SUNNY SONG WILL NEVER BE FAMOUS is a perfect example of why I love teen/YA novels. I sooooooooo relate to Sunny, a teen whose social media addiction leads her parents to send her to digital detox summer camp.

Sunny is ambitious and smart, with nearly 100,000 online followers, and despite her addiction, I found her totally likable. While at camp, she finds romance and learns that real life connections mean much more than any she might make online.

The plot keeps you rapt, the narrative is witty, the character development sure, and I devoured this charming book in one afternoon. A joy to read!

5 of 5 Stars
Pub Date 01 Jun 2021
#SunnySongWillNeverBeFamous #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, SOURCEBOOKS Fire, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

hmmm, i'm a little disappointed by this book. the premise really drew me in but i didn't really enjoy this book. the idea of social media being bad is definitely true in parts, but i feel like this book was just a giant essay on why the internet is bad and anyone that finds joy in it needs to go outside. it is such a nuanced conversation that just didn't hit the mark here for me.

the writing style was easy to read, that was probably the only win here, although this definitely read young, which i know some people will enjoy. there was some good comments on race in this book as well.

also surely in 2021 we have moved past the mean girl trope with no motive?!

I want to find a digital detox camp like the one in Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park. Maybe not for me—although, I’m not going to lie, outside of the sleeping arrangements, it doesn’t sound so bad—but for my technology obsessed teens.

California-girl Sunny Song is a social media influencer—which I’m going to admit is something I still don’t completely understand. Her first strike is when her parents get called into her private school to discuss how her online presence is distracting the other students. I won’t give the exact circumstances about her second strike, but it involves brownie baking and a sports bra. Her parents don’t wait for a third strike before agreeing to send Sunny to a social media detox camp in Iowa. She needs to “graduate” from the program or else she won’t be welcome back for her senior year at school.

This was such a fun YA book. There were some great side characters—think senior citizens trying to learn the Facebook. Sunny faces some bullying at the camp and we see some racist micro-aggressions (or maybe they were macro) that really made me think about what Asian Americans go through on a daily basis in our country. There’s some lovely character development where Sunny has to come to terms with what’s really important to her. And there’s a cute farm boy named Theo who may have been involved in some of my favorite swoon-worthy scenes.

This is the third book I’ve read by Suzanne Park, and her background in stand-up comedy is a consistent element in the voice of her books. It comes out Tuesday (June 1). Grab your copy then, or check back here to win an autographed copy on pub day!

This book was SO cute. Suzanne Parks is one of my favorite authors, so I was so excited to read her newest book. I am glad to say it did not disappoint!

This book was so relatable. Sunny is being sent to a digital detox camp for one month. There will be no phones or electronics allowed. I could easily see how relatable this would be for some people. We have become addicted to our phones and social media over time. I personally love doing digital detoxes as much as I can!

It was fun to see how Sunny was going to be able to handle being away from her phone. Will she survive and thrive from this? This book shows the important of cultivating real relationships. There is also some romance in this book. This is a fast paced read and is perfect for young adult and adult readers. I highly recommend checking it out!

I think I’m track to owning all of Suzanne Park’s books 😳. I love her humor; I love her characters (although some, like Sunny, I want to shake just *a little* bit); I love the fun of her books that also address experiences of being Korean American.

Throughout Sunny Song, I was highly amused and entertained. First of all, the concept? Sunny is off to a digital detox camp in Iowa after #BrownieGate. Suzanne also drops humor gems like WAA! and the mission “Courage. Respect. Accountability. Passion.” Brilliant.

I also loved the senior citizens Sunny helped at the camp. Their banter and just dynamic was honestly better than Sunny and her love interest’s (😬). While Sunny was at the camp to remove herself from social media and address her obsession with online fame, the story also contemplates how social media does connect us in ways that may not have been possible without it. I couldn’t help but think about bookstagram when I was reading these parts. I have friends across the US and across the world because of books and social media.

Lastly, I really felt Sunny’s feelings about being Korean and how that identity is connected to the Korean language. I understood her shame and panic over how some might think you can speak a language, but you can’t because it was never something you were interested in before. While it shouldn’t, this can make you feel inadequate. Anyway, I appreciated this conversation Suzanne included in Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous.

