This book tries to be a lot of things. It has the potential to be 5 stars with a little work, but there are some downfalls. But first, what I enjoyed: I truly liked the book for what it was. It deals with racism in the Korean culture mainly, which I found to be really interesting and eye-opening. I can't speak from experience but it seemed like it was an accurate depiction and it definitely made me look at the world from a different lens, which I think is hugely successful.
However, a lot of this discussion was one-sided inner monologue and since Frank's friends are all "Apey's" (taking AP classes) I think it's a missed opportunity to not have them discuss it in person. On the other hand, for a book that's about "a fake relationship" not a lot of the book involves said relationship. Not a huge problem, I just wish the synopsis was more accurate.
Some minor grievances: Q being gay added nothing to the story line and I don't understand why it was added in. It either should have been an accepted fact from the beginning (since his family is so open and accepting) or not a thing. I was able to predict in the beginning his sexuality, then forgot about it until it was brought up again in the last chapter. Also, Frank and his friends don't feel like they're in high school. Take out the applying to college drama and focus entirely on the way the converse with each other and I totally would have thought they were all in middle-school at the oldest.
That being said, I was able to put those aside and actually enjoy the book as I was reading it. I was invested in the story line and the characters, especially Hanna and I genuinely wanted to see where they ended up. There was a few speed bumps that pulled me out of the book as I read, but overall it's an enjoyable read.
However, a lot of this discussion was one-sided inner monologue and since Frank's friends are all "Apey's" (taking AP classes) I think it's a missed opportunity to not have them discuss it in person. On the other hand, for a book that's about "a fake relationship" not a lot of the book involves said relationship. Not a huge problem, I just wish the synopsis was more accurate.
Some minor grievances: Q being gay added nothing to the story line and I don't understand why it was added in. It either should have been an accepted fact from the beginning (since his family is so open and accepting) or not a thing. I was able to predict in the beginning his sexuality, then forgot about it until it was brought up again in the last chapter. Also, Frank and his friends don't feel like they're in high school. Take out the applying to college drama and focus entirely on the way the converse with each other and I totally would have thought they were all in middle-school at the oldest.
That being said, I was able to put those aside and actually enjoy the book as I was reading it. I was invested in the story line and the characters, especially Hanna and I genuinely wanted to see where they ended up. There was a few speed bumps that pulled me out of the book as I read, but overall it's an enjoyable read.