Solving for the Unknown by Loan Le is a heartfelt YA contemporary that focuses more on catching feelings than full-blown romance. It follows Viet and Evie—two high-achieving teens brought together by a STEM competition but bonded by deeper, more personal struggles.

What stood out to me most wasn’t the romance—which stays light—but the exploration of mental health, the pressure of perfection, and the complexity of being a second-gen Asian American teen. The cultural context is handled thoughtfully, and the audiobook really enhances those emotional beats.

If you’re looking for a YA story with strong character development, thoughtful representation, and a gentle emotional arc, this is one worth listening to.

This book follows Vietnamese Americans who juggle family expectations and the love for each other. I was excited to read this book because I heard how good Le’s debut was. Le did not disaapoint. This book has many factors readers can relate to. I loved the storyline and enjoyed the conflicts the characters have to go through. Usually I am not a huge fan of cultural and parent expectations that just feels so toxic but the author did a great job balancing expectations and reality without making it so depressing that you want to stop reading. The author did a great job with talking about mental health and growing oneself. I would say that the story felt like there was no structural plot and instead of a episode where you were missing the starting of what happened. This book is told from Viet and Evie’s pof.

Evie loves helping people out but in a relationship she needs to get out of. Viet is friends with Evie’s sister and they start hanging out in the same group. I liked both characters and enjoyed seeing their growth. They helped each other grow which I loved. I would say that their introduction made it feel like I should have read the debut just to know more of the background. We do have some side characters like the MCs friends, family and ex boyfriend who play their own roles. The romance is friends to lovers which was well done but something else was needed.

The ending was well done and overall, this was a great book. It was cute and well done perfect for young adults. This book does folllow college students so it’s more upper ya character wise. I recommend checking this book out and the debut!

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

Another fun Loan Le book, reminiscent of “A Pho Love Story”!

Notable lines:
“We’re all different someones, depending on who we are with. It’s impossible to be consistent, and anyone who thinks they are is in denial . . . People will bring out all the different sides of you. Sometimes in the worst ways. But mostly in the best, and freeing, and fulfilling way, ever.”

“Yes, I was dramatic. It’s tiring to be angry all the time.”

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed revisiting this world and the cast of characters from A Pho Love Story. This book follows some of the characters as they navigate college and independent life. This book did a good job of highlighting how young adults develop their identities and relationships and addresses mental health in a really positive way. I absolutely love the group of friends and how they accept each other and support each other in all their eccentricities. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon Teen for this arc. All opinions are my own.

I read Loan Le’s first book, A Pho Love Story, and I’ve been eagerly anticipating her follow up ever since.
This book tells the story of Viet and Evie, two Vietnamese college students who connect and fall in love on campus. This book is so charming and sweet and Viet and Evie are two characters that are easy to root for. I know that YA may be different but it’s so nice to see a book avoid the most annoying romance pitfalls. There is no annoying miscommunication, no unnecessary third act break up, just two young people finding themselves and each other in such a sweet way. I’d say this book is appropriate for any reader above 14 or so. The audiobook narrators took a little of getting used to but eventually I enjoyed their narration.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I thought this was pretty cute. I liked the characters and the friends to lovers concept. It had some really good moments but also moments where something was missing but I couldn’t pin point what it was. I also wish that I had read a pho love story before this one. Though it wasn’t necessarily. This one was cute enough to make me add it to my tbr though! So overall an enjoyable read but was missing something that I can’t pin point

truly one of the best ya contemporary books i’ve read in a long time— this book was well worth the wait. i haven’t been able to stop thinking about it since j finished it last week!

all the characters found their way into my heart. the plot is perfectly structured in a way that made me never want to put it down! viet and evie having simply the most healthy relationship made me so happyyyyyy

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to SimonTeen for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. I have been on a YA kick recently and this one was no different. I LOVED the mental health representation in this book. As someone who suffers from depression, it was explained and expressed perfectly by Viet. I loved reading about the family dynamics and the college friendships. I appreciated the portrayal of college relationships and how they translated. Viet and Evie's personalities mixed so well and I thought it was so cute!

