AUGUST 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Greta Jung’s upbeat performance will have listeners eager to follow Jenny, an American teenage cellist, as she jets off to a prominent Korean performing arts school. Among her classmates is international K-pop star Jaewoo, whom Jenny instantly falls for. Jung has a wonderful ability to deepen and smooth her voice for the charming heartthrob. But a public romance could derail Jaewoo’s career, so they keep it under wraps. Jenny develops a close group of classmates who help her navigate her secret romance. Jung voices each classmate with striking detail and carefully modulates her use of an accent, depending on each character’s place of origin. This is a sweet, fun romance with a relentlessly optimistic heroine who is fully captured in Jung’s narration. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
05/31/2021
When her estranged grandmother requires surgery, Korean American cellist Jenny Go, 16, briefly relocates from L.A. to Seoul with her widowed mother. After a critique calls her performance technically proficient but lacking “spark,” Jenny jumps at the opportunity to enliven her playing through a semester of study at Seoul Arts Academy. A number of K-pop trainees and idols also attend SAA, including boy band XOXO, whose lead vocalist, Bae Jaewoo, turns out to be the mysterious Korean boy with whom Jenny had a spark-inducing encounter one L.A. night. As Jenny tries to balance commitment to her own musical aspirations with burgeoning romance under the gaze of ever-present paparazzi, Jaewoo grapples with the pressures of fame and the expectations of his other band members—especially after a previous dating scandal threatened the group’s chance at success. Despite early uneven pacing and information-heavy dialogue, Oh’s (Rebel Seoul) narrative reaches an enjoyable clip that is both accessible to readers unfamiliar with K-pop and pleasing for fans of K-dramas as well as anyone who enjoys a breezy contemporary romance. Ages 13–up. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (July)
From the Publisher
A dreamy dose of K-pop idols and secret romances.” — Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know
“With fun K-drama vibes, XOXO delivers a lot of heart and warmth in its protagonist who stays true to herself to the very end.” — Lyla Lee, author of I’ll Be the One
“When it was over, I immediately wanted to read it for the first time again.” — Kasie West, author of The Fill-In Boyfriend
“Simply put, this book made me happy. I guess you could say . . . I’m just a big fan.” — Emery Lord, author of The Map from Here to There
“A handwritten letter to falling in love and opening yourself up to the world. A delicious treat!” — Aminah Mae Safi, author of Tell Me How You Really Feel
“A feel-good, page-turning, swoony read!” — Gloria Chao, author of American Panda and Rent a Boyfriend
“A sparkling story of self-discovery—I was utterly charmed.” — Sarah Kuhn, author of I Love You So Mochi
“An utterly delightful love song dedicated to the intersection between dreams and romance." — Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running with Lions
“Immensely fun, funny, and romantic.” — Emma Mills, author of Lucky Caller and First & Then
"K-pop helps a cellist develop musically and emotionally in this novel filled with humor and theatrics. Themes of responsibility, regret, and reconciliation weave through the intergenerational dynamics in Jenny’s family, adding dimension and depth." — Kirkus Reviews
"Oh’s narrative reaches an enjoyable clip that is both accessible to readers unfamiliar with K-pop and pleasing for fans of K-dramas as well as anyone who enjoys a breezy contemporary romance." — Publishers Weekly
"This book was pure joy to read. If you're looking for a lighthearted, fresh, and fun romance, Oh's latest is absolutely for you" — Buzzfeed
"Jenny's journey is never defined by her love story but instead pushed forward by stolen moments that will make romance fans swoon. At its core, this is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that will remind readers love for a friend, family, your art, and a partner can all find space in your heart." — Booklist
"Narrator Greta Jung creates a world of voices that easily draws readers in and makes them feel each character’s uniqueness. A must-buy on audio to recommend to K-pop fans and also to readers who enjoy a bit of drama in their love stories." — School Library Journal (starred review)
Emma Mills
Immensely fun, funny, and romantic.”
Emery Lord
Simply put, this book made me happy. I guess you could say . . . I’m just a big fan.
Gloria Chao
A feel-good, page-turning, swoony read!
Lyla Lee
With fun K-drama vibes, XOXO delivers a lot of heart and warmth in its protagonist who stays true to herself to the very end.
Kasie West
When it was over, I immediately wanted to read it for the first time again.
Julian Winters
An utterly delightful love song dedicated to the intersection between dreams and romance."
Aminah Mae Safi
A handwritten letter to falling in love and opening yourself up to the world. A delicious treat!
Maurene Goo
A dreamy dose of K-pop idols and secret romances.”
Sarah Kuhn
A sparkling story of self-discovery—I was utterly charmed.
Booklist
"Jenny's journey is never defined by her love story but instead pushed forward by stolen moments that will make romance fans swoon. At its core, this is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that will remind readers love for a friend, family, your art, and a partner can all find space in your heart."
