Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - XOXO

I like the idea of this book. And the beginning of story was amazing. But in the longer we go into her that is only dawnfall. On like a half of the book the timing is so off that is just a pure cringe of what happening. And the final is so unrealistic. That is so crazy that I was using myself. Why I reading this. It;s such a shame that the book that could be very cool book about Korean culture and K-pop changed from being good to I just want to finish and move on. It hurts like a girl with big dreams and trauma meet a boy with big dreams and they both have problems with people pleasing. Finally fighting for themself to that change to very stupid and so so cringe romance that I just laugh through the tears of how annoying and horrible it was. I just so sad. It still a nice book but I will not recommended it.

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torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-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

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yvo_about_books's review against another edition

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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!

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cait's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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xvicesx's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I was in two minds about the rating, but ultimately it's a very enjoyable book and I stayed up until late into the night to finish it so it deserves its 5 stars.

I very much loved Axie Oh's "The Girl Who Fell Under the Sea" and I bought this book on the back of that then took a very long time to feel in the mood for it. It aged like a fine wine.

XOXO is a fast paced, feel good novel with low stakes and beautiful friendships in the difficult world of K-pop idols. The characters are relatable, lovable, and you learn a couple things along the way about a fairly difficult lifestyle in my mind. Really enjoyed it!

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bookishdiya's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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antidietleah's review against another edition

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lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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abby_can_read's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

📖
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and the characters were fun. I liked the relationships between characters, the plot was lighthearted and a little predictable, and the pacing was good. I'm a developing K-Pop fan -- I have two groups I love and I'm excited to find more.

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