Loveboat, Taipei review

​“Our cousins have done this program,” Sophie whispers. “Best kept secret. Zero supervision.”

And just like that, Ever Wong’s summer takes an unexpected turn. Gone is Chien Tan, the strict educational program in Taiwan that Ever was expecting. In its place, she finds Loveboat: a summer-long free-for-all where hookups abound, adults turn a blind eye, and the nightlife runs nonstop.
But not every student is quite what they seem:
Ever is working toward becoming a doctor but nurses a secret passion for dance.
Rick Woo is the Yale-bound child prodigy bane of Ever’s existence whose perfection hides a secret.
Boy-crazy, fashion-obsessed Sophie Ha turns out to have more to her than meets the eye.
And under sexy Xavier Yeh’s shell is buried a shameful truth he’ll never admit.
When these students’ lives collide, it’s guaranteed to be a summer Ever will never forget!

Paperback: 432 pages ​Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's UK

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My review

~I was gifted a copy from the publishers - all opinions are my own~

I give it - 5/5

I do want to say this book tackles so subjects such as domestic abuse, exploitation, sexual content, self-harm, racism.

My review -  I adored this book so much! As soon as I started this book I didn't put it down until I finished it. I love the characters, the setting, the plot, everything about it was just wonderful and it made me laugh, it made me cringe and I just kept rooting for Ever throughout the whole story. This is a fun book with a serious side to it and I really like the balance between it.

Ever doesn't want to go to a school her parents want or study what they want but, her parents aren't happy with her and they send her to an educational program in Taiwan. But, it isn't want she was expecting. She thinks she is in for a boring strict summer but what she gets is a summer where she can be free, adults turn a blind eye from what happens here between the students and Ever may be in for the best summer of her life.

We follow a bunch of wonderful characters who visit this camp and form this friendship group. I really enjoyed reading about Ever, Rick, Sophie and Xavier and the rest of the characters. All different, all at this camp for the summer and with this being Ever's first time here she has made a list that she wants to complete before the summer is over. Some of the things on the list is just fun stuff and the other stuff is a little bit risky.

This book is full of laughs, drama, and full of surprises along the way. It is addictive from start to finish. This book is also about Ever and where she is from. Her family is strict and when they send her away they want her to learn about where her family is from, her culture and to learn to speak the language and just appreciate where she came from. But, for Ever she wants her parents to realise that she wants to do what she wants to do with her future.

Abigail has written a fantastic book and I really love the way she pulls the reader in with this story and the way she describes the food, the description of the places and night life it just sounds like a wonderful place to visit and I would like to go there. She did a really good job of making me feel like I was there along these characters. 

Abigail really does balance the gritty and hard hitting themes with the entertainment within this book and I think she did it really well.

Very entertaining and also please check out goodreads for reviews by own voices for this book!