My heart is swelling with so much love for this book! It was so fun to read, and even meant so much seeing Asian American representation in YA! As a fanatic KPOP fan, this book has EVERYTHING. The love between Jenny and Jaewoo was so adorable and I swooned at all their interactions. I also deeply appreciate Jenny's journey and how she figures out what she wants. Jenny is a strong protagonist with a unique voice and unlike stereotypical MCs centering themselves around the love interest, Jenny knows what she wants and understands who she is. Overall, this book was one of the best YA books I've read and I can't wait for its release!

I wish that ratings were able to have more stars just so I could give them all to this beautiful book. This past year I have fallen in love with kdramas and kpop (I was late to the game okay). This book let me live my k-drama fantasy out while also immersing me in the beautiful world of Seoul. I read this book in 24 hours and the descriptions of food alone make me need to try EVERYTHING IT SOUNDED SO GOOD.

The friendships in this book I COULD JUST SCREAM. All of Jenny’s friends made me want to squeeze them and just never let go. I loved watching all of the bonds Jenny made with new friends, new family, her mom and our love interest. I had so many highlighted quotes in this book and just genuinely loved how much her friends wanted what would make her happy. I just wish XOXO was real so I could fangirl now and listen on repeat. Also, who do I have to barter my soul with to get a book about Sun because *puts soul on a platter*.

Side not: Youngmin must be protected at all costs and I would die for him.

Let me ask you something—do you like being happy? If yes, you should definitely read XOXO.

I fell in love with this book! There’s something about it that just makes me happy. I read maybe 25% of my arc and dropped everything to preorder a hardcover copy. Ever since I finished it, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to reread it when it’s released. I. Am. Obsessed!

XOXO is about Jenny Go, a cellist who meets a boy, Jaewoo, at her uncle’s karaoke bar. They spend the night out at a Korean Festival together before Jaewoo is mysteriously taken away in a black SUV (willingly, I should add so you don’t get Criminal Mind vibes), but Jenny doesn’t hear from him again.
Fast forward, and Jenny’s grandmother in South Korea gets sick. Her mother decides to go stay with her until Jenny’s grandmother recovers, and Jenny tags along with her after getting accepted to a Seoul performing arts school.
While out getting her new uniform for school, Jenny oh so casually meets Nathaniedl and Youngmin. And they just happen to be members of the K-Pop group XOXO. Jenny isn’t super into K-Pop, but when she checks out the group, she finds out Jaewoo is a member too. Oh yeah, and he also goes to her school.
It seems perfect right!? Too bad dating him could result in a scandal…

First of all, I love Jenny. She’s a great main character. She has worries, fears, dreams, friends, enemies—she isn’t a two-dimensional damsel. She knows what she wants and goes after it, but she still runs into obstacles. She isn’t perfect. I also love that she’s thrown into this foreign place and doesn’t know everything.

Also the book takes place in South Korea! I love books that take place overseas. If we can’t literally travel right now, let’s at least travel through books. The setting is also mostly at a performing arts boarding school which is fun and different.

And our central cast of characters. We have Jaewoo, who’s your selfless love interest. Nathaniel—his charming, snarky best friend. Youngmin—the baby of the XOXO group. Sori—Jenny’s roommate who hates her, and Nathaniel’s ex after they had their own scandal. Angela and Ge Taek—Jenny’s new friends and hopeful K-Pop trainees. And Sun, who’s kinda jerk. Also Jenny’s grandma, who I would like to adopt.
Axie Oh’s characters interact with perfect chemistry, and they all contribute to the story in the best way.

Youngmin deserves his own shout out. He’s more a secondary character, but I love him. He’s just adorable and innocent in the best way. He literally finds 2 characters in a janitor’s closet together (you know what was going on) and says, “Hey guys! What are you doing in here? I’ve been looking for you everywhere.” Never have I wanted to hug a fictional character so much.

The overall vibes I got from this book were those of Korean and Chinese school dramas, and I think Axie Oh drew inspiration from those.

My only complaint is that I wanted more when I finished. I felt like the ending could have been a little less rushed, and I had a lot of questions about the other characters in the end, outside of Jenny and Jaewoo. Fingers crossed for a sequel/ companion.

Overall, I loved this and with everything going on in the world and for me personally, I needed this book. It just makes me happy!

Thank you Netgalley and HarperTeen for the digital ARC of this book!

Rating: All The Stars!
Recommended for: K-pop fans, K-drama fans, contemporary romance fans, travel enthusiasts, everyone

This book was so cute! I absolutely loved the characters and where the author took the story. This book really squeezes your heart and makes you wish you were in the book. I will be purchasing this book for my library's YA collection.

