I consider myself lucky for having read Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman. This book was a pleasant surprise, a gem that YA fans should read.
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Sorry for the grainy photo :([/caption]There's just so much to love about this book. First off, the main character, Erin, is smart, funny, and kind. She goes to a school for academically gifted students, she resides in a Chinese neighborhood in San Francisco, and she runs a wonderful anonymous advice blog called Miss Fortune Cookie. She is Miss Fortune Cookie, although only one person knows that. People email her for advice and she replies to them with Fortune Cookie "fortunes" that are funny, witty, and well-thought-of. I love Erin and I loved how Bjorkman used her as a representation of most young girls who are coming of age.
Miss Fortune Cookie is mostly about friendship and family and the nuances and boundaries of these relationships. When is it okay to lie? When is it disastrous? Should you choose love over family? Friendship over opportunity? These are just some of the issues that this book expertly tackles. Although Erin and her best friends, Mei and Linny, have romantic interests, romance is not at the core of Miss Fortune Cookie. Normally this would leave me wanting, but in this case it satisfied me. Wes, Erin's love interest, is a good guy but if you can't tolerate insta-love, he might annoy you. BUT don't let that stop you from reading this book. Although Erin liked Wes, she didn't let her attraction to him stop her from what she has to do. I loved that about her. She didn't lose her mind over a boy... so you can easily dismiss the insta-love. :)
Besides Erin, I also love Lincoln, this pesky, hyper kid whose wisdom belongs to a 100 year-old guy. That said, I love this quote from him (which probably won't make sense to you unless you've read the book):
You don't make anyone. You give them new eyeballs, like when I put on Karina's reading glasses. Everything looks huge and fuzzy through them. It's so cool.
I just love how realistic Miss Fortune Cookie is. It's so easy to relate to Erin. I also love how it somehow educates readers about the Chinese culture and promotes diversity and individualism and yes, girl power. I think we need more books like this.
Lastly, this book is literally beautiful.
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Funny, witty fortunes...[/caption][caption id="attachment_1038" align="aligncenter" width="374"]
Sometimes, just sensible reminders...[/caption][caption id="attachment_1041" align="aligncenter" width="404"]
Or mathematical formulas that prove just how smart Erin is...[/caption][caption id="attachment_1040" align="aligncenter" width="411"]
And a really handy pronunciation and translation guide! Ain't that cool?[/caption]Give Miss Fortune Cookie a chance. It will definitely make you smile, make you remember what growing up was like (if you're old), and absolutely entertain you.
Thank you, Laila, for this Christmas present. <3
As a reader and reviewer, I aim to write fair and honest reviews, both on this site and on Goodreads. Please read my Review Policy here.
naku! naka post pati yung dedication ko. hehehe! thanks for this review and i am very glad you enjoyed this one. i personally haven't read it yet. next time i come across another copy i will be sure to pick it up :D
ReplyDeletePlease do! I loved it, it was so different from the books I enjoyed last year, where it was all romance. This one's more about friendship and growing up so it was a really welcome change to my shelf. :)
ReplyDeleteOKAY I ABSOLUTELY NEED TO READ THIS. Like Chinese characters and cookies (yum) and easily relatable protagonists? Yesssss. I also love your photography skills there. ;-)
ReplyDeleteyay you're back!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the sound of this one. I'm glad that you liked the main character--I need a likeable one lately because quite a lot of the books lately have had annoying MCs >.>
Lovely review, Joy! <33
Awww, this book looks like such a lovely read! I will ASAP add it to my TBR list! Such a pretty book too. I love that it focuses on family. Definitely believe in fortune cookies, by the way ;) Great review!!
ReplyDeleteI clearly don't have enough elephants to kiss in my life xD
ReplyDeleteI'm not that much into YA, which I'm sure pretty much everyone know about me by now, but this actually seems like a good book. I might check it up on goodreads.
I especially like the part with not a lot of romance xD
- Love, Felicia
This one sounds really good! I feel like I never see books involving Chinese culture. For sure going on my TBR!
ReplyDeleteI know, right? There are very few YA books with Chinese (or Asian, at least) characters. And this one was so well-written so you should check it ou. Thanks for visiting, Maddy! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm actually exploring other genres this year, and this was my last YA read from 2014. The fact that it doesn't have a lot of romance was actually very refreshing, right? :)
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure if I believe in fortune cookie fortunes but they sure are fun to read. :D Thanks for dropping by, Lola!
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to tolerate annoying MCs so this one was really enjoyable. :D Thanks for visiting, Mel! :)
ReplyDeleteYou are the first person who've said that about my photography skills, I didn't even know I have those. So accept my virtual cookie offering. :D And yes, do read this, Cait! :)
ReplyDeleteWow, how have I not heard of this one yet?! Oh, how lovely it sounds :) It's been a while since I've read a book about genuine girl power and also promotes diversity. Thanks for putting this one on my radar! Very well done review (love the pictures too!).
ReplyDeleteOh hey, Aylee! Thanks for visiting my blog and commenting back. :) I haven't heard of this one either until a friend gave it to me for Christmas. It was a lovely gift and one of the best friendship books I've read in a long time. Check it out! :)
ReplyDelete[…] Give me a HIDDEN GEM BOOK! …aaaand GO! Miss Fortune Cookie by Lauren Bjorkman. It’s, in a way, hidden because I bet you don’t even know this one. […]
ReplyDelete[…] Do you need any advice on love, school, work, or just life in general? Lauren Bjorkman, author of Miss Fortune Cookie, is guesting on The Bookshelf Intruder and she’d love to answer your burning questions! Leave […]
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