by David Yoon
First published 2019
Frank Li goes by his American name, not Sung-Min, the Korean one his parents gave him. He speaks little Korean despite growing up in Southern California with traditional parents who sacrificed everything to give him opportunities in America. Now Frank has fallen for Brit Means, a funny, nerdy girl who makes him laugh. The problem is Brit is white, and his parents expect him to date a Korean girl. Frank refuses to give up his first love, so he teams up with family friend Joy Song, who faces similar parental pressure. They devise a fake dating scheme to fool their families while pursuing the relationships they actually want. Frank believes he has solved his problems, but complications arise that force him to question everything he thought he understood about love and his own identity.
Genres: fiction, family, romance, contemporary, contemporary-romance, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, found-family
Setting: Southern California, America
Period: 21st-century
432 pages · Hardcover · G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers