All The Way Around the Sun by XiXi Tian (book review)

DISCLAIMER: I was provided an ARC (advanced reader copy) of this book in exchange for a review. I was not paid to say anything positive about this book and all opinions are my own. All the Way Around the Sun releases September 30, 2025.

GENRE: YA Contemporary

LENGTH: 294 pages

PLOT Stella Chen is struggling to cope with her grief over her brother's unexpected death. Feeling adrift, her parents send her off on a college visit trip with her former friend Alan Zhao. Will Stella and Alan be able to fix their friendship, and will it evolve into something more?

CHARACTERS

Stella is a character who, according to an interview with the author, was inspired by her own experiences being a first generation immigrant. Stella spent her childhood in China with her brother, raised by her grandmother (Nai Nai) before joining their parents in Illinois. At the start of the novel her life is uprooted again when, following her brother's death, her family moves to San Diego.

There were many ways I, a white woman whose family has been in the U.S. for generations and spent almost her entire life in one state, could not relate to Stella. However, there were also ways in which I could. There's a line in the novel about how tragedy isolates people, yet I cannot think of a more universal experience than grief. On this, I could understand Stella's pain. Stella is also a little sister who grew up following her big brother and looking up to him. As a younger sibling myself, I saw myself in her. I clung to my elder sister growing up and often looked to her. All that said, I don't think you need to relate to a character to care for and understand them as long as they are well written, which Stella is.

Stella's relationship with her parents (Her Mama and Baba) is complicated. They of course love each other, but there is an ocean between them in terms of their ability to communicate openly with each other about their feelings. Stella is at a crossroads in her life yet feels like, because of her brother's death, she has to be the perfect daughter. Even though it may not be intentional, her parents don't make it easy for her to tell them honestly how she is doing. I was m0re invested in Stella's relationship with her parents than I was in her friendship/romance with Alan. I think this is for two reasons. The first is that I enjoy reading books written from authors whose cultures are different from my own and learning about their experiences. Stella and parents' relationship is forged in Stella being a Satellite baby ( a child raised by an extended relative in their home country before joining their parents who work in a foreign country). The second reason was I could tell how much the three characters longed to care for each other and it made me invested in the hope that they would find their ways to each other.

Alan, like Stella, is a first generation immigrant. He's from Shanghai where as Stella is from a tiny village known as Da Ji Cun. They become friends as they are the only two in their small Illinois town who understand what it is like to be a child immigrant from China. I am a sucker for the whole male love interest who sees through all the walls the female protagonist puts up trope, and that's the case with Alan and Stella. At the same time, Stella understands that a lot of Alan's charm is a mask to hide his insecurities formed from his volatile relationship with is domineering father. I'd describe their relationship as enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers mashed together.

WRITING

This novel had me hooked from the very first line. It does a marvelous job of exploring both the unique experiences of child immigrants and coping with grief. This novel made me cry, and that is not something that often happens with books I read. It is a highly emotional book that is full of both heartbreaking and hopeful moments. Even though it is a book that deals with heavy topics, I liked how there were those moments of light brought forth from Stella and Alan's relationship.

The novel is told from Stella's first person POV. There is a very interesting choice made by Tian in this book. Most chapters are told in the past tense. However, there ware chapters in which Stella recounts memories of her childhood with her brother and those are the only chapters told in the present tense. It's a strange juxtaposition to have memories told in the present tense .In these chapters, Stella directly addresses her brother - she refers to him as 'You'. I obviously cannot get into Tian's head and ask her why she made these stylistic choices. My theory is it was a deliberate choice to demonstrate how Stella is holding onto her brother, unable to openly grieve him and thus let him go and begin to heal. It's my favorite aspect of how the story is written.

My only 'gripe' with the writing is when Alan reveals his reason for betraying Stella. It felt like it was being set up to stem from a different reason which would have fit the themes of the story better. That's a nitpick, but I thought I'd still mention it.

TRIGGER WARNINGS for drug use, loss of a child, cancer.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I am a little nervous posting this review because I feel like people won't believe that these are my honest thoughts. However, this is truly my second favorite book I've read this year to date. I have a tendency to gravitate towards books from different cultural backgrounds and stories that deal with grief, so it's not really surprisingly this book appealed to me. The writing and its ability to make me care so deeply for Stella is why I loved this book so much. I most definitely recommend it!

FINA:L RATING: 5⭐️