A review by kayaj
Seoulmates by Susan Lee

medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

 

Seoulmates really, really, really made me want to reread XOXO by Axie Oh. Or Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho. It’s not a bad book…it’s just a bit repetitive.

We follow two ex-best-friends named Hannah and Jacob who reconvene one summer and try to fulfill a bucket list of things to do before Jacob has to go back to Korea. Since he’s, you know, an up-and-coming K-drama star!

I really loved how Hannah learned to love her Korean heritage, whether it was through appreciation of Korean food or love of K-dramas. At the same time, she doesn’t deny her American environment and the way that it has shaped her. Watching her balance these two truths of her identity was so impactful to watch.

I enjoyed aspects of Jacob and Hannah’s relationship! They had some really sweet moments, and I loved how their friendship was such a central part of their romantic relationship.

One of my issues with this book is that I felt like the perspectives didn’t match up. For example, Hannah would act a certain way when we’re reading from her perspective. Then when we’re reading about her from Jacob’s perspective, she acts differently. I don’t know if it’s a me thing or what but I just felt like the characters had personalities that were completely dependent on who POV I was seeing.

I guess my last complaint(?) is that I WAS JUST KIND OF BORED OKAY.

yeah uh.

I feel guilty for saying this (and yet I didn’t feel an ounce of guilt whaling on Parisa earlier this year smh*) but I just didn’t feel invested in anything that was happening. This is one of those dreaded purgatory books, where nothing is overly wrong, but not really right either. Like, the plot was fine. The characters were fine. The romance had some sweet highs. It’s definitely a book I’d recommend to people who enjoy a cute romance!