Lunar New Year Love Story by Gene Luen Yang and Leuyen Pham is a 2026 Nutmeg nominee.
This graphic novel is a very sweet love story. It is about Valentina. As a young girl she loves Valentine’s Day. But finding out the truth about her mom’s absence turns her away from love. She feels that her family is cursed in love.
Once she’s in high school, her interactions with her imaginary friend, St. Valentine, have her trying to find love within a year or giving up on it for good.
She gets involved with the very handsome ladies’ man, Les. He seems very interested in her, but she realizes he acts that way with other girls too. Is she different for him, or could there be something more real with his cousin Jae?
This book offers a love triangle, along with family and friendship drama and interesting cultural components – lion dancing!
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