Solving for the Unknown

Gr 10 Up–In this companion to Le’s A Pho Love Story, Viet is anxious about his first year of college at UC Davis, far away enough from home to feel helpless over his parent’s constant fights. His college experience drastically shifts when he meets Evie, a junior with a strong friend group that folds Viet in without question—and a boyfriend. As Viet navigates his own mental health, the college grind, and his forensics club, he cannot help the feelings growing for Evie. A story of two children of immigrants (both teens are Vietnamese American) breaking free of their self-imposed strictures and exploring what truly makes them happy, this slow-burn romance is perfect for teens interested in a college campus story that is sweet and thoughtful and not just a nonstop party. Lo’s prose is firm and precise, which invites readers to take their time with the romance and focus on the importance of friendship and found family. Evie and Viet narrate alternating chapters to allow readers to feel and share in their growing excitement as their thoughts about each other just won’t dissipate.