In her parents’ last effort to prepare her for a future in medicine, they send Ever to an educational program in Taiwan, hoping it would distract her from spending her last summer dancing. But what her parents don’t know is that the program is also their worst nightmare. Here is where Ever discovers the educational program is also known for its love boat reputation, where summer-long flings are the norm, and the nightlife is second nature to its student. Ever is eager to rock the boat and make it her mission to have the best summer ever.

Romantic contemporary is far from my usual genre to read, but Loveboat, Taipei really stood out to me. I went into this with low expectations but came out feeling a really strong connection to Ever and her journey. Her passion is to dance, but her parents hope for her to take a career in medicine. So when she is forced to decline her dream university spot and go to Taiwan to improve herself, she’s discouraged and upset. That is until she realises that without her parent’s supervision, and even when their influence lingers, she is free to make her own choices with little consequences.

What made Loveboat, Taipei stand out for me personally was Ever. After being contained by her parents for so long, she struggles to find out who she is without them. Her time in Loveboat is her worst and best. She breaks all the rules her parents set out for her, reflects on them in a rather thoughtful and relatable way. The way Abigail Hing Wen writes makes you feel right at home. I felt for Ever, her thoughts reflected my own, and I was surprised by how much I saw myself in her.

“I never talk to my parents about the books I read or the music I love or the dances in my head. I can’t trust them not to take what bit of soul I offer them and hurl it into a dumpster.”

The plot was quite enjoyable, to say the least. I won’t lie; I was lost at the start because I genuinely had no idea what was happening. And then it takes a drastic turn that was surprising, but the story comes into its own. Ever breaks many of her parent’s rules: no drinking, clubbing and getting close with boys. She takes a leap of faith and becomes embolden by her time in Taiwan. When Ever arrives in Taiwan, she immediately hits a block and finds herself feeling isolated within her peers, other teens from wealthier backgrounds. But she isn’t the only one hiding secrets. Rick Woo is the bane of Ever’s entire existence, having remembered him from a childhood memory that is burnt into her mind. Perfect boy with a perfect life, family and girlfriend included. But Rick is carrying an onerous burden. Sophie Ha is boy-obsessed and Ever’s right-hand man into Loveboat. Her want to find a relationship reveals a heavyhearted past. Xavier Yeh is loveboat’s honorary bad boy whose character surprised me the most. The Second Lead Syndrome was strong in this one. They all come together to make a summer of memories that will change them for the better.

Overall, Loveboat, Taipei was a refreshing coming-of-age novel that was fun and fast-paced. The story delved into some themes such as mental health, abusive relationships and racism, which can feel heavy to process, but Abigail Hing Wen does it with justice and clarity. Ever’s story is about coming to herself, and I enjoyed every moment of it all.

I thought this was a fantastic debut novel and.

I absolutely loved all the drama of this book, it had everything you could possibly want. Drama, romance, discussions of identity and relationships. EVERYTHING! I loved the way the author wrote Ever’s story it felt so effortless and had me reading it in a couple of hours. The author focuses on the small and big details which makes this story super addictive.


I loved reading Ever’s story and was constantly rooting for her happiness and just wishing that she was able to dance instead of going to med school. I have to admit I was not a fan of a lot of other characters in the book, but I did grow a soft spot for Xavier and I liked Rick just not as much as Xavier. I really liked how the story developed and we got to see the real in all the characters. The character development was so good!

One character I never warmed to was Sophie, halfway through the book I threw her in the trash and just left her there, she just wasn’t for me.

The discussion within this book about

Asian-American’s was super insightful, it explored the ways parents needed to try and understand their children a bit better but also the fact the western world needs to not project our stereotypes onto Asian people as they are just not reflective of Asian-American’s as a whole or individuals

Loveboat Taipei is an super fun read and I would highly recommend it.

Ever Wong's summer plans change when her parents send her to the Chien Tan summer school program in Taipei in order for her to learn more about their culture.
However, once there, Ever discovers that the program is nicknamed 'Loveboat' and that it's not what she was expecting - Loveboat promises wild nights out and hookups with the other students.
While at Loveboat, Ever plans to break every one of her parents' rules and to make the most of her last summer before she follows her parents' wish for her to become a doctor, and not a dancer as she wants.
Ever's time at Loveboat will bring her romance and friendships.
Will Ever give up her dream of being a dancer?
Will she find love at Loveboat?