Conclusion: I would recommend! The premise is intriguing and the sharp dashes of humor made this story lots of fun. I would hesitate to recommend this book to those who are not fans of characters who are more immature. Sunny does grow, but there are definitely readers out there who might not like her voice.

After a disastrous live stream, Sunny is sent to a tech detox camp by her parents in hopes that she will get over her “tech addiction.” As she spends her summer in the middle of nowhere in rural Iowa, Sunny begins to rethink what’s important in her life, especially when she spends more time with a cute farm boy.

I really liked the diverse set of characters and the conversation about racism surrounding Sunny as an Asian American. Even though it’s a lighthearted novel and the representation isn’t that serious, I still appreciated the talk about microaggressions and inclusivity.

However, I thought the writing was very cliche, especially when it was trying to capture the experiences of Gen Zers and technology. There were a lot of overused tropes, from the “you’re not like other girls” to the girl who hates on other girls for no reason. The characters also felt like the generic characters in every YA book. Additionally, the side characters are all pretty one dimensional and there’s not much character development.

However, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous was definitely a cute contemporary read! I think a lot of young fans of YA fiction will have fun with this book hehe.

I really enjoyed this book. It made me want to tech detox. Throughout the book, I had to keep asking myself if I am just as bad as Sunny Song. How much time do I spend on my phone? Could I be putting out better content? If so, what? Am I missing out on life itself?

There are themes in this book that I love that Suzanne Park touched on, including casual racism against Asian Americans. I was on a Zoom call yesterday where panelists were discussing casual racism and how we should respond as AAPI to those who mean well, but don't understand when they are saying something racist to an Asian or Asian American. Do we say something? How should we react? I think Park found the right place to tackle this question. It's up to others around us to point these things out, and try to focus on bringing diversity and inclusion training to everyone, so we don't feel so small when someone says something racist, but they don't realize that they are.

This book made me think a lot, not just about race, but about social media and life. Sunny showed us a new way to create content that is meaningful, rather than selfish. We even learn the importance of relationships and helping others. If we're going to use social media, use it to help others and the people you care about.

A really great book with exceptional life lessons that even this 45 year old could learn from.

Trigger Warning: substance abuse mentioned, social media addiction, bullying, online bullying & racism.

Sunny Song does not have a social media problem. Yeah, she spends a lot of her time on her youtube channel, and yes, she accidentally showed herself in her bra online, but she turned it around. It was fine. But not fine to her parents, as they have shipped her off to a media detox camp for the summer, which means; no phone, no youtube and not chances at winning a social media spot in a popular social media group.
How is Sunny meant to get famous without her phone now?

Even though Sunny is spoilt and a bit of a brat initially, she shows who she really is so fast, and she is a driven sweetheart! I really adored her from the start because I understood that a lot was generation bias about technology. However, saying that, I am happy that it was brought up how social media and technology have forced many ideas into young people's minds; about their self-esteem and how they should act and what they should always do to grow more popular. I loved the simplicity of this plot and how well it works for the generation and world today.

However, there wasn't enough peril for Sunny personally towards the end, even when the phone was found, which she wasn't meant to find. Plus, one or two things were skipped over, which I really would have loved to read; getting the book to be longer is less a con and more pro, though, I will admit.

Overall I really did enjoy this book, and I will be adding it to my shelves because the sweetness is overpowering!

In this YA novel, Sunny Song is LA-based Korean-American teenager with a large following on her YouTube channel. Sunny's social media habits land her in trouble at school, and she is ultimately sent away to a digital detox camp in Iowa so that she doesn't end up expelled.  Her camp adventure represents a clear break from the world of high school and influencing, allowing Sunny the time and space to reflect and consider what's really important to her. 

I think the social media debate is an interesting one and imagine that many of us, not just teens, will find something to ruminate on there. While the initial description of "teen influencer" conjures the image of a vapid, shallow young person, Sunny is a sweet character grappling with insecurities and questions of identity. As Sunny forms friendships with other campers, nursing home residents, and a cute farm boy, we get to witness her external and internal growth.

I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a fun, light summer YA read!

Thank you NetGalley and Suzanne Park for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Is there a Suzanne Park detox camp? Because I think I need to enroll.

