A review by suchonalways__
XOXO by Axie Oh

4.0

When Jenny met Jaewoo for the first time in her uncle's Karaoke Cafe in LA she doesn't know who he is. And well, in her defense he never gave more than his name. In his defense, how can you not know k-pop idol? They spend one night running around a music festival and then part ways. So when she moves to Seoul and meets him in SAA, guess it was whose time to be shocked!

It's a young adult contemporary romance. It is how it's supposed to be. Light, lovely, and a lot of heart. But it also is so much more. It's about becoming an idol in South Korea, the sacrifice it goes into becoming one, the price of fame and just trying to find ground in the tremulous time of teen-age. It brings up the bitter-sweet relationship between fans and their idols.

And so when I came across this-

"Yes, I love him." She says the words without inflection, like she really means it. And . . . I guess when you're a fan, you really do mean it.

I felt oddly understood and sad at the same time.

To the K-pop and K-drama fans, please do read.

Ps. This cover is so gorgeous!