I went into this book expecting a light-hearted contemporary YA novel, but it definitely wasn't as light as I thought it would be - there were actually several darker themes that surprised me. Some of which actually felt a bit glossed over to me, and I didn't feel wholly comfortable with the way some were handled.
Ever was a mixed protagonist as there were times when I liked and sympathised with her, but there were also times when she annoyed me. I didn't like the way she handled things with one of the other characters in particular and I thought she was a bit of a hypocrite complaining about how her parents wouldn't let her explain things, when she ran away and avoided a character who wanted to explain things to her. But I appreciate that Ever wasn't perfect and had a few flaws.
The plot was interesting and held my attention, but I wasn't gripped or as invested as I could have been.
The writing style was easy to follow.
The setting of Taipei was interesting and I liked learning a little about another culture.
While this was a mixed read for me, I did enjoy it overall.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read, but not what I expected.

Loveboat, Taipei follows a Chinese-American called Ever. When her parents find out that she secretly applied to dance school, rebelling against their plan for her to become a doctor, they send her to Taiwan to study Mandarin and learn more about Chinese culture for the summer. However, it turns out that the school they’ve sent her to is the infamous Loveboat, where buttoned-up teens let loose during their first summer away from their strict parents and constant supervision.

I thought I was going to absolutely love this book, but unfortunately I’m in the minority of people who really didn’t enjoy it. Scratch that, I think I’d even go as far as to say that I hated it.

My main issue with Loveboat, Taipei is this: if Ever was a boy, this book would be getting absolutely slated. I’m all for a female protagonist taking control of her own life and doing whatever she wants, but Ever’s behaviour seems callous at worst and careless at best, and I’m not able to gloss over that fact and celebrate it simply because she’s a girl.

I’m about to get spoilery, so if you don’t want to know the specific reasons why I don’t like this book, feel free to continue scrolling.


Loveboat, Taipei features a love triangle between Ever, Rick and Xavier.

Xavier is a bit of a playboy – when we meet him he’s in the middle of getting caught during a sexual act with a girl who is hardly mentioned again – but he has feelings for Ever so he dedicates his time drawing her and anonymously delivering these pieces of art to her. I think that’s pretty adorable, that she makes him want to change his ways.

Meanwhile Rick is a Yale-bound overachiever who is the bane of Ever’s existence. Her parents have been telling her stories about him since she was little, constantly telling her to strive to be more like him. Rick has a long-term girlfriend who suffers from depression and anxiety, and Ever has feelings for him despite knowing this.

Rick and Ever kiss, and Rick then disappears. While Rick is gone, Ever sleeps with Xavier, but as soon as Rick is back from dumping his long-term girlfriend – he apparently knew Ever was the one as soon as he set eyes on her, barf – Ever and Rick start a relationship.

Ever never tells Rick about her night with Xavier, which feels rather ill-advised. He literally flew across the country to dump his girlfriend because he couldn’t stop thinking about Ever, but as soon as his back was turned she slept with someone else and didn’t think this was worth mentioning?! Meanwhile it’s treated as completely appropriate for him to drop his girlfriend because of the fact that she had mental illnesses and was relying on him too much and his family didn’t like her. Pretty infuriating, no?

I feel as though this story would be absolutely torn to shreds if our main character was a boy. If he coerced a girl into breaking up with her long-term boyfriend and as soon as he back was turned slept with a different girl who was utterly infatuated with him, people would be up in arms. I just don’t know why this seems like appropriate behaviour because it’s a female protagonist instead of a male.

The worst thing is that there are yet more reasons I didn’t like this book.

There’s a revenge porn plot which is resolved by Ever just decided she wants to carry on being friends with the girl who handed her nude photo around to everyone… What?!

