Jackie's dream is to become a personal chef, much to the dismay of her parents who are set on her attending college. When Jackie gets the opportunity to compete on a teen cooking show, she jumps at the chance even though it means missing school. As she competes, she's faced with stereotyping and assumptions and she pushes forward to make the dishes that she wants. Overall, a book about a teen pursuing their dream even when it seems like it's impossible. While the premise was rather straightforward and the ending expected, it was good that Jackie realized there were other things outside of her singular cooking focus, especially when it came to understanding her family and her friends.

I love cooking challenges and this one was very detailed (the second half of the book is completely devoted to it) so this was fun for me. I loved the creativity of the various dishes that were featured, although gastronomic experiments are not my thing (I don’t like food too pretty to eat). Jackie’s obsession with cooking challenges prior to starting the show was baffling – every show tells you to put a part of yourself on the plate and she seems to not understand this concept. But she learns how to embrace her humble beginnings and, in the process, learns how to also love herself. There is a lot about Asian hate in this one and I’ve been very lucky to have mostly avoided this most of my life * knocks on wood * but it’s important that it was highlighted in her journey.

Jackie is uninterested in her parents' expectations for her future, she'd much rather cook (like her grandparents, but with a Korean twist). She's given the opportunity to compete on a cooking competition show and sadly, there's nothing unexpected in either the competition or the contestants.

Everyone in this book is a stereotype, and the Lessons Learned are, well, expected. Still, for teens who love cooking, this might be a fun read.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This coming of age YA was a really cool concept but it unfortunately fell flat for me. 15 year old main character Jackie was just very annoying… Also there was so much going on in this book. Too many topics & very little resolution in the end.

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review What's Eating Jackie Oh?

I love books that involve a food theme and that's what drew me in to download the ARC.
I wasn't a big fan of the book and I thought it was just okay.

Enjoyable YA book about an Asian American teen who isn't falling in line with her high achieving parents' Ivy League expectations. She'd rather get creative in the kitchen. Loved the family dramas, the backstage look at a reality cooking show, the experiences of immigrants in America, etc. I would have liked a deeper dive into some aspects, but liked this funny and touching book.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

This was a really sweet coming of age story about a Korean American girl trying to solidify her interest and career paths while her parents think her cooking is silly. She tries out to be on this cooking show and gets on. Not only solidifying her passion for cooking, but also figuring out her identity.

Jackie Oh is done being you model minority. She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet.

This book was such a good palette cleanser! Jackie Oh dreams of becoming a chef and has the talent to do just that. The catch? She’s a high schooler whose parents do not agree with her aspirations. While helping out her grandparents at their restaurant, Jackie ends up getting selected to be on a competitive televised cooking show beloved by herself and said amazing grandparents. There was so much more to this book than I could have ever anticipated. Yes, it had some really funny bits, a touch of romance, a strongly developed family dynamic, a witty, ambitious main character, but also so many thought provoking points regarding race, stereotypes, references to Covid, food insecurity in America and more.

I really enjoyed Jackie’s story. The flow of the story was great. There was plenty of fun to be had through out but I also really enjoyed how honest this book was. I need to do more homework on this for sure, but I don’t remember having books like this growing up. This is probably one of the first books that I have read that eloquently ties in really serious topics like AAPI hate crimes, incarcerated family members, cultural expectations, and food insecurity along with a story that has just enough levity to keep these topics in mind with a little bit of happiness and hope for better in the world.

I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this one even though it’s been weeks since I’ve finished it. I highly recommend it! The only warning I’ll give you, it’ll make you hungry!

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Thank you NetGalley and Crown Books for Young Readers for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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I liked this book. It was cute and funny. I would recommend reading this book. Jackie Oh was such a likable character.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for providing me with an eARC of What's Eating Jackie Oh? in exchange for my honest review!

What's Eating Jackie Oh? really was a charming and sincere read, easily convincing me to root for our relatable teenage protagonist and her cooking aspirations. As breezy as the narrative is to flow through, as lovely as it is to encounter all the food and recipes, it still manages to create a heartfelt and grounded core that adds weight to the subject matter—Jackie's quest to break out of the model minority stereotyping that her world has set down upon her shoulders, her rocky family dynamic, AAPI hate, the injustices of our incarceration system, the dark side of reality television, and more. I do think the abrupt conclusion could have been handled more smoothly, though. I understand the point it's making, but it just leaves the story feeling incomplete.

