A great YA that’s a romance but also addresses social media addiction, online life vs offline.
A swoony crush, a teenager learning how to self-reflect, the relatable tugs of social media (and its stars), a quirky camp that I totally would want to have visited as a teenager: this book has SO MUCH to like.
I've really liked everything Park has written so far.

Very fun and quick read! The writing was nice and it was an enjoyable book. I think this is the perfect YA read for someone who just wants a book to pick up without it being too heavy or too hard to understand

I really wanted to like this more than I did. Some parts were funny and cute and felt realistic, but a lot of the dialogue felt forced and the characters were pretty one-dimensional. I did like the AAPI representation and that Sunny stood up for herself when she was called "not American". I can see tweens/teens enjoying this book, but it fell flat for me.

2.5 rounded up to 3

Last week I was able to escape from real life for 48 hours to a wonderful, unplugged cabin in Hocking Hills, Ohio, with four friends. It was so nice to spend some time together after a year of social distancing.

This turned out to be an appropriate book to read during my two days of zero Wi-Fi and no cell signal. Sunny, a teenage social media influencer from LA, is shipped off to a four-week digital detox summer camp in Iowa after her parents and high school principal determine that she has an unhealthy attachment to her Instagram account and her 90K followers.

I really liked how this book didn’t make social media 100% evil or 100% awesome. It can be both. Finding the right balance between online life and real life can be a tough thing to figure out, even for adults. I really liked Sunny a lot and was rooting for her the whole time.

I highly recommend this cute YA summer read!

Title: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous
Author: Suzanne Park
Genre: YA
Rating: 4 out 0f 5

Sunny Song's Big Summer Goals:
1) Make Rafael Kim my boyfriend (finally!)
2) Hit 100K followers (almost there…)
3) Have the best last summer of high school ever

Not on Sunny's list: accidentally filming a PG-13 cooking video that goes viral (#browniegate). Extremely not on her list: being shipped off to a digital detox farm camp in Iowa (IOWA??) for a whole month. She's traded in her WiFi connection for a butter churn, and if she wants any shot at growing her social media platform this summer, she'll need to find a way back online.

But between some unexpected friendships and an alarmingly cute farm boy, Sunny might be surprised by the connections she makes when she's forced to disconnect.

That was an entertaining read. The obsession with social media was almost too much for me—please, people, live your actual life—but I enjoyed Sunny’s growth from living and breathing for her followers and likes to actually looking around and interacting with people.

The writing was solid and the description of Iowa was vivid and well-done—I assume, as I’ve never been there—and I could almost feel the heat. I wasn’t quite sure what Sunny would decide at the end, so that was fun, too. She showed a lot of character growth, but it was done gradually and believably, making this an enjoyable read.

Suzanne Park was born and raised in Tennessee. Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 6/18.)

“Sometimes you get stuck with an identity that is associated with your past. Also, in some cases, you get stuck because you don’t know what else you want in life, and you find yourself stuck in a rut.”

Social media is a huge part of our society and there is no denying that it has changed our habits and the way we see others and even ourselves. Do you use your phone and social media responsibly? Does it distract you from responsibilities? Do you seek validation through likes and followers? Suzanne Park covers all these topics and more head on in her new novel, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous.

Sunny Song spends all her free time working hard towards growing her social media presence on both YouTube and Instagram in order to reach the desired 100k followers benchmark. However, her parents think she has an addiction and they aren’t the only ones who are concerned. Even though all her posts are scheduled, the headmaster of her LA school is worried that her online presence may affect how the school is viewed by other parents. And when a brownie baking livestream goes accidentally viral, Sunny is sent off to a digital detox summer camp on a farm in Iowa to avoid getting expelled from school. Not exactly the big summer plan she had in mind: reach that follower milestone, get Rafael Kim as her boyfriend, and have the best summer ever with her best friend, Needless to say that spending weeks in a remote farm in the middle of nowhere is one big challenge for an LA teen whose life revolves around social media. No electronic devices, no Wi-Fi, farm duties, group meetings with a counsellor… How is she supposed to survive?

