SEPTEMBER 2019 - AudioFile
Right from the start, narrator Raymond J. Lee fully inhabits funny, endearing, nerdy-and-proud-of-it California high school senior Frank Li. Frank is studying for the SATs, hanging out with his fellow AP classmates, falling in love, and thinking a lot about his identity as the son of Korean immigrants, all with the heightened feelings of a teenager experiencing these things for the first time. In one affecting passage, Frank overhears a seemingly fraught conversation in Korean between his father and a family friend. Because Frank doesn’t know much Korean, he doesn’t understand what they’re saying, and unless the listener knows Korean, neither do we. Lee’s emotionally and culturally authentic performance will have listeners rooting for Frank through many twists and turns, all the way to the audiobook’s lovely conclusion. J.M.D. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award, 2019 Best Audiobook © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine
The New York Times Book Review - Catherine Hong
…firmly set in the traditional Asian-American territory of suburban Southern California and populated with the familiar mix of "Harvard or bust" parents and their second-generation kids. It's the storytelling Yoon does within this milieu that is extraordinary…[Frankly in Love] is a beautifully layered novel about first love, tribalism and that brief, magical period when kids have one foot in high school, one foot out the door. A particularly strong asset is the exuberant voice of Frank, one of the most likable male Y.A. protagonists I've read in a long time…Admirably, Yoon explores themes of racism, forgiveness and acceptance without getting earnest or preachy or letting anyone off the hook. And there's a universality to the story that cuts across cultures.
Publishers Weekly
★ 06/24/2019
Caught in a brawl between romance and family expectations, Frank Li isn’t sure which one will knock him out first. His Korean immigrant parents have already disowned his sister for dating a non-Korean, so when Frank falls for a white classmate, he settles on a con. His partner in crime is fellow Korean-American Joy Song, and together they begin a for-their-parents’-eyes relationship that allows them to spend time with their real crushes—but might not be so fake after all. Yoon’s debut examines issues of identity through a significant but often-overlooked subset of the Korean diaspora in California: working-class immigrants and their first-generation children. Frank’s parents’ racism is overtly presented alongside classism, microaggressions, and prejudice that subtly touch all characters. Yoon never settles for stereotypes, instead giving his well-defined characters a diversity of experience, identity, sexuality, and ambition. Told in youthful-sounding prose, Frank’s journey reaches beyond Korean-American identity and touches on the common experiences of many children of immigrants, including negotiating language barriers, tradition, and other aspects of what it means to be a “hyphenated” American. Ages 14–up. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Frankly in Love:
★★★★ Four Starred Reviews
A Junior Library Guild Selection
A Summer/Fall 2019 Indies Introduce Title
“With echoes of John Green and To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, it’s poised to be the biggest YA debut of the year.” —Entertainment Weekly
"Yoon's stellar debut expertly and authentically tackles racism, privilege, and characters who are trying to navigate their Korean-American identity." —BuzzFeed
"David Yoon packs all manner of ethnic, class, and family dynamics into the funny, profane and poignant pages of Frankly in Love." —Wall Street Journal
“Touching on issues of race, identity, and first love, Frankly in Love is the charming, funny, romantic young adult crossover novel that both adults and teens will enjoy in equal measure.” —PopSugar
★ "Completely unique. Frank is a wonderfully self-aware protagonist with a compelling voice…. [A] beautifully written exploration of family, identity, and self-discovery." —Booklist, starred review
★ “[A] sparkling debut. . . This is an outstanding novel where the emotions are deeply felt but honestly earned. The characters are complex and nuanced, and all are on their own authentic journeys. The highlight of the book is Frank’s voice—he is a sharp observer who is funny, insecure, and deeply conflicted. . . Full of keen observations about love, family, and race with a winning narrator.” —School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Yoon never settles for stereotypes, instead giving his well-defined characters a diversity of experience, identity, sexuality, and ambition. Told in youthful-sounding prose, Frank’s journey reaches beyond Korean-American identity and touches on the common experiences of many children of immigrants, including negotiating language barriers, tradition, and other aspects of what it means to be a “hyphenated” American." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ "Spectacular debut. . . Yoon's light hand with dialogue and deft use of illustrative anecdotes produce a story that illuminates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on struggles both universal and particular to certain identities. . . A deeply moving account of love in its many forms."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"I loved, loved, LOVED this book, which miraculously manages to be a love story, a treatise on racism, a peek into adolescence, and a welcome to Korean-American culture, all at once. Frankly, Frank Li is a character you need to meet." —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Small Great Things and A Spark of Light
