There are some books about high school/college aged kids that are written for kids the same age, and then there are others that are written in a way that makes them seem like they’re intended for a younger audience. Ex Marks the Spot feels like the latter. I don’t read middle grade books, so I don’t know if this would officially fall into this category, but it reads a little bit too much on the young side for me to truly enjoy it. That said, I think middle school me would have enjoyed this story about Gemma and Xander, who are brought together on a treasure hunt across Massachusetts and Taiwan that helps them mend their personal rift and learn more about the relationship between their grandfathers. Gemma and Xander come from different backgrounds with different personalities, which brings the enemies to friends element to the story. The treasure hunt element feels too convoluted, but I often find it difficult to follow those in books, where you’re relying on context from the protagonists. The best part of this to me was getting to experience Taiwan through the eyes of Gemma, even though this sometimes gets short changed because Gemma is in such a hurry to solve the treasure hunt. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Really REALLY wanted to like this because the premise was so cool, but got to about 20% before calling it quits. There was a real lack of plot continuity that was brushed off as “oh yeah i lied about that too,” between the mother and daughter. The relationship between Gemma and Xander made no sense either, nor did the connection between their families that isn’t revealed until 20% in that seemingly neither of them knew?

Chao’s exploration of family secrets and cultural roots adds a profound depth to the story, transforming what initially seems like a quest for treasure into a journey of self-discovery and love. I was captivated by how every twist not only revealed hidden treasures but also the richness of Gemma’s heritage. This book is a delightful blend of adventure, romance, and emotional depth, making it an absolute must-read for fans of contemporary YA!

A well written and endearing tale that I couldn’t put down from the start. The descriptions were beautiful and the story was exciting!

I was very excited to get this book. However, it was not able to be sent to kindle. Therefore, it has to be read on the NetGalley app. Which is fine, I’ve started books through the app before. What is different is that this book is a PDF. It looks like the pages were scanned in. You cannot change the size of the font whatsoever. This made is extremely difficult to read and at the end of the day stopped me from finishing this book. I also don’t know how someone who has possible vision issues would be able to read this. Some people need bigger font or prefer bigger font.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and flirty romance. I really enjoyed the adventure in the book. This was so much fun.

Thank you to NetGalley for letting me preview this book!

This book keeps you guessing with its variety of puzzles/clues, constant will-they-won’t-they vibes, and the emotional roller coaster that is this story. The author does an incredible job of adding just enough detail into the story to make it really come alive, and OMG the FOOD descriptions. I literally salivated!

But seriously, she captures the essence of what it means to not only discover who you are for yourself, but also how that relates to and changes with each new person you meet and let into your life, even if you don’t realize it. The emotions the characters work through and their actions and reactions are realistic and relatable, and overall it’s really just a job well done!

This was a really fun YA enemies-to-lovers book. All the characters were likable, both secondary and main. The treasure hunt and settings were fun in a unique kind of way. I liked that it was a relatively low stakes adventure. It made for a nice, light, entertaining story.

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

The fun parts of Ex Marks the Spot are Taiwan, the food, solving the clues Gemma’s formerly unknown and now dead grandfather left for her and art. I never did connect with Gemma – she overreacts to everything making me wonder how she manages to get around an unknown city (she has never gone anywhere before) and why Alex, who has been treated badly by her for four years, would still like her. I still enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this DRC.
#ExMarkstheSpot #NetGalley

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. i have enjoyed Chao's previous books.

enjoyed the representation and learning more about Taiwanese culture and food; Gemma inherits a mysterious treasure hunt in her grandfather's will, although her mother does not want her to go to Taiwan. she finds a way to go through her high school nemesis Xander and a program that must be like Birthright in a way to visit Taiwan.

the adventures there were really interesting to read, however the characters were somewhat immature. as an adult reader, my perspective is a little different than the intended audience. i did like the enemies to lovers trope of this book.

well written and dynamic characters were a big plus.

please note this book was not available via Kindle and was challenging to read on my phone.

4/5 stars out 12/31/2024.

It’s been a while since I’ve read a YA book and I’m so glad NetGalley provided an ARC to this book. I loved it. I found it refreshing and fun with an absolutely feel-good competitive but meant to be relationship between the Gemma and Xander. Being of an Asian background myself I totally related to the stories behind the Asian families and how we don’t really see them as people themselves but more like entities we somewhat revere or feel not so attached to as we should like Americans seem to be like. I remember coming to the US when I was 6 years old and wanting to just be an American and how my parents wanted me to still call them respectfully in the same names of my country rather than Dad and Mom. I lost the ability to speak the language and regret not being able to pass it down to my own kids. But enough about myself. This book was brilliant and had me from the beginning with the adventure of a lifetime. I found it beautifully written and maybe someday I too can travel there to see the wonders with my own eyes.

This was soooo cute! I flew through this book. I read the last 50% of this in a night and absolutely loved it! It hooked me from the beginning and I loved Gemma's character development. I loved that it was more important than her relationship with Xander, but he was still a very important part of it. I love a good rivals to lovers, and a rivals to lovers with a found family? Sign me UP! The TARPers were so much fun to read about!

I had such a good time. The scavenger hunt was a good plot and I loved that we got to travel with them and try to solve some pieces as well.

One of my favorite books this year, I highly recommend giving it a read! And LOOK at that cover. I want the physical copy just so I can prop it up and stare at it forever.

Thank you so much NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for an advanced copy!