At camp, Sunny is immersed in a world that’s very different from the one she is used to and there she meets many other influencers who also struggle with technology in one way or another. At first she is quite reticent to camp activities and rules: she manages to sneak in a phone and use it to keep in contact with her friend at home who is managing her socials and helping her with her application for a competition that will help her build her brand. However, as weeks go by, and as she spends more time with Theo, the cute farm boy who caught her attention, she starts to question everything about her life, her beliefs, and her usage of technology.

The main themes Park leans into throughout the book are enjoyable and insightful. Park did a wonderful job portraying the way social media has overtaken society. This constant need for being liked and how easy it is to get addicted to instant gratification. It’s interesting to see the conflicting thoughts the main character has regarding this as well as the struggle to mark some boundaries between our public persona and who we are in real life, that is the constant battle of what we choose to share with the world and what we choose to keep private. This novel will definitely make people question whether they let social media define them or not.

This is a novel that is quick to read due to being very fast-paced and having a simple storyline, however, the writing sometimes dragged a little bit in terms of describing little moments in plenty of detail when maybe it wasn’t really necessary. But that doesn’t make the book boring since there is a lot happening all the time.

When it comes to the characters, obviously, the one that stands out the most is Sunny. Although not unlikable, she can be a bit irritating at times, due to her being so self-absorbed. Thankfully, she becomes more mature by the end of the book. It’s also nice to see that she has real teenage concerns and the way she navigates these conflicting thoughts she has and how she reacts when she is presented with tough decisions. In comparison, the rest of the characters feel a bit flat at times but most of them are still likeable and the little romance was also quite cute.

Another interesting point and theme that the book brings up is Sunny’s identity as a Korean-American. She often thinks she is not Korean enough because she sort of rejected that side of herself a little bit. Throughout the book she also comes to embrace her Korean side. She also faces some microaggressions but she manages to deal with them well.

All in all, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is an easy, enjoyable, and reflective summer read. The story and its themes are relevant to this day and age. Park shows both sides of the dependency that society has on technology—that whilst social media can enhance our lives and can help us connect with others, it also can take a toll on our confidence and social skills. We’re certain this novel will make readers think twice about their own social media usage.

3.5 /5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I had a great time reading this book. I finished it all in one sitting, it was super easy to get through. The writing was good and kept my attention. I liked the conversation that can be had about the dependency on social media and technology. I think this book did a good job at look at the pros and cons. I'll admit I kept waiting for something major and dramatic to happen but it all kind of felt anitclimactic. Everything felt very surface level to me. I wanted to be able to connect more to the characters but it just wasn't there for me. Overall, I still recommend giving it a read. I had fun and it was quick and easy to get through. Perfect for a summer read!

This book is a fun summer read, and is very easy to engage with even though it really gets into the pitfalls of social media and social media addiction as an issue in today's age and culture. Park is able to explore these issues with such humor and care, though, and presents these things via really likable characters.

This book was read thanks to NetGalley.

This book was a nice surprise the book tackled the social media addiction and how it could affect our lives, but also I love how likable the characters are, that is my favorite trail in a leading character, I love book when I can relate or understand the character.

So yes I recommend this book.

This is a sweet, charming read. It does give off summer vibes with Sunny being sent to summer camp. While Sunny is younger by more than half my age, I can relate to the social media obsession that she had with trying to gain followers and the best content. I have gotten a little obsessed with Instagram. When I do take some breaks, I realize that it was great not to be so attached. Luckily, I am not at the point of needing to attend a detox summer camp.

I did like Sunny and her summer crush, Theo. Theo is a sweetheart. I am still laughing when I think back to the moment that Sunny met Theo and found out who he was named after. In regards, to the other campers; I did and could not really form a bond with them. This is a little where my age comes into play but also because to me the other campers did come off as juvenile. I am not saying that Sunny was not that way too in the beginning but Theo's non social status rubbed off on her. Overall, I still did like this book.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I liked Suzanne Park’s first novel, A Perfect Escape, but I just couldn’t get through this one. I DNF’d at 35%.

