(G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers)
Frank Li is “Frankly in Love,” but just who is he in love with? Frank, a Korean American teen who runs with the Apeys-crowd (they’re sober kids, all in the same Advanced Placement (AP) classes), is torn. Can he finagle a way to make things work with Brett Means, a smart and beautiful girl? But Brett is white, and “Mom-n-Dad” have already disowned his older sister Hanna for marrying a non-Korean. At the monthly “Gathering,” with all the Korean families in their social circle, Frank realizes the issue: his parents came to America and built “this little Korean bubble to live in,” and they want their children to stay in it too; they want the bubble to stay intact. When a scheme to trick two sets of parents brings Frank and Joy, a fellow Korean American friend from inside the bubble, closer together, they are drawn to one another. Is Frank in love with the girl he parents actually approve of? Not so fast; conflict between the families creates a wedge. Clever wordplay and even cleverer characters make for a warm, romantic, and very funny read. Teen readers, and adults who enjoy a light read, will enjoy time spent with these kids.
— Reviewed by Jenny Lyons of The Vermont Book Shop in Middlebury, Vt.
 

8 Fresh Asian American Fiction for Young Adults
I Love You So Mochi, by Sarah Kuhn
This Time Will Be Different, by Misa Sugiura
American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang
The Astonishing Color of After, by Emily X R Pan
There’s Something about Sweetie, by Sandhya Menon
The Girl from Everywhere, by Heidi Heilig
Saints and Misfits, by S.K. Ali
The Way You Make Me Feel, by Maurene Goo