What do you think?
Rate this book
The L.O.V.E. Club
From the acclaimed author of Beating Heart Baby, an immersive novel following three estranged high schoolers who are pulled into a video game to pursue the disappearance of their friend
Three years ago, Elle (the “E” in the self-proclaimed L.O.V.E. Club) disappeared from Calendula, an affluent Chinese American suburb in inland California. Soon afterward, Liberty and Vera (“L” and “V”) moved away, leaving O alone with her grief, abandonment, and confusion. . . until Liberty and Vera return for their senior year of high school.
Though the L.O.V.E. Club’s three remaining members once bonded as outcasts and gamers, they can’t pick up the pieces of their friendship. But the girls are drawn back to their old clubhouse, where they discover, loaded for them to play, a new game created by none other than the missing Elle.
One click, and Liberty, Vera, and O are ported into Morning Glory, an ever-evolving botanical fantasy coded with their lived experiences, complicated history, and repressed insecurities. Unbeknownst to the others, O can’t remember the events surrounding Elle’s disappearance―but within the game, Elle has sent O a cryptic hint about Morning Glory’s real nature.
While Liberty and Vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, O grapples with the secret knowledge that her deepest wish, to reunite with Elle, might just come true. But as the girls progress through Morning Glory, O begins to wonder how well she actually knew any of her former best friends and if she’s ready to confront the hard truths―and dangerous revelations―about Elle in her returning memories.
Three years ago, Elle (the “E” in the self-proclaimed L.O.V.E. Club) disappeared from Calendula, an affluent Chinese American suburb in inland California. Soon afterward, Liberty and Vera (“L” and “V”) moved away, leaving O alone with her grief, abandonment, and confusion. . . until Liberty and Vera return for their senior year of high school.
Though the L.O.V.E. Club’s three remaining members once bonded as outcasts and gamers, they can’t pick up the pieces of their friendship. But the girls are drawn back to their old clubhouse, where they discover, loaded for them to play, a new game created by none other than the missing Elle.
One click, and Liberty, Vera, and O are ported into Morning Glory, an ever-evolving botanical fantasy coded with their lived experiences, complicated history, and repressed insecurities. Unbeknownst to the others, O can’t remember the events surrounding Elle’s disappearance―but within the game, Elle has sent O a cryptic hint about Morning Glory’s real nature.
While Liberty and Vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, O grapples with the secret knowledge that her deepest wish, to reunite with Elle, might just come true. But as the girls progress through Morning Glory, O begins to wonder how well she actually knew any of her former best friends and if she’s ready to confront the hard truths―and dangerous revelations―about Elle in her returning memories.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2025
22 people are currently reading
6268 people want to read
About the author
Lio Min
2 books124 followersLio Min is the acclaimed author of Beating Heart Baby, a long-time music reporter, and a fullmetal optimist. They live in Oakland, California, and write toward the future.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
August 26, 2025
lio min i would give you my entire heart if i could
July 5, 2025
A stunning return by Lio Min! This novel was truly an ambitious project that pulled off the complexity of girl friendships. I was hooked by the cinematic premise (4 girls, 4 worlds, 4 bosses! So fun), and couldn't look away as it got darker, more complicated, and more layered. The prose was also so beautiful! Just a really wonderful, fun, and dark book!
May 11, 2025
Plot was hard to follow at times and the mechanics of the game didn’t make sense to me. For example, the flowery language in O’s passages were confusing and unnecessary, in my opinion. This might not be true of the finished copy, as I read an early review copy, but I think this book could have used stronger editing. I kept reading for the mystery, but I didn’t feel strongly about the ending.
July 7, 2025
This is a unique, fun, and touching story. A group of girls, known as the L.O.V.E. Club due to the first letters in their names, were friends when they were younger. They bonded over being outcasts and gamers. When the E in the Club, Elle, disappeared and L and V moved away, O was left alone. When suddenly they reunite with O for senior year, chance would find them all at their old hangout spot on the same night. This is where they inexplicably get sucked into a video game made by Elle. Liberty, Vera and O must play their way through a four level game, with four bosses. As they play, it seems like each level was inspired by one of them. L and V are looking to get out, but O is secretly hoping that at the end of it all, she will be reunited with Elle again.
This is a great YA story! Lio Min touches upon racism, sexism, being transgender, and exploring sexuality. We navigate friendship, grief, self-discovery--all sorts of things that readers of a certain age can relate to! At the end of the day, being a teenager is hard and holding onto your friends is sometimes the only thing that can get you through. We also must contend with the fact that we don't always get the answers we want. Add the outcast vibes and video game aspect, and I think you have a slam dunk for a large audience of younger readers!
This is a great YA story! Lio Min touches upon racism, sexism, being transgender, and exploring sexuality. We navigate friendship, grief, self-discovery--all sorts of things that readers of a certain age can relate to! At the end of the day, being a teenager is hard and holding onto your friends is sometimes the only thing that can get you through. We also must contend with the fact that we don't always get the answers we want. Add the outcast vibes and video game aspect, and I think you have a slam dunk for a large audience of younger readers!
July 26, 2025
Huge thanks to Flatiron Books for the physical ARC. I love the cover and colors and this was a cool one to receive.
This novel spans genres in a pretty solid and unique way. It’s deeply rooted in grief, with three of four best friends (whose names start with letters that make up The L.O.V.E. Club) dealing with the loss of the fourth. The story is shown through O, and she can’t really remember anything about what happened. That helps the author pepper in some mystery, and also allows for all the cards to not be present on the table at the start. Their love of video games, which is part of what brought them together, is exploited as they are all transported into their lost best friend, E’s, game-world. It kind of brought to mind the sequel/reboot of Jumanji, but that’s where the similarities stopped. That meshes scifi into the otherwise real-world Calendula, California, but then the levels of the video games present an almost fantasy-style layer on top of the settings the characters know from the world. This is also helped by L and V getting a bow and arrow and a sword, too. Then with the grief, and when some of the information about E comes to light, there is a tinge of horror there.
So there were some things in this that just didn’t work for me. While the bulk of this novel takes place in a video game, none of the actual descriptions of the levels felt like a video game to me. If anything, it could have been a portal fantasy and that might have been sold better. O’s gifted power is a notebook, as of course she is a writer. She is able to elicit help from L and V by writing out what they want to do, and while this may have actually been incredibly well done writing (as in an author pretending to write like a high schooler that thought they were a great writer) a lot of it was confusing and wordy, and seriously cringey. There is also a thread throughout about how much E loved flowers. While there is payoff for its inclusion in the end, as someone that doesn’t know about flowers, it felt like a chunk of this book was using descriptors that brought nothing to mind. Flower names used to enhance mentioned colors felt kind of forced and left me confused.
There were also things that continued to reel me in over and over in how well they were done. Calendula is a Chinese American suburb and the author does a great job of painting exactly what that means. The culture bled into everything around them, their intricacies and secrets, the dos and don’ts (if you will) that are (not so) quiet expectations, the challenges of thriving—or even surviving—there. It felt like a perfect glimpse into a world that wasn’t mine, and It was just enough. I’m all for the representation here as well. The layered in grief really hit for me. While the club had each other, E was truly O’s best-best friend. The kind of friendship where it’s hard to tell where one person begins and the other ends. So when she lost her, she just kind or crumbled, lost herself. I also thought it was clever to show how each girl was grieving separately, because each person carries it differently.
Then what really shone are the friendships. This author allows them to be natural, to be hectic, to be anything but cut and dry and nice and neat. They felt real, and every time they have some kind of revelation together I felt for them. The emotion described is powerful and felt almost like a tangible thing you could hold. These friends love each other. They have lost and they have grown. They may never be the same, but that’s still okay. The writing is imbued with a beautiful take on the world, even though their world is not wholly beautiful itself, and I loved the messiness. There are no even lines or comfy finishes here.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-l-...
This novel spans genres in a pretty solid and unique way. It’s deeply rooted in grief, with three of four best friends (whose names start with letters that make up The L.O.V.E. Club) dealing with the loss of the fourth. The story is shown through O, and she can’t really remember anything about what happened. That helps the author pepper in some mystery, and also allows for all the cards to not be present on the table at the start. Their love of video games, which is part of what brought them together, is exploited as they are all transported into their lost best friend, E’s, game-world. It kind of brought to mind the sequel/reboot of Jumanji, but that’s where the similarities stopped. That meshes scifi into the otherwise real-world Calendula, California, but then the levels of the video games present an almost fantasy-style layer on top of the settings the characters know from the world. This is also helped by L and V getting a bow and arrow and a sword, too. Then with the grief, and when some of the information about E comes to light, there is a tinge of horror there.
So there were some things in this that just didn’t work for me. While the bulk of this novel takes place in a video game, none of the actual descriptions of the levels felt like a video game to me. If anything, it could have been a portal fantasy and that might have been sold better. O’s gifted power is a notebook, as of course she is a writer. She is able to elicit help from L and V by writing out what they want to do, and while this may have actually been incredibly well done writing (as in an author pretending to write like a high schooler that thought they were a great writer) a lot of it was confusing and wordy, and seriously cringey. There is also a thread throughout about how much E loved flowers. While there is payoff for its inclusion in the end, as someone that doesn’t know about flowers, it felt like a chunk of this book was using descriptors that brought nothing to mind. Flower names used to enhance mentioned colors felt kind of forced and left me confused.
There were also things that continued to reel me in over and over in how well they were done. Calendula is a Chinese American suburb and the author does a great job of painting exactly what that means. The culture bled into everything around them, their intricacies and secrets, the dos and don’ts (if you will) that are (not so) quiet expectations, the challenges of thriving—or even surviving—there. It felt like a perfect glimpse into a world that wasn’t mine, and It was just enough. I’m all for the representation here as well. The layered in grief really hit for me. While the club had each other, E was truly O’s best-best friend. The kind of friendship where it’s hard to tell where one person begins and the other ends. So when she lost her, she just kind or crumbled, lost herself. I also thought it was clever to show how each girl was grieving separately, because each person carries it differently.
Then what really shone are the friendships. This author allows them to be natural, to be hectic, to be anything but cut and dry and nice and neat. They felt real, and every time they have some kind of revelation together I felt for them. The emotion described is powerful and felt almost like a tangible thing you could hold. These friends love each other. They have lost and they have grown. They may never be the same, but that’s still okay. The writing is imbued with a beautiful take on the world, even though their world is not wholly beautiful itself, and I loved the messiness. There are no even lines or comfy finishes here.
https://fanfiaddict.com/review-the-l-...
June 1, 2025
3 Stars
This is a hard review to write, because some of the passages are so lyrical. Some of the messages are so poignant. Some of the feelings captured are just so... good. But most of my experience was just vague confusion, and that's... not good. It's a mixed bag. And I'm sad about it.
I need more time to dive into what's going on here, but I'll get there. My full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on July 25, 2025. Stop by to see if I can make sense of this one.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This is a hard review to write, because some of the passages are so lyrical. Some of the messages are so poignant. Some of the feelings captured are just so... good. But most of my experience was just vague confusion, and that's... not good. It's a mixed bag. And I'm sad about it.
