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A review by romanaromana
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars.
(Here are some trigger warnings. Nothing in this review except some mentions of racism).
Have been um-ing and ah-ing about my rating for this, but I can't deny that my overall reading experience was positive.
Frank Li is getting kind of sick of his Korean parents. They have already disowned his older sister for marrying a black man, and they continue to throw out racist remarks almost every time he speaks to them. He can only imagine what they would say if they found out he has been crushing on Brit Means - a white girl at school. Thankfully, Frank's family friend Joy is in the same boat, struggling to keep her Chinese boyfriend a secret from her family. When their parents begin not-so-subtly trying to set Frank and Joy up, they realise that going along with it might not be a bad idea. Soon enough, under the guise of their fake relationship, Frank and Joy are free to spend time with whoever they want. But things get complicated when their arrangement draws them closer to together...
Terrible, terrible blurb. The thing is, Frankly in Love is extremely difficult to sell without spoilers, because this novel begins as one thing - an easy fake-dating romance, with a sprinkle of race politics - and transforms into something much bigger. So big, in fact, that in the end the romance was the least impressive aspect of this book.
I started off very excited for the romance because hello?? Fake dating. But the relationships between Frank had with both Brit and Joy were intriguing first and cute second. I was much more interested in how Frank's relation to each girl contributed to discussions on race and parental relationships, than I was in the relation itself.
This leads me to praise one of the most impressive aspects of Frankly in Love - its topical conversations. I was impressed by Frank's musings on identity, including race and heritage, and how these things are labelled and viewed in modern society. Equally, I was really pleased to see David Yoon directly confronting the issue of racism and conflict in your own home. I really felt for Frank as he struggled to navigate his relationship with parents who he loved and who loved him, but who also said and did so much that he fundamentally disagreed with. I think it's a very real struggle which any teenager would find difficult.
Another strong element of the book was Frank's voice. This was funny and authentic and a great vessel for all those conversations and observations and thoughts I liked so much. Frank was great.
Equally, I really loved his relationship with his best friend, Q. Their interactions were always entertaining and endearing. They were weird, sure, but in a way that made them very believable teenage pals.
In conclusion, this was a largely positive read.
(Here are some trigger warnings. Nothing in this review except some mentions of racism).
Have been um-ing and ah-ing about my rating for this, but I can't deny that my overall reading experience was positive.
Frank Li is getting kind of sick of his Korean parents. They have already disowned his older sister for marrying a black man, and they continue to throw out racist remarks almost every time he speaks to them. He can only imagine what they would say if they found out he has been crushing on Brit Means - a white girl at school. Thankfully, Frank's family friend Joy is in the same boat, struggling to keep her Chinese boyfriend a secret from her family. When their parents begin not-so-subtly trying to set Frank and Joy up, they realise that going along with it might not be a bad idea. Soon enough, under the guise of their fake relationship, Frank and Joy are free to spend time with whoever they want. But things get complicated when their arrangement draws them closer to together...
Terrible, terrible blurb. The thing is, Frankly in Love is extremely difficult to sell without spoilers, because this novel begins as one thing - an easy fake-dating romance, with a sprinkle of race politics - and transforms into something much bigger. So big, in fact, that in the end the romance was the least impressive aspect of this book.
I started off very excited for the romance because hello?? Fake dating. But the relationships between Frank had with both Brit and Joy were intriguing first and cute second. I was much more interested in how Frank's relation to each girl contributed to discussions on race and parental relationships, than I was in the relation itself.
This leads me to praise one of the most impressive aspects of Frankly in Love - its topical conversations. I was impressed by Frank's musings on identity, including race and heritage, and how these things are labelled and viewed in modern society. Equally, I was really pleased to see David Yoon directly confronting the issue of racism and conflict in your own home. I really felt for Frank as he struggled to navigate his relationship with parents who he loved and who loved him, but who also said and did so much that he fundamentally disagreed with. I think it's a very real struggle which any teenager would find difficult.
Another strong element of the book was Frank's voice. This was funny and authentic and a great vessel for all those conversations and observations and thoughts I liked so much. Frank was great.
Equally, I really loved his relationship with his best friend, Q. Their interactions were always entertaining and endearing. They were weird, sure, but in a way that made them very believable teenage pals.
In conclusion, this was a largely positive read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent