Hey there! Apologies for the brief hiatus — online school dawned on us this month and completely threw my schedule for a loop, but I’m slowly relearning what time management is again. As with everything these days, gradual progress beats no progress! Anyhow, all the free time I’ve been gifted by coronavirus-related cancellations has allowed me to read dozens of wonderful books I’d been planning to read for weeks, months, or even years. I’ve also started reviewing some of those books as part of my local public library’s Teen Review Crew, and I wanted to share my literary convictions on my blog as well. Without further ado, here’s my brief, spoiler-free review of one of my favorite quarantine reads: David Yoon’s YA novel Frankly in Love.

David Yoon’s debut novel Frankly in Love establishes Yoon as a completely unique, refreshing, and direly needed voice in the YA scene. Frankly in Love tells the story of Frank Li, a SoCal high school senior who happens to be Korean-American. He’s just fallen in love with beautiful, intelligent Brit Means, who happens to be white. This is an issue: Frank’s immigrant parents have always expected Frank to pair up with a nice Korean girl and have nice Korean babies. Frank thinks he’s found the perfect solution when he sets up a fake dating-scheme with Korean family friend Joy Song, who is also secretly dating a non-Korean. However, as time goes on and holes begin perforating their plan, Frank must question everything he thought he knew about identity, family, and love.

Frankly in Love is remarkably human. Each character feels genuine, retaining a unique story and personality while steering clear of rom-com stereotypes. As the protagonist, Frank Li is flawed yet lovable. His honest, often painful questioning of his racial, social, and familial identity will resonate profoundly with anyone who’s ever questioned their role in the world. There are one or two secondary characters who deserved further development, especially in the latter half of the story, but overall, the well-rounded characters are the most memorable portion of the book. Additionally, Yoon develops inter-character relationships masterfully with organic dialogue and doses of perfectly-placed humor. The well-paced, constantly shifting plot path is never jerky or unrealistic, and it mirrors the unpredictable nature of teenage life. Although Frankly in Love is premised on teen love and will certainly appeal to rom-com fans, the story soon convolutes into a greater commentary on race, class, and society that even the most high-brow readers will find illuminating.

Final Verdict:

• 4.5/5 stars
• Highly recommend to all
• Youthful humor, heartwarming yet dimensional love story, and comprehensive Asian-American representation make it an ideal read to brighten the difficult & lonely times many of us are now experiencing