School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up--Two former best friends reunite in this enemies-to-lovers story of identity, Korean culture, and K-drama fandom. Hannah Cho was recently dumped by her boyfriend, which is honestly bad timing as their summer before senior year is about to start, and she had it all planned out. Jacob Kim is a late-bloomer-turned-hottie who has hit it big acting in a K-drama. The two former childhood best friends haven't spoken in years, but when Jacob returns to his native San Diego from Seoul, the two must confront the hurt that has kept them apart. Although Hannah has struggled her whole life with her Korean identity, she's not ready to face the fact that Jacob is a much sought-out star that her own friends recognize. Can she win Nate, her former boyfriend who is white but loves all things K, back? Can Jacob enjoy California even though he's under strict contractual obligations? And can the two teens possibly be feeling something other than friendship? This story is told in alternating voices, and it has two very relatable main characters. The "will they or won't they?" trope is fairly predictable, but an inside view of the world of the machines that are K-pop and K-dramas will attract a wide range of readers. Most teens will see some of their own realities depicted in the main character's story and that's the best part of the book. VERDICT A great purchase for all high school collections.--Carol Youssif
Publisher's Weekly Review
Told in alternating perspectives, Lee's stirring debut follows two estranged Korean American childhood best friends' rekindling as they navigate identity and blossoming first love. After her boyfriend Nate, who is white, dumps her, stating they have nothing in common ("You just don't know anything about K-pop or Korean dramas," he says), 17-year-old Hannah Cho's dreams of their carefree summer together are ruined. To win Nate back, she endeavors to learn more about Korean pop culture, but the arrival of her former best friend Jacob Kim, 18 and now a K-drama star, throws a wrench into her plans. Unaddressed feelings of hurt and abandonment resurface, stemming from Jacob's move from San Diego to South Korea three years prior, as the duo help each other through individual internal conflicts, including Hannah's fears of being left behind by the people she loves and Jacob's feelings of isolation and anxiety caused by his career. Recalling the effusive expression, fast pace, and dramatic moments of a K-drama, Lee celebrates Korean culture, and examines its objectification within the U.S., via a good- humored and tenderly written second chance at love. Ages 13--up. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary. (Sept.)