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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
Cute. Goo's characters feel warm & whole, making the romance feel substantial (if with totally bonkers plot). This is a fun, hilarious follow up to her debut which I also really enjoyed. Probably a given, but fans of k-drama should check this one out.
There is a K-Drama guide in the back of the book so you can watch the shows that influenced the story - as some of them are available on Netflix (with slightly different titles) I'm definitely gonna be exploring this.
There is a K-Drama guide in the back of the book so you can watch the shows that influenced the story - as some of them are available on Netflix (with slightly different titles) I'm definitely gonna be exploring this.
I honestly am biased towards liking this novel. I'm familiar with the K-Drama formula and enjoyed the attempt at a sort of reality re-creation and having things both relatively go wrong and right by following it. Or have the novel go with the formula even when Desi wasn't trying. I like the little things the author did with her chapter headings, changing them when the plot's goal changed. I do wish there was a little more romantic tension between the love interests (as it tends to be wicked heavy in K-Dramas), but I agree there had to be a balance for it to work for a Western audience.
One of the funniest and best YA books I’ve read in a while.
This could have been four stars, but the narrator took things way too far a few times, which made the book a lot less enjoyable.
I'm in love with Maurene Goo's books. There were some things I didn't love so much about this book, but the overall story is super cute and entertaining. I like Desi, her relationship with herself and her father, and the quirks she introduce to the book. However, some of her actions were more cringey than funny, and that made her feel more immature than I initially thought she seemed.
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love/
Full review: https://picturethisliteraturecom.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/i-believe-in-a-thing-called-love/
Absolute cuteness! I loved/laughed everything in this book!
I loved this but there were several parts I found problematic. Desi Lee, a Korean-American, is your typical overachiever, involved in and succeeding in everything she does - soccer, academics, clubs, and more. She is a "flailure" (flirting failure) in love. Her internal voice is funny and sharp. When new boy Luca mistakenly joins her AP Literature class, Desi falls hard. She decides she needs a plan and checklist to win at love and that entails learning all about the way to love from the K-dramas, her widowed dad enjoys so much. Desi sets up situations from the soap opera tropes like the damsel in distress that are actually dangerous.
This book was cute. Nothing more.
To be frank, it felt like it was trying to be in the same vein of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, but not doing so great. While the story was fun to read along, and the book was quick enough it didn't drag on, my main complaint was the over the top-ness of it. None of the characters were relate-able teens?? Everyone seemed to ascend beyond perfect, and was living their ~best teenage life~ (which we all know is unrealistic). If unrealistic depictions dont bother you than you'll probably enjoy this more than I.
To be frank, it felt like it was trying to be in the same vein of To All The Boys I've Loved Before, but not doing so great. While the story was fun to read along, and the book was quick enough it didn't drag on, my main complaint was the over the top-ness of it. None of the characters were relate-able teens?? Everyone seemed to ascend beyond perfect, and was living their ~best teenage life~ (which we all know is unrealistic). If unrealistic depictions dont bother you than you'll probably enjoy this more than I.
I thought the K-drama aspect was clever, but otherwise this book just made me cringe. I've read better versions of this same book, minus K-drama.
I enjoyed this book but found it a bit light. I guess that's the point about a teen romance based on K-pop soap opera romances. I hear it's going to be a series, following up on the huge success of Jenny Han's "To All the Boys I've Loved Before."
Which begs comparison. Both are about "good" girls with Korean ancestry who have lost their mothers, are close to their fathers, and both talk a lot about food, but because in Desi's case her father is Korean, her comfort foods are all Korean and her way of bonding with her dad is by watching K-pop soap operas. Because Lara Jean's father is white, she's always making Western-style cookies and cakes. Her connection to Korean culture is more formal, expressed on special occasions. But I do prefer Jenny Han's writing style; she is more wistful and serious and touching. Maurene Goo is more playful and funny.
Still, I enjoyed learning more about Korean culture, especially since it's not just window dressing, it's a main part of this book, that Desi is having epic failures flirting and achieving romance so she makes a list of all the ingredients in a typical K-pop romance and tries to follow them...with success until her crush finds out about her plan.
I think a lot of teens will enjoy this book and the series based on it.
Which begs comparison. Both are about "good" girls with Korean ancestry who have lost their mothers, are close to their fathers, and both talk a lot about food, but because in Desi's case her father is Korean, her comfort foods are all Korean and her way of bonding with her dad is by watching K-pop soap operas. Because Lara Jean's father is white, she's always making Western-style cookies and cakes. Her connection to Korean culture is more formal, expressed on special occasions. But I do prefer Jenny Han's writing style; she is more wistful and serious and touching. Maurene Goo is more playful and funny.
Still, I enjoyed learning more about Korean culture, especially since it's not just window dressing, it's a main part of this book, that Desi is having epic failures flirting and achieving romance so she makes a list of all the ingredients in a typical K-pop romance and tries to follow them...with success until her crush finds out about her plan.
I think a lot of teens will enjoy this book and the series based on it.