First So We Meet Again, now this. What was intended to be some light evening reading turned into a book binge-fest that ended close to midnight because Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous was so addicting.

I read the synopsis and thought I had the whole story figured out: shallow, vapid Sunny Song gets shipped off to a farm, meets a cute country boy, falls in love, and learns that there’s more to life than likes. Isn’t that how the story goes? Maybe on the Hallmark Channel, but not here.

What I love about Suzanne Park is that her romances are never purely romances; she always adds another angle that to give us a more complete story. Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous was no exception. I actually thought the romance, which was fun but not particularly ntoeworthy, was secondary to the story. As a love interest, Theo was a bit plain and one-dimensional–he doesn’t even have a last name!

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Still, Park took what could have been a superficial, formulaic book and added some additional depth to create a much more interesting story.

Let’s start with the characters. I was expecting Sunny to be a spoiled Youtube star when, in reality, she was kind of an awkward dork. Like an onion (and Shrek) Sunny has layers. She’s not just an influencer; she’s a daughter, a sister, an unrequited love(r)…oh, and a Korean American. I loved seeing these different sides of her and thought they made her a more interesting protagonist.

I do wish we’d gotten to see more of the supporting cast, though. As I mentioned, Theo was a cute love interest (attractive farm boys, who knew?) but a bit basic.



I would’ve loved to see his character developed more and think the fact that we didn’t get to see him interact with his family much was a missed opportunity. I really liked seeing Sunny’s relationships with her family members and fellow campers and wished we’d gotten to see those interactions more; I especially wanted to see more of Sunny’s relationship with her sister. The Promised City Assisted Living residents were my favorite. I have a soft spot for supporting characters and especially love slight crotchety old people (probably because I am a slightly crotchety old soul.) Mr. Fuller and Ms. Davenport absolutely stole the show with their bickering, and I loved watching the Gen Z-Boomer interactions.



The look at influencer culture and the overuse of social media played a bigger role in the story than I expected. I’m notorious for nagging my friends to get off their phones when we hang out (yes, I’m THAT grandma friend) but can definitely cut down on my screen time, especially after quarantining for 1.5 years and basically living through my computer. I thought Park brought an interesting perspective and addressed the prevalence of social media without vilifying it. I, surprisingly enough, didn’t mind when the book got a little preachy and was inspired to be more mindful about my social media use but never felt (too) guilty about it.

If the camp aspect were played up more, this would be the perfect summer read, but as it is, it was still pretty fun. If you’re looking for a cute YA romance with a bit of a twist, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous might be the book for you.

This was a cute book.
Sunny Song is addicted to her phone. She uploads several times a day, she has a YouTube channel she makes videos for... Always chasing that high that internet fame can bring.
When a live video ends in an embarrassing way, Sunny is facing getting kicked out of school. So her parents decide to send her to a digital detox camp in rural Iowa.

The camp would be hard to live at for me. They have to be self sustainable and there is no Wifi available or phones allowed.

I like the lesson that Sunny learns about fame and what it can do to a person. We have a meal girl that is only known as Side Braid. She really hates Sunny and that never really gets explained and I wish it had. Sunny is falling all over herself to get close to Theo, the camp director's son. I had to laugh because she was at awkward as I would have been in the same situation with a guy I liked.

The old people that come over from a retirement home were my favorite part of this book. They use phrases like "hash browns" instead of hashtags and "tic tac" for Tik Tok !

Going to go ahead and give this a strong 4, like 4.5⭐️ even.

This is a quality work of contemporary YA. From an unsubstantiated initial fear of fowl and brownie making to social media and being just plain social—this book has what you need. Friends, new and old, are great supporting characters. A fun read! This book, as with other Suzanne Park books, also addresses racism in a way that isn't aggressive--just an honest display of how it appears in peoples lives. Sunny also recognizes she could have done more in her life, and that it isn't too late to change. This book is filled with fun and life lessons we can all learn.

Also I’m with Sunny all the way, snacks snacks snacks!

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous covers many themes that are relevant to young adult readers: social media, fame, family relationships, and romance. Its premise is engaging but also a bit patronizing. Park demonstrates familiarity with social media trends, but does not go into this topic with as much depth as I had expected -- the plot focused more on romance than online vs IRL identity, which I had been looking forward to. Overall, the main character is strong-willed and driven, but not particularly compelling. It was a nice summertime read without complex substance.