I need more time to dive into what's going on here, but I'll get there. My full review will be available at Gateway Reviews on July 25, 2025. Stop by to see if I can make sense of this one.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Edelweiss+ in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
August 21, 2025
2025 reads: 223/300
i received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
three years ago, elle disappeared from calendula. soon after, liberty and vera moved away, leaving o the last remaining member of the l.o.v.e. club in calendula and alone with her confusion and grief. when liberty and vera return for senior year, though, the club’s three remaining members find it difficult to pick up where they left off. still, they find themselves drawn to their old clubhouse, where they find that a new game, created by elle, is loaded up for them to play. one click, and they find themselves inside the game, called morning glory, which is based on their own history, experiences, and insecurities. while liberty and vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, o struggles with the hidden knowledge that she just might be reunited with elle. as they progress through the game, though, ugly secrets come to light, and the trio must decide whether they’re ready to confront these truths.
the premise had such a unique concept, so i was quick to download this one when i got the offer! i mean, what could go wrong with a botanical fantasy game with storylines directly related to the mcs’ lives? (don’t answer that…) i loved seeing them navigate their own hurts through the game and grow closer to one another because of it. they’re all considered “outcasts” (though for different reasons), which is why they started the l.o.v.e. club in the first place. there were so many plot twists/reveals that made this story even more appealing. this book dealt with so many tough subjects—grief, racism, sexism, transphobia, to name a few—while still making the reader feel immersed in the game at the same time. the audiobook was narrated by alice wen, and i’m sure this was a big part of why it felt immersive to me. i highly recommend this book to any YA reader who enjoys video games and complex friendships.
i received a complimentary audio copy from the publisher as part of their influencer program. i am leaving this review voluntarily.
three years ago, elle disappeared from calendula. soon after, liberty and vera moved away, leaving o the last remaining member of the l.o.v.e. club in calendula and alone with her confusion and grief. when liberty and vera return for senior year, though, the club’s three remaining members find it difficult to pick up where they left off. still, they find themselves drawn to their old clubhouse, where they find that a new game, created by elle, is loaded up for them to play. one click, and they find themselves inside the game, called morning glory, which is based on their own history, experiences, and insecurities. while liberty and vera defeat increasingly sinister bosses, o struggles with the hidden knowledge that she just might be reunited with elle. as they progress through the game, though, ugly secrets come to light, and the trio must decide whether they’re ready to confront these truths.
the premise had such a unique concept, so i was quick to download this one when i got the offer! i mean, what could go wrong with a botanical fantasy game with storylines directly related to the mcs’ lives? (don’t answer that…) i loved seeing them navigate their own hurts through the game and grow closer to one another because of it. they’re all considered “outcasts” (though for different reasons), which is why they started the l.o.v.e. club in the first place. there were so many plot twists/reveals that made this story even more appealing. this book dealt with so many tough subjects—grief, racism, sexism, transphobia, to name a few—while still making the reader feel immersed in the game at the same time. the audiobook was narrated by alice wen, and i’m sure this was a big part of why it felt immersive to me. i highly recommend this book to any YA reader who enjoys video games and complex friendships.
September 6, 2025
The LOVE Club was a beautiful exploration into the intricacies of loss, which in many ways has many layers and levels. Setting the story up as an isekai (getting transported into a game or book a la Jumanji) was kind of iconic and is a new favorite trope of mine. But I’m definitely getting ahead of myself once again.
“O” is the last remaining member of the LOVE Club, where each member’s first name initial corresponds to a letter in the word LOVE. They didn’t become friends for that reason or change their names, it just worked out that way. When Elle suddenly disappeared 3 years ago, followed by Vera and Liberty moving away, O was left to wallow in her grief alone. But while the years may change a person, the memories still exist of who they were before.
When Liberty and Vera come back to town to finish out their last year of High School, it’s almost as if all the reasons they became friends in the first place are just within O’s fingertips. They mysteriously find their way back to the clubhouse where they all used to spend their time together, only to find it feeling like they never left; a game is booted up and ready for them to play created by none other than their long lost friend Elle.
Morning Glory is coded in their friendship with every level having been made for one of them. And when they begin to play it, they find themselves sucked into it… and Elle is there waiting. But why is the game keeping them from asking any questions as to where she’s been and why can’t O remember things she knows she should know?
This was a sci-fi mystery that while I kind of had an inkling what the end result was going to be, I was still crushed when I got there. It’s like when someone plays a before and after shot of a war. You already know what they are going to show you next, but you just don’t know the extent of the damage. What led up to that? Why did it happen? So to say I’m a little heartbroken atm is an understatement.
I really enjoyed my first foray into Lio Min’s books. I’ve had Beating Heart Baby sitting on my TBR cart since it was released, but it may be time to pick it up. I’m a new fan of theirs!!!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ALC of the book.
“O” is the last remaining member of the LOVE Club, where each member’s first name initial corresponds to a letter in the word LOVE. They didn’t become friends for that reason or change their names, it just worked out that way. When Elle suddenly disappeared 3 years ago, followed by Vera and Liberty moving away, O was left to wallow in her grief alone. But while the years may change a person, the memories still exist of who they were before.
When Liberty and Vera come back to town to finish out their last year of High School, it’s almost as if all the reasons they became friends in the first place are just within O’s fingertips. They mysteriously find their way back to the clubhouse where they all used to spend their time together, only to find it feeling like they never left; a game is booted up and ready for them to play created by none other than their long lost friend Elle.
Morning Glory is coded in their friendship with every level having been made for one of them. And when they begin to play it, they find themselves sucked into it… and Elle is there waiting. But why is the game keeping them from asking any questions as to where she’s been and why can’t O remember things she knows she should know?
This was a sci-fi mystery that while I kind of had an inkling what the end result was going to be, I was still crushed when I got there. It’s like when someone plays a before and after shot of a war. You already know what they are going to show you next, but you just don’t know the extent of the damage. What led up to that? Why did it happen? So to say I’m a little heartbroken atm is an understatement.
I really enjoyed my first foray into Lio Min’s books. I’ve had Beating Heart Baby sitting on my TBR cart since it was released, but it may be time to pick it up. I’m a new fan of theirs!!!
