Everything you hope it is!

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"The world zooms away to become a speck. We drift and drift until we find a lime-green nebula full of fragrant breathable air. The stars here are light as Christmas tree ornaments - the slightest touch and they sway slowly in this new atmosphere."

Something I've always tended to think about myself was that I held more in common with other kids-of-immigrants than most Mexican kids. To a certain extent, I still think this is true. My experience with my parents as Mexican isn't super relatable to other's experiences, while my experience with my parents as Immigrants is super relatable to other's. It's such a weird thing to think that I don't really talk about it much, but it felt really relevant in terms of my experience with this book. I'm not Korean and so I related to Frank through being children of immigrants, that "limbo" that he describes felt particularly poignant to my high school experience.

To build on that, I didn't always relate to Frank, mostly because our parents are different, which is expected, but what really got me was how Frank talked to his parents. Language. It's something that I struggled with for the longest time and David Yoon gets it so so so right. The use of Korean is so well-done, it serves to show a million different purposes, I really loved that Frank couldn't translate everything that was said because it felt authentic and essential to his character.

Also, the feeling of watching your parents be racist and eventually giving up trying to tell them anything about it because they don't change? Way to hit the nail on the head. The only big place that I couldn't relate was mostly with the way that Frank's parents expect him to date a Korean girl. My parents have only joked about that in the past and I haven't felt a fraction of the pressure on him. Basically, this book was extremely poignant on my experiences with my parents and I didn't appreciate the tears I spilled.

What also makes this book so remarkable is the amazing writing style! Frank is so funny and a natural narrator. He cuts out stuff for time and also explains new things. He's also hilarious. His dry humor was funny and sometimes, he was just so gosh darn weird I couldn't help smiling. He groups words together and has a vivid inner monologue. In addition to it being entertaining, it also consistently worked throughout the book to draw lines and connections between concepts and themes in the book that was super interesting to read. It really shows how the way Frank was raised affects every aspect of his life.

I can't just not talk about the fake-dating trope! The tried and true method to falling in love is here and its adorable! I did however, think that it would be more center-stage than it actually was. It was nice, but it's probably the least impressive part of the book. And it's a fantastic book! Just not the best use of the trope. I honestly, wouldn't want it differently though. The story that you get is so nuanced and rich, I never minded.

Just a side note that I won't say to much on, because of spoilers, but: I did not expect to cry as much as I did with this book. Don't think it's all jokes and laughs, this book has the potential to rip your heart out. I also really connected with Frank's Dad just because of the similarities that he has to my dad. I love my dad, so much. Anything too deep about fathers will have me in tears, so I never stood a chance with this book.

TL;DR: This is the must-not-miss stunning debut everyone says it is. It delivers narrative perfection on so many levels that you're guaranteed to be blown away. Emotional, hilarious, poignant, nostalgic, and sharp; this book delivers.