★★★★★ 3
Pretty good
Format: Hardcover
In 1932, Lulu Wong made a name for herself by leaving Chinatown and becoming a Hollywood star. Most girls who look like her don't get lead roles, so Lulu is the pride of her neighborhood. So everyone is shocked when Lulu's body is found in a local stable far from her Beverly Hills home by her friends, sisters May and Gemma. The girls know that the police won't look too hard into the murder, so they decide to take matters into their own hands. As they investigate, the sisters discover a plot to frame Chinatown as a den of iniquity that should be demolished in favor of constructing a new train station. May and Gemma soon find themselves in a race against time to not only find justice for their friend but save their neighborhood, all while being targeted by a killer.
I've only read a few books by Lee, but they've all been winners. I love her style when it comes to YA historical fiction. She crafts compelling plotlines that include real issues of the time with characters you can't help but root for. I liked both our main characters. May was more logical and reserved, while Gemma was a spitfire, but they balanced each other perfectly. I liked how we got both of their POVs, but I did enjoy Gemma's slightly more because I loved her gumption. I thought the mystery was well-paced and kept me intrigued. I had no clue how it would play out, and I liked how Lee wrapped it all up. It did drag a bit in the middle, but overall, I thought it was entertaining.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
