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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Poignant. Complex. Heartbreaking and heart renewing...
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I don't know what to say, not good but not bad either. All ik is that I would've hated Ollie if I was in Francine's place after that incident
There was no feeling of resolution at the end. Francine is so othered the whole book that I just felt bad for her, Ollie refuses to talk about the things bothering him while trying to convince Francine SHE has to grow and address things HE doesn't agree with because he was raised as a second son in a not very traditional family with no daughters so he has no understanding on how a daughter in a traditional family is raised. He also doesn't make any real efforts on himself or his strained relationship with his own family. His lack of drive for school isn't brought up again.
Honestly, nothing on Ollie's side gets touched upon other than one fight with his dad, and then him yelling at his brother, his mother doesn't even get more than a couple sentences. It's almost like Ollie just has never been around any women (or that much like in Francine's family the women in his family are also just pushed aside for the men just in a much quieter fashion) and then he meets Francine and he immediately finds a whole bunch of things to critique and saying that she is just allowing generational sexism to dictate her life.
Granted that it is wrong, that she should stand up for herself and show her grandpa and family that their ways of thinking are very old and sexist, but it just wasn't handled in a fulfilling way.
Additionally the mom reveal feels so unnecessary or handled properly? Same with her male cousin being gay and showing up at the hospital. The fight they both have where they hurl words at each other in the aim to hurt doesn't really have much weight to it, Ollie tries to apologize and she shuts him out and then she has one conversation with her parents and grandparents and all is ok with her and Ollie again. The fight itself was stupid, why is she mad at him when he is also just 16 and it's not his responsibility to tell her such a life altering thing. Overall just felt very anti climatic and wishy washy.
It did have moments that were great, I did laugh. I like how unapologetically herself Francine was (though at times she was very annoying and very much felt like she was always right, and the need for her to be inserted into everything just ugh) and I liked how cute Ollie was and how easy he blushed, I liked that Francine took it upon herself to learn how she liked certain touch and that she took ownership of that. I loved Rollo and Jiya was cool.
Honestly, nothing on Ollie's side gets touched upon other than one fight with his dad, and then him yelling at his brother, his mother doesn't even get more than a couple sentences. It's almost like Ollie just has never been around any women (or that much like in Francine's family the women in his family are also just pushed aside for the men just in a much quieter fashion) and then he meets Francine and he immediately finds a whole bunch of things to critique and saying that she is just allowing generational sexism to dictate her life.
Granted that it is wrong, that she should stand up for herself and show her grandpa and family that their ways of thinking are very old and sexist, but it just wasn't handled in a fulfilling way.
Additionally the mom reveal feels so unnecessary or handled properly? Same with her male cousin being gay and showing up at the hospital. The fight they both have where they hurl words at each other in the aim to hurt doesn't really have much weight to it, Ollie tries to apologize and she shuts him out and then she has one conversation with her parents and grandparents and all is ok with her and Ollie again. The fight itself was stupid, why is she mad at him when he is also just 16 and it's not his responsibility to tell her such a life altering thing. Overall just felt very anti climatic and wishy washy.
It did have moments that were great, I did laugh. I like how unapologetically herself Francine was (though at times she was very annoying and very much felt like she was always right, and the need for her to be inserted into everything just ugh) and I liked how cute Ollie was and how easy he blushed, I liked that Francine took it upon herself to learn how she liked certain touch and that she took ownership of that. I loved Rollo and Jiya was cool.
4.25 stars
rep: Chinese-Vietnamese-American protagonists and side characters, sapphic Indian-American side character, Chinese-American side character; (Chinese-Vietnamese-American author)
cw: cancer diagnosis of a side character
I loved Michelle Quach’s debut, Not Here to Be Liked, and I was so unbelievably excited to read her next release! This book was such a joy to read, and I can’t wait to revisit it. With the warmth of familial love and the thrill of first love, The Boy You Always Wanted tells the tale of a girl who would do anything for her family and the boy who gets dragged into her schemes.
When Francine learns of her grandfather’s cancer diagnosis, she sets out to make his final wish come true: to have a male heir. Even though she knows this is an outdated notion, she attempts to convince Ollie Tran, a family friend and first crush, to be ceremonially adopted into their family. He doesn’t understand why she is so insistent on making this plan happen but ultimately agrees. As Francine and Ollie spend more time together, they start unearthing old feelings.