Thank you to the publisher for sending me an ALC of the book.
August 1, 2025
Disclosure Statement: I received an ARC of the novel from the publisher. My opinions are entirely my own and have not been influenced in any way by the author or publisher.
I want to get it out of the way early: The L.O.V.E. Club is a good book cluttered with perhaps too many ideas that obscure its focus. My biggest reaction to the book is simply that it's trying to make a really big swing to explore some important questions about growing up, about friendship, about cyclical, generational trauma, and about how memory fits into building self and relationships; but in all the big swings it makes, it also loses consistency in its pacing, its cohesiveness, and the action takes on a metaphorical duality that obscures actual meaning.
But in spite of what I believe to be its imperfections, I resolutely admire the work this novel is doing. Min, as a writer, pulls back away from the action and the plot to center tightly on characters, and each one of the main characters of the novel has a role to play in their own process of self-discovery. There's a lot of painful meaning-making in this book, a process that is messy and delicate, with characters who are not fragile but are afraid of becoming so. The best parts of the novel are the characters and their interactions and reflections. In all the book, I found myself the least interested in how it handles the central plot devices, because it's the character reflection and introspection that drives this story forward.
One of the elements of craft that stood out to me about the book is how often characters speak in false starts and fragmented sentences. These half-thoughts operate as a form of self-censorship, and the book is ultimately all about the ways we self-censor and obscure the most important parts of our lives. These half-starts and false directions contribute to the novel's perspective on friendships and relationships as well, as if the act of censorship is critical to maintaining relationships or maintaining boundaries between one's self and others. It's an interesting craft decision that aligns with how much of the book also wants to speak through obscurity, its metaphorical layering obfuscating truths until it is time to step back and allow those truths to speak and exist more plainly.
As a work of art, The L.O.V.E. Club feels thoroughly deliberate, compacted with a lot to say and also a lot to protect. All of that is valuable, worthy of attention, and definitely the highlight of the book.
Although I often found frustration with the way the book is paced, I also thoroughly believe that this book was written as very specific art, speaking to a specific readership with a specific code. I genuinely hope this book strikes hot for that readership, as I think there's a lot of power and surprise to be found through these pages.
I want to get it out of the way early: The L.O.V.E. Club is a good book cluttered with perhaps too many ideas that obscure its focus. My biggest reaction to the book is simply that it's trying to make a really big swing to explore some important questions about growing up, about friendship, about cyclical, generational trauma, and about how memory fits into building self and relationships; but in all the big swings it makes, it also loses consistency in its pacing, its cohesiveness, and the action takes on a metaphorical duality that obscures actual meaning.
But in spite of what I believe to be its imperfections, I resolutely admire the work this novel is doing. Min, as a writer, pulls back away from the action and the plot to center tightly on characters, and each one of the main characters of the novel has a role to play in their own process of self-discovery. There's a lot of painful meaning-making in this book, a process that is messy and delicate, with characters who are not fragile but are afraid of becoming so. The best parts of the novel are the characters and their interactions and reflections. In all the book, I found myself the least interested in how it handles the central plot devices, because it's the character reflection and introspection that drives this story forward.
One of the elements of craft that stood out to me about the book is how often characters speak in false starts and fragmented sentences. These half-thoughts operate as a form of self-censorship, and the book is ultimately all about the ways we self-censor and obscure the most important parts of our lives. These half-starts and false directions contribute to the novel's perspective on friendships and relationships as well, as if the act of censorship is critical to maintaining relationships or maintaining boundaries between one's self and others. It's an interesting craft decision that aligns with how much of the book also wants to speak through obscurity, its metaphorical layering obfuscating truths until it is time to step back and allow those truths to speak and exist more plainly.
As a work of art, The L.O.V.E. Club feels thoroughly deliberate, compacted with a lot to say and also a lot to protect. All of that is valuable, worthy of attention, and definitely the highlight of the book.
Although I often found frustration with the way the book is paced, I also thoroughly believe that this book was written as very specific art, speaking to a specific readership with a specific code. I genuinely hope this book strikes hot for that readership, as I think there's a lot of power and surprise to be found through these pages.
July 7, 2025
4,5, była trochę płakówa dla mnie, temat traumy pokoleniowej uderza inaczej i jeżeli macie przeczytać jakąś książkę na temat gier video to powinna być to właśnie ta książka…
July 20, 2025
The LOVE Club by Lio min, the book is about four teenage girls who all became friends because in the third grade they were essentially all outsiders. It’s senior year one of the friends L has been missing for three years and her best friend oh has been stagnant in morning her loss. Vera and liberty moved away around the same time L went missing but it’s senior year and their back. The three remaining girls all unknown to each other meet up at their middle school hang out and before they know it they’re in a game called morning glory set up by their missing friend and believe if they finish the game and beat the bosses they will see her again. Something oh is banking on especially since she has no memory of why or any of the events surrounding El going missing. I love RPG and video game type stories and we’re so excited to read this one although I did feel as if something in the game didn’t make sense. There’s four levels in each level is a girls “story“ and although I found a lot of this book interesting it seemed there were a lot of things that left me confused as I said overall I really enjoyed the story the mystery and really liked all the girls liberty was my favorite especially given her backstory and challenges, although I must admit when it came to oh there were some things about her that truly irritated me but as the book went on I really liked her. through each girl story we get to know them and I think if you love video games and likable people to root for this is definitely a great book to read. I would have given it more stars if there was a little more rhyme to the reason throughout the game but even with that bit of confusion it was an interesting story with a great mystery. #NetGalley, #TheBlindReviewer, #MyHonestReview,#LioMin, #TheLOVEClub,
September 10, 2025
As a fellow Asian woman who values her cultural identity immensely but struggles to express her emotions especially during loss, and has seen the model minority myth in action, this book hit hard. I am not sure why I expected a nice easy going story, but this was absolutely the opposite and I am happier for it. Min has such a unique way to describe loss and culture, especially using the symbolism of gaming to tie deeper themes together. Friendship, family, and relationships are other major themes in this book and it was done in such an inclusive, nuance, and heartfelt way that I felt myself tear up a few times. I love the way that it also touches on generational truma and forgiveness in a raw yet powerful way, and many times, written beautifully. The ending truly did feel like the beginning, and I'm blown away by this piece of art.