"I fell fast for David Yoon's masterful debut that's big-hearted, honest, hilarious, and achingly romantic. I smiled, I laughed, I cried, and I closed this book wiser. Get ready to fall in love with Frank, world!" —Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of They Both Die at The End
"Frankly in Love shines with an incredible voice and a searing, honest, and deeply human story about what it means to love someone. David Yoon isn't afraid to confront every angle, both the beautiful and the ugly, but he tackles it all with great care. This is a classic in the making." —Marie Lu, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Warcross
"In the tender and funny Frankly in Love, David Yoon gives us some of the truest and most lovable characters I've read in a long time. This book is pure joy." —Deb Caletti, Printz Honor Recipient for A Heart in a Body in the World and National Book Award Finalist for Honey, Baby, Sweetheart
"This #OwnVoices novel tackles familial issues, being the child of immigrant parents, and what it means to make a name for yourself despite having an ocean of expectations weighing down on your shoulders." —BookRiot
School Library Journal
★ 08/01/2019
Gr 9 Up–Identity, family, secrets, sacrifice, first love, and transitions all come together in Yoon's sparkling debut. Frank Li is one of the "Limbos," a group of second-generation Korean-American children who are forced to hang out once a month when their parents organize dinners that are part support group, part competition. The Limbos are caught between two worlds, a sense Frank keenly feels as he begins dating his first girlfriend, who is white. After his sister is disowned for marrying a Black man, Frank decides to enter a fake relationship with Joy, another Limbo, so that they can both date the people they want without parental involvement. Frank's romantic relationships change along with his relationship with his family, as he grapples with hard family news. This is an outstanding novel where the emotions are deeply felt but honestly earned. The characters are complex and nuanced, and all are on their own authentic journeys. The highlight of the book is Frank's voice—he is a sharp observer who is funny, insecure, and deeply conflicted. Yoon's writing is filled with highly specific descriptions that make Frank's world feel fully realized, from the fruit-named phone chargers sold at his parents' store, to his group of unique and nerdy friends, dubbed the "Apeys" for their Advanced Placement course load. This will be a hit with teens who like introspective realistic fiction, romance, and humor. VERDICT Full of keen observations about love, family, and race with a winning narrator, this is a must-purchase (multiple copies!) for any teen-serving library.—Susannah Goldstein, The Brearley School, New York City
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2019-06-30
A senior contends with first love and heartache in this spectacular debut.
Sensitive, smart Frank Li is under a lot of pressure. His Korean immigrant parents have toiled ceaselessly, running a convenience store in a mostly black and Latinx Southern California neighborhood, for their children's futures. Frank's older sister fulfilled their parents' dreams—making it to Harvard—but when she married a black man, she was disowned. So when Frank falls in love with a white classmate, he concocts a scheme with Joy, the daughter of Korean American family friends, who is secretly seeing a Chinese American boy: Frank and Joy pretend to fall for each other while secretly sneaking around with their real dates. Through rich and complex characterization that rings completely true, the story highlights divisions within the Korean immigrant community and between communities of color in the U.S., cultural rifts separating immigrant parents and American-born teens, and the impact on high school peers of society's entrenched biases. Yoon's light hand with dialogue and deft use of illustrative anecdotes produce a story that illuminates weighty issues by putting a compassionate human face on struggles both universal and particular to certain identities. Frank's best friend is black and his white girlfriend's parents are vocal liberals; Yoon's unpacking of the complexity of the racial dynamics at play is impressive—and notably, the novel succeeds equally well as pure romance.
A deeply moving account of love in its many forms. (Fiction. 14-adult)