Indies Introduce

Young Adult

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  Frankly in Love, David Yoon
  G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, 9781984812209, September 10, 2019 (Young Adult)
  

  “A fun, realistic pair of love stories that accurately address the challenges of meeting your parents’ expectations while going after what your heart wants. Twists, turns, and humor bring light to nuanced prejudices. A frank, funny read.”

  Jen Kraar, City of Asylum Bookstore, Pittsburgh, PA
  
  

  “Frankly in Love is the story of first-generation Americans trying to straddle that limbo between their parents’ homeland and the only country these young people have ever known. Frank’s senior year finds his world changing as he falls in love and grapples with his parents’ prejudice, all the while dealing with college admissions, falling out with old friends, and familial illness. What I love about this tender, emotional journey is that there is really no defining moment. Frank just keeps growing until he fills up your heart.”

  Pam Moser, Pacific Island Books, Thornton, CO
  

   

  “Yes, it is a YA romance, and yes, I loved it. Korean American friends Frank and Joy come up with a scheme so they can date the white people they know their parents will disapprove of. Through Frank, we see how race and identity affect his relationships — friends, parents, extended family, and romantic interests — all in an engaging and heartfelt story.”

  -Joan Trygg, Red Balloon Bookshop, St. Paul, MN

   

  “Frank Li, a boy of many names, is the kind of guy who looks for love in all the wrong places; specifically, he gets a crush on a fellow student who isn’t Korean like his parents want. The experience of first love is as sloppy, frenetic, and chaotic as you would imagine, but Yoon takes this chance to create a constellation of wonder connected to Frank’s heavily divided heart. As Frank falls deeper in love, he’s struck by his parents’ past, his ideas of the future, and the inevitable conflict of his present. Frankly in Love is an astounding debut with no easy answers but enough soulful discussion to make one lose one’s head and heart.”

  -Sami Thomason, Square Books, Oxford, MS