I think that this was a really fun, easy to read YA contemporary. I personally would have love to see more fully developed main characters, but thought that this was an overall enjoyable read.

I have now read all of Axie Oh's books, and I have seen (I think) a growth in writing. In Rebel Seoul and Rogue Heart, the romance wasn't very believable or understandable. Now with XOXO, I was 100% on board with Jenny and Jaewoo.

This is just like Kdrama filled with K-culture (food, jimjilbongs, kpop, , and more). It's a great summer read!

This book was everything I wanted it to be and more! It felt like the perfect marriage of kpop, kdramas, and teen angst. I loved how the author explained cultures/traditions for those who may be unfamiliar, but left easter eggs for the kpop/kdrama fans out there. I read this book in one sitting, and immediately had to blast NCT 127 when I was done. I texted several of my group chats about how fun this book was. I can't wait to share it with my students!

Buckle up kiddos because this book was SO. MUCH. FUN.

From boarding school adventures to secret romances with celebrities, XOXO is a book that is pure trashy (yet heartwarming) goodness. If you need a pick-me-up, are a K-Pop fan, or simply looking to marathon a K-Drama but don’t have time, this is the book for you!

XOXO follows Jenny and Jaewoo who meet unexpectedly in Los Angeles at Jenny’s uncle noraebang, or karaoke bar. They have a magical night of dancing, singing, and exploring the city before Jaewoo suddenly leaves. Three months later, Jenny and her mother move to South Korea to care for her ailing grandmother, and while she’s there, she’s enrolled in Seoul’s most prestigious arts academy.

When she arrives at the school, she unexpectedly runs into Jaewoo who turns out to be the most popular idol in Korea’s most popular boy band, XOXO. You can think of the plotline as True Beauty meets Dream High plus any cheesy and fun pop-star Wattpad story…but MAN WAS THIS BOOK FUN.

All the side characters in this book were also a joy to meet. We have Sori, Jenny’s roommate who’s cold at first but slowly opens up throughout the book. There’s Nathaniel, Jaewoo’s Korean American bandmate and Angela and Gi Taek, Jenny’s first friends at Seoul Arts Academy (Angela’s also Taiwanese American...my heart!!). Angela and Gi Taek honestly remind me of Soo Ah and Tae Hoon from True Beauty.

The reason why I have to dock a star is because the pacing is SOOO rushed to the point where it hinders the reading experience. The book essentially tries to cram an entire season of a K-Drama into a mere 300 pages, but while a Korean drama would have the flexibility and at least 16 episodes to give the viewer time to breathe and absorb what's going on, that's not the case here.

Since there’s so much content and ~iconic scenes~ for the plot to cover, a lot of the writing feels more “tell” than “show.” We gloss over important events, and scenes begin to blend together. Truthfully, it was often an information overload because one important event would happen right after another without any time for rest.

However, XOXO was still an incredibly fun read with wonderful girl power friendships and heartwarming family moments between daughter, mother, and grandmother. We also have an honest discussion of mental health and idol life in the Korean entertainment industry as well as carving out one’s identity in the country your family is from.

All in all, XOXO was the book I needed to get me out of a reading slump. A lot of the events aren’t realistic, but sometimes, you just want a story that will make you smile. This book is perfect for any K-Pop/K-Drama fan or if you just need something to brighten your day. Now...how do I contact the author to write a second book to wrap up the storylines of the side characters.

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK!!

I wouldn't say that I'm in the k-pop fandom (or any music fandom for that matter), but OMG did this book make me want to go and listen to-not only XOXO's music-but every k-pop song ever made!! I loved the writing, the atmosphere, the characters, the relationships, and overall the way this book made me feel! I was giddy the entire time I was reading, with the biggest smile on my face, and this book still found a way to make me tear-up!! How can a book be so perfect?! Seriously, I need to know!

If you enjoy cute, contemporary YA stories, do yourself the biggest favor ever and READ THIS BOOK IMMEDIATELY!!!

This was a cute book! A little predictable and I wish there was more descriptions of Seoul! However, I can use this in my class to talk about character motivation and goals.

DNF at 52%. (For now, anyway!)

I was enjoying this, but there was too much telling instead of showing. I loved Jenny and Jaewoo, though, and I'll be picking up a physical copy and reading it again upon release.

Note: Violoncellist is an antiquated word and it's used in a review of Jenny's cello performance.