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is a delightful, and fast read! As someone who grew up well into the social media age, I loved how it emphasized the good that can come from social media, the harm, and the importance of valuing your relationships (whether they're created online, or in person) and being genuine and authentic in your actions. Sunny was a really fascinating character to root for, and I loved watching her develop.

This was a cute contemporary that I think would be best geared towards younger YA readers. The book follows Sunny, who is sent to a technology detox camp after a PG-13 baking video goes viral. The book was sweet, but pretty one dimensional since there wasn't a lot of character growth and the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and conveniently. I think it would've been better if it'd been longer, but overall it was an easy summer read.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and SOURCEBOOKS Fire for providing the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A cute, funny, witty story about a SoCal teen who gets sent to digital detox camp in Iowa after a viral incident. Creating digital content and acquiring more followers has overtaken Sunny’s life. She finds herself at an Iowa farm with other creators and influences, unplugged from the world. Except…she snuck in a phone and is competing to earn a spot in a Reality Show!

Sunny’s experiences in the camp with a bully and prejudiced visitors and owners resonated with me. Microaggressions, being told we’re not American - that’s something that Asian-Americans deal with everyday. Sunny’s struggles as a Korean-American teen with her parents, her language, and her culture are threads embedded in this story.

I enjoyed this super cute story. I laughed out loud at her hijinks and misadventures.

Thank you the publisher and @netgalley for an ALC of Sunny Song will Never Be Famous. This was a cute YA read about Sunny who has a YouTube channel and basically social media has taken over her life. As a result, she attends a social media detox camp. During camp, she meets her arch nemesis that is vying for the same social medial challenge. I enjoyed how Sunny learned more about herself and learned how she copes with her dependency of social media. The narrator did a great job projecting the voice of a teenager and kept me engaged.

I think this book needed another 100 pages. It didn't have much for character or plot depth so the main character never really came alive. Even though she didn't connect much with her Korean background, it would have been nice to see that clash/rediscovery more prominent. The romance had promise but the plot progressed so quickly that you didn't get fun buildup or believable connection.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really liked the premise of this book. The idea of a social media addicted teen going to a summer camp to detox from technology was interesting and very relevant in these modern times, and it was an own voices book which was amazing too! I thought Theo was a very sweet secondary character and I really liked the interactions between him and Sunny,

I wish the author had given more time to Sunny’s relationships with her other friends, there were certain parts of the book regarding the way Sunny reacted to things where I wish I had more context because her reactions didn’t seem to make complete sense given what we know about her character before hand. That being said, she is a teenager and maybe it was meant to be a teenager simply being mercurial so it didn’t take away from the overall feel of the book, it’s just a wish I had.

Overall I thought the book was a cute read and a great coming of age type story. I think teenage readers would relate to this book a lot and would find they have many things in common with Sunny. A good light read

I received an ebook ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny Song will do anything to be internet famous. She spends all her time creating content and growing her social media presence. All the adults in her life think she has an obsession, but Sunny is perfectly fine. Or so she thinks... When a baking livestream goes wrong and causes her mishap to trend (#browniegate), her school threatens to kick her out. The only way to stay in school is to go to a digital detox summer camp at a farm in Iowa, while her friends enjoy their summers in California.

While at camp Sunny has to decide what’s really worth her time. Is spending her life trying to become internet famous really bringing her joy? She gets the chance to join this elite internet group of content creators, but will she take it or forge her own path? Sunny may be pleasantly surprised to what the world outside of social media has to offer. From friendships with other campers to the cute farm boy who’s caught her attention.


This was super cute! The beginning was a little over the top for me, but I could definitely see it happening to someone. I really related to Sunny and her need to feel liked. Also, how she’s so confident online, but struggles with real life conversations. The romance between her and Theo was adorable! I also loved the connections she formed with her friends at camp, as well as the tough decision she had to make. It was great to see her internal thoughts with this, especially with something so relevant to teens today. Social media really has overtaken our society and our need for instant gratification has risen exponentially. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that social media likes aren’t equal to worth and this story was a great reminder of that