** Disclosure: I recieved a free copy, but all thoughts and opinions are my own**
** Disclosure: I recieved a free copy, but all thoughts and opinions are my own**
July 15, 2025
Thank you Flatiron for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Lio Min's YA sci-fi, The L.O.V.E. Club brings readers on a journey of teenage friendships and video games with heart-breaking themes balanced with heart-pounding action. Three years after Elle goes missing, Liberty, Vera, and O are taken into a video game she created where they will have to face each others secrets and mysterious history.
This book is a true emotional rollercoaster, but it's beautiful in every moment. O is left with no memories of what happened three years ago, or any time between then and now. Liberty and Vera remember it all, but the game forbids them from explaining any of it to O. As they reunite and go through the game together, the secrets and memories they tried to bury are revealed. It's hardly ever happy. Most of the things the game reveals are the hardest truths they could face, and any ability they had to hide them is taken. I was nearly brought to tears so many times in this story.
Though as hard and emotional as this story may be, there's a light within it that will capture the hearts of the readers. It's a journey of secrets and the things we hide, but it's a journey of discovery as well. There are discussions of race, gender, and understanding ourselves. It's looking at every moment, good and bad, and pushing through it all. The characters may struggle, but they find themselves in the end. They learn who they are, what they need to do, and, most of all, what hidden things they need to release to move on.
Readers will feel all the emotions of the story, and they'll feel like they're really there with the characters. Min's writing is incredibly atmospheric, sucking readers into a world they can see in great detail. I often feel like first-person point of view can limit the world-building, keeping us stuck in one characters head. This book, however, lets readers know everything, even as we stay with one character. You know the world and the characters and every little thing in between. It's never just the narrator who feels important.
Lio Min has created a stand-out 2025 release with The L.O.V.E. Club. With the exploration of grief and self understanding, and their addictively descriptive writing style, this is a story readers need to keep their eyes on. It's a story you'll never forget.
Lio Min's YA sci-fi, The L.O.V.E. Club brings readers on a journey of teenage friendships and video games with heart-breaking themes balanced with heart-pounding action. Three years after Elle goes missing, Liberty, Vera, and O are taken into a video game she created where they will have to face each others secrets and mysterious history.
This book is a true emotional rollercoaster, but it's beautiful in every moment. O is left with no memories of what happened three years ago, or any time between then and now. Liberty and Vera remember it all, but the game forbids them from explaining any of it to O. As they reunite and go through the game together, the secrets and memories they tried to bury are revealed. It's hardly ever happy. Most of the things the game reveals are the hardest truths they could face, and any ability they had to hide them is taken. I was nearly brought to tears so many times in this story.
Though as hard and emotional as this story may be, there's a light within it that will capture the hearts of the readers. It's a journey of secrets and the things we hide, but it's a journey of discovery as well. There are discussions of race, gender, and understanding ourselves. It's looking at every moment, good and bad, and pushing through it all. The characters may struggle, but they find themselves in the end. They learn who they are, what they need to do, and, most of all, what hidden things they need to release to move on.
Readers will feel all the emotions of the story, and they'll feel like they're really there with the characters. Min's writing is incredibly atmospheric, sucking readers into a world they can see in great detail. I often feel like first-person point of view can limit the world-building, keeping us stuck in one characters head. This book, however, lets readers know everything, even as we stay with one character. You know the world and the characters and every little thing in between. It's never just the narrator who feels important.
Lio Min has created a stand-out 2025 release with The L.O.V.E. Club. With the exploration of grief and self understanding, and their addictively descriptive writing style, this is a story readers need to keep their eyes on. It's a story you'll never forget.
July 15, 2025
Sometimes you read a book and you kinda know it’s good, but at the same time, you know that you are definitely not the target audience for it. Sometimes it’s easy to get past, but with The L.O.V.E. Club by Lio Min, I waffled back and forth quite a bit. I liked it, but since I don’t fall into a number of boxes, I had a hard time relating to the characters in many ways.
When I first read the synopsis, I thought maybe it was a bit of an homage to Tron. The early 80’s Disney film is at the same time very dated and holds up well in a strange way -- so much so that they are releasing a third Tron movie later this year, 43 years after the first one was released. And there are hints of that, but the video game aspect of this story -- the part I figured I’d relate to -- are actually very minor in many ways. The game exists, but the mechanics are poorly explained, if at all, and it basically comes across as a fever-dream of a fantasy world with no real rules. If you can get past that, the real story has a lot of meat and depth to it.
The bulk of the story is the relationships between four girls and their families. Liberty, Vera, and O meet up, three years after the disappearance of the fourth member of the L.O.V.E. Club - Elle. Elle wrote a computer game that they get sucked into and they are forced to find the exit while dredging up the ghosts of their past. Each of them are Chinese-American daughters and their culture has a huge impact on the story. A big part of the mystery stems from the fact that O is an unreliable narrator and can’t remember the events of three years ago when O disappeared from their lives.
So ultimately, the game mechanics matter little as the important aspects are discovering the truth behind their own lives, relationships, and parents.
It is a bit clunky getting there, but in the end, I found The L.O.V.E. Club to be a healing story for the three remaining members of the friend group. They discover not only who they really are, but what they mean to each other in the end. There are some very moving passages that Lio Min pens in the process and there is some real heartbreak and tragedy along the way. But, you can’t have an omelette without breaking any eggs and Elle’s videogame broke the eggs necessary to repair their relationships.