Then there’s the epic (and utterly unbelievable) conclusion, in which Ever almost gets hit by a car, dislocates her shoulder and injures her ankle and somehow still manages to take part in the epic dance recital which she single-handedly choreographed in a summer. I mean I can hardly dance at the best of times, so fair play for not letting a terrible injury stop you.

I can’t understand why this is getting such rave reviews. There are a very minimal amount of reviewers speaking out about the problematic content, and while I’m a huge supporter of both debut authors and own voices books I just can’t get behind this one when it seems to be promoting breaking up with the mentally ill because they’re dragging you down with their suicidal thoughts. Ugh.

The only reason I didn’t give this one star is because the beginning quarter, before Ever goes to Loveboat, is really impactful. She is so desperate to follow her dream and be a dancer but because of her parents she feels she has no choice but to go into medicine: the struggle she faces is very emotional, and her desperation feels extremely realistic.

Loveboat, Taipei reminded me a lot of American Panda by Gloria Chao, but I gave that book five stars. I would definitely recommend Chao’s debut far more, particularly if you’re also not a huge fan of the approach to mental health in this novel.

I read quite a bit of YA to keep in the loop for school. Many YA books are enjoyable whatever your age, but I felt like I was trespassing as a reader in this one - I'm far too old! Nice premise. Chinese American Ever is a bright student on path to medical school but she dreams of following her dream to study dance. She clashes with her parents and they send her to summer school in Taiwan to learn Mandarin and find out more about their culture. Cue teenage rebellion, relationships and burgeoning self awareness. I didn't feel the repercussions of Ever's actions were fully explored. She seemed to bounce back without any problems and broken friendships were fixed, which I didn't find realistic and belittled the seriousness of what happened to her. I did enjoy finding out about Taiwan.

A lovely, atmospheric contemporary story about self-discovery in absence of parental supervision, following a group of Asian-American kids during a cultural exchange program in Taiwan. It had a refreshingly realistic (and diverse!) turn on the love triangle trope, which I really appreciated. However, I found the certain side characters to be very one-dimensional and stereotypical.

Yay for diversity!

As soon as I began reading the emails at the start of this book, I was hooked! I loved everything about this book, from the friendships, to the relationships to the interesting plot. More than anything this book is about identity and finding the place where you belong and I really resonated with it!

I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a beautiful own voice book! Also that cover is gorgeous!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC for review!

TWs: Attempted sexual assault, physical assault/domestic violence, racism, sexism, xenophobia.

I don't even know where to begin with how much I enjoyed this book.

It was excellent.

Believe me when I say Loveboat Taipei is a rollercoaster in the best possible way. It has action, romance, drama, and discussions of race, identity, and relationships. Abigail Hing Wen's writing style is sublime, lifting emotions right out of the page and making you really feel everything Ever feels. She describes everything in such detail that I could see Taipei and feel its buzz.

I loved Ever as a character; she's complex, full of hope, and desperate to do something she loves - dance. She feels so real and her growth as a person is off the charts. (I would literally need an entire scroll to list all the days she develops.) I didn't like Rick to begin with (mainly because he acts pretty coldly towards Ever), but as the story progresses I began to see that the stoic exterior is a front, broken by the goodness in him.

I started the novel not trusting Xavier, but the more we learn about him, the more I sympathised with him. Same with Sophie - I went through a whole host of feelings towards her, but ended up understanding why she does what she does. The whole cast of secondary characters were interesting, full of personality, and really enriched the story. The author really nails character development and I feel like we're going to see more brilliant characters from her in future books.

The discussions of Asian-American identities and what it means to be Chinese-American were insightful and contemplative, exploring the ways parents and children need to try to understand each other better, but also the ways Westerners and white people need to stop reinforcing stereotypes about Asian people. I also loved the way the guys Ever was friends with at Chien Tan discussed stereotypes of Asian men in depth and dismantled them with their performances.

This book also wins the award for 'my first weep of the year'. This was the first book of 2020 that made me fully shed tears over the final chapters. The scenes at the National Theatre were so heart-breakingly moving and uplifting that I had to lift my book up to stop my tears falling on it.

Loveboat Taipei is just an all-round excellent read. It's fun, it's emotional, it's dramatic, and it encourages us to chase the things we love.

