#AmReading YA

Love & Olives
Jenna Evans Welch
Series: Love & Gelato, #3
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

From the New York Times bestselling author of Love & Gelato comes a Mamma Mia–inspired tale about a teen girl finding romance while trying to connect with her absent father in beautiful Santorini, Greece.

Liv Varanakis doesn’t have a lot of fond memories of her father, which makes sense—he fled to Greece when she was only eight. What Liv does remember, though, is their shared love for Greek myths and the lost city of Atlantis. So when Liv suddenly receives a postcard from her father explaining that National Geographic is funding a documentary about his theories on Atlantis—and will she fly out to Greece and help?—Liv jumps at the opportunity.

But when she arrives to gorgeous Santorini, things are a little…awkward. There are so many questions, so many emotions that flood to the surface after seeing her father for the first time in years. And yet Liv doesn’t want their past to get in the way of a possible reconciliation. She also definitely doesn’t want Theo—her father’s charismatic so-called “protégé”—to witness her struggle.

And that means diving into all that Santorini has to offer—the beautiful sunsets, the turquoise water, the hidden caves, and the delicious cuisine. But not everything on the Greek island is as perfect as it seems. Because as Liv slowly begins to discover, her father may not have invited her to Greece for Atlantis, but for something much more important.

Nine years ago, Olive's father left and never looked back. That's when she reinvented herself as Liv. But recently, he reached out, and now Liv was on her way to Greece to help her father in his search for the lost city of Atlantis. Though she was struggling with her feelings about the trip, she hoped for the best.  But would she be able to put the past aside and work on rebuilding her relationship with her father? 

I am very much a fan of this series and was SO excited when I heard there was going to be a third book! Once again, Welch swept me away and took me on an adventure. This, to me, is one of the strengths of this series. I have serious wanderlust, but since I cannot really go anywhere right now, it's a treat to travel via a book. In this installment, Welch took me to Greece. She immersed me in the sights, sounds, and flavors of Santorini, and I enjoyed drinking it all in. It was so inspiring, that I found myself googling images and lusting for Greek food as I read this book. 

One part of the story involved Liv, her dad, and Theo making a documentary about the search for Atlantis.  The hunt for this mythical island was a big part of Liv's childhood and instrumental in bonding her and her father together. It was their "thing", which she had abandoned when he abandoned her. Obviously, there were lots of emotions to deal with here, but there was something that just pulled both Liv and I into this quest. The Atlantis sub-plot was very interesting, and I enjoyed learning about it. 

The summer was such a turning point for Liv, too. In becoming "Liv", she gave up many parts of herself or kept them hidden. It seemed to me, that she was growing tired of playing that part. This reunion with her father reawakened things inside her, both good and bad, and forced her to reconcile with many issues she had buried. I enjoyed seeing her inner Olive reawakened and was especially moved when she finally tackled her toughest obstacle and confronted her father. 

This story was like a wave. It built up until it knocked me down. There were serious tears towards the end there, but they were a mix of happy, sad, and relieved tears. As always, I relished traveling with Welch. I had an amazing time exploring Greece with Liv with the bonus of hunting for the legendary Atlantis, basking in all the familial love, and watching a sweet romance blossom. I really hope Welch has more travel plans for us in the future, and you can bet I will be the first to have my bags packed and ready to go. 

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling
Wai Chim
Age/Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads

An authentic novel about growing up in a migrant Asian family with a mother who is suffering from a debilitating mental illness.

Anna Chiu has her hands full. When she's not looking after her brother and sister or helping out at her father's restaurant, she's taking care of her mother, whose debilitating mental illness keeps her in bed most days. Her father's new delivery boy, Rory, is a welcome distraction and even though she knows that things aren't right at home, she's starting to feel like she could be a normal teen.

But when her mother finally gets out of bed, things go from bad to worse. And as her mother's condition worsens, Anna and her family question everything they understand about themselves and each other.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling is a heart-wrenching, true-to-life exploration through the often neglected crevices of culture, mental illness, and family. Its strong themes are balanced by a beautiful romance making it a feel-good, yet important read.

Anna's mom has good days and bad days, but lately, there have been more bad than good. With her mother holed up in her room, Anna must take on caring for her younger siblings, while also trying to juggle school and helping in the family restaurant. She just wants to be a "normal" teen, and finally starts feeling a bit like one when she meets and falls for Rory. But when her mother's illness escalates, she dreads that all her normal will fade. 

This was a very emotional read for me as it hit close to home. My heart broke into pieces as I read those scenes depicting Ma's episodes, and I felt helpless as Anna tried desperately to hold things together. At such a young age, she was expected to be a parent to a brother, who didn't really understand what was going on, and to a sister, who was rebelling against the situation. She felt obligated to be a good daughter and a good sister, while feeling as though she was failing at both. 

I found myself vacillating between sadness and anger as I read this story. It seemed as though Anna was being robbed of her childhood, while her father made excuses to be absent from the home. My heart broke for Anna as I raged against her father. I could sort of understand his situation, but I ultimately felt he had a responsibility to his family. 

It was hard to watch Anna dealing with her full plate at home as she berated herself for falling short. It was with great joy, that I watched her plot a temporary escape from it all by offering to help at the family restaurant. This was an important event for Anna for many reasons. Anna had be drifting at school, simply going through the motions. Overwhelmed at home, her studies were suffering, but she was also unsure of what was next for her. While at the restaurant, she rediscovered her love of cooking and began to see a future for herself taking shape. I loved this subplot, because it gave Anna some hope, while emphasizing that there were alternatives to university study. It was okay to skip the degree and just have a job, and I don't think we tell kids that enough. 

The restaurant was also important for Anna, because it was there that she fell in love for the first time. I simply adored Anna and Rory together. They were sweet and adorable, and seeing their love grow made my heart burst. But, I also liked that Rory suffered from mental illness. 

Rory's journey with his own illness served as a great contrast to Ma's. He was very aware of his needs and limitations. He had done inpatient and was still working with a medical professional as he slowly resumed parts of his everyday life. Anna didn't only learn to recognize her mother's need for outside help via this relationship, she also gained a lot of insight into her mother and her illness. She learned that there was no "cure". That there would still be good days and bad days, and that she had to accept that this illness was part of who her mother was. 

In the end, this was a book about loving someone with mental illness. It's not always easy. It's messy. They will make progress, but sometimes, it's a step forward with two steps back. It's a battle for everyone, and what makes it easier is love, which Anna and her family had for each other. 

I dare you not to feel A LOT when you read this book. This was such an honest portrayal of mental illness, and the ways it affects everyone around you. Chim did a beautiful job blending the gritty parts of Anna's life with some happiness, joy, and hope. At times it was painful, but there was love and some people also really surprised me in this story.

**ARCs received in exchange for honest reviews.

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