I had not read Pho Love Story before this book and now it is going towards the top of my list.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this. I loved the representation for cultural aspects like elders in immigrant communities being hesitant to go to the doctor because of language barriers, birth order theory like how much pressure there is on eldest daughters to be perfect and how youngest sons can get overlooked in comparison to eldest sons. I liked that it touched on how divorce is taboo in the Vietnamese community. I loved that the characters were diverse and it didn't feel like forced diversity or a half hearted "fine damn" kind of diversity. I think that these parts of the story could have been further fleshed out if the book were longer. I would have liked to see these played out more in depth. I feel like the topics jumped from one to another very quickly and stayed very surface level. I feel like i am a bit more inclined to like this story since I am also of Southeast Asian decent and can relate to these parts of the story. I'm not Vietnamese nor do I speak the language so the bits of phrases throughout had me stumbling a bit. Maybe I was too tired while reading or I'm just stupid but it really took me out of my immersion not being able to tell what they were saying with context clues. I would've liked some footnote translations or maybe repeating the phrase in English in the same sentence.

very cute and short story!! i loved the focus on the mental health and relying on family. I needed a small break though with the great hits over and over again though. It was great to see the familiar characters from a pho love story tho!!

Solving for the Unknown is a companion book to A Pho Love Story, focusing on friends and family of the main characters of the first book. The main character, Viet, is leaving his home and his parents (who are struggling with relationship issues) to attend college six hours away. Viet worries that he won't find his niche until he joins a running group and meets Tate and Kale who invite him to a party. Ultimately, this is a sweet romance and coming of age story. It's slow, but it's purposeful. The characters are well drawn and realistic. I recommend this as an addition to a YA Romance collection.

Thanks to Simon Teen for the eARC and Simon Audio for the ALC.

Solving for the Unknown is a relatively light and easy read, yet it does dive into some pretty deep feelings and issues.

Solving for the Unknown has such a found family feel. Viet is a college freshman, away from his small group of friends for the first time, but he stumbles upon a crew that is so supportive and wonderful. Evie is one of that crew, a junior back from his home town who he sort of knows. And they become fast friends.

Their friendship was pretty adorable. Viet has depression and struggles with opening up, but Evie and the others don’t let him hermit away and are always there to be his support system. And when Evie needs a confidence boost before an interview, who is there but Viet, her own little cheerleader. It’s just…heartwarming to read about.

I really enjoyed the narrators in this one, they really fit the characters and helped bring them to life.

Overall, Solving for the Unknown was a pretty quick and sweet read but I enjoyed the deeper issues.

I’m a huge fan of romance set on a college campus. 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐧 is a warm and delightful, slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance, that offers so much more.

I loved both Viet and Evie’s personalities. Viet, with his sweet and quirky nature and obsession with forensic science, also struggles with depression. Evie, majoring in biology (which is near and dear to my heart), is slowly realizing that her ‘perfect-for-her-boyfriend' is not what 𝘩𝘦𝘳 heart wants. Their relatable struggles and kind and supportive relationship make them a great couple. It was heartwarming to see their relationship blossom.

The author skillfully weaves a narrative that is both light and serious. The realities of navigating college life, family expectations, and dealing with depression and loneliness are depicted with sensitivity, making the story well-rounded and engaging without being overly heavy.


Thank you @SimonTeen for the gifted ebook via #netgalley.

Thank you to Simon Teen and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

When I saw Loan Le was coming out with a companion to A Pho Love Story I knew I needed it immediately. I loved APLS and when I got into this, I knew I’d love it the same way.. Loan has this way of making you feel like you’re the one living this story with them. I thought I was Evie so many times as I read. It’s such a visceral experience. Le is incredible at it and when I felt that in the first few chapters, I knew I’d love it.

The relationship Evie and Viet was SO CUTE! I loved how much they supported each other and were there for other. Their understanding and ability to just get it. Even when they weren’t officially together. It was so heartwarming. I know YA isn’t for everyone, but there’s something about a YA contemporary that just transports me to a different time and I feel like a giddy teen again. This book did just that for me.

This coming-of-age story is everything wonderful and sweet about growing up and learning who you are. The pacing and character development were fantastic and I couldn't get enough. I highly recommend it!

This was a really sweet and heartfelt read. Thank you to Simon Teen for the e-Arc!

This book is a wholesome and lovely college romance. Two students from the same hometown discover a connection between them when they find each other at the same college. This is peak friends to lovers! These characters are relatable and fun and the world crafted felt authentic and real. While this book is mostly lighthearted, it wasn’t afraid to dive into more serious topics and issues. It dealt with topics such as depression, divorce, and tough family dynamics. It also had wonderful Vietnamese representation.