Okay it is time to shout from the rooftops about this brilliant book! If you loved 'Anna and the French Kiss' and 'To All The Boys I Loved Before?' then you will LOVE this book. I dived into straight after I finished 'Foul is Fair' (which I enjoyed but wow it was dark) and it was just the pick me up I needed. It is 100% going on my list of favourites as I will definitely be re-reading!

I loved this novel! It was exactly the type of light and fluffy YA I was in the mood for. I was very excited to read Loveboat, Taipei and I'm so glad it lived up to my expectations.
To begin with all my memories of going to camp America came flooding back to me, so this was a very sentimental read. Although we definitely didn't go to camp in search of finding the one! The story reminded me of making new friends and getting up to all kind of mischief!
I found all the drama with the different guys hilarious and uplifting, although there were a few serious moments as well. Friendships and new loyalties were tested but love won in the end. I'm so glad I read this novel, I feel as though it's given me a more positive outlook and I would definitely recommend it to contemporary fans.

*2.5 stars
Welll, if you like drama, this is the book for you. To me though, the story was all over the place and felt a bit ridiculous at times. Just when I thought it couldn’t get crazier, it did 😂 But yeah I think a lot of people will enjoy this but it just wasn’t that enjoyable for me 🙈 I kept reading though because I was curious to see how it would end and I was intruiged by some of the characters.

This book! I can't even formulate a proper review on it because it just surprised me so so much. I have to admit, it had been a hot second since I had last read a YA book and goodness do I now remember why I liked them so much.
This story was so charming and real! The portrayal of teenagers at the brink of their adulthood was written with such accuracy and sensitivity. The characters were full fledged and raw. They made mistakes and made up, because at the end of the day they were just kids in a "holiday camp" having fun. It also touched on really important topics such as racism towards Asian as well as the sexism integrated within an Asian household. This book had me raging and on the brink of tears at times, because deep down we've all been just like Ever, trying to break the rules while still being terrified of disappointing those around us. Absolutely loved this story and cannot wait to read more by Abigail Hing Wen.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster UK Children's for giving me an ARC of this book!

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for sending me a copy of Loveboat Taipei in exchange for an honest review.

Content warnings: violence towards animals (snakes), alcohol & drunkeness, racism, leaked nudes/revenge porn, mentions of depression, ableism (challenged on page)

When I heard about Loveboat Taipei I immediately added it to my goodreads TBR. It just sounded like my perfect read. A summer camp type thing for teens in Taipei with no parents? That sounds messy and fantastic. And it was.

Ever Wong was looking forward to spending her summer dancing before she has to go to college to become a doctor. Then her parents drop the bomb that they are sending her to Chien Tan in Taipei. It’s supposed to be an educational trip to Ever can learn more about Chinese culture and learn Mandarin, but when she gets there Ever finds out the nickname of Chien Tan is “Loveboat”. Any plans of studying go out the window and Ever spends the first few weeks with her roommate partying the night away and trying to find a dance studio.

I haven’t been to Taiwan (it’s on my list), but I felt like I was there when I read this book. I could imagine all the street markets and nightlife, the street vendors selling food. Hing Wen breathes life into her descriptions and takes you on a journey through Taiwan.

What I really liked when reading Loveboat Taipei is that there is a love triangle/square that actually feels like one. It’s not just a story where there’s a romance and someone is trying to muscle in on it. You don’t really know who is endgame until maybe two-thirds of the way in. I know everyone has a bit of a whinge about love triangles, but when done right they’re so good!

I was a big fan of the different cast of characters featured in the novel. Ever is obviously the star of the show but the people around her really helped boost her story. I found Xavier the most interesting. On the surface, he’s your classic rich boy but then under the surface you find out he struggles with the expectations his dad puts on him. Sophia is also dealing with familial struggles but they manifest in her desire to get married. Then we have Rick who has a lot going on that I’m not going to spoil. They were all so well developed and each of them had a distinguishable voice.

There was a character in this novel who I knew would turn out to do something not so great. However, said character had great development after doing this and seems to regret their actions. I was a big fan of this as too often this can just end up with someone losing a friend. I liked seeing the relationship beginning to mend.

