
"Frankly in Love" by David Yoon is a young adult novel that follows the story of Frank Li, a Korean American high school senior navigating the complexities of first love, family expectations, cultural identity, and friendship. Frank finds himself in a fake dating scheme with Joy Song to appease their parents while secretly pursuing their true romantic interests. The book delves into themes of race, heritage, family dynamics, and coming of age, blending lighthearted rom-com elements with deeper emotional explorations. Yoon's writing style balances humor, honesty, and relatability, capturing the authentic voice of teenage characters facing real-life challenges and growth.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
Content warnings include gun violence, cancer, and instances of racism, which could be triggering for some readers.
Has Romance?
The book contains a high level of romance, featuring passionate relationships and emotional explorations of love.
From The Publisher:
An Instant New York Times Bestseller and #1 Indie Bestseller!
A William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
An Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Honor Book
Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?
Frank Li has two names. There's Frank Li, his American name. Then there's Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.
Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl-which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.
As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he's forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don't leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he's found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he's left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love-or himself-at all.
In this moving debut novel-featuring striking blue stained edges and beautiful original endpaper art by the author-David Yoon takes on the question of who am I? with a result that is humorous, heartfelt, and ultimately unforgettable.
Reader Stats (11):
Want To Read (6) | |
Not Interested (5) |
About the Author:
David Yoon grew up in Orange County, California, and now lives in Los Angeles with his wife, novelist Nicola Yoon, and their daughter. He drew the illustrations for Nicola's #1 New York Times bestseller Everything, Everything. He is the author…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.