This was cute.

I thought the concept was fun and I liked seeing the way Korean culture was integrated into the story. However, it was difficult for me to connect to the characters. I liked Wes, but I wasn't the biggest fan of Valerie.

Overall, it was a fun YA contemporary, but nothing too revolutionary for me, unfortunately.

This is quite a lovely book for young adult but unfortunately for me it is not something I am interested in reading at this point in my life. The writing style leans more towards younger YA readers, but I was drawn into Korean culture being deep into the the k-pop fandom.

4.75/5⭐ to Made in Korea by Sarah Suk! Thank you Simon Teen/Simon Canada for an egalley to review! This was a delightful debut from a new Canadian author that embodies much of what I love about YA Contemporaries. We follow two teens in alternating perspectives (my fave): Valerie Kwon, who runs a thriving K-Beauty out of her locker with her cousin, and Wes Jung, a new transfer student who dreams of going to music school in spite of his parents' wishes. Soon after, Wes finds himself selling his own stash of K-beauty items in direct competition to Val. Needless to say this causes a lot of friction between the two especially since they both need the money for important things. What was super fun about this story was how then a spark develops between Val & Wes as their competition escalates! It is one of my favourite tropes, and I loved how their relationship developed through the story. I also appreciated that while this competition brought some delightful angst and tension, it also brought some comedic moments as well as some more serious messages. Again, this was such a fun one to read (the audiobook was great, too!) and I absolutely cannot wait to see what Sarah writes next!

This book captured me from its first pages and kept me delighted the whole way through. I love the concept, writing style, and special details about Korean culture that kept each character well-rounded and realistic. Even more minor characters have important backstories, they don't just exist to prop up the mains.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Loved this story. I was captivated by the characters and just wanted to stay in their little universe for a while longer.

I really enjoyed this YA teen romance from Sarah Suk. I especially loved that first snowfall scene, it was very cute. The YA drama between the characters was to be expected and I loved how they each had their own goals/dreams that they were working towards. I also loved seeing the different family dynamics with the main characters. Wes and Valerie make a cute fictional couple! I look forward to reading more from Sarah.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital arc.

Just from reading the description I knew I was going to love this book. It was a warm, cute, and fun read. A well done YA book that most YA lovers will be sure to enjoy. The characters are likeable and oh so endearing. Sarah Suk does such a great job capturing and expressing the voices of teens struggling with their direction after high school, love lives, telling their families what they truly want and navigating a world of issues a lot of teens face.

I love that this book was written by a Canadian author and explores some really interesting sides of connecting with your different culture backgrounds and influences. Definitely gave a unique voice to this book and made for a great read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an electronic copy to read and review.

This is a cute YA book centred around students who run various businesses at their school. The characters are real and relatable and struggle with normal things like friendships, college applications, dating, and learning to balance the expectations of their parents with their own dreams. There is some underage drinking, and kissing, but apart from that it is a clean book and well written.

Valerie Kwon has a business with her cousin at school where they sell Korean beauty products. Valerie is saving her money to take her grandmother on a trip to Paris in the summer before she starts college. In their senior year, Wes Jung moves to town. His mother works for a company that manages a popular K-Pop band. When Wes’s mother gives him some K-Pop cosmetics to bring to school to give to his friends, he learns what a lucrative business it could be to sell them. Wes wants to save money to pursue music studies in college, which his parents don’t approve of. Wes becomes major competition for Valerie’s business. Their competition gets intense, leading them to make an all or nothing bet. What they don’t count on is falling for each other, but only one business can win in the end.

The idea of student run businesses in high schools has pros and cons. It’s a great way for young people to learn about how to run a business and manage money. There were a couple of other student businesses, other than Valerie’s and Wes’s, but those were the two cosmetic ones so they were direct competitors. There were a few opportunities throughout the years for the businesses to sell their products and earn awards.

There were also consequences to these kinds of businesses that were addressed in the story. The students were earning real money with these businesses. That made the stakes much higher since Valerie and Wes had big plans for their potential earnings. This also made them take chances with their businesses that had moral and legal consequences. Valerie and Wes had to deal with the consequences of breaking the rules with their businesses. This story accurately represented what could go wrong with a student run business.

Made in Korea is a great young adult novel!