On first glance, you might think this is a classic YA rom-com. But it isn’t. It’s about family, diaspora, finding yourself, and so much more. I think anyone could find something they can relate to in this story.

Loveboat, Taipei has definitely put Abigail Hing Wen on my list of authors to watch because this book was fab.

I wasn't expecting to like this book as much as i did to be honest. I requested it on a whim and i'm very pleased I did!
The characters are great and the plot is a whole lot of fun. Would recommend!

Loveboat, Taipei is a story about discovery, about finding out who you are when you’re defined by a culture you don’t understand. And it’s also about escaping the suffocating pressures placed on you from well meaning, but overbearing parents. Ever is one such girl. Forced to give up her dreams of studying dancing, when her parents discover her wearing a leotard and practicing dance instead of studying for med school, they send her to ‘discover her heritage’ at an infamous school in Taipei. But what her parents don’t know is that this school is secretly known amongst the pupils as ‘Loveboat’ - a hot bed of rule breaking and sexual tension, where relationships are made and broken. And free for the first time in her life, Ever is determined to break all the rules.

It took me a while to warm to Ever. At first I found her painfully naive, overly trusting and she gives her heart and friendship too easily. It’s simple to think that Ever is like this because of her closeted upbringing - she’s in surroundings completely out of her comfort zone, but at times her behaviour during the first part of the book is just irritating. However, we see a lot of growth in her character which I really appreciated. She makes a lot of mistakes, and with each one we see her struggle with her guilt but also her acceptance of her decisions. It made her relatable and realistic.

I also found that the novel managed to cover a number of interesting and insightful topics, including casual racism (for example adopting Westernised names instead of using their traditional Chinese names, which were beautiful), pressures from being first generation Asian Americans and the cultural divides this creates between parents and children, and many others. I found these topics incredibly fascinating to read about, and they’re handled in an intelligent way.

The plot starts out really strong, with the students exploring Taipei through a cat and mouse game to break out each night to go clubbing. They dance and drink the night away, with hedonistic carefree tendencies and close knit friendships that really propelled the story forward. I also found the descriptions on Taiwan and its culture, which are scattered throughout, very descriptive and immersive. I will say however that the pace slows a lot at the half way mark, and a number of cliche trophies start creeping in - including a love triangle that I didn’t really enjoy and a ‘fake dating’ aspect that I personally don’t like. I also wasn’t keen on the love interests, and thought Ever treated one of them particularly badly (although she does at least admit to her bad behaviour).

I also didn’t like some of the mental health representation. It felt a little forced, and used mainly for plot advancement with no redeeming aspects to it. It felt like it was used to demonise a character rather than show it in a positive, healthy light.

A decent contemporary that I applaud for its diversity. The first half was definitely on to a winner for me, but unfortunately it falls victim to a few too many tropes for me to rate higher. I’d still be interested in this author’s future work though, as there was a heap of potential here.

I'd seen a ton of positive reviews about this and it sounded really good to me. And this definitely wasn't a bad book, but it just didn't work well for me. It just really wasn't my kind of book.

I had a really hard time following the main character's motivations, because I felt like she didn't have a clear personality from the start. More importantly, though, this book felt very alienating to me as an aroace autistic reader, because it focuses so much on boys and dating, in a way that made me feel really uncomfortable. I really didn't like the romance either. That's not necessarily the book's fault, of course, but it did make my reading experience less positive.

Like I said, it wasn't a bad book. It did some great things, even. But feeling both alienated by it and feeling bored because it all moved so slowly, I just wasn't able to fully appreciate it.

CWs: racism, stereotyping against Asian people, slutshaming, leaked nudes, bodyshaming, mentions of abuse, mentions of depression and threatened suicide, blood, vomiting, sex

I really enjoyed this book and following Ever at aged 18 during her summer after graduating high school. Ever is one of my favourite characters I have read about in a long time. You really see her grow throughout the book as she tries to figure out if she wants to follow her heart and do what makes her happy or if she follows what her parents want her to do.

