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lackadaisical_ally's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This really gave Y/N fanfic in the best way. I ate this up like candy soooo... I imagine one would need a little bit of background on Korean culture and Kpop culture to fully enjoy the book, which I have, so yeah, I did really enjoy the book.
kate_oh's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Such a cute read. I adored it. Loved her writing style. The author transported me there and I felt like the movie was playing out in my head.
solanee's review against another edition
3.0
this book is very much wattpad but like in a nice cute way
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: May 7th 2024
"Because the people who live for tomorrow don't take risks. They're afraid of the consequences. while the people who live for today have nothing to lose, so they fight tooth and nail. "
I confess that the main reason I bumped this title towards the top of my TBR was that I needed a title starting with X for the Popsugar challenge. I've been meaning to try Axie Oh's writing for a while though, so it was by no means a struggle to do so... I'm so glad I did now, because I ended up having a fantastic time reading XOXO. I think this book came at exactly the right time for me, because I was craving a cute and mostly uplifting romance and this is exactly what this story turned out to be. I loved the whole music element and while I'm not exactly a K-pop fan nor did I know just how big of a thing it was, it was still easy to follow XOXO. The main characters were easy to warm up to, and I loved spending time with Jenny and the rest. The romance was cute in general, but also had a dose of forbidden romance and drama along the way... I could have done without the love triangle vibe, but as a whole I wasn't too bothered by that. I especially loved the descriptions of the South Korean setting and the food, which definitely made me crave Asian food. I ended up having so much fun reading this story, and I already can't wait to read the sequel with Sori in the spotlight. This was my first time reading Axie Oh, and I already know she will appear on my list of favorite new author discoveries of 2024!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Abandonment, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Stalking, Bullying, Death, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail
crosswarrior7's review against another edition
4.0
This is such a cute book. I'm a sucker for famous person x 'normal' person stories, and I love that k-pop's craze has helped that pop off xD Even if I'm not personally a k-pop fan, still love these type of stories. I blame Camp Rock for that xD But I did appreciate here that they met while Jenny was oblivious to Jaewoo's identity. It's not never-before-seen, but it's always a nice touch. Especially because when the reveal happens, it's very dramatic and fun xD
I felt for Jenny's plight, primarily with her mom. It's very hard when someone else is trying to dictate the direction of your life, and I thought the resolution to that was heartwarming, if short. Also, it was nice that we got to see her have her own life outside of her relationship. This was actually made as a point in the novel in the later part, and I was very grateful to it. Because yes, please, more characters that have an evident life outside of their boyfriend/girlfriend T^T Especially in YA romances, where people want to act like obsession and love are the same thing.
Jaewoo was a very solid character, playing the role of the hardworking and serious idol (though Sun also took some of the usual traits also given to this character type), but he also managed to be a kid at the same time, and it was well balanced. I would have had fun seeing a bit more angst there, but I can also appreciate his stubbornness to his heart.
All of the other characters were really fun as well, and I'm glad to see there's a Sori and Nathaniel spin-off because I definitely want to dive into that. Speaking of, the female friendship between Sori and Jenny was *chefs kiss*
However, the book wasn't perfect. It's probably a bit my fault for reading this as an adult, but the pacing felt rushed occasionally, especially the end. I felt like it could have used one more chapter. Maybe an epilogue or something. I also wanted to see more expanded upon with Jenny and her mother. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed these things so much when I was, like, 15, but here, the abruptness stood out. Also, the writing sometimes felt stilted, mostly because of too-simple writing. It could kill the feelings for me sometimes. But, again, this is YA Romance, and it's written as such, so it may just be me being out of the target audience.
BUT this was an adorable story and I definitely want to read more from the author, so I'm gonna say it did a great job as a book :D
I felt for Jenny's plight, primarily with her mom. It's very hard when someone else is trying to dictate the direction of your life, and I thought the resolution to that was heartwarming, if short. Also, it was nice that we got to see her have her own life outside of her relationship. This was actually made as a point in the novel in the later part, and I was very grateful to it. Because yes, please, more characters that have an evident life outside of their boyfriend/girlfriend T^T Especially in YA romances, where people want to act like obsession and love are the same thing.
Jaewoo was a very solid character, playing the role of the hardworking and serious idol (though Sun also took some of the usual traits also given to this character type), but he also managed to be a kid at the same time, and it was well balanced. I would have had fun seeing a bit more angst there, but I can also appreciate his stubbornness to his heart.
All of the other characters were really fun as well, and I'm glad to see there's a Sori and Nathaniel spin-off because I definitely want to dive into that. Speaking of, the female friendship between Sori and Jenny was *chefs kiss*
However, the book wasn't perfect. It's probably a bit my fault for reading this as an adult, but the pacing felt rushed occasionally, especially the end. I felt like it could have used one more chapter. Maybe an epilogue or something. I also wanted to see more expanded upon with Jenny and her mother. Maybe I wouldn't have noticed these things so much when I was, like, 15, but here, the abruptness stood out. Also, the writing sometimes felt stilted, mostly because of too-simple writing. It could kill the feelings for me sometimes. But, again, this is YA Romance, and it's written as such, so it may just be me being out of the target audience.
BUT this was an adorable story and I definitely want to read more from the author, so I'm gonna say it did a great job as a book :D
gabbyfaieta's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
aliferuz's review against another edition
3.0
Honestly, I expect something sweet and warm and a lil bit heart wrenching story but the bar of my expectation is a lil bit too high, I guess? Yes, it has its sweetness in it, between Jenny and Jaewoo, Jenny and her friends, also Jenny and her family. Tapi, saya tetap merasa ada yang kurang. Alurnya terlalu cepat dan terkesan terburu-buru. Karakterisasi juga kurang kuat, tidak ada karakter yang stand out bagi saya. Tapi, saya suka cara penulis mengakhiri cerita ini. Klise, tapi saya lebih baik mendapat this kind of cliche. If you know, you know.
maimona's review against another edition
4.0
That was a wholesome book :)
There is a lot of description that were placed just right, so the reader if he had no idea what is k-pop or how is life in Korea and its culture, will understand what's going on and avoid confusion.
The book is not complicated, a good easy read and really lovely.
4 stars. since its ending was predictable. everything else was lovely
Recommended :)
you won't regret it.
There is a lot of description that were placed just right, so the reader if he had no idea what is k-pop or how is life in Korea and its culture, will understand what's going on and avoid confusion.
The book is not complicated, a good easy read and really lovely.
4 stars. since its ending was predictable. everything else was lovely
Recommended :)
you won't regret it.
whattaylorreads's review
This is the second YA K-pop idol romance I attempted to read this year, but I think I'm just not enjoying high school romances anymore. Maybe it's the fact that I turned 27 on Friday so I'm ten years older than any of the characters.