Thank you Simon and Schuster for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Made in Korea
I would like to thank Sarah Suk and Netgalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Made in Korea is a contemporary fiction that follows two students who can never seem to do enough for their Asian parents. We follow Wes who just wants to save up enough money to go to music school against his parents wishes, whilst Valarie just wants to make enough money to take her halmeoni to Paris and prove to her mother that she is just as good as her sister. Made in Korea was a very interesting story since the first page I was hooked, as the plot is very surprising and funny. Honestly, I loved how the characters had such complex and funny personalities. Even the side characters were so well developed, and they had such complex backstories. This was a huge positive as in too many books today some of which are even bestsellers, side characters get neglected and don’t have such complex stories. Whilst Made in Korea had such well-developed characters you could have told me these were real people and I would believe you. This book without a doubt will become talked about as it is such high quality in all aspects. I recommend Made in Korea for all YA readers as it good enough to please all different types of readers.

This book was a fun read. I enjoyed the antics that ensued because of the competing businesses. Although that specific aspect of the book was outside of my high school experience, there were many ways that I still connected with the character's experiences. I loved the way Suk wrote her characters and the relationships between them all. I found my favourite relationship was between Valerie and her grandmother. Although I didn't have the exact same relationship between my grandma and myself, it was relatively close. I always felt I better connected with my grandma than my mother--similar strict dynamics too!

I didn't play Sax, but I did play flute in elementary school and clarinet in high school. I understand the comfort one can feel with playing an instrument and wanting to have that part of you to be recognized. Although, I was never as good as Wes, I understand his need to have his father's understanding and approval--something I have grappled with most of my life (although with my mom and following the career path she thought was best). Many of the character's experiences in high school were relatively similar and I loved that connect Suk gave me in her book.

Suk's writing is engaging and I felt it was a fast read. Although I felt I understood where it was going, I still wanted to be along for the ride! I think that had a lot to do with how well Suk writes characters. The felt real and had time to develop. I found, because of the well written characters, I found myself wanting to read just a little bit more. As I said, you could tell where the story was going, but there was a comfort in that itself. Overall, I will definitely pick up Suk's next book.

If you enjoy Kasie West, Jessica Pennington, or Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka then I think you'll enjoy Made in Korea.

I LOVED this fun enemies to lovers, dual perspective YA romance featuring competing teen K-beauty entrepreneurs who are fighting for the number one spot in their high school. For fans of Tweet Cute and A taste for love. A great debut for Canadian author, Sarah Suk! Can't wait to read what she writes next! Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy.

“—𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚.“

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada, Netgalley and the author for providing me with an arc on this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"Made in Korea" follows the coming-of-age story of both Valerie and Wes, whose paths collide through their cut-throat K-beauty business rivalry. It is a heartfelt narrative that truly encapsulates the struggles of growing up and how one must take control of their own agency and commit to making difficult decisions in order to forge their unique path into the world. This book is filled with tender and sweet moments and I appreciated the author's decision to mirror such realistic interpretations of the Korean-American experience- or more generally put the immigrant generation experience.

The conflict that motivates both the characters and the plot are so intrinsically tethered and rooted into the question of culture and community and where one's self-identity lies in between it all. The grand message resonated with me as a Korean-Canadian reader, coming from immigrant parents myself I saw myself in the shoes of both Valerie and Wes as they constantly fought an internal battle between pursuing their passions or the stability that their loved ones craved for them. The characters are complex and carefully crafted to embody what it is like to grow up being "too ethnic" or not "ethnic enough" for 'Americans' and 'Koreans' alike. Moreover, the family dynamics felt so true to life from the love they have for each other yet the constant conflict that comes when having to communicate one's desires and wishes.

I loved this debut novel it incorporated the perfect mix of seriousness and fluffiness!
It is without a doubt, a refreshing book and one that will surely touch the hearts of many readers ❤️

This was a really fun read. Really fresh and perfectly light for a nice summer read. The characters were multi dimensional and likable.
I did find, however, that it was difficult at times for me to understand some of the Korean terms in the story. Family members and relatives were called by their Korean title and although it added great authenticity, it did make it difficult for me at times to understand who was who and how they were related. Google is free, so I was able to figure it all out, but it did take me out of the story on multiple occasions.

All in all this was a fun read that I recommend.

Made in Korea - Sarah Suk

Thanks to Netgalley for this e-arc! This book is already out so go check it out!

