ARC Review: Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) by Livia Blackburne

You’ve Got Mail gets a YA twist in this rom-com that spotlights the power of activism and community organizing in the face of gentrification.

Clementine Chan believes in the power of the written word. Under the pseudonym Hibiscus, she runs a popular blog reviewing tea shops and discussing larger issues within her Chinatown community. She has a loyal, kind following, save for this one sour grape named BobaBoy888.

Danny Mok is allergic to change, and the gentrification seeping into Chinatown breaks his heart. He channels his frustration into his internet alter ego, BobaBoy888, bickering with local blogger Hibiscus over all things Chinatown and tea.

When a major corporation reveals plans that threaten to shut down the Mok’s beloved tea shop, Clementine and Danny find themselves working together in real life to save this community they both love. But as they fall hard for this cause—and each other—they have no clue that their online personas have been fighting for years.

When the truth comes to light, can Danny and Clementine still find their happily-ever-after?

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Overall Recommendation:

Clementine and Danny Save the World (and Each Other) is an introspective take on Chinese culture and its impact on the diaspora community that settles in a North American city, especially the gentrification of old neighborhoods. The seriousness of the subject matter is routinely balanced out with the levity of tea blogging and many fun facts on the appropriate brewing of tea. I feel more connected to such a story as a Chinese reader, however I do think this story is informational in a way that’ll connect others too.

**Clementine and Danny Saves the World (and Each Other) comes out July 18, 2023**

Thank you Edelweiss and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review

Where shall I begin?

First of all, as a Chinese Canadian reader, I feel pretty close to the subject matter at hand. In this story, Clementine and Danny fight against the impending take over by some big corporate group of a strip mall in Chinatown where they grew up in their town. While it may seem the revamping of an old mall would be ideal for the neighborhood on paper, it really can have negative consequences for the regular patrons and shop owners who actually live in the area.

I will admit I have some mixed and conflicting feelings that I do feel the book fleshes out. Danny, as the son of the owners of Fragrant Leaves, the tea shop in said strip mall, has good insight into the loss of such of corporate takeover. Besides losing out their business and livelihood, what makes up the beating heart of Chinatown will be lost. What exactly is that, you ask?

Chinatown isn’t just made up of the independent stores there. It’s in the elderly who regularly hang out in such places to socialize, play mahjong, and drink some tea. It’s in the hardships the immigrating generation conquered or persevered through the losses to come out on the other side. It’s the memories steeped into a place, the tears and sweat poured out within the confines of old decor and non-modernized technology.

Yes, there is loss here, always, when old is replaced with new. However, there is a flip side, and Clementine brings that into perspective. As a daughter of successful journalists who are considered more upper class, she brings ideas of modernization, Asian fusion and social media connections to promote Asian culture, even in the form of the kinds of tea to drink. She sometimes is idealistic and/or ignorant with her ideas that she posts to her tea blog – reviewing tea sounds like a fun topic actually – but I can also see where she’s coming from. Sometimes, change is necessary to adapt. Culture and tradition have its place, but it’s not traitorous to suggest a middle ground for the next generation in the diaspora to learn and love components of Chinese culture. We are the diaspora, after all. Two identities waging war, fitting in both cultures…or fitting in none.

I didn’t love that Danny made it seem Clementine was always in the wrong for her suggestions. She loved Chinatown, and this was her genuine way to try to bring in more people. Not all ideas work, but her heart was always in the right place. I’m not sure if the author also believes Danny’s POV and pragmatism is always right, but my personal take away is it’s always complicated. Some things I love to keep it the traditional way (drinking pu’erh tea with milk or sugar is a big fat NO), but I also love Asian fusion dishes that certain dim sum places offer.

That brings me to the romance. I honestly didn’t feel it. Danny was so awful to Clementine in her blog’s comment section, even though he didn’t know her to be the anonymous tea blogger. And when some of the things she believed about her Chinese culture differed from what he did, he blew up at her. His apology wasn’t enough, especially when he came across as superior because his parents worked physically hard to keep their store afloat. Are you saying Asians who study hard to afford more white collar jobs and therefore have more money only want to gentrify neighborhoods? He got on my nerves with his self righteousness. So no, I didn’t understand the reality of a romance forming here unless Clem changed all her beliefs to fit his.

The activism part of the story was purely informational, and frankly took up way too much page space. We don’t get to see these two characters anywhere outside of volunteering for the Chinatown nonprofit to save the neighborhood. Besides that they care about their neighborhood, there was little else about them we get to see. Additionally, how all their work played out didn’t really satisfy at the climax which made me wonder why so much time was given to this plot element.

All in all, I like the discussion around Chinese culture, tradition versus modernized “influencer” views, and the impact Chinatown has on those around it. I definitely felt seen with my array of emotions stemming from personal experiences in such places growing up. I didn’t love the ending or the romance but I firmly believe it is still a good read for Asian and non-Asian readers alike to learn from and discuss.