*mutter*stupid didactic drivel*muttermutter* Oh, sorry about that. While this Romeo and Juliet plot has potential with it's "Her Grandma suffered in occupied China and therefore hates all Japanese and His Dad went to Beijing and it was dirty and the old people don't like the Japanese because they occupied China during WWII and because of that were mean to him on his business trip and now he thinks all Chinese are dirty and backwards, oh, however will they break it to their families that they are dating" melodrama, it mostly falls flat as it's buried beneath lessons about ethnic stereotypes. Our thwarted couple, Andy and Sue (he's Japanese-American, she's Chinese-American, in case you didn't catch that), are in 11th grade, and the book is marketed for teens, but it really is written for the interest level of about 5th-7th grade. Rather low in sophistication. It's a pity really, she could have done a lot more with the story.
While it ends without the poison and daggers, I rather wished it hadn't, or at least that it hit me in the head with an actual brick - it would be less painful.
Don't give it to anyone unless you are REALLY hurting for Asian-American experience books. Which, is probably why this was published. I had to force myself to finish it.
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