This book is mainly set in Taiwan and I loved reading and learning about the different Asian cultures and heritages, I found myself immersed in the pages. I loved the writing style of this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future.

I haven’t read any books with a dance element to them but I danced when I was younger, I actually performed at The Royal Albert Hall so you read about dance in this book was a lot of fun for me to read.


There is so much going on in this book from self-discovery to love triangles but it’s easy to follow and even with quite a few different characters within the book, I didn’t get confused at all. I’m not usually a fan of love triangles but it was well done in Loveboat, Taipei.

Me: the perfect YA book doesn't exist.
Loveboat, Taipei: Hold my beer.

Do I dare say, three days into the new year, that this is already one of my favorite reads of the year? I do!

Listen, I picked this book up because someone pitched it to me as "Gossip Girl, but make it diverse and add real drama" (you know, not things like selling a girl for a hotel but rather trying to meet your parents' expectations while forging your own way in life). And boy oh boy, were they right. This was the perfect blend of drama, funny and heartfelt moments and a dash of steamy romance.

Following Ever as she is (forcibly) sent to Taiwan by her parents to attend a highly acclaimed program to learn Chinese and solidify her position as one of the soon-to-be great doctors of her generation, things take a turn for the hilarious when Ever finds out that the program is one big hook-up place used by teens to live out their wildest fantasies for eight weeks away from home. Not used to not being censored by her parents at every turn, Ever soon blossoms into she always knew she wanted to be.

I loved Ever so much. She's quickly become one of my favorite protagonists in YA contemporary. She was just so real!! Her struggle to hold on to the things she loves while also not wanting to disappoint her family that's been controlling every one of her decisions for the better part of her life was heartbreaking. During her time in Taiwan, she learns that breaking the rules her parents set for her isn't what matters and instead learns to follow her heart and set her own rules.

What I loved most about this book is that no character is one-dimensional. Everyone has their own fears, their own aspirations, and they all make mistakes. But instead of holding grudges or becoming annoying characters, everyone learns from their mistakes and grows. Everyone has flaws but this story showed that it isn't important to be perfect but to be able to grow.

If you've been feeling like me lately and need a breath of fresh air from your contemporaries, I highly recommend reading this one. At the end of last year I was ready to give up on YA because it felt like it had become a genre that read like run of the mill tropes and books. Loveboat, Taipei reignited my love for the young adult genre and gave me hope.
A beautiful, addictive and diverse read. Cannot wait to pick up whatever Abigail Hing Wen writes next.

I loved this so much, Ever is one of the best written and relatable characters I’ve read in YA contemporary fiction in a long, long time. She’s so real, her reactions and emotions just see, so true to life. I didn’t like how quick she was to forgive, but I think that’s just my personality, not a judgement on the book (more a judgment on myself !) I loved the drama and tension, the friendships and the love to hate characters. This is an absolutely wonderful read and a great start to the year. Thoroughly and highly recommended to reinvigorate your love of YA contemporary.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

I was scared before starting this book because I was beginning to get to a point where I thought I was no longer able to enjoy YA contemporaries and honestly that is a depressing thought on its own. This book re-lit my love for them, and I had so much trouble putting it down!

This is a story about finding yourself and not living a life that you’re not comfortable with or even want to. Ever is incredibly relatable who is doing her best to appease her parents, who gave up everything to provide her with a good life. She does what most teenagers would do in her situation when finally given some form of freedom.

My only issue with Ever is how quick she is to forgive. Without spoiling the book she has everything ripped out from under her and she’s quite quick to forgive the person who done it. I feel like there should have been more of a fight? Maybe that’s just me?

I would have loved to have given this book five stars, but I did have some small issues with the book. I would have liked to have read more about Taiwan where the book is set and some of the side characters blurred into one for me. Otherwise, I really liked Abigail Hing Wen’s writing style and I cannot wait to read more of her work and the next book in this series.

Loveboat, Taipei covers a lot of important topics, especially ones that children of immigrant parents can relate to. It is a fast-paced, fun read with diversity at its core. I really do recommend giving this book a read if you love a good contemporary!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster UK Children’s for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.