When I picked this up, I didn’t realize that it was a companion novel! It would have made this world richer if I had read that book first, but it did not stop me from enjoying this book. I loved Evie’s and Viet’s journey a lot, and will be definitely revisiting A Pho Love Story to meet his friends. I also would love to see an Ali story, really hoping the tease we got will lead to another book!

This story has a wonderful found family aspect to it, as we see Viet make so many amazing friends at school and find his home. This story really made me want to root for the characters. As an older sister, I really related to Evie and her struggles. I am very glad she learned to stand up for herself and find the love she deserves,

If you are looking for a soft and sweet college romance, this is it!

This was a very sweet read! This is part of an interconnected stand alone series where the first book follows our main characters sister and best friend. I think my enjoyment of the book would have been greater by reading the first book however the author did a good job of explaining the previous story in this book.

I loved how Vietnamese was intertwined throughout the story and I was able to grasp some of the meanings by context clues but some translations would have been helpful, even if it was in footnotes at the bottom of the pages.

The one thing is I didn't really feel like there was an actual plot line that was being followed overall, more of small plot lines throughout. I think that made some of the storylines feel rushed or weren't delved into as much.

I think I would rate this closer to a 2.5/5 however I can't do half stars on here. I think it was enjoyable as a whole but wouldn't necessarily re-read.

A lighthearted college romance with realistic angst that fit well with the plot. This was an enjoyable read, it had an amazing friend group, realistic depression rep, and good character development.

The romance is so nicely done in such a short amount of time, a friendship developing before anything else was really sweet. I had such a good time reading this, it was the perfect rom-com vibe that I needed.

Plot: 8/10
Pace: 8/10
Ending: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Enjoyability: 9/10
Writing Style: 9/10
Would I Recommend? Yes
Favorite Character: Viêt

Favorite Quote: ❝"Don't give me shit like 'Boys aren't supposed to cry,’” Evie warned him. "No, I'm just worried my mascara's going to run," he attempted to joke.❞

3⭐️ This was cute. I think if you like college age characters as well as the Asian cultural/parental expectations it’s worth a read. Loan Lee touches on divorce, mental health, finding yourself, silly/wonderful friends, and friends to lovers romance.

Synopsis:
To his friends back home, Viet Ho is calm and collected and a lovable oddball who nurses an obsession with forensic science. He’s relieved to head off to UC Davis and escape from being in the middle of his bickering immigrant parents. Yet, on campus and with the school year unfolding at an overwhelming pace, Viet struggles to belong and to keep his depression hidden.

Evie Mai is a junior biology major and the eldest daughter who has never trod far off the beaten path. She has everything: good grades, a solid group of friends, and a smart, ambitious boyfriend, who’s the son of a well-connected university board member. But their busy schedules, as well as their interests, no longer align. Determined to close the distance, she and her boyfriend both apply to a student-run clinic for underserved communities. But will that save or expose the gaps in their relationship?

When a clumsy accident brings Viet and Evie together, they bond over their shared hometown and similar history—and their orbits grow smaller as their friends collide. The more time they spend with each other and support each other, mentally and emotionally, the more their friendship shifts into something else.

Thank you to @netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and the author for the advanced reader copy. #netgalley #solvingfortheunkown #arcreview #releaseday

This cute collage ‘friends to loves’ romance will have you giggling and kicking your feet in glee! While being an awesome rom-com book it has a lot to make it feel unique. There is a great friend group that really highlights ‘found family’. The author also touches on some more serious topics like divorce and mental health I.e depression. While being a rom-com I feel the author touched on these subjects really well without making them too heavy.

I really enjoyed this book thank you Simon teen

4.75 stars rounded up

This was such a lovely, sweet college romance between characters that were previously seen in A Pho Love Story. I absolutely loved the treatment of mental health in this book and the amazing found family of friends. Tate, Kale, and Lis are incredible to the main characters. Really, my only complaint was that the writing style could be a bit jarring at times, referring to people as "his/her friend" instead of by name. The family dynamics were on point and the pressure of being the oldest/only child was so well depicted.

While the protagonists are college age, there is no spice in this book beyond kissing, and it doesn't need it. I loved the way their relationship developed from friends to more.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.