Like I said, I don’t fit into a number of boxes. As a middle-aged white man from the Midwest, it was hard at times to relate to teenage Chinese-American girls or the transfer of their native culture from China to America and the lasting effect that has on themselves or their families. But ultimately, Lio Min wrote a compelling story that made it easy to get past the parts I couldn’t relate to with stories that all of us can empathize with.
Thank you to Flatiron for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
When I first read the synopsis, I thought maybe it was a bit of an homage to Tron. The early 80’s Disney film is at the same time very dated and holds up well in a strange way -- so much so that they are releasing a third Tron movie later this year, 43 years after the first one was released. And there are hints of that, but the video game aspect of this story -- the part I figured I’d relate to -- are actually very minor in many ways. The game exists, but the mechanics are poorly explained, if at all, and it basically comes across as a fever-dream of a fantasy world with no real rules. If you can get past that, the real story has a lot of meat and depth to it.
The bulk of the story is the relationships between four girls and their families. Liberty, Vera, and O meet up, three years after the disappearance of the fourth member of the L.O.V.E. Club - Elle. Elle wrote a computer game that they get sucked into and they are forced to find the exit while dredging up the ghosts of their past. Each of them are Chinese-American daughters and their culture has a huge impact on the story. A big part of the mystery stems from the fact that O is an unreliable narrator and can’t remember the events of three years ago when O disappeared from their lives.
So ultimately, the game mechanics matter little as the important aspects are discovering the truth behind their own lives, relationships, and parents.
It is a bit clunky getting there, but in the end, I found The L.O.V.E. Club to be a healing story for the three remaining members of the friend group. They discover not only who they really are, but what they mean to each other in the end. There are some very moving passages that Lio Min pens in the process and there is some real heartbreak and tragedy along the way. But, you can’t have an omelette without breaking any eggs and Elle’s videogame broke the eggs necessary to repair their relationships.
Like I said, I don’t fit into a number of boxes. As a middle-aged white man from the Midwest, it was hard at times to relate to teenage Chinese-American girls or the transfer of their native culture from China to America and the lasting effect that has on themselves or their families. But ultimately, Lio Min wrote a compelling story that made it easy to get past the parts I couldn’t relate to with stories that all of us can empathize with.
Thank you to Flatiron for providing this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
July 30, 2025
I received this ARC for free. The review below is my own opinion.
This books was captivating, traumatic, and a bit hard to get through. I loved the overall concept of the book and it was executed nicely. What made it difficult for me was the amount of floral references. I love the idea of someone loving flowers so much that it becomes how they see Colors and worlds but I definitely felt like I needed a botanical dictionary with me in order to understand the references. The writing style was for the most part easy and fun to read. I only really struggled with O’s proses and the memory transfer bits. They didn’t really blend with the rest of the book, but I can see what the author was trying to achieve.
There was ALOT of trauma in this book. Way more than I anticipated based off the book description. It was also very descriptive in some of the harsher scenes. Thankfully they never lasted too long but if you get icky at things like that just be warned.
I really enjoyed the video game aspect of the book and all the references made throughout. It definitely helped lighten the mood after a particularly nasty boss. The only thing I didn’t quite understand with the book was the ending. It all fell a bit flat for me and felt like after everything they go through there’s no real pay off. I’m also not sure how I feel about the last bit of the book where a new group of girls is Introduced. I don’t feel like it really needed to be included but maybe that’s just me.
This books was captivating, traumatic, and a bit hard to get through. I loved the overall concept of the book and it was executed nicely. What made it difficult for me was the amount of floral references. I love the idea of someone loving flowers so much that it becomes how they see Colors and worlds but I definitely felt like I needed a botanical dictionary with me in order to understand the references. The writing style was for the most part easy and fun to read. I only really struggled with O’s proses and the memory transfer bits. They didn’t really blend with the rest of the book, but I can see what the author was trying to achieve.
There was ALOT of trauma in this book. Way more than I anticipated based off the book description. It was also very descriptive in some of the harsher scenes. Thankfully they never lasted too long but if you get icky at things like that just be warned.
I really enjoyed the video game aspect of the book and all the references made throughout. It definitely helped lighten the mood after a particularly nasty boss. The only thing I didn’t quite understand with the book was the ending. It all fell a bit flat for me and felt like after everything they go through there’s no real pay off. I’m also not sure how I feel about the last bit of the book where a new group of girls is Introduced. I don’t feel like it really needed to be included but maybe that’s just me.
July 29, 2025
My favorite stories end up being ones that don't let you know what it is without the whole; where it is so clear the vision and world carry realities of depth that fold into and reveal themselves with what seems like endless detail and ways of looking at characters and concerns. The flowers and plant life that run through the narrative also work as a perfect metaphor for how wholistic it is: every piece of this novel, its structure and its characters, are dependent on each other to create something beautiful. Which brings me to what makes me ADORE THIS BOOK:
Lio Min expresses the heart and love as a true inquiry like all great novelists. And that inquiry doubles as one that questions what WRITING even is. I am left with questions about judgment, family, friendship, every human being's story and the core of our relationships with their relentless attachment to time, its traumas big and small. When I hear the word "generational," in relation to minority communities, I'm not gonna lie, certain themes and conventions come to mind. This was an unexpected and riveting mind fuck.
An assault on the senses like the great epics and GOATED RPGs, there's so many vistas and landmarks I can't get out of my head: from a nothing blue dumpster to discolored moonlit fields that tease with the promise of terror.
I WILL NEVER LET GO OF THESE GIRLS AND THEIR MOMS!
