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A review by bookcheshirecat
ASAP by Axie Oh
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
➽ ASAP is the companion book to XOXO and follows Sori and Nathaniel! I was so glad that they had their own story after hearing about their tragic breakup in the previous book. Sori is under a lot of pressure, as she's trying to tell her mother she doesn't want to become an idol after all. She trained for years to fulfil the role but decided not to join the new girl group ASAP as a member. Instead, she strikes a deal with her mother to mentor the girls who are working toward their debut. If she can find an alternate career path, she'll get out of her previous obligations. I really enjoyed Sori's interactions with Hyemi, a young girl who is debuting with ASAP and has always dreamed of becoming an idol. Sori is ensuring a smooth debut for her but also struggles as she knows X's father's investment in the company is a big part of why she needs to help her. Sori's mother is the CEO of the entertainment company and she hopes to support her.
➽ I liked seeing Sori's dynamic with her mother and how she tried to find a balance between finding out what she wanted to do and her duty as a daughter. Sori's father is a strict man with political aspirations who has had multiple scandals. Her parents aren't divorced, but they are no longer living together. Sori's staying with her mom, but she's still caught up in their tense dynamic and the duty to spend time with her father. It was heartbreaking to see how horribly her father and paternal grandmother treated Sori's mother. They were very disrespectful and Sori's struggling to deal with her barbed insults and criticism. Sori has been in the public eye her whole life, so she knows what it's like to have to present the perfect image.
➽ I loved the second-chance romance with Nathaniel! They used to date in secret, but because Nathaniel is a popular idol, he isn't supposed to be in a romantic relationship. After a scandal, they decided to break it off in order to protect XOXO's image. Sori has never gotten over her feelings for Nathaniel but tries to pretend otherwise, as their relationship still has the same issues. However, Nathaniel is still her friend and she's close with the other members of his boyband as well. I loved seeing the remaining feelings between Nathaniel and Sori as they care about each other so much. Spending more time with Nathaniel in close proximity reminds Sori about all their good times. I loved the pining and chemistry between them, as was rooting for them to get back together!
➽ I liked seeing Sori's dynamic with her mother and how she tried to find a balance between finding out what she wanted to do and her duty as a daughter. Sori's father is a strict man with political aspirations who has had multiple scandals. Her parents aren't divorced, but they are no longer living together. Sori's staying with her mom, but she's still caught up in their tense dynamic and the duty to spend time with her father. It was heartbreaking to see how horribly her father and paternal grandmother treated Sori's mother. They were very disrespectful and Sori's struggling to deal with her barbed insults and criticism. Sori has been in the public eye her whole life, so she knows what it's like to have to present the perfect image.
➽ I loved the second-chance romance with Nathaniel! They used to date in secret, but because Nathaniel is a popular idol, he isn't supposed to be in a romantic relationship. After a scandal, they decided to break it off in order to protect XOXO's image. Sori has never gotten over her feelings for Nathaniel but tries to pretend otherwise, as their relationship still has the same issues. However, Nathaniel is still her friend and she's close with the other members of his boyband as well. I loved seeing the remaining feelings between Nathaniel and Sori as they care about each other so much. Spending more time with Nathaniel in close proximity reminds Sori about all their good times. I loved the pining and chemistry between them, as was rooting for them to get back together!
Content Warnings
Minor: Infidelity