Book Review

Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous by Suzanne Park

Sunny Song has plans for her Summer break. But things definitely do not go to plan. You see, Sunny is a bit of a social media sensation, with her YouTube channel starting to really gain traction. Of course, she had a bit of a head start being the famous Goggle Girl due to her mother posting video of her as a baby dancing to Gangnam Style wearing swim goggles and a unicorn bathrobe going viral.

But her exclusive private school is not so happy about her fame - with concern that Sunny’s regular posts during the school day give the impression that the school is lax in their academic rigour. Despite Sunny’s protests that her posts are schedule ahead of time and she she never posts from school, she is on her last warning.

But that is not going to stop Sunny striving to reach her goals of 100K followers and competing in the Starhouse competition to win an internship at , which as far as she is concerned is a much better idea than going to college.

That is, until a mix-up with an online brownie baking video, which sees Sunny getting just a bit more exposure than she would like, results in her being sent to the Sunshine Farms digital detox camp for the Summer. No phone. No devices. No Wi-Fi. How is she going to survive?

The one good thing that camp has is Theo, the son of the camp owner. Theo challenges her whole outlook on life.

How can Sunny find enough Wi-Fi to upload her Starhouse competition video, whilst hiding what she is doing from Theo? Maybe Theo’s beliefs are rubbing off on her? Could life be about more than the number of Likes your last post got or the number of Followers you have?

This is a fun Summer romance story that just might make you think twice about your social media usage. Sunny’s progression from self-involved social media addict to someone who’s views on life are starting to broaden beyond the screen in her hand will make eye-opening reading for teenage readers.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks Fire for the ARC to review.

I received an ARC and was pleasantly surprised that I adored this book. The characters were very relatable as was the subject itself and made me think a lot about my own social media use. It was an easy read that was real while also being funny. I will definitely put this on my classroom shelf when it comes out!

Suzannne Park is one of my favorite authors, so I was delighted to get the opportunity to read an early copy of SUNNY SONG WILL NEVER BE FAMOUS. Like all of Park's books, this was charming, witty, and a pleasure to devour. Sunny Song's journey to escape her past as Goggle Girl and forge her own identity both on the internet and IRL is one we can all relate to. A true coming-of-age tale complete with fun friendships, parental drama, and a swoonworthy romance, both teens and adults will enjoy this fast-paced, funny read.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a contemporary YA novel about main character, Sunny, who goes through a social media detox camp. It is a great read about self discovery and the technology addictions that are very real in our time. I loved sunny character who struggled with her Korean heritage, and with her identity in life. I appreciated that there was not explicit sex in this book. Great read overall!

Full review on goodreads
Some fun characters and interactions
Not necessarily always realistic but fun view of teen internet addiction

This is an adorable, fast paced YA novel about the power of social media and the addictive qualities it has. Taking place at a detox camp in the Midwest, Sunny has to learn how to survive without her social media accounts and realize which relationships really matter in life. Likeable characters and a realistic issue for many teenagers. Overall, a good read and I will continue to check out books by Suzanne Park!

A real delight of a book, and enjoyable for all ages. Sunny is like many teens I teach: obsessed with social media and technology. Actually, many adults I know are like this as well. She's also funny and smart, and you are on her side as she tries to navigate a social media detox camp. There are some really great and insightful passages about what it's like to be Korean American in a very white environment. And, of course, what's a book with teens and camp that doesn't have some love? Theo, the love interest, is kind and pretty darn adorable. Both Theo and Sunny have to workout and get over their pre-conceived notions of each other. Sunny's coming-of-age as she realizes what it means to make true connections with people is hard won and rewarding. This own voices novel is fun and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sunny's summer goal is to be in a relationship with Rafael Kim Sunny's addicted to social media (like most of us are) and when a scandalous video becomes viral she's shipped off to a summer camp for a digital detox. She does her best to make the most of a terrible situation and I honestly don't know if I'd last long if I were in her shoes. Especially because social media is a part of my job. There's nothing explicit or graphic, but a sex scene is implied. The way it was written kind of reminded me of a Korean Drama and I loved that!

Loved this! Cute and funny, adorable and heartwarming. There are messages here about social media and life choices but they are not rammed down your throat. The characters are believable and interesting and I felt involved in the outcome of the story. I feel this would be suitable as a graphic novel.

Content warning: there is nothing graphic but a sex scene is implied and there is mention of drug use. I feel the former was unnecessary and leaving it out would open the book up to a wider audience.

This is a quick, fun, and lighthearted read. The underlining message of shedding superfluous and shallow interaction on social media in favour of cultivating meaningful relationships is poignant and exactly what we need to hear!

This book is an absolute delight! Fast-paced and clever, the story follows Sunny Song, social media addict and star of an accidentally scandalous viral video, from her LA home to a digital detox camp in Iowa. Sunny is a smart, funny, and warm-hearted protagonist, and you’ll cheer her along as she tries to make the best of her summer ... and laugh with her (at her?) as she stumbles along the way.

Come for the sweet summery romance and hilarious one-liners, stay for the thoughtful meditation on social media, identity, and how we engage with the world. This one stuck with me for many days after I finished reading. Whatever your level of engagement with a curated online "self," this book has interesting things to say about choice vs. consumerism and what it means to pursue real quality of life, without ever being preachy.