I’m really glad I got to read this YA contemporary/romance between Valerie and Wes. Valerie has had a student business for two years already selling Korean skincare and beauty products. Wes is new to school and his mom works in the Kpop industry. He creates his own business selling Kpop merch.

I liked that this book was dual POV. Valerie could be a frustrating character at times, as she was so focused on her business and didn’t really make time for anything else. I liked seeing both characters’ reasons for needing the money from their businesses. This book also deals a lot with family and the issues these characters have with their parents. Valerie’s mom always compares her to her sister, and she feels like she’ll never be good enough. Wes wants to go to school for music but his parents want him to be a doctor. The romance was really sweet and I was rooting for both characters the whole book. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it!

3.5 Stars

Made in Korea by Sarah Suk is the perfect read for those who enjoy the rivals to lovers trope. I loved the concept of rival K-beauty businesses, and the main characters are well-developed. This one also has the sweetest grandmother character, who makes the book even more special. If you’re looking for a tense yet feel-good read this spring, this is definitely one to pick up.

Young entrepreneur Valerie is the founder of a popular K-beauty business, the most successful business at her school. However, when a new student arrives, armed with his mom’s exclusive K-pop merchandise, Valerie gains a major competitor. Only one business can win the school-wide competition, and the stakes become higher when Valerie and Wes strike up an all or nothing deal: one of them will earn their combined profits, and the other will walk away with nothing. I love a story about rivalry, and the measures the characters go to in order to gain customers are so entertaining to read. I also enjoyed the K-beauty aspects, as this is something I’ve never read about before.

❀ STRONG CHARACTERIZATION

The strongest part of the book is the characterization. Valerie is extremely dedicated to her business, but this is also her flaw. Because everything revolves around her business, in her eyes, she has a habit of pushing people away. Throughout the book, she learns about the importance of building relationships and truly changes by the end. Wes is also a fascinating narrator. He makes several mistakes, namely selling his mom’s products without permission, but, like Valerie, he faces consequences. Dual perspectives can be a hit or miss for me, but in this case, the narrations are distinct, which made this an effective tool.

❀ ENJOYABLE FAMILY DYNAMICS

I also enjoyed the family dynamics. Valerie often feels like a disappointment compared to her sister, and the way this influences how she runs her business is well fleshed out. What I loved, however, is her relationship with her grandmother. The reason why Valerie is so determined to make money is so that she can take her grandmother to Paris one day. Halmeoni is so supportive of Valerie’s business, and their interactions bring a lot of sweetness to the story.

❀ AN ENTERTAINING READ

Made in Korea by Sarah Suk is an entertaining read about rivalry and real relationships. I loved the originality of the plot and the realistic main characters. Valerie’s grandmother in particular brings so much heart to the book. I would definitely recommend this one, especially to those who enjoy the rivals to lovers trope as much as I do.

ARC copy provided in exchange for an honest review. This in no way changes my rating or review.

4 cute stars 🙂

This book was really sweet! The characters were charming and realistic, the romance was adorable, and it was so nice to see the Korean aspects included in a YA novel. I found the unique entrepreneur storyline really refreshing and a nice change to the usual high school YA novels, and the tangled family relationships were incredibly believable and authentic.

Made in Korea also had some really nice messages about communication and connection to your different ethnic backgrounds, which I loved reading about, as someone who has always wanted to connect with their Vietnamese side a little more. The everyday stuggle of being a teen and trying to work who you are and where you fit-in was obvious throughout the novel, combined with the difficulty of family expectations and Asian parents, and the gorgeous element of first love.

“there was a world inside all of us. A world that grew as we let people in, allowing them to shape us in ways we could never do alone.”
(A quote from Halmeoni. This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

I also really loved the change of stereotypical gender roles in Made in Korea! For once, the boy was the shy, awkward new kid, and the girl was straightforward and intimidating and strong-minded. It was such fun to see this, and I loved the way that both characters developed throughout the book. Made in Korea also talked about the difficulties of communication and confusion amongst friends and family, showing that maybe humans aren’t as wonderful at communicating as we think we are. Incredibly realistic, and so beautiful to see!

“it never is just about the one conversation, is it? It’s about being brave enough to start it, wise enough to choose the right words, and self-aware enough to even know what’s going on inside your brain. That’s a lot of things that have to line up all at once. It’s kind of a miracle that people are able to communicate properly at all.”
(Pauline talking to Charlie. This quote may not be in the published version of this novel, it was copied from the advanced reader’s copy.)

