FRANKLY IN LOVE centers around the life of Frank Li - a Korean-american living in California who falls for Brit Means. The problem is that he has a traditional Korean family and Brit is white.
My first impression of this novel was that it would be a YA rom-com, however FRANKLY IN LOVE surpasses my expectations. Through Li's family, we immerse in the Korean (Asian) culture- digging into the traditionalism and the stubborn-previous-generation mentality. I could totally understand the behavior of Frank's parents once they were immigrants by reflecting on my own parents' experiences. Moreover, we glimpse a culture in which the social appearance/status is more important than most values. Hence, people often lose their freedom and ability to choose or do according to their will.
Yoon paints realistically (and even based on his own experience) issues of race, family, friendship and grief over loss. The friendship between Frank and Q is so beautiful and honest and despite the conflicts inside the Li's family members, the interaction between Frank and his father is tough yet genuine. Overall, the characters were charming. I enjoyed all the mention of Korean food, k-pop, k-drama. Ultimately, the romance was only the cherry on the top of the cake (although I wished a better final development of Frank's love story).
With a balance of humor and serious moments, I devoured this novel. I found myself agreeing with the situations described in this book while also having fun reading it. FRANKLY IN LOVE is a witty and relatable novel that undoubtedly will resonate with many (immigrant-related) readers.
My first impression of this novel was that it would be a YA rom-com, however FRANKLY IN LOVE surpasses my expectations. Through Li's family, we immerse in the Korean (Asian) culture- digging into the traditionalism and the stubborn-previous-generation mentality. I could totally understand the behavior of Frank's parents once they were immigrants by reflecting on my own parents' experiences. Moreover, we glimpse a culture in which the social appearance/status is more important than most values. Hence, people often lose their freedom and ability to choose or do according to their will.
Yoon paints realistically (and even based on his own experience) issues of race, family, friendship and grief over loss. The friendship between Frank and Q is so beautiful and honest and despite the conflicts inside the Li's family members, the interaction between Frank and his father is tough yet genuine. Overall, the characters were charming. I enjoyed all the mention of Korean food, k-pop, k-drama. Ultimately, the romance was only the cherry on the top of the cake (although I wished a better final development of Frank's love story).
With a balance of humor and serious moments, I devoured this novel. I found myself agreeing with the situations described in this book while also having fun reading it. FRANKLY IN LOVE is a witty and relatable novel that undoubtedly will resonate with many (immigrant-related) readers.