When I picked up A Phở Love Story, I expected another teenage romance that just so happened to take place in an unconventional setting. What I got was quite a bit more.

Written by Loan Lê in 2021, A Phở Love Story follows the interactions between Vietnamese-Americans Bảo and Linh, both of whom are seniors in high school. Their families run competing phở restaurants across the street from each other in southern California. Although the animosity between their families has created an invisible barrier for many years, the two still build a deep connection with another. Together, Bảo and Linh learn about how their familial rivalry goes beyond the restaurant business while trying to navigate their own futures.

While the star-crossed lovers trope may seem overdone at first glance, the story surrounding Bảo and Linh is much more than love mixed with the stereotypes of overbearing parents and restaurant duty. In fact, the novel is much less about love than it is coming-of-age in a difficult environment. While it would have been easy for Lê to fall into the trap of writing about two tiger moms, she also manages to develop Linh’s father and aunt. These are my two favorite characters because they don’t fit completely into one stereotype or another. Although Lê could have just written Linh’s father as a minor character who comes around to support Linh’s artistic talents, she also includes his past aspirations as well. Like Linh’s dad, Linh’s aunt serves an important purpose too. As a former “starving” artist, Linh’s aunt is the complete opposite of a no-nonsense tiger mom. Her inclusion as a character makes Linh’s parents’ aversion to art more justified than in many other stories. It is refreshing to see how Lê goes above and beyond redundant themes and stereotypes to represent the diverse perspectives of the Vietnamese-American community.

A Phở Love Story’s strongest attribute is its authenticity. From the first few pages, we read about children spraying hoisin sauce, the Paris By Night variety show and punny phở restaurant names. In addition, Bảo’s inability to find a career he is passionate about is a profound theme under-explored in many other young adult novels. It resonated with me, and I believe the same would be true for many readers as well. As a Vietnamese-American, albeit one that has never lived in southern California, I thoroughly enjoyed these subtle references which made the story more realistic. From the start, it is clear that the author is not leaning into stereotypes or viewing their past through rose-tinted glasses. Lê portrays Vietnamese-Americans as who they are: people. Instead of simply explaining life with overbearing parents, Lê shows and tells the effects that such an upbringing has had on many Vietnamese-American children.

All in all, I would recommend A Phở Love Story to anyone looking for a teenage romance where the characters not only grapple with love, but growing up. Despite being geared towards a Vietnamese-American audience, its plot and themes of individualism and growing up can be relatable to everyone, regardless of their background.

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from the MUSE Winter Collection.