ADORABLE! I adored this book. It was exactly what we need right now- a nice, light, and happy love story with a diverse and lovable cast of characters. The protagonist is a wonderful character- not because she's perfect, but because she is far from it. Lots of times in YA, we see protagonists who are so far from realistic that it becomes unenjoyable. That was not the case with Jenny! Her love interest, Jaewoo, had trauma of his own, and was working it out in a healthy way. There were no stigmatized mental health issues here, and the characters all dealt with their issues in the own way; of course, some ways were more healthy than others, but that is to be expected with teens. If you are a reader of fan fiction, read this book! It is a more professional version of that, in the best possible way! I love the found family that Jenny finds at her new school, and how she is so far from one-sided. She doesn't have just one trait that defines her- nor do any of the other characters. I truly couldn't put this one down, and finished it in a few short hours. The romance is beautifully written and completely swoon-worthy, and while it is a romance, that doesn't completely overpower the plot, and we still have a set and enjoyable storyline to follow along with the cast of characters. The love interest himself, a famous band-member, was at times a bit shallow. That being said, he made up for it many times throughout the story. I loved watching their romance grow alone with Jenny as a person, and watching her learn that some things are worth it- and others aren't. If you're a fan of adorable romance and a found family, I definitely recommend this.

Hands down one of my favorite YA reads. Given the current hallyu wave in the States, young readers will devour this glimpse into Korean culture. Axie Oh has crafted a kdrama-esque story that is delightful and engaging. Young readers of all cultural backgrounds will relate to the characters struggles as they plan their futures and find first love. Highly recommended.

Full review on goodreads. I loved the exposure to Korean culture, and I enjoyed the characters and interactions. The language and dialogue got a little cheesy once the love interest became serious. That was really my only complaint.

XOXO is just a super fun book all around. There's new, budding romances (with an idol!), unexpected friendships, and lots of lighthearted fun and drama. I knew I would absolutely devour XOXO, and I was right!

I have a huge weakness for the famous-person romance trope, and it's always one of my most comforting reads. (I would hate it in real life, but it's fun to read about!) And XOXO totally pulled through with both a nice dash of famous-person shenanigans (although, not too much it felt cliché) and a strong focus on the protagonist, Jenny, and her first-time-in-Korea experience.

I do think that some readers might be frustrated by Jenny herself in the way that her character arc isn't super clear-cut and she doesn't have a distinct single-minded focus. Yes, there's the question of Jenny wanting to find the "spark" in her cello playing and to get into the Manhattan School of Music for college, but we also see this desire leave Jenny's mind for parts of the story. Personally? I really liked that. I thought it made sense--you literally just moved to a brand new school, overwhelmed with new experiences, and you're going to and enjoy your life.

Jenny isn't the ultra-dedicated, super-goal-oriented coming-of-age protagonist we see a lot in YA. She lets herself enjoy her experiences, while also keeping her goals in the back of her mind, but not letting herself lose out on life because of her focus on her goals. I thought it was refreshing, but I know other readers might be peeved by how tangled her motivations and desires can get.

She changes her mind sometimes and she gets influenced by other peoples' opinions of situations . . . relatively frequently. But she's a teenage girl! She's allowed to have messy feelings.

I do think the one part of XOXO I'm less keen on is how some of the minor storylines felt a little unfinished. I wish we got to see more of Sori & Nathaniel--whether that be a clearer resolution or more development into that dynamic. (Potential for another book? I wouldn't object . . .) I wish we got to see more about Jenny and her halemoni, outside of the context of waiting for her mom. But all of this does attest to the fact that Oh manages to craft really interesting side characters that you want to know more about!

Overall though, I don't think any of my small criticisms should stop you from reading XOXO if you like the concept! It's really such a fun, light-hearted contemporary read, and I had such an enjoyable time reading.

XOXO Review
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

STOP, THIS BOOK IS SO CUTE. Okay, in all seriousness, this was such an enjoyable and entertaining read! I couldn’t put this book down from the moment I started it and finished it within only a few hours.

The romance in this book is everything that I could’ve asked for. It felt real and genuine, never once did I consider their relationship to be rushed or forced, which is often the case with contemporary books that I read.

The friend group that forms in this story is unmatched, they all worked well together and built off of each other’s support. Seeing a friend group, especially with an unlikely member, support each other honestly and not have jealousy was refreshing and I loved everything about it.

There’s no doubt that any fan of K-Pop will love this book, it’s essentially every fan fiction writer’s dream. The culture in this book is very educational and the scenes in Korea made me feel an overwhelming sense of wanderlust for a place I’ve never even been to. I could picture myself on the streets of Seoul, without even knowing what they look like. I definitely DEFINITELY recommend this book if you’re a fan of K-Pop or K-Dramas, or even if you’re just a fan of romance and travel.