Overall, I'm officially rating What's Eating Jackie Oh? four out of five stars. I'm definitely looking forward to checking out more of Patricia Park's work.

<i>I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.</i>

3.25 stars

I liked 98% of this book. It's funny, it's raw, it's honest, it's unique. A Korean American coming of age story that doesn't focus on school or romance? I've never read anything like it and I was so excited to dive in.

Jackie is a 15-year-old second generation Korean American New Yorker. The academic pressure from her parents, the clash between her passion for cooking and what her family wants for her, and the increase in AAPI hate has completely messed up her world. She's selfish and angry and sneaky and passionate and determined. She comes across as an actual 15-year-old and I really appreciated that, even if I didn't always like her.

This story is great. It tackles a lot but it all makes sense and works. Jackie's story is multifaceted and I don't think the author could have done a better job capturing it all. The pacing is perfect! I mean, I felt like I was actually <i>watching</i> the first cooking challenge Jackie had on the show. And the inclusion of Korean characters when Halmoni and Haraboji spoke Korean made me so happy! I love when other languages are depicted in their natural form (as opposed to an anglicized version).

I gave this 4 stars because I think these stories are important. Teens deserve to see themselves represented in fiction they can relate to. But my honest rating is 3.25 stars because the 2% of the book that I didn't like -- that I, in fact, <i>hated</i> -- was the end. I'm all for endings that don't tie everything up in a neat bow. But I feel like Jackie was cheated out of the opportunity to wrap up her story. <spoiler>I think it would've landed better if we had read that Op-Ed that Jackie supposedly wrote for NYT. That way, it still would've been in Jackie's voice but it could make all the points the actual ending tried to make.</spoiler>

I'll recommend this to everyone but with a warning about the ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Jackie Oh is caught between her parents' expectations and her desire to be a chef. When she is chosen for a cooking reality show, everything she knows is put to the test.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I like that it showed me a perspective that I have not lived. Jackie is an interesting character and watching her mature throughout the book was fun.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The concept was cute and original. Jackie felt like a real teenager to me in a way that I feel a lot of other YA books miss. I enjoyed the cooking scenes and watching Jackie transform from copying "masterpieces" to really coming into her own style and embracing both her Korean heritage and the melting pot that is New York City. I do think the pacing of the book is a bit odd. It really speeds through the competition when I would've like to see those scenes have some more room to breathe. The abrupt ending at the end, while I'm sure was done for effect, was possibly too abrupt and left the reader with little to no closure. The book also covers a lot of important topics (model minority stereotypes, incarceration, classism, and AAPI hatred/hate crimes. However, there may have been too many topics covered to do any of them full justice. Overall, I would recommend (as long as you're okay with an ambiguous ish ending).

I've wanted to read this author for a while, and I'm so glad I got this book. I loved learning about the Korean culture and reading Jackie's journey throughout high school and the cooking show. I wish it included an epilogue.

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this page-turning coming-of-age YA (young adult) novel about a Korean high schooler’s journey as she discovers her identity both on and off the plate.

Jackie Oh turns to cooking as therapy – to relieve the stress her parents have heaped on her to go to an ivy league college, especially since she’s not naturally a high achiever in school. And her older brother is in prison which is sad for everyone. Author Patricia Park says” From repurposing leftovers at her grandparents’ Manhattan deli to competing on the TV cooking show Burn Off!, food feels like a problem Jackie can actually solve in a world that makes zero sense.”

I loved the relationship Jackie has with her grandparents. Their conversations are both humorous and heartwarming. She watches the cooking show Burn Off! with her grandparents and describes how they bonded: “It was a show I didn’t have to translate into English, and they didn’t have to translate into Korean. Food is like the universal language.”

Throughout the novel Jackie is learning about herself and often fighting stereotypes: gender, ethnicity, family, etc. “Every day,” says Jackie, “I walk around feeling like I’m carrying an invisible backpack full of stress bricks. On top of my actual backpack loaded with textbooks, notebooks, and my laptop. I just feel all this pressure weighing down on me, all the time.”

