Not A Love Story <3

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Despite its title, Frankly in Love is not a love story. It's a story about the friction between generations, and about the dichotomies of identity within immigrant families.

I loved literally every character in this book, even as I sometimes struggled with their choices.

Frank Li is a first generation Korean American. His parents and their friends are all Korean immigrants, who keep a very insular community, and expect Frank to do the same within his own realm. But he's an American kid, with friends of every race and identity – he's struggling with what it may mean to build a life with people of other races, and with the feeling that he's not Korean enough, and yet not ever seen as simply American.

The book tackles race and social pressures, in a sweet, painful way. I will say that I struggled with some of the dishonesty you see on the page, as the characters find ways to use deception to maintain the lives they want....it grows into a story that can't quite find a happy ending, and I appreciated the honesty of the narrative.

After reading Nicola Yoon's books, it's really interesting to read her husband's work, as they both dig into the ways we treat people of various races in this country, but of course they come at it with different experiences.

I really enjoyed this and can't wait to read more from him!