My school has a high percentage of students who follow, mimic, and adore k pop. I’ve never really followed it myself but this did give a good glimpse into the k pop culture. I think that behind the scenes feel will appeal to fans, and my students.

XOXO is the epitome of a classic romcom with a modern and diverse take. Jenny Go is a Korean-American who dreams of being a concert cellist. She doesn't have time for friendships, and is singularly focused on getting into a top musical college. When she receives feedback on her performance that states she would be perfect if she had "a spark," her uncle encourages her to take risks and find something that inspires her outside of her ambitious musical dreams. What Jenny soon discovers is a boy who won't leave after his time ends at a karaoke bar, followed by a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel with her mother to Korea to help her ailing grandmother. She attends a music school in Korea to find out that the boy at the karaoke bar was a K-pop idol the entire time.

As someone who has never been a fan of K-pop songs and idols, I related to Jenny's initial confusion about K-pop culture and the fanbase. There was just enough explanation to make the story easy to follow regardless of whether or not you were a fan of K-pop previously. For fans of the genre, there are small Easter eggs for the readers-- like when BTS and other popular bands are mentioned. I also appreciated how other aspects of Korean culture was represented naturally for the reader as well. Jenny may not be the best at reading Korean, but it's evident by the food and routine that she adjusts very quickly to the world around her. Korea is a beautiful place which allows readers into the world of Jenny's culture fluidly.

For what XOXO is lacking in its formulaic and predictable plot-line, it makes up for it's quippy and colorful characters. Each character has distinct personalities, interests, and demonstrate great care for the people they love. While falling in love with pop stars can be stressful, there are plenty of moments that are truly tender and comforting, even when the male love interest is off the screen. The story goes one step farther than most romcoms by allowing Jenny to foster friendships and interests which supersede the love interest. Jenny befriends her roommate, grows closer with her grandmother, and even comes to understand her mother more by the end of the story. While the story undeniably features Jenny's romantic life at the center of the story, the reader also watches Jenny's personal and professional life flourish as well.

This is a great comfort read when you're in the mood for something simple, sweet, and relaxing. I'd highly recommend preordering this book or picking it up from your local library on its release date (July 13, 2021). Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book! Devoured it in a day.

Something about this book just made me stick to it like glue. It's cute, poignant, fun, sweet, and hopeful. I think any teen on the verge of adulthood would really benefit from reading this, but it's also fun for all ages. I honestly felt so giddy the whole time I read it. It was like watching a k-drama in my head. So addicting!

I was already drawn to this book because of the Asian representation but in all honesty, sometimes as much as I want to love it, it's a hit or miss. Not with this book. I honestly loved everything about this book. The characters were all over the place, in a good way. I loved the mix of charming ones, friendly types, the jaded ones, and even the bully ones. It's so hard for me to pick a favorite, but I was a sucker for Nathaniel and Sori.

I really appreciated Jenny's journey throughout this book and I related to her a lot. Sure, I wish I was as talented as her and I didn't have as many opportunities, but the overall message of growing up Asian-American was there. I also reveled in the Korean culture and I seriously want to visit the country. It's on my bucket list, for sure. I'm certainly not a diehard k-pop fan, but I appreciate the music and the culture. I loved seeing a bit of the inside of it. I already knew that the artists worked and trained so hard, but it really is a tough life. Yes, you get the fame and fortune, but it's so different than here in America, and in many ways, I think they deserve it more. They certainly deserve all the recognition and more than they're getting nowadays.

Probably my only complaint would be I wish Jenny's relationship with her mother was explored more. She wasn't very present in the book at all. But then again, that's just me being a sucker for a good mother-daughter relationship. Jenny's overall journey with Jaewoo was so sweet and innocent. I loved them together and was rooting for them all the way.

I highly recommend everyone read this book and it's definitely one of the better ones I've read in a really long time. I didn't want it to end!

2.5 stars rounded up
E-ARC from NetGalley

This book is much better suited to a very young YA audience, not a twenty-something-regency-romance-reading woman, but it was sweet nonetheless. While this is essentially a straight Jungkook from BTS fanfiction, I ate it up with a spoon. By far the standout aspects of this novel were the elements of Korean culture so naturally explained throughout the narrative--I found myself immersed in Seoul, in the food and language--and the portrayal of idols. The behind-the-scenes details were fascinating even for a BTS fan like myself, and I loved learning as I read.

The friendship between Jenny and Sori was so pure, and I would love a book about Sori's relationship with Nathaniel. I wish there was a bit more resolution regarding the stakes in the story, but it was refreshing to read a story that didn't have to fight for a happy ending. The tension was real-teen tension, not unnecessary strain.

Heartwarming, sweet, and perfect for young Kpop fans.