The story is told in Jackie’s first person, so we learn about her and what makes her happy: “Recipe-making is my mental happy place.” She also admits, “I’m obsessed with leftovers – each time you cook something, you have to think of how you’ll transform its afterlife.” And “In the kitchen, I’m in my zone. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I love cooking so much. Being in the kitchen helps me shut out all the scary nonsense from the outside world. Cooking is my therapy.”

Patricia Park says, “This novel was inspired by two things: My love of cooking with leftovers, and the fears and frustrations those in my community have faced over anti-AAPI hate. I’ve spoken with many students across the country like Jackie, who don’t understand why they and their family are being targeted. Who, like Jackie, cannot make sense of this moment and are done being “model minorities.” To my fellow Asians in America, who are tired of being pushed around (literally, metaphorically) – I also dedicate this book to you.”

I enjoyed this book, which is both realistic and humorous. The ending surprised me (no spoilers) and I think it would be a great book to read in a group and discuss together. Plus, there are recipes!

A wonderful book! Our heroine follows all the rules. Since her older brother disappointed their parents and seemed to be practically disowned, Jackie has tried to always make them proud. But when the chance to enter a cooking contest and achieve a life long dream presents itself, she can't pass it up.
This book is full of love and encouragements. The character development is top notch! I would recommend this book for young people to see themselves in the lives of the characters and how they follow their dreams.

Not particularly well done--a lot about ethnic cooking, but characters were not well established, and an ending that was a bit incomplete. Maybe of more interest if you are from a Korean community. I received an arc from NetGalley and was under no pressure for a positive review.

Like most people and readers, I love any written work involving food and cooking. It doesn't matter if it is a cookbook with tantalizing recipes and gorgeous photos or a fiction book where cooking is a theme; I am here for all of it. "What's Eating Jackie Oh" is a beautiful mix of what I enjoy about food and writing, but it is also has some very heavy, relevant themes. Jackie may only be 15 years old but she handles every obstacle in this book with more integrity, grace and humility than most adults.

This is my first time reading anything written by Patricia Park and I was impressed that this considered a young adult book, but again the themes are definitely for intense than a younger audience. Some of the themes include: Asian American culture, racism/hatred against Asians, hierarcgy/classism, complicated relationships and so many more.

I would definitely read another book by this author if it is as a good as this one. Recommended read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Patricia Park and Random House Children's Books for Younger Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Already available

I was really excited to read What's Eating Jackie Oh? when I was first approved for it. I love a good coming-of-age story as well as one that's centered around cooking and reality television. However, I found it fell just a little flat for me.

I loved the premise of the novel—I think it's great to have a high school age story not revolved around school itself. I think the crux of my review can come down to that I felt like Patricia Park tried to do too much at once—which I both appreciated but I held the novel back. We covered a lot of topics (racism, incarceration, food scarcity, identity, violence, ect)—all are important and I feel like she mostly did a good job at tying them in.

My problem with it was that I felt like we didn't get a chance to dive deep enough into these topics because there were so many. It left the novel feeling a little all-over-the place, with certain topics more explored and others briefly thrown in. I also felt like the pacing might have been a bit off?

I will also add that Jackie herself didn't grow on me for a good portion of the book. I'll be honest and say I'm not sure if this just means I'm growing out of young adult novels and don't relate anymore, or if she's just a little unlikable at first. But I did struggled to get through some of it and didn't start to root for her until later on.

Overall, it was definitely a cute novel that I think people will enjoy! It just wasn't the right one for me.

Actual rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

⭐⭐⭐⭐
What's Eating Jackie Oh by Patricia Park
#netgalley published 5/7

Im a week late on my review for this YA book. If you love watching Chopped on the Food Network, this book is for you! I personally love it. This was a fun book that also reminds us that a parent's goal for their child should not fully rule the kid's life. Let your child explore their interests and their own particular strengths.

Jackie's life was not going as her parents thought it would. But by insisting on following her dream, it did help her parents be the parents she needed.

I took a star away bc I felt like the book was just missing a pull to keep reading. Just missing a lil' some'em some'em. Ya know? 😉

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