to learn about their culture but end up partying instead.

The characters were complex in this story. They each had a detailed backstory and storyline, though Ever was the main character. They had all been through things, which shaped the choices they made. They also changed throughout the story, so my opinions of them were different by the end from when they were first introduced. I was surprised at how some of the characters developed, but I won’t give the names so it isn’t spoiled.

The kids in this book were pretty wild. They snuck out of Loveboat and had wild parties. There was also tons of romance. It was fun to read, because it seemed like a summer long party.

I really enjoyed this book!

Thank you HarperCollins Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What to read next:

Have you read Loveboat, Taipei? What did you think of it?