Review of the book "THE GIRL WE ALL CHASED THAT YEAR"

This work not only tells the story of a dreamy youth but also allows readers to find themselves in pages marked by the passage of time. Do you still remember unforgettable memories of your first love during your school days? Those were days filled with color and passion, where every emotion was strong and pure. In my mind, the story that Nine Blades paints is not just a lighthearted love story, but a journey to find ourselves and live more fully.

The author's gentle and profound writing evoked emotions, taking me back to those mornings by the classroom window, where awkward glances briefly met and became beautiful memories. Each page is like a painting reminding me of naive and adorable promises, and shy conversations. This book offers not only the story of a bygone era but also the poetic soul of youth, so that even in its awkwardness, it remains endearing and forever sweet in memory.

The novel "The Girl We Chased Together That Year" by author Jiu Ba Dao tells the story of friendship, pure love, and the first stirrings of emotion among a group of high school students. In it, Kha Canh Dang, a boy who loves drawing comics and isn't particularly academically outstanding, and Tham Gia Nghi, a classmate known for her intelligence and meticulousness, are the two main characters. Set against the backdrop of school, the story portrays the naivety, silliness, and enthusiasm of adolescence. Each character in the group has their own dreams, ambitions, and anxieties. In particular, the relationship between Kha Canh Dang and Tham Gia Nghi develops throughout the book, from a pure friendship to the first stirrings of love, reflecting the image of youth gradually maturing. The story is not simply a "conquest" of love, but also a journey of self-discovery and the meaning of relationships in life.

The book not only focuses on describing Kha Canh Dang's first love but also portrays a comprehensive picture of life and friendships among school students. The mischievous pranks, youthful dreams, and challenges faced in adulthood are all vividly presented. Through each page, readers relive their own youthful experiences, filled with joyful emotions.

Sweet, bittersweet, and full of regret. The work conveys a message that, even though it's gone, youth will always remain an unforgettable time.

SINCERITY:

Kha Canh Dang's sincerity is something everyone can feel. It's clearly shown through his approach to love. Instead of using a quick-win strategy, he embraces the idea of a slow and steady approach. Recognizing that the girl wasn't ready for a relationship and prioritized her studies, he clearly outlined his path: starting from friendship and gradually progressing. Building a solid foundation of friendship, he transformed from a rebellious student into someone worthy of Shen Jia Yi, the top-ranked student in the entire school. From this, we can clearly see that the relationship between Shen Jia Yi and Kha Canh Dang is a win-win situation, benefiting both. Kha Canh Dang gains clear academic goals, while Shen Jia Yi gains a trustworthy friend. Love, as a driving force behind a person's growth, is undoubtedly a righteous kind of love. Kha Jing Teng's sincerity isn't just evident in his actions, but also in the way he expresses himself. One detail I particularly liked was when the group of boys, along with Shen Jia Yi, set off for Xin Yue Xing to fulfill their mission: managing the children's summer retreat. Kha Jing Teng's rivals, using every means possible, always portrayed themselves as "people who like children," aiming to impress Shen Jia Yi. Meanwhile, Kha Jing Teng continued to punish the children with his own unique tricks. He confided in his close friend, Xu Beichun:

"If, in the end, I make Shen Jiayi fall madly in love with me, but it's not my true self, then what meaning would everything I've done have?

In love, you can use all your cunning and strategies to defeat your opponent, but being yourself is also very important. Sometimes it's even the most important thing."

CHILDISH:

In "The Girl We Chased Together That Year," Jiu Ba Dao once wrote: "Growing up… the cruelest part is that girls are always more mature than boys." "That level of maturity is unbearable for any boy." It sounds romantic, but it's very realistic. Biologically, girls reach puberty at 10-11 years old, while boys reach it at 12-14 years old. That means girls tend to mature earlier than boys. Therefore, by the age of 17, girls usually have more mature thoughts than boys. Because of this, sincere actions, in the way boys usually think, are often labeled childish in the eyes of girls. A prime example is Kha Canh Dang's confession of love. Kha Canh Dang himself describes himself as the type who, once he likes someone, wants to let the whole world know. Therefore, at the high school graduation party, Kha Canh Dang decided to perform the song "I Still Think of You Every Day" with his choir. Standing before everyone, he said:

"Now, I want to dedicate a song to the girl I secretly admire..." I wrote this myself. I hope that someday, many years from now, that person will still remember that there was once a boy like that, who did something like that, because he liked that person very, very much.”

While he was pouring out his feelings, Shen Jia Yi—the girl mentioned in the lyrics—slowly turned to talk to her friend sitting next to her before disappearing into the crowd. Kha Jing Teng's tongue was tied as he sang. People often say that keeping a secret is deceitful. But publicly confessing his love is childish. From a psychological perspective, for Kha Jing Teng, suppressing his emotions was like a raging storm crashing against the embankment of his heart. But letting the storm pour in during his graduation ceremony wasn't really the right thing to do. Imagine the scene: everyone gasping, and a chorus of "hug him!" and "kiss him!" from the high school students. For Shen Jia Yi, a 17-year-old girl who had never experienced love, that scene was simply too much to bear. Sometimes, subtlety is what sets a man apart in the eyes of a woman.

However, that wasn't the most childish thing Kha Canh Dang ever did. When asked, "What's the most childish thing you've ever done?", he immediately replied, "It was organizing the Nine Swords Cup martial arts competition." In his first year of university, due to a moment of impulsiveness, he organized the Nine Swords Cup. It was a free-style martial arts competition, with no rules or restrictions, just pure bloodthirsty fighting. The result was that he was knocked out by Liu Wei Jian, a Taekwondo red belt. Eagerly, he called Shen Jia Yi to tell her about his victory. He hoped the girl he liked would see how amazing he was, how handsome he was, and how manly he was. But all he received in return was, "Why are you so childish!" To Shen Jia Yi, Kha Canh Dang's actions were nothing short of self-inflicted pain. Deep down, Shen Jia Yi was probably very worried about her friend's health. As for Kha Jing Teng, that wrestling tournament was a part of his personality, a part of his character. Shen Jia Yi's denial of the wrestling tournament was tantamount to denying a part of who he was. And then, like many high school romances, they broke up in tears. Reading this, many might think his actions were childish, making the ending of their relationship anticlimactic. I don't think so. After my first love, I used to blame myself for things I hadn't done and things I had done. But then, as I got a little older, I realized that expecting a 17-year-old to do the right things in love is truly overwhelming. It's like programming; the first program is rarely perfect. You have to carefully collect every error and fix it to get a finished product. Love is similar. Of course, there are also cases where the first program is the last program, and first love is also the last love. Surely that must be a miracle. But if miracles happen to everyone, then they're no longer miracles. I'm just an ordinary person, loving in an ordinary way.

CONCLUSION:

First love - sincere or childish? My answer would be both. In every sincere action there's a touch of childishness, and in every childishness there's sincerity. If we compare first love to a dish, sincerity or childishness are the two important ingredients. If one is missing, the dish will lose its original flavor. I think almost everyone would season it that way. The only difference is that some are lucky enough to have a lifetime voucher, while ordinary people only get a chance to taste it once. Regardless of the case, I hope everyone will remember its flavor as an unforgettable experience in this short life.