Ex Marks the Spot

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By Gloria Chao

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Publisher Description

A swoony rivals-to-lovers romance . . .
Family secrets that can't stay buried . . .
A globe-spanning treasure hunt with puzzles to solve . . .

This latest YA novel by acclaimed writer Gloria Chao takes readers on a soaring adventure through love, loss, and the lively streets of Taiwan.

For Gemma's whole life, it has always been her and her mom against the world. As far as she knew, all her grandparents—and thus her ties to Taiwanese culture—were dead. Until one day when a mysterious man shows up at her door with two shocking things: the news that her grandfather has just recently passed, and the first clue to a treasure hunt that Gemma hopes will lead to her inheritance.

There's just one major problem: to complete the hunt, she has to go to her grandfather's home in Taiwan. And the only way Gemma can get there is by asking her ex and biggest high-school rival, Xander, for help. But after swallowing her pride, she finds herself halfway across the world, ready to unearth her life-changing prize. Soon Gemma discovers that the treasure hunt is about much more than money—it's about finally learning about her family, her cultural roots, and maybe even finding true love.

Filled with ingenious puzzles, a vibrant Taipei setting, and a delicious romance, Ex Marks the Spot is an exciting adventure by award-winning writer Gloria Chao, perfect for fans of Loveboat Taipei, The Inheritance Games, and Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes.

1 Review

3.5

Treedweller

Created about 1 month ago

“***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook. Rating: 3.5 “Ex Marks the Spot” by Gloria Chao follows Gemma, a recent high school graduate. She begins to realize there’s more to life—and more to her small world—than the tunnel vision she’s had for almost her whole life. She’s raised by her single mother, who it turns out, hasn’t been honest to her daughter about her only recently deceased grandfather. To learn more about him (and a potentially life changing inheritance), she must go on scavenger hunt in Taiwan and ask her only serious ex-boyfriend, Xander for help. The journey that follows ended up being so sweet—I loved the FMC point-of view and the self-exploration/growth the reader gets to see. The puzzles created by the grandfather are so well done, and while maybe the list could be hard to follow at times—it ended up making sense. The couple of plot twists with the grandfather were well set up (and maybe a bit predictable?). They were still interesting and fun to get too—for example (spoilers incoming****skip this paratheses if you don’t want to know!!*** The grandfather ends up being the secret artist “X” whose work they see at a museum exhibit, minus one painting. It really wasn’t too much of a surprise as his clues were repetitive “to get to know me,” “x marks the spot,” and he saved all of his repainted works. There was also one piece of work missing, and it was a major clue. Also, the fact that he was in a relationship with Xander’s grandfather, they are not ex-business partners. It’s clear that her grandmother abandoned the marriage around the 60’s because of his secret relationship. There’s also a couple of works that show relationships between the same gender***) The scenery, the descriptions, even historical references were very well done. I cannot tell you how the food descriptions—ugh—sent me! I desperately want to go to Tawain for the street side snacks, for this perfect tangy/spicy soup. I did read both the NetGalley ARC and waited a bit longer for the audiobook to become available (which was very well done, especially reading Mandarin). There are some novels that I read that are YA, where my reaction is usually along the lines of “well….it is YA, lower your expectations,” but this isn’t how I felt all. The romantic tension was closed door, and very tender. I also got vibes that our FMC maybe neurodivergent (she feels excluded—some of that is her own actions, for sure, but other times--) it’s clear that she thinks about things differently. The reason for the break up as freshman was a big misunderstanding, and she just assumed the teasing/jokes was bullying and not him trying to be friends. It seems like she had a hard time, at least from her own point of view, in connecting with others/feeling grounded in friendships. Also the thought process/way she makes connections: painting, the puzzles, even her own growth and re-evaluating—all of that was well done and highlighted that’s she a bit different (at least to me). I think this a great YA book that expands to new adults as well. I would say my final rating is a 3.5. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I’m happy to recommend to readers who want a touch of romance, but more adventures/puzzles. This a great book for recent high school graduates especially, as I think there’s a lot that young people let out into the world as adults for the 1st time—can relate too. I think some of her initial feelings in the first half of the book made me feel frustrated as a reader. But a lot of that is just miscommunication—my least favorite in a book.”

Believable Change and grow Predictable but satisfying Picturesque Setting fits the story

About Gloria Chao

Gloria Chao is a screenwriter and the award-winning author of American Panda, Our Wayward Fate, Rent a Boyfriend, When You Wish Upon a Lantern, Ex Marks the Spot, and the forthcoming The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club. She graduated from MIT, then became a dentist before realizing she'd rather spend her days in fictional characters' heads instead of real people's mouths. When she’s not writing, you can find her on the curling ice, where she and her husband are world-ranked in mixed doubles.

Visit her tea-and-book-filled world at GloriaChao.wordpress.com and find her on Instagram and Twitter @GloriaCChao.