Made in Korea
Sarah Suk
Published May 18, 2021
Simon & Schuster YA
Young Adult Contemporary336 Pages
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Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.
There’s nothing Valerie Kwon loves more than making a good sale. Together with her cousin Charlie, they run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise. With each sale, Valerie gets closer to taking her beloved and adventurous halmeoni to her dream city, Paris.
Enter the new kid in class, Wes Jung, who is determined to pursue music after graduation despite his parents’ major disapproval. When his classmates clamor to buy the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to “make new friends,” he sees an opportunity—one that may be the key to help him pay for the music school tuition he knows his parents won’t cover…
What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he is now V&C K-BEAUTY’s biggest competitor.
Stakes are high as Valerie and Wes try to outsell each other, make the most money, and take the throne for the best business in school—all while trying to resist the undeniable spark that’s crackling between them. From hiring spies to all-or-nothing bets, the competition is much more than either of them bargained for.
But one thing is clear: only one Korean business can come out on top.
My Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Just from reading the description I knew I was going to love this book. It was a warm, cute, and fun read. A well done YA book that most YA lovers will be sure to enjoy. The characters are likeable and oh so endearing. Sarah Suk does such a great job capturing and expressing the voices of teens struggling with their direction after high school, love lives, telling their families what they truly want and navigating a world of issues a lot of teens face.
I love that this book was written by a Canadian author and explores some really interesting sides of connecting with your different culture backgrounds and influences. Definitely gave a unique voice to this book and made for a great read.
About the Author:
Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. You can visit her on Twitter and Instagram @sarahaelisuk.
Sarah is represented by Linda Epstein at Emerald City Literary Agency.
Author Links: Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads
Giveaway (US/Canada Only):
One winner will receive a finished copy of Made in Korea. The giveaway will end on May 24th 2021
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