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Never Thought I’d End Up Here
Book Review
A wonderful book with so many relatable characters and storylines
The two main characters are Cyrus and Leah. Both of them are Chinese and living in LA. Cyrus seems to be quite caring and helpful however Leah feels that he is worthy of being her enemy instead due to an ‘incident’ when they were 15. The pair are unfortunately reunited at Leah’s cousin’s wedding 2 years later. Throughout the book Leah seems to find herself and who she really is.
Although the main theme seems to be about Leah discovering her identity there is also a bit of romance Leah and Cyrus. The romance doesn’t feel forced and it seems to flow naturally from enemies into something more.
To start with, the book is set in LA but Leah is made to go on a cultural trip to China to help her to relearn her history and language. The book follows Leah through China as she reconnects with herself and her culture.
‘Never thought I’d End Up Here’ is an easy read thanks to the detailed descriptions and clear plots. The author writes the book in a way that is engaging and interesting yet still informative.
In the opening paragraphs we see Leah becoming nervous that her Mandarin won’t be sufficient to make conversation at her cousin’s wedding. At the end, it is revealed that Cyrus being at the wedding wasn’t for someone else but rather in hopes to see Leah. We also find out that Leah and Cyrus weren’t randomly selected to sit together on the plane but that Cyrus had actually swapped to be with her.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think contained a really important message that culture and identity are both important parts of who we are. We should keep them with us to help us navigate every aspect of life.
I think the book would be most suited to young teens however those slightly older may enjoy it too.
About the Book
Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA – it’s all she’s ever known. That is until her parents grow tired of her broken Mandarin and zero regard for etiquette, and send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China.
There’s a competition running throughout the program where the winning duo will receive a glowing letter of recommendation to the college of their dreams. Leah is forced to partner up with her former classmate and least favourite person ever: cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who’s somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome.
But the deeper they wander into China’s provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love – with the boy she thought she despised, the home she never thought she’d call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.
Author
Ann Liang
Ann Liang is a Chinese-Australian author known for her New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestselling young adult and adult fiction, including If You Could See the Sun and This Time It’s Real.
She was born in Beijing and grew up moving between China and Australia before settling in Melbourne. Her novels often explore identity, cultural experience and relationships and have been published internationally across more than twenty territories.
Reviewer Profile
Amelia, 14
- Reviews: 8
- Likes: baking, paddle boarding and art
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