Buzzfeed
"This book was pure joy to read. If you're looking for a lighthearted, fresh, and fun romance, Oh's latest is absolutely for you"
Booklist
"Jenny's journey is never defined by her love story but instead pushed forward by stolen moments that will make romance fans swoon. At its core, this is a beautifully written coming-of-age story that will remind readers love for a friend, family, your art, and a partner can all find space in your heart."
School Library Journal - Audio
★ 02/01/2022
Gr 8 Up—Jenny dreams of becoming a professional cellist and after receiving comments from her latest competition that she plays technically perfect but lacks heart, she does something she would never usually do. She spends an evening exploring Los Angeles with Jaewoo, a boy from Seoul she meets in a karaoke bar. She's sad when he stops responding to her texts, and soon after, her life changes. Her grandmother becomes ill, and Jenny travels to Seoul for the first time with her mother, enrolling in an elite boarding school with a well-known music program. She is surprised to find out Jaewoo is also a student and is even more surprised when she learns that he and many of her fellow classmates are current or aspiring K-pop idols. As the story unfolds, Jenny learns more about her culture and who she wants to be as a person and musician. Her relationship with Jaewoo is complicated, but they can't stay away from each other, even though it may cause problems with his career. The romantic tension between them is a slow burn that gives readers a satisfying ending, with side characters lending additional drama as well as comic relief. Fans of K-pop will enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be an idol-in-training. Narrator Greta Jung creates a world of voices that easily draws readers in and makes them feel each character's uniqueness; hearing Korean words and accents spoken breathes authenticity into the Seoul setting, as well as the relationships among the characters. VERDICT A must-buy on audio to recommend to K-pop fans and also to readers who enjoy a bit of drama in their love stories.—Courtney Pentland
School Library Journal
07/01/2021
Gr 8 Up—High school junior Jenny Go is a technically perfect cello player whose life is dedicated to her craft. When a competition judge criticizes her performance, stating that she has no "spark," she doubts herself and her ability. Soon after, she meets a mysterious guy her age while working at her uncle's karaoke bar in Los Angeles. Jenny and Jaewoo spend several hours together, but at the end of the night, he disappears. Months later, Jenny and her mother move to Seoul temporarily to help her sick grandmother. Jenny starts at a boarding school, makes new friends, and discovers that the mystery guy is enrolled in her school and is a star in a famous K-pop band. She and Jaewoo, at first cautious, fall into a relationship, and she begins to find that "spark" that she was missing. However, as Jenny's time in South Korea ends, she worries that being tied to her could jeopardize Jaewoo's future. This novel includes common YA themes: finding yourself, making adult decisions, understanding your family, finding a soulmate. It is well written, and the characters are likable, relatable, and distinct. VERDICT A layered love story many readers will enjoy.—Kelly Jo Lasher, Middle Township H.S., Cape May Court House, NJ
AUGUST 2021 - AudioFile
Narrator Greta Jung’s upbeat performance will have listeners eager to follow Jenny, an American teenage cellist, as she jets off to a prominent Korean performing arts school. Among her classmates is international K-pop star Jaewoo, whom Jenny instantly falls for. Jung has a wonderful ability to deepen and smooth her voice for the charming heartthrob. But a public romance could derail Jaewoo’s career, so they keep it under wraps. Jenny develops a close group of classmates who help her navigate her secret romance. Jung voices each classmate with striking detail and carefully modulates her use of an accent, depending on each character’s place of origin. This is a sweet, fun romance with a relentlessly optimistic heroine who is fully captured in Jung’s narration. J.E.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2021-05-17
A driven young woman learns to balance expectations and priorities with heart and passion.
A vivid, comical scene of everyday life in Koreatown introduces narrator Jenny Jooyoung Go, a high school junior and classical cellist aiming for a top conservatory. While her single-minded focus yields technical perfection, competition judges deem Jenny lacking in soulful spark. Her Uncle Jay advises her to experience more of life and broaden her horizons. An opportunity soon beckons, and the plot unfolds like a minidrama amid the Los Angeles Korean Festival, launching Jenny and her new acquaintance, Jaewoo, on an accidental adventure that foreshadows romance. When her mom, a widowed immigration lawyer, needs to return to Seoul to care for her dying mother, Jenny negotiates to go along for her first visit to Korea. Attending Seoul Arts Academy, Jenny witnesses the institutional grooming of K-pop idols—including (surprise!) classmate Jaewoo, who, as it turns out, is popular band XOXO’s lead singer. She also shares in the student performers’ duty-bound lives: Behind the glamour, they are burdened with obligations to their communities that can require sacrifice of their personal happiness. Themes of responsibility, regret, and reconciliation weave through the intergenerational dynamics in Jenny’s family, adding dimension and depth. The author incorporates Korean honorifics to convey a conversational tone and signal dialogue occurring in both languages.
K-pop helps a cellist develop musically and emotionally in this novel filled with humor and theatrics. (Fiction. 13-17)
