Clementine and Danny save the world (and each other)

Blackburne (the Queen's Council series) delights with this Southern California--set enemies-to-lovers rom-com that tackles serious issues regarding gentrification and community. Classmates Clementine Chan, an anonymous tea blogger and student journalist, and Danny Mok, who's spent most of his life working at his family's tea shop, are barely on each other's radars at school. But their secret online personae have been disagreeing with each other for years over Clementine's reviews of local tea establishments and her opinions about social issues in their Chinatown community. When a large corporation buys out the plaza that houses Danny's family's shop, intending to redevelop, Clementine and Danny resolve to preserve the plaza with a student initiative. Even as the teens work together IRL, they continue to feud online. Initially lukewarm responses from the community, conflicting family and school obligations, and differing values create obstacles for Danny and Clementine, but their growing mutual understanding and attraction encourage them both to expand their perspectives. Opinionated and endearing main characters drive this slow-burning, nuanced read, in which Blackburne discusses the pervasiveness of misunderstandings through online communication, and the myriad interpretations of community development and advocacy. Most characters are of East Asian descent. Ages 12--up. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel, Goderich & Bourret. (July)

Two internet enemies team up to try to save their Chinatown community. Under the username Hibiscus, 18-year-old Clementine Chan runs Babble Tea, a blog with a loyal following in which she reviews local tea spots. Danny Mok, aka Bobaboy888, is not a fan, however. What Clementine intends to be helpful suggestions to modernize and remain competitive in a changing world, Danny reads as Whitewashing to suit the tastes of influencers and gentrifiers. Then, shocking news hits that a mega-corporation is angling to take over the Chinatown strip mall where Fragrant Leaves, Danny's family's teahouse, is situated, and editor-in-chief of the school paper Clementine connects with activist nonprofit Chinatown Cares. Usually one to avoid conflict, Danny decides to join this community organizing initiative against the property purchase. As the classmates get closer in real life, they continue to trade barbs online. What will happen to their burgeoning romance when they discover the truth behind their online personas? Through her protagonists, Blackburne explores idealism versus pragmatism--and the need for a little of both. Both teens have their judgments and preconceptions, but they ultimately have productive, eye-opening conversations. Through canvassing, tabling, helping plan a rally, and spending time together, the pair learn to use their voices in new ways. Gentrification is explored as Clementine considers her family's residence in a new, upscale Chinatown apartment building. Ruminations on online spaces, including the ease of fostering misunderstanding and volatility, make this a resonant read. A charming rom-com with community at its heart. (Romance. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.