Frankly in Love by David Yoon - OPTIONAL

Frankly in Love by David Yoon, 406 pages.  G.P. Putnam’s Sons (Penguin), 2019.  $19.  

Content: Language: R (100+ swears; 100 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG.  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE  

Frank Li falls in love with a girl from school named Brit.  Brit is fantastic, the model girlfriend, but the only problem is that she is white, and Frank can’t bring her home to his Korean parents.  Frank’s parents have disowned Frank’s sister because she didn’t marry a Korean, so he can only imagine what they would think if he brought Brit home.  Frank hatches a plan with his Korean friend, Joy, and they pretend to date each other so their parents will let them go out with their real boyfriend and girlfriend.  Frank and Joy start to build a relationship, and they both start to realize that they can’t always control who they love.  

I enjoyed how Yoon explores the cultural complexities of Frank’s character.  Although Frank seems desperate for a girlfriend, I did like his character and his banter with Joy was hilarious.  The main reason I can’t recommend this book for school libraries is the over-the-top swear count.  It’s distracting and consistent.  Other content includes crass sexual discussions, potty humor and off page sex.  

Reviewer, C. Peterson