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and thought it was something refreshing and sweet. Such a cute storyline! Thank you so much to the author, publisher and TBR & Beyond Tours for the ARC copy!

On this episode of Everything is Canon, Steve talks to Sarah Suk all about her debut novel Made in Korea which is a rival-to-lovers story about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens, Valeria Kwon and Wes Jung, who butt heads while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.

Teen drama is definitely a big part of this book, but at the heart of Made in Korea is family, and how we don’t get to choose who we are related to, but we find ways to love them, nonetheless. Sarah’s love of her culture also shines very bright as she deals with Korean diaspora with a thoughtfulness and emotional resonance.

Steve and Sarah talk about the excitement of releasing a debut novel, Korean culture and her work with the non-profit group Liberty in North Korea, how this book almost went down a different path, Made in Korea of course, and much, much more.

To listen to the full interview with the author, click the link below.

https://www.cinelinx.com/off-beat/shows/everything-is-canon-made-in-korea/

3.5/ 5 stars


Made in Korea is a Young Adult novel that is part rom-com and part high school drama. This is the author's debut novel.

The book is set in the US Pacific Northwest. The two narrators are both Korean as are many of the supporting characters.

Made in Korea has such an amazingly cute premise. The narrators are 17 year old high school rivals Valerie and Wes (1st person POVs).

Valerie Kwon is an entrepreneur. Valerie and her cousin Charlie run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise.

I absolutely loved that Valerie sells Korean beauty products at her school (and that they let her).

I did not warm up to Wes right away. He loves the saxophone. And he seemed like a nice guy. But he really was not very good at telling people what he wanted. His mom works with Crown Tiger (biggest K-pop band in the world). So he was able to get lots of K-pop branded beauty products. Will he be competition for Valerie?

The award for best supporting character goes to Valerie's grandmother/Halmeoni. The relationship between Valerie and her grandmother was my favorite relationship of the book.

The book deals with a lot of parental issues. Valerie doesn't really get along with her mom. And Wes' parents do not understand his love for music.

The book was cute and fun. And it did have a bit of romance. But I don't know if the book truly felt like a feel-good romantic comedy to me.

Also there was a lot of stuff to do with a bet. And I honestly didn't really enjoy that part of the story.

There were a few things at the end that I wasn't expecting. But I do wish that certain things had been less predictable.

Overall this was a quick read with an outstanding premise.

As I write this review, I have a lemon revitalizing face mask on my face. The face mask is a product of a Korean beauty line, which works out perfectly for reviewing the feel-good young adult book Made in Korea. Sarah Suk’s debut novel Made in Korea is an easy, heartwarming read that is as sweet as Hi-Chews (you’ll understand once you read the book).

Made in Korea is about two competing high-schoolers who both sell Korean beauty products in their school. Valerie and her brother Charlie have been running their company V&C K-BEAUTY for almost three years and have seen quite the success for student entrepreneurs. All of a sudden they have competition when new student Wes starts selling his own Korean products, specifically merchandise from a popular K-pop band. As the school year goes, the rivalry between Valerie and Wes grows, but so does their relationship.

The premise of this book seemed so interesting to me. A reference to the show Shark Tank in the book’s description was all that was needed to catch my attention. The plot moved at a fast pace and made the book an easy, light, and enjoyable read. The characters were all well-written and I liked them all, but I didn’t fall in love with any of the characters. A highlight of the book was how the relationships grew over the course of the novel, and not just romantic relationships. The importance of family was also prevalent throughout the novel. The book was somewhat predictable, as I was able to put the pieces of the puzzle together as I read through but I’m not mad at it. Even though I figured out what was likely going to happen, there were still some surprises along the way. While there was nothing in particular that put me off of this book, there was something missing from it that made me want to give it five stars. It made me happy, but it didn’t play with my emotions the way I like my five-star books to affect me.

A wonderful aspect of Made in Korea was the Korean representation. May is Asian Heritage month and reading it in May was a lovely decision. I loved how the Korean culture was infused into this book with the use of Korean words, references to culture and the immigrant experience. It really added something special to the book.

Made in Korea is a lovely, light-hearted book that is perfect for casual reading in your backyard. Its fast pace makes it an excellent summer read that is bound to make your heart happy.