What a fantastic YA read! This is the first book I have read by this author. I absolutely love the characters and how she brings the scenery alive for the readers. My favorite part of the book was all the different clues that they had to solve too!

This was an incredibly well-written book about a teenage girl trying to discover her roots after her estranged grandfather dies, leaving her with a series of puzzles that takes her all around Taiwan. As Gemma travels around Taiwan for the first time, we are also immersed into what she experiences in the culture and history of Taiwan. On her trip, she meets other children of first-generation immigrants, who each have a different relationship with their families and their culture. I resonated with Gemma's struggle of finding her own identity as an American with two cultural identities and how she balances the two. The book has a great message that there is really no right way to do this.

This book also focuses a lot on family. Gemma reconnects with long-lost family but also realizes the meaning of family. Just because they are blood-related doesn't mean they are her true family. As she finds out more about her grandfather, we kind of see her grandfather's life story revealed just as Gemma is also finding herself. It was heartwarming to see Gemma appreciate and understand her mom's perspective while also growing to be more proud of who she is and less insecure.

There is a lovers to rivals to lovers trope between Gemma and Xander, and I loved them together. While Xander seems to be more integrated into the Taiwanese culture, he still experiences struggles with his more traditional family. I thought Gemma and Xander balanced each other out very well.

Overall, I truly enjoyed reading this book. While there is romance, the book definitely focuses a lot more on Gemma's journey into finding her cultural identity. It goes in depth to the (mouthwatering) food culture as well as the language. I resonated with her struggles, and I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

It wasn’t exactly what I expected but it was okay. It was a quick read and though there were parts that bothered me like the two leads didn’t seem to be fully fleshed out or even like each other. It was a book and I am always going to enjoy reading them.

LOOK AT THAT COVERRRRR!!

this was my first gloria chao book and boy did she not disappoint. this was everything and more!

thankyou netgalley and gloria chao for the arc. all opinions are my own!

Loved it!
Read this in an afternoon, What a fun story of a girl graduating from high school who goes on a trip to Taiwan where she discovers information about her family and herself. Gemma has grown up with her mother as her only family. Her mother has worked two jobs to support them and money has always been tight. This is a delightful story filled with fun, adventure and romance. I really enjoyed it and would highly recommend it if the synopsis sounds interesting to you. I will definitely be looking for other books by this author. Happy reading!

thanks to netgalley and penguin group for the free earc in exchange for a fair and honest review!

ok. this didn't work for me.
the entire first half of the book was xander and gemma being horrible people to each other. and not in the "oh, it was a misunderstanding all along!" type of way. xander literally calls gemma a wet blanket to her face for like 25% of the book, and he is not joking when he does so.
i do think the exploration of assimilation was interesting, and that aspect was most of the reason i rated this book 2 stars instead of 1. gemma's complete disconnect from her roots and the impact that has had on her was something i hadn't thought of before, and i was happy to be able to learn of something like that.
another thing that really bugged me about this book was that xander literally steals a painting frame off the wall of a museum and says he did it to like... teach gemma how to have fun? like normally i can suspend my disbelief but that one was... ridiculous.
this book isn't all bad. i actually did like the characters that were introduced and a lot of the activities and riddles throughout. honestly, the only thing i really disliked about this book was the main characters.

So much fun, highly recommend if you want a good laugh and a great romance. I love a good lovers to ex to lovers type romance

This is an extremely sweet enemies-to-lovers story, blending self-exploration, connecting with roots, Asian heritage, and an adventurous treasure hunt with lots of smart, impeccably and intricately developed puzzles!

I enjoyed most of it and felt the urge to order from the nearest restaurant after reading about the mouth-watering foods the author mentioned. But I think it's even better to travel to Taiwan to explore those tastes firsthand.

The story revolves around Gemma and her ex-arch nemesis and co-valedictorian, Xander (Alex). Recently graduated, Gemma learns from a lawyer that her grandfather passed away just two weeks ago, leaving her an inheritance filled with puzzles. It seems like a secret treasure only she can decode by visiting Taiwan to learn more about her roots and family history. Her mother's overprotective attitude, even lying about family history due to her father's controlling demeanor, gives Gemma complex feelings. She yearns for her lost grandfather and secret family past while still loving her mother unconditionally, who raised her alone after leaving her own country and culture to give her daughter a better future.

Barely able to keep a roof over their heads and facing upcoming college tuition payments, Gemma hopes her grandfather's puzzling treasure hunt might solve her financial problems. When her mother refuses to pay for her trip to Taiwan, she reluctantly requests help from Xander, who's part of TARP: a special student program covering all expenses to discover Taiwan. She plans to conduct her treasure hunt while attending the program, and luckily, a spot opens up at the last minute.

Before boarding the plane, Gemma discovers their mothers and even grandparents were also rivals, each blaming the other for stealing their wealth. It seems like they're a modern Romeo and Juliet, their relationship doomed from the start. But who cares about Xander when Gemma connects with her roots, befriends new hot TARP members, visits sacred locations, and devours amazing food?

Yet, Gemma finds Xander in her corner when she needs him most. Will this complicate things, especially given their families' rivalry and their missed chance in the past? Read to find out!

Overall, this is a delicious, entertaining, and inspiring journey that will make you want to book a ticket to Taiwan and explore those amazing places and fancy food! I'm planning to do it myself. But please devour the book first.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group/Viking Books for Young Readers for sharing this adventurous YA novel's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.