{"id":36976,"date":"2020-02-29T21:54:05","date_gmt":"2020-03-01T01:54:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36976"},"modified":"2020-02-29T21:54:05","modified_gmt":"2020-03-01T01:54:05","slug":"review-of-frankly-in-love-by-david-yoon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sonderbooks.com\/blog\/?p=36976","title":{"rendered":"Review of Frankly in Love, by David Yoon"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Frankly in Love<\/em><\/p>\n

by David Yoon
\nread by Raymond J. Lee<\/p>\n

Listening Library, 2019. 10 hours on 8 compact discs
\nReview written December 30, 2019, from a library audiobook
\n2020 Asian\/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor
\n2020 William C. Morris Award Finalist<\/a>
\n2020 Capitol Choices Selection<\/a><\/p>\n

Frank Li is a senior in high school whose parents came to America from Korea before he was born. His parents want him to marry a nice Korean girl, and they have someone in mind. They\u2019ve stopped talking to Frank\u2019s older sister because she married an African American man. Frank\u2019s best friend Q is African American, and they don\u2019t mind that, but they want their children to marry someone Korean.<\/p>\n

This audiobook explores the expectations and assumptions Frank and his friends have to endure. I like the way Frank, who\u2019s telling the story, describes white folks as \u201cEuropean Americans\u201d \u2013 because that seems only fair.<\/p>\n

Frank has grown up going to \u201cGatherings\u201d \u2013 where his parents and other friends who came to America from Korea get together with their families. The kids call themselves the \u201cLimbos\u201d \u2013 because they\u2019re not quite seen as American and not quite seen as Korean.<\/p>\n

When Frank falls in love with a European American girl, he works out a fake dating arrangement with Joy Song, one of the Limbos who his parents are pushing him to spend time with. Joy has had a Chinese American boyfriend for years, but hasn\u2019t told her parents. If she and Frank pretend to go on dates with each other, they have a cover for spending time with their own beloved.<\/p>\n

The scheme seems simple, but neither one can quite bring themselves to tell their real date. And things rapidly get more complex.<\/p>\n

This is a fun story with lots of poignant moments. This book makes you think about relationships, and not only romantic ones, but also relationships with friends and family.<\/p>\n

DavidYoon.com<\/a>
\nListeningLibrary.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Buy from Amazon.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Find this review on Sonderbooks<\/a> at: www.sonderbooks.com\/Teens\/frankly_in_love.html<\/a><\/p>\n

Disclosure: I am an Amazon Affiliate, and will earn a small percentage if you order a book on Amazon after clicking through from my site.<\/p>\n

Disclaimer: I am a professional librarian, but I maintain my website and blogs on my own time. The views expressed are solely my own, and in no way represent the official views of my employer or of any committee or group of which I am part.<\/p>\n

Tweet<\/a>