My main issue is that all the characters are obnoxious and mean (except maybe Theo but I knew the guy for like 5 pages so I’m not sure). All the characters, including Sunny, are self absorbed and just hate on everything. They make fun of and look down on everything. Maybe that’s the point, but it’s not balanced with anything to make me like or even care about the characters.

The other thing is that this book takes place on a farm. I grew up in the country and was kind of excited about a rural setting but it’s treated as a joke. It left me feeling a little insulted — the way Sunny looked down on everything.

Definitely wasn’t for me. I’ll wait for Suzanne’s next book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I wanted to like this, I really did. I liked Suzanne Park’s first novel, A Perfect Escape, but I just couldn’t get through this one. I DNF’d at 35%.

My main issue is that all the characters are obnoxious and mean (except maybe Theo but I knew the guy for like 5 pages so I’m not sure). All the characters, including Sunny, are self absorbed and just hate on everything. They make fun of and look down on everything. Maybe that’s the point, but it’s not balanced with anything to make me like or even care about the characters.

The other thing is that this book takes place on a farm. I grew up in the country and was kind of excited about a rural setting but it’s treated as a joke. It left me feeling a little insulted — the way Sunny looked down on everything.

Definitely wasn’t for me. I’ll wait for Suzanne’s next book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

I absolutely love Suzanne Park's writing - it's fresh and fun! I've been a fan of every book I've read from Park, but unfortunately, I don't think this one was for me. It fell kind of flat and didn't grab my attention like the others in the past did. The characters felt underdeveloped and sometimes the pacing didn't feel right. I definitely think others will enjoy this one though so take a look at other reviews besides mine.

This was a super light and easy read. It felt very Gen-Z, but was also fun to read about something that felt so current — we're all addicted to our phones and social media these days! I really enjoyed Sunny's character and how she tackled some of the racist incidents, as well as how she grew at the camp and even began using her social media savvy for good as she helped to educate older adults! Overall it was a great easy summer read.

I loved this book so much. It had drama, love, relationships, personal growth and challenges, social media contests, and farm animals. What more could you want from a book?

Sunny is in high school, and in between classes and after school she’s been busily building a social media empire. But when she accidentally keeps filming after a live cooking video, and it unexpectedly goes viral, her school principal and her parents decide the best thing for her is to be shipped off to a digital detox camp for the summer. Sunny is devastated to have her summer plans ruined, especially when she’s in the running to win a prestigious social media contest and needs to keep creating content!

The camp does help Sunny realize what’s really important to her though, and gives her the push she needs to think about what she wants for her future. It’s definitely not smooth sailing though, and there is plenty of drama along the way.

I will say, after being hyper-connected online for the last year, of full days of zoom meetings, and more time than ever on social media, a digital detox camp sounds like heaven. In fact, one of the best vacations I’ve ever taken was when my now-husband and I stayed for a week on a lavender farm in Victoria, Australia. There was no phone, TV, or cell reception and it was the most relaxed I think I’ve ever been!

Phone and social media addiction is a very real issue these days, and this book highlighted those dangers in a really heart-warming and fun way. I loved Sunny, she was such a beautiful character. She didn’t always make the best choices, but she was kind, loyal, and thoughtful when it came down to it.

Plot: Reading about Sunny learning to unplug, and enjoy life was a great message. Social media can be great (There are a lot of advantages to it! And I honestly think with moderation it can be a great thing.), but if you become obsessed with it, it's more harmful than not. The romance was cute. And her friendships were great! Plus, Suzanne Park really knows how to write humor into her books, which I always appreciate!

Characters: Sunny was a great main character! I liked her friends and family!

The Cover: I really like it! When I was a teen I would have definitely grabbed this book off the shelf after seeing the cover of it!

Overall: This was another excellent book by Suzanne Park, which I would definitely recommend reading!

I received an e-ARC of this book from the publisher.

Sunny Song is a Korean-American high school student in LA. She is close to 100,000 followers and her parents think she is addicted to social media. As a result of a viral video and possible expulsion, Sunny is sent to a digital detox camp in Iowa.

In Iowa, Sunny gets to live the farm life, make some new friends, think about her digital/ social media choices, and have a crush on one of the locals. Sunny is definitely a character I was cheering for and found relatable. There were also a couple of realistic examples of racism that were thought-provoking (words matter). There's a retirement home near the camp, and the residents come over to the farm/camp and are awesomely fun.

This was a solid YA book, and I recommend it.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute enjoyable book and I was able to read/listen to it very quickly. If you're looking for something to dive into, this would be a good contender.

What I liked about this book:

1. I enjoyed the plot of this book and it made me yearn for some time on a farm. Do I enjoy the smell of farm life? Definitely not, but I could go for some time in the country. I think social media addition and the obsession with followers/likes is a hard habit to break, especially as a teenager. I was excited to read a book that took on this real life issue.

2. Characters are usually a huge factor in my enjoyment of a book. While I found Sonny a bit annoying (typical spoiled teenager type that was very self centered), she did mature a bit through the story. Theo was a great character and the author definitely did an amazing job of writing their love story without making it come across as cheesy. They definitely had chemistry and were cute together.

3. This book covers important issues such as racism, micro-aggressions, and finding a balance on social media. Through Sonny's experiences we also get a feel of how it is to grow up in an Asian household and the expectations she felt.

4. This book was enjoyable in both print and audio formats.

While I did enjoy this book, I'm only giving it 3⭐ because I felt the supporting characters were a bit underdeveloped and it fell flat in some areas. I've read the author's other books and I found those much more enjoyable. While this book wasn't my favorite, I still though it was a funny book that made me think.

Sunny Song is your classic rising-senior in high school in LA, looking forward to her summer break filled with friends, college prep classes, and filming content for her social media platforms. Ever since a a video of Sunny as a child went viral, Sunny has managed to create an increasingly successful social media presence. But when one of her live streams goes viral because of some content involving accidentally cooking in a sports bra, Sunny’s summer changes drastically. Sunny’s parents have always been concerned with Sunny’s focus on social media and this new live stream was the final straw, which is how Sunny finds herself in a technology detox camp at a farm in Iowa. Sunny will have to learn to cope without her phone, followers, and LA-friends, opening her mind to unexpected experiences, including farm chores, senior citizens, and new friends.

Team Sunny all the way! This was a very sweet, entertaining read. Park is a great writer—it reminds me of Julie Murphy’s style, in the way that the story reads conversationally. She captures Sunny’s voice brilliantly, which is really what made this book stand out for me. The humor and sarcasm are funny and clever, really capturing the voice of a Gen Z girl.

This was a quick read for me—not so much because of a compelling plot, but because of the ease with which it reads and the shorter chapters. Don’t get me wrong, the plot was definitely fun. As a millennial who doesn’t quite understand how YouTubers have been so successful monetizing their brands, it was interesting to see what goes behind content creation. I don’t think I realized how consuming it could be, so as Sunny’s experience with it was certainly a new perspective.

There were nice sentiments to be found here, like putting real connections and relationships above superficial ones, but as far as YA books go this one didn’t seem to go as deep as others I’ve read. Not that Sunny’s problems were real or serious, but maybe certain issues, like her relationship with her mom, could have been explored more. The end had some enlightening moments, but other aspects of the book seemed to wrap up a little too conveniently. I don’t think it took away from the book, though—it was still very fun, but I would just know that it’s more a lighthearted, summer read. If you’ve read and liked Made In Korea by Sarah Suk, you would really like this one too!

Ok time for a bit of honesty. I don't read very much YA because I just don't feel like I relate well. I am old and my kids are 14 and below. I have tried a few YA novels in the past year. I have loved several, others I just couldn't get past all the drama. I am trying to branch out and read more YA. My kids are getting older and I know they will be venturing into this world more.
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With that above being said, I absolutely adored this book. Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous was an absolute joy to read. I loved the whole cast of characters and was so involved with the book that I read it in one sitting. I could not stop. I was sad when it ended because I could have easily read more. Full disclosure, I did have audio as well and the narrator did a great job.