Lio Min expresses the heart and love as a true inquiry like all great novelists. And that inquiry doubles as one that questions what WRITING even is. I am left with questions about judgment, family, friendship, every human being's story and the core of our relationships with their relentless attachment to time, its traumas big and small. When I hear the word "generational," in relation to minority communities, I'm not gonna lie, certain themes and conventions come to mind. This was an unexpected and riveting mind fuck.
An assault on the senses like the great epics and GOATED RPGs, there's so many vistas and landmarks I can't get out of my head: from a nothing blue dumpster to discolored moonlit fields that tease with the promise of terror.
I WILL NEVER LET GO OF THESE GIRLS AND THEIR MOMS!
August 20, 2025
🎧 Book Review 🎧 Macmillan Audio has been super generous this summer with their audiobooks which is awesome because we have had a ton of driving to dive right in! I had no idea what The L.O.V.E. Club was about before I pressed play but I was drawn right in to this fast-paced young adult novel. Friendships at any age are tough, but they feel like a never-ending emotional rollercoaster in high school.
In a small town in California, four friends had a bond so tight they called themselves the L.O.V.E. Club. Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle thought nothing could break them apart but the disappearance of Elle changed everything. Now after years of grief, loss, and estrangement, the three remaining girls find themselves trapped in a video game created by Elle. As the girls battle through the levels, they hope to escape back to reality but uncover a depth of realities they had no idea existed along the way.
Nothing speaks to the complex dynamics of adolescent relationships like video games so this is definitely one that young adult readers will gravitate to…
I rarely play video games and if I do, it’s the Oregon Trail and now I am slightly terrified I will get pulled in and die of dysentery 😭😭😭
In a small town in California, four friends had a bond so tight they called themselves the L.O.V.E. Club. Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle thought nothing could break them apart but the disappearance of Elle changed everything. Now after years of grief, loss, and estrangement, the three remaining girls find themselves trapped in a video game created by Elle. As the girls battle through the levels, they hope to escape back to reality but uncover a depth of realities they had no idea existed along the way.
Nothing speaks to the complex dynamics of adolescent relationships like video games so this is definitely one that young adult readers will gravitate to…
I rarely play video games and if I do, it’s the Oregon Trail and now I am slightly terrified I will get pulled in and die of dysentery 😭😭😭
July 13, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and Simon and Flatiron for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Probably closer to a 2.5??
On a high level, the concept for this book is great. Dealing with personal traumas + cyclical community traumas through the lens of a video game is a classic move, but effective in the right hands. It also does some interesting things with style across the whole text.
My issues with the book is that pacing in it was a nightmare, my suspension of disbelief was regularly shattered with the force of a hammer against glass, and that the style.of the book matched the style of the protagonist: labyrinthine and overly purple prosey. I wanted to like it, and there are certain scenes that landed home really nicely, but the plot of the whole thing felt overly contrived and deeply flimsy in ways that made me rush towards finishing it because I wanted it over with, rather than because I was excited.
I will say that one of the joys of this book is how much it's rooted in a sense of place, but I think that was the main thing that landed home really well.
Probably closer to a 2.5??
On a high level, the concept for this book is great. Dealing with personal traumas + cyclical community traumas through the lens of a video game is a classic move, but effective in the right hands. It also does some interesting things with style across the whole text.
My issues with the book is that pacing in it was a nightmare, my suspension of disbelief was regularly shattered with the force of a hammer against glass, and that the style.of the book matched the style of the protagonist: labyrinthine and overly purple prosey. I wanted to like it, and there are certain scenes that landed home really nicely, but the plot of the whole thing felt overly contrived and deeply flimsy in ways that made me rush towards finishing it because I wanted it over with, rather than because I was excited.
I will say that one of the joys of this book is how much it's rooted in a sense of place, but I think that was the main thing that landed home really well.
July 31, 2025
This one was a wild ride! And I mean that in the best way possible.
The L.O.V.E. Club is comprised of 4 friends (Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle). Outcasts who find comradarie in gaming. But Elle mysteriously disappears, and Liberty and Vera move away, leaving O alone to grieve. When the two return for senior year, all three are suddenly transported INTO a video game created by Elle to help them solve the mystery of her disappearance!
The prose reads like poetry. Lio Min's descriptions bring the flowery world of the video game to life. They capture emotions with a lyrical quality. "...we know what waits for us in the other side of childhood. Sand, slipping through our fingers, sweeping through the desert of our lonely, then lonelier lives."
I highly recommend this gorgeously mysterious read. And on another note, scroll to see when I meet Lio at @yallwest, having them sign the ARC that even they hadn't seen yet!
I received this ARC from publisher @flatironbooks. The opinions are my own.
The L.O.V.E. Club will be released on August 5, 2025.
The L.O.V.E. Club is comprised of 4 friends (Liberty, O, Vera, and Elle). Outcasts who find comradarie in gaming. But Elle mysteriously disappears, and Liberty and Vera move away, leaving O alone to grieve. When the two return for senior year, all three are suddenly transported INTO a video game created by Elle to help them solve the mystery of her disappearance!
The prose reads like poetry. Lio Min's descriptions bring the flowery world of the video game to life. They capture emotions with a lyrical quality. "...we know what waits for us in the other side of childhood. Sand, slipping through our fingers, sweeping through the desert of our lonely, then lonelier lives."
I highly recommend this gorgeously mysterious read. And on another note, scroll to see when I meet Lio at @yallwest, having them sign the ARC that even they hadn't seen yet!
I received this ARC from publisher @flatironbooks. The opinions are my own.
The L.O.V.E. Club will be released on August 5, 2025.
August 4, 2025
Thank you @flatiron_books for the advanced copy to review! Having read and loved @emo__ocean’s debut Beating Heart Baby (if you haven’t read it, stop reading this caption and go read it immediately), I was so excited to get my hands on an early copy of The L.O.V.E. Club.
