Valentina Tran used to love Valentine's Day. But when she learns the truth behind her parents' separation, she concludes true love is a lie. A ghoulish visage of Saint Valentine appears and promises to protect Val from heartbreak—but only if she gives up on love. Permanently.

Suddenly, cousins Leslie and Jae come roaring into Val’s life—literally. They’re lion dancers, and during one fateful Lunar New Year performance, the lion they’re inside hands Val a paper heart. And in that moment, Val feels something again.

Is that feeling love? Could this be Val's chance to break the family curse? Or is she destined to have a broken heart forever?

As the Library of Congress’s fifth National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, Gene Luen Yang advocates for the importance of reading, especially reading diversely. His graphic novel American Born Chinese has been adapted into a streaming series on Disney+. His other graphic novels include the two-volume Boxers & Saints and his memoir Dragon Hoops.

LeUyen Pham has illustrated more than one hundred books for children, including the Caldecott Honor book Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris and the bestselling Princess in Black series by Shannon and Dean Hale. She is the cocreator, along with Shannon Hale, of the bestselling series Real Friends. Her own books include The Bear Who Wasn't There and Big Sister, Little Sister.

Awards & Honors

• 3x Eisner Award Winner
• An NPR Best Book of the Year
• A Kirkus Best Book of the Year
• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• A Booklist Best Book of the Year
• A Shelf Awareness Best Book of the Year
• A Horn Book Best Book of the Year
• A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
• A Bulletin of the Center of Children's Books' 2024 Blue Ribbon Awards Winner
• An Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Young Adult Literature Honor Title

Reviews

• “Lunar New Year Love Story, gorgeously rendered in graphic novel form by Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham, deftly grafts the symbolism of these two holidays to create a rich tapestry of complimentary worldviews.” —NPR
• "The text and colorful comics work beautifully together in a story that captures the vibrant Asian community in Oakland, Calif." —Washington Post, from "Five YA novels to Read this Summer"
• "Yang’s storytelling is a multigenerational, multilayered, multicultural masterpiece of searching for lasting, empathic connection." – Booklist, starred review
• "Valentina’s quest is full of swoony moments that will satisfy romance readers, while her fearless journey of personal growth will win over everyone else." – Kirkus, starred review
• "A positive and beautiful work of art that will make an impression on readers." – School Library Journal, starred review
• "Yang and Pham do a wonderful job of weaving fractured families and romantic yearning with fantasy elements that show emotional states and growth, with plenty of humor throughout." – Horn Book, starred review
• "Poignant moments amplified by evocatively colored digitally rendered panels address deep issues of parental abandonment and grief, while interjections of comic relief and a riveting subplot surrounding lion dancing result in a well-paced, well-balanced dual effort." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review
• "Lunar New Year Love Story is a buoying tale about being open to the pain of love." — Shelf Awareness, starred review
• "Graphic novel lovers who find themselves immersed in richly illustrated, culturally resonant intergenerational stories...will be unable to resist the intricate dance between love, grief, and learning staged in this fiercely empathetic instant classic." — Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB), starred review
• "Lunar New Year Love Story will appeal to a broad audience, including younger teens. Though it is a love story, it embraces all kinds of love: romantic, yes, but also familial, intergenerational, spiritual and the special love between trusted friends." —Bookpage, starred review
• "A beautiful comic that shows that love takes many forms and goes hand-in-hand with laughter, tears, heartbreak, and forgiveness." —Screen Rant