I Believe in a Thing Called Love

Starred review from April 3, 2017
Desi Lee, 17, is a smart, ambitious, and athletic Korean-American girl headed toward becoming valedictorian, then to Stanford to study premed. Desi excels at pretty much everything she puts her mind to—except landing a boyfriend. Her best friends, Fiona and Wes, have coined a phrase to describe Desi’s haplessness: “Flirt + failure = flailure.” But when Luca Drakos, 17, shows up at school, Desi turns to the serialized Korean TV shows (“K dramas”) that her father is forever watching. Taking notes on the series’ romantic formulas, Desi creates a blueprint to winning Luca’s heart, with steps that include “Find Out the Guy’s Big Secret, Preferably Through Excruciatingly Repetitive Flashbacks” and “Reveal Your Vulnerabilities in a Heartbreaking Manner.” Desi’s plan launches her down a path that’s as cringe inducing as it is hilarious. The art-centric romance that develops between Desi and Luca is rewarding to follow, as are their parental relationships, particularly that between Desi and her widowed Appa. Goo (Since You Asked...) simultaneously honors and deconstructs romantic tropes, both in general and specific to K dramas, and does so using a wonderfully diverse cast. Ages 14–up. Agent: Judith Hansen, Hansen Literary.

Starred review from March 15, 2017
A talented overachiever resorts to lessons gleaned from Korean pop culture in hopes of finding love.Korean-American Desi Lee is a remarkably self-aware high school senior who finds that as long as she has -a plan--all's well.- When she swoons for Luca Drakos, an alluring white transfer student, Desi doesn't hesitate to share with him that she's -school president, on varsity soccer and tennis, in five different clubs,- and -pretty much slated to be valedictorian.- Desi's confidence knows no bounds, except when it comes to the opposite sex. Repeated attempts at wooing would-be suitors having backfired, Desi finds Luca too good to lose, so she turns to an unlikely mainstay of her home life for help: the Korean dramas her widower father has watched obsessively for years, where star-crossed lovers seem always to win in the end. (A starter guide is helpfully appended.) Previously dismissing the formulaic K dramas as the -white noise- of her life, Desi begins to study their plotlines intently, going so far as to craft 24 -K Drama Steps to True Love.- Desi's implementation of measures such as -Be Caught in an Obviously Lopsided Love Triangle,- yields hilarious, at times unintended results, lending this teen rom-com a surprisingly thoughtful conclusion. Plot-driven as the K dramas Goo's protagonist seeks to emulate, her funny, engaging narrative also delivers powerful messages of inclusion and acceptance. (Fiction. 12-18)

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May 1, 2017

Gr 7 Up-While she is an overachiever in the realm of academics and extracurricular activities, Desi Lee is socially awkward when it comes to romance. She has perfect SAT scores and is possibly Stanford-bound. Yet when boys are involved, Desi is an accident-prone wreck. She lives with her dad, who loves Korean dramas. Both are still struggling with the loss of Desi's mother years earlier. When an embarrassing incident involving a crush occurs, a miserable Desi hunkers down and spends a weekend binge-watching Korean dramas. The teen comes up with a 24-step plan to snag a boyfriend, which is based on the formula of success for every K-drama television show. Desi has her heart set on the new kid in school, Luca, and puts her scheme into motion. This book extends beyond a typical romance story, as it also deals with parent/teen relationships, grief, and the stress of college admission. VERDICT A humorous romantic comedy with a Korean drama twist that should be on all YA romance shelves. Purchase where Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han are popular.-Vivian Ho, Port Washington Public Library, NY

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2017
Desi Lee has always been an over-achiever--except when it comes to landing a boyfriend. So when a good-looking new boy arrives at her school, she applies herself to attracting him the same way she approaches her homework. Much hilarity ensues in this effervescent rom-com, thanks in large part to the inspiration Desi gleans from her father's beloved Korean soap operas.

(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)