This is my second of Michelle Quach’s books, and I wanted to emphasize how much I adore her writing. It’s so characteristically soft-spoken; I love the tone of it. There is so much warmth here, full of love even when it’s not immediately obvious.
I also loved the characters! Francine is a bit of an outcast because she’s so unwilling to care about the typical social anxieties of being a teenager. She’s very up-front and a do-gooder, without any shame for caring about what she cares about. Meanwhile, Ollie is the opposite; he generally avoids Francine because of how eager she is. He really just wants to go with the flow. There also is the added layer of how Francine once (and very obviously) had a crush on Ollie, and he avoids her out of pity. The more time they spend together, however, the more he realizes that the qualities that made him stay away from her are some of the best things about Francine.
The two of them are so different, and their chapters were very distinctive. Francine has the Plan (aka, adopting a son into her family so her grandfather can have a male heir), and Ollie is the perfect person to take part since their families know each other. He initially doesn’t want to go along with it, but ultimately he gives in to the scheme.
There also is a juxtaposition in their home lives that I really enjoyed reading about. As much as Francine’s grandfather’s ideals are outdated and patriarchal, there is still love shown there. She also has a very close relationship with her mother, who outwardly shows how much she cares about her. Ollie’s family used to be similar, but since his parents became busier with their business, he can’t help but feel stifled and isolated in their sterile house. Part of the reason why he agrees to Francine’s Plan is because it allows him to be in proximity to love, even if he is not close to her family at all.
I really liked their romance as well! Again, they begin the book on stand-off-ish terms, and while Francine claims that she no longer has a crush on Ollie, there are feelings that sometimes don’t fade. Their mutual realization of their feelings gradually occurred throughout the book, and I liked that they didn’t take too long to act on their feelings. Their scenes together were so cute and warm and I just loved this book.
The side characters were great too! Both Francine’s and Ollie’s best friends added humor to the situation and their antics remind you that these are regular teenagers living life. Other than her mother and grandfather, Francine’s grandmother is also the typical incredibly frank Asian grandmother. Although Ollie’s family doesn’t get as much page-time, it was really interesting seeing him interact with them, especially his brother who messes with him but ultimately cares for him. There is always love creeping in the corners even when you don’t see it every day.
The Boy You Always Wanted was a warm-hearted contemporary about showing love for those who care about you. I loved the characters and the romance, as well as the writing. I can’t wait to read more from this author! I also must add that I love the double meaning of the title (Ollie being Francine’s childhood crush as well as her grandfather always wanting a male heir). Anyways, if you enjoyed Michelle Quach’s debut or are looking for a soft YA contemporary, I definitely think you should check out The Boy You Always Wanted!
awww this was sweet! I really enjoyed this one <3
read on my blog
rep: Chinese-Vietnamese-American protagonists and side characters, sapphic Indian-American side character, Chinese-American side character; (Chinese-Vietnamese-American author)
cw: cancer diagnosis of a side character
**I received an ARC from the author (thank you, Michelle!). These are my honest opinions, and in no way was I compensated for this review.**
I loved Michelle Quach’s debut, Not Here to Be Liked, and I was so unbelievably excited to read her next release! This book was such a joy to read, and I can’t wait to revisit it. With the warmth of familial love and the thrill of first love, The Boy You Always Wanted tells the tale of a girl who would do anything for her family and the boy who gets dragged into her schemes.
When Francine learns of her grandfather’s cancer diagnosis, she sets out to make his final wish come true: to have a male heir. Even though she knows this is an outdated notion, she attempts to convince Ollie Tran, a family friend and first crush, to be ceremonially adopted into their family. He doesn’t understand why she is so insistent on making this plan happen but ultimately agrees. As Francine and Ollie spend more time together, they start unearthing old feelings.
This is my second of Michelle Quach’s books, and I wanted to emphasize how much I adore her writing. It’s so characteristically soft-spoken; I love the tone of it. There is so much warmth here, full of love even when it’s not immediately obvious.
I also loved the characters! Francine is a bit of an outcast because she’s so unwilling to care about the typical social anxieties of being a teenager. She’s very up-front and a do-gooder, without any shame for caring about what she cares about. Meanwhile, Ollie is the opposite; he generally avoids Francine because of how eager she is. He really just wants to go with the flow. There also is the added layer of how Francine once (and very obviously) had a crush on Ollie, and he avoids her out of pity. The more time they spend together, however, the more he realizes that the qualities that made him stay away from her are some of the best things about Francine.
The two of them are so different, and their chapters were very distinctive. Francine has the Plan (aka, adopting a son into her family so her grandfather can have a male heir), and Ollie is the perfect person to take part since their families know each other. He initially doesn’t want to go along with it, but ultimately he gives in to the scheme.
There also is a juxtaposition in their home lives that I really enjoyed reading about. As much as Francine’s grandfather’s ideals are outdated and patriarchal, there is still love shown there. She also has a very close relationship with her mother, who outwardly shows how much she cares about her. Ollie’s family used to be similar, but since his parents became busier with their business, he can’t help but feel stifled and isolated in their sterile house. Part of the reason why he agrees to Francine’s Plan is because it allows him to be in proximity to love, even if he is not close to her family at all.
I really liked their romance as well! Again, they begin the book on stand-off-ish terms, and while Francine claims that she no longer has a crush on Ollie, there are feelings that sometimes don’t fade. Their mutual realization of their feelings gradually occurred throughout the book, and I liked that they didn’t take too long to act on their feelings. Their scenes together were so cute and warm and I just loved this book.
The side characters were great too! Both Francine’s and Ollie’s best friends added humor to the situation and their antics remind you that these are regular teenagers living life. Other than her mother and grandfather, Francine’s grandmother is also the typical incredibly frank Asian grandmother. Although Ollie’s family doesn’t get as much page-time, it was really interesting seeing him interact with them, especially his brother who messes with him but ultimately cares for him. There is always love creeping in the corners even when you don’t see it every day.
The Boy You Always Wanted was a warm-hearted contemporary about showing love for those who care about you. I loved the characters and the romance, as well as the writing. I can’t wait to read more from this author! I also must add that I love the double meaning of the title (Ollie being Francine’s childhood crush as well as her grandfather always wanting a male heir). Anyways, if you enjoyed Michelle Quach’s debut or are looking for a soft YA contemporary, I definitely think you should check out The Boy You Always Wanted!
original review:
awww this was sweet! I really enjoyed this one <3
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Sweet YA romcom - not too high drama
Dang, I really thought I would love this novel.
I had finished this novel a couple of days ago but held off on the review until I could gather my thoughts.
Lets start with the positives. I absolutely love the cover, the concept, and idea. The sexism in the Asian culture is still ongoing today. The need and want for a male son to carry on the family name and duties. Women/daughters are still looked down upon and considered less valuable compare to men/sons. It's something I'm quite familiar with and have personally experienced.
Going in, I thought it was going to be a deep and an emotional read. Unfortunately, the story barely scratched the surface of sexism. I wanted more from the story, more depth. I also had some issue with the pacing and flow. It felt a bit all over the place. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm asking for too much. Maybe this novel is meant to be a light read. Either way, the novel left me unsatisfied.
***I would like to thank NetGalley, Michelle Quach (the author), and Harper Collins for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
I had finished this novel a couple of days ago but held off on the review until I could gather my thoughts.
Lets start with the positives. I absolutely love the cover, the concept, and idea. The sexism in the Asian culture is still ongoing today. The need and want for a male son to carry on the family name and duties. Women/daughters are still looked down upon and considered less valuable compare to men/sons. It's something I'm quite familiar with and have personally experienced.
Going in, I thought it was going to be a deep and an emotional read. Unfortunately, the story barely scratched the surface of sexism. I wanted more from the story, more depth. I also had some issue with the pacing and flow. It felt a bit all over the place. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm asking for too much. Maybe this novel is meant to be a light read. Either way, the novel left me unsatisfied.
***I would like to thank NetGalley, Michelle Quach (the author), and Harper Collins for graciously sending me a copy of the novel to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.***
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Quite a slow read with not a lot happening, just okay. Enjoyed the focus on Chinese/Vietnamese culture and learning about that.