What I thought would be an interesting fantasy-esque/ sci-fi book was actually a really interesting exploration of friendships and how they can change, protecting yourself, being scared of the future, and grieving.
I loved how the book was set up - and I can’t wait to see the final art between chapters. Each section of the book was a level, and each teen had to battle the boss of their level. I loved the revelations along the way and how they ultimately had to work together each time and trust each other a little more. I particularly loved how Vera and Liberty connected, and learning their backstories was so effective for storytelling. O’s shocked me!!
The final section of this book was REALLY well done and I fully enjoyed my time in this universe. No spoilers - but I would definitely recommend this one!!
What I thought would be an interesting fantasy-esque/ sci-fi book was actually a really interesting exploration of friendships and how they can change, protecting yourself, being scared of the future, and grieving.
I loved how the book was set up - and I can’t wait to see the final art between chapters. Each section of the book was a level, and each teen had to battle the boss of their level. I loved the revelations along the way and how they ultimately had to work together each time and trust each other a little more. I particularly loved how Vera and Liberty connected, and learning their backstories was so effective for storytelling. O’s shocked me!!
The final section of this book was REALLY well done and I fully enjoyed my time in this universe. No spoilers - but I would definitely recommend this one!!
August 3, 2025
It’s like my memories of the L.O.V.E. Club are a painting that, once chipped, reveals another fully realized work beneath the surface.
As kids, Elle, O, Liberty, and Vera were treated as outcasts in their conservative community, and formed a tight-knit group of friends- The L.O.V.E. Club. Then Elle disappeared, and the group fell apart. Years later, the remaining girls are reunited and sent on a journey to confront their past.
This was a really interesting exploration of the weight of family secrets and shame, the difficulty of living in an oppressive community—and the friends that help you survive. A cycle of violence and misogyny has affected each of the girls, and their families, in different ways, and the book explores how pervasive it can be. Liberty, Vera, and O are forced to grapple with what happened during their time apart and hidden truths about their friendships.
Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
As kids, Elle, O, Liberty, and Vera were treated as outcasts in their conservative community, and formed a tight-knit group of friends- The L.O.V.E. Club. Then Elle disappeared, and the group fell apart. Years later, the remaining girls are reunited and sent on a journey to confront their past.
This was a really interesting exploration of the weight of family secrets and shame, the difficulty of living in an oppressive community—and the friends that help you survive. A cycle of violence and misogyny has affected each of the girls, and their families, in different ways, and the book explores how pervasive it can be. Liberty, Vera, and O are forced to grapple with what happened during their time apart and hidden truths about their friendships.
Thanks to netgalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 13, 2025
I received a free ARC from NetGalley. It took me a little bit to get into this story only because it started so abruptly and was filled with chaotic action from basically the very beginning. I felt like I didn’t know the characters well enough and they were going through this challenging quest that requires a lot of suspension of disbelief. Of course once the three main characters go through their levels and O regains some memories there’s a gut-punch of a reveal and the emotional ringer I expect from Min’s work. I’m not sure I vibed with the S.T.A.R. epilogue. The friend dynamic was cool but I’m not sure it added to the core story. Overall, Min delivers a compelling story and I will always read their books.
August 14, 2025
I absolutely hate that I have to write a bad review for a book. As a librarian I love great stories and unique concepts and plots. This book just fell through the cracks. The plot was all over the place, the game mechanics made no sense and contradicted rules at times, and the exposition made it near impossible to understand what was happening right off the bat. I loved the concept for this book. The end result has to be a result of bad editors and publishers. Hopefully I can see redemption for this author in future novels!
September 5, 2025
I felt like I was inside a Jefferson Airplane Album as I read this. It's very strange as well as extremely creative. Four girls, best friends at one time gather in a room at their old school. It was where they spent time when younger, playing computer games. Each is somewhat locked away from the others courtesy of traumatic events. Once in the room, they find themselves trapped inside a game created by Elle, one of the four. What ensues is a four level challenge to get them to understand lies, hidden truths, and what really happened to Elle three years ago. Well worth reading.
August 6, 2025
Lio Min gets at something really true about friendships while weaving in action-packed battle sequences, emotional flashbacks and a central mystery that kept me guessing. The magical girl anime vibes really jumped out.
I also loved how the author writes about Calendula, the Chinese-American suburb where most of the "real world" action takes place. There's love and affection for the town/community while still acknowledging an underlying darkness.
I also loved how the author writes about Calendula, the Chinese-American suburb where most of the "real world" action takes place. There's love and affection for the town/community while still acknowledging an underlying darkness.
Read
August 29, 2025Graded By: Mandy C.
Cover Story: Girl Group
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Confused John Travolta from Pulp Fiction.gif
Bonus Factors: Friendships, Video Games
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful Grown-Ups
Relationship Status: Out of Coins
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Girl Group
BFF Charm: Natalie Imbruglia
Swoonworthy Scale: 3
Talky Talk: Confused John Travolta from Pulp Fiction.gif
Bonus Factors: Friendships, Video Games
Anti-Bonus Factor: Awful Grown-Ups
Relationship Status: Out of Coins
Read the full book report here.
July 20, 2025
😮💨
Friendship is complicated, girlhood is (so) confusing, and grief (in all its forms) is all-encompassing. Put those together, add a multilayered botanical-themed video game with true bosses from hell, and baby you got a STEW going!
Friendship is complicated, girlhood is (so) confusing, and grief (in all its forms) is all-encompassing. Put those together, add a multilayered botanical-themed video game with true bosses from hell, and baby you got a STEW going!
August 7, 2025
Provocative, filled with conflict and tension. Inside the game can be as dangerous and hard as real life. Lost characters on many levels. Great read. Transition, war of genders.
Loved the characters, they are willing to fight for all defend their believes.
Loved the characters, they are willing to fight for all defend their believes.
Read
August 25, 2025dnf 42% 😔
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews