This was a sweet book - lots of funny predicaments the main character got himself into. It was well written, clever and heartwarming. As a female, I often find it difficult to get fully invested in a romance that is from the male perspective. For me, that was what didn't make this a five star book.

Super Fake Love Song is David Yoon's sophomore novel, and overall, I liked it. The set-up is fairly simple: the nerdy guy (Sunny Dae) meets the cool girl (Cirrus Soh) and gets mistakenly wrapped up in a lie where he is the front man of a rock band. In order to perpetuate the lie, he convinces his friends to fake being in an actual band and starts dressing up in his elder brother's cast-offs. As he embraces this new persona, he discovers that he's actually gaining confidence, having fun and questioning whether he's been holding himself back for no real reason... until the house of cards comes tumbling down. Super Fake Love Song reminded me of the teen films of the late 1990s/early 2000s that I loved. It made my reading experience feel nostalgic, and that in turn allowed me to drift along with the story no matter how overly dramatic or eye-roll worthy the turn of events got. Even as an adult reading something meant for teens, I found parts of this relatable: the chameleon act many of us put on in order to fit right in, the unwillingness to reveal parts of your true self for fear of ridicule or out of a desire to keep them sacred and safe, discovering that people might not always be exactly what you’ve assigned them to be (yourself included, by the way), just to name a few. While it does have its merits, I didn’t get on perfectly with the writing style nor did I feel connected to any of the characters… and both of these things affected my overall feelings about the book. Still, I do think Super Fake Love Song is fun, likable and a welcome distraction from the stress of real life.

What’s the biggest lie you told to impress someone? I can’t remember mine, but I remember my husband telling me that he went to India and played on tennis court made of elephant droppings.

Sunny is a sheltered self proclaimed nerd who is the reliable, obedient child. He thrives on simple nights with his two best friends playing D&D and trying to become podcast stars, but deep down he strives for more. Enter the beautiful Cirrus. If I could just be friends with her my life would be made. I enjoyed learning about her and all the travel she’s been on, but what I loved the most was her cooking. I was salivating over the mere mention of food made by her. It was unique, but I bet her creations were amazing.

I will say the author's writing is very well done. Though I found the subject a bit slow to get into, the writing was strong throughout the whole story. I could vividly see the scenes and feel the characters emotions. He did a fantastic job capturing their youth and not overtly dramatizing their struggles with finding their identity. The characters were relatable and had intricacies that went beyond stereotypical problems.

I adored the friendship between the three guys. Jamal and Milo were the humor when the book was lagging a bit in the beginning. I enjoyed how they didn’t care about anything except what made them happy and how they were willing to do anything for eachother even if it was out of their comfort zone. I enjoyed how the guys were able to break free of the mundane and step into a role, though it was fake, and try something new. They supported one another and celebrated with one another.

Though parts of the story I enjoyed, I had a hard time with the dialogue of the characters and the overall story. I felt that the way the characters spoke to one another felt younger than what they actually were. I had a real hard time getting into the story itself and sticking with it. I felt as if the story was slow to progress and not a lot of action to keep hold of my attention. I kept hoping to gain either a connection to the characters or even to the story, but I couldn’t find myself doing either. I was also hoping for Sunny to explore his cultural identity, but I felt because the author didn’t present this part in this story I felt that it was a missed opportunity.

Overall this book was OK for me. The author is an amazing writer, but the story was very lacking for me. I not only had a hard time getting into the story, but I had a hard time sticking with it. I feel that maybe if I was younger I would have enjoyed the book more. I did enjoy the characters and the friendships. It’s what really made this story for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC

"Super Fake Love Song" by David Yoon follows the story of Sunny Dae and his transition from nerd to music front man. When Sunny meets a new girl in school, she mistakenly thinks that he is a musician and Sunny falls into the trap of lying to her so she'll think he's cool. The book tells the tale of this lying rabbit hole and how identity wraps around everyone so tightly, is it even possible to change?

I love the premise of this book. The themes are right on the money for young adults, and this book would be a great fit for that audience. As an older reader, I felt somewhat lost at times due to specific items or phrases that might mean something more to a teenager. Jamal at one point said something that I had to re-read several times to decode. Overall though, the theme in the book of nervousness and identity and being who you were meant to be... it is timeless and the novel explored these things well and in depth. Plus, the ending left me feeling hopeful, happy and definitely pleased with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for the free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and engaging book! I enjoyed David Yoon’s previous book and this one did not disappoint. The characters were fleshed out, and the plot was entertaining. It’s not the weightiest book I’ve ever read but if you want an enjoyable, easy read with an interesting but sometimes frustrating protagonist, this might be a good one for you.

I loved Frankly in Love by David Yoon, so I was very excited to download and read Super Fake Love Song. Unfortunately, this novel just didn't draw me in the same way Frankly in Love did. I couldn't connect with the characters and felt like the book was missing some of the depth that I loved in Yoon's previous work. For me, this was not my favorite.

This book had a really awesome premise where a high schooler named Sunny pretends to be in a band to impress the girl who just moved to town named Cirrus. Sunny is anything but a rockstar which makes the lie even more complicated. The book has a very funny romcom style to it that I can definitely see being made into a Netflix movie! Unfortunately I don’t think this was the book for me. I really wanted to like it! I absolute love the cover and the premise sounded amazing but I had a hard time getting past the nerd stereotyping and the bullying from the jock which the coach let happen. I also don’t listen to heavy metal or screamo music and that is what Sunny is pretending he’s interested in and plays and I was under the impression it would be more of a rockstar and rock music vibe. But I did really enjoy his friendships with Jamal and Milo!! But despite not hitting it off with this book I still think it would make the BEST Netflix romcom movie because it has the perfect vibe for that.

Thanks so much to Penguin Teen for the ARC of Super Fake Love Song! I was thrilled to have access to such a highly anticipated book. As a book and food blogger, this story went straight to my heart and stomach because I discovered some delicious food surprises in the story that just might make it into my next posts!

The story centers on Sunny Dae, a consistently bullied and chastised "nerd" who now takes on that persona, despite how he feels about that word . Sunny and his friends love all things fantasy, LARP, and creating their fantasy content. They are happy together. However, new girl Cirrus Soh walks into Sunny's world, and everything flips upside down as a terrified and nervous Sunny accidentally takes on the persona of his older brother and finds himself in a web of lies that might just lead to self-discovery.

The first reason I loved this book is how the importance and tenderness in young male friendships is highlighted. Sunny and his two friends Jamal and Milo are very close. They share words of affirmation, they say they love each other, and they support each other no matter. I was really blown away by their dedication to each other, and how important it is for young men to see that they can partake in big friendships. I haven't read too many books with such loving male characters, usually I find male relationships fraught with trauma. I think it is monumental for young male and male identifying readers to see that loving your friends and telling them so is perfectly respectable and encouraged. Readers should pick Yoon's latest book because it will open your minds to more acceptance and compassion.

Another thing that struck me was even though Sunny follows the thread of a gigantic lie and there will always be repercussions, he discovers news things about himself in the process. Sunny learned that he does not have to be ONE thing. He can be multi-faceted. He doesn't just have to be a self-proclaimed nerd and stick to what is familiar to him. He can be himself, the glorious nerd he loves, while experiencing new relationships, new activities, and new thoughts. Overall, Super Fake Love Song leaves readers with the message that you can be true to yourself and take risks. You never know what you might gain.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Super Fake Love Song is a fun YA rom com about Sunny Dae a self-proclaimed nerd who pretends to be the frontman of a rock band to impress the new girl in school, Cirrus Soh.

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and loved the character growth that Sunny went through to realize who he is and what he truly values. The lengths he went through to convince Cirrus of his rock star status were really funny at times, and I was definitely rooting for him and his friends to succeed in pulling off the show! What ultimately knocked a couple stars off for me was the tone of the narrator and some of the dialogue that felt forced and a bit obnoxious. I can see how it was true to that kind of “try hard teenager”, but I felt like it could’ve been toned down some and the effect still would have been there without being as grating to read at points.

Overall, despite finding some parts a bit cringe-worthy I did enjoy this book and am definitely interested in checking out Frankly in Love, David Yoon’s other YA novel. Thank you to Penguin Teen and NetGalley for the gifted eARC!

This story was super cute! And the characters were so silly but 100% lovable and hilarious. I loved how close and adorable the three boys were and a just wanted to be their fourth friend throughout the whole story. There were a few bits that were a little slow and that’s the only thing that kept me from a full 4 stars. But this one was really fun, lots of laughs and awkward giggles! Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Teen for my copy.

DNF 43%

The plot of this book sounds straight out of a guilty pleasure Disney Channel movie I’d typically enjoy, but I just could not get past the writing style. This book reads more like middle grade than YA, and overall feels very juvenile. Especially the excessive use of onomatopoeia and the simplistic dialogue. This may be a fault of the main character Sunny’s voice overall, which just comes off as very immature. He does so much telling rather than showing of his nerdiness, and it doesn’t do well to make him likable when he and his friends come off as the bumbling comic relief rather than the protagonists.

I wasn’t going into the story expecting anything revolutionary, and sure enough, skimming through the book tells me the story plays out exactly as you’d expect.
Other readers may enjoy this book as a cute, simple, silly romance with a nice sprinkling of Asian rep, but the overall tone is just not something I can get engrossed in personally.

*I WAS PROVIDED A DIGITAL GALLEY IN RETURN FOR MY HONEST REVIEW. THIS DOES NOT AFFECT MY OPINION*

I was really excited about this book and thought that it'd be a great rom-com with a fun plotline. I was, apparently, wrong.

For one, the main character is over the top and annoying. He was quite rude and just plain disrespectful to his friends and teachers at times (in the beginning of the book, his teacher asked him and his friends what they were doing--as they weren't even participating in the class assignment--and he just shrugged her off and literally shooed her away by being "weird").

Another thing was that the secondary characters throughout this book weren't fleshed out well at all. The parents are like 16-year-olds in adult bodies, and Cirrus felt more like a concept than an actual character.

Along with that, I honestly just did not like the writing style at all. It was overly descriptive, weirdly paced, and I didn't like how "nerds" were stereotyped throughout this book. The author made it seem like nerds were supposed to be weak, LARP-loving people who couldn't give two thoughts about the purpose of sports. We all know that isn't true, so I'm not sure why it was written that way.

Overall, I was severely disappointed. I won't be picking this up for a reread in the future.

This novel was the perfect mood booster for the beginning of gloomy fall. As an infrequent contemporary reader, I was greatly surprised at how much I enjoyed this novel. Sunny, our leading man, was extremely likable and a very well written character. However, I found Cirrus to be lacking in her development as a character. I adored their relationship and enjoyed the pacing of their relationship. Overall it was an amazing read!

Sunny meets Cirrus and she thinks he is really cools and they hit it off. Only problem: Cirrus thinks Sunny is in a rock band when Sunny is actually a big nerd.

Sunny has a series of lies and has himself so deep he fears he can’t get out now. He is recognized at school, gets invited to parties, Cirrus likes him... Can he actually pull this off?

Super Fake Love Song was super cute! I love David Yoon's writing style. So many nationalities are represented in this book and I love it! It may be a bit young for me being in my 40's so I am trying to keep this in mind while reading it. This book would be great for a young teen to young adult. It has everything I have grown to love about rom-coms. You get a look at jocks and nerds in this book with a dash of romance. Lets not forget about the family drama! You must read if you are a Yoon fan!

3 stars
~
David Yoon has crafted another adorably cheesy rom-com perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins or Sandhya Menon, though not his best work, it's still worth the read.
This book is unapologetically cheesy and cliché, so if that’s not your cup of tea, it probably isn’t the right read for you. But if you like the cheesy rom-com tropes, I 10/10 think you should pick it up.
Super Fake Love Song was one of my most anticipated releases of fall 2020, and it fell just short of living up to my expectations. I think on it’s own it’s a good book, but Frankly in Love is just ELITE, and so there was really no way SFLS could have held up.
I wasn’t Sunny’s biggest fan. I’m not sure why. He was fine, I just never really connected to him. Cirrus felt very underdeveloped too, although I did really like her character, I just think she needed more. We know only surface level things that felt like they were written to be deep, yet we know very little about her wants, dreams, what she enjoys to do… She had so much potential, but fell flat. I feel like that happened with almost every character. Gray was the only character that I saw as well-developed. The novel revolved too much about Sunny and his melodrama. It got old at times. I wanted so much more of Cirrus, Jamal, Milo, Gunner. The characters felt flat. It was neither a plot-driven or character-driven novel. It felt more like a drama-and-teen-angst-driven novel, which isn’t something I enjoy. It’s realistic, yes, but it can be annoying when not done right, and this just wasn’t done quite right.
In the end, it was good. It had problems, but Sunny and Cirrus’s romance was cute, and if you like angsty teen rom-coms, definitely check this out.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year and I’m so glad I got to read it early! I definitely would have finished this a whole lot faster if my reading slump hadn’t gotten in the way.

This was just a fun, feel-good book. I love the premise of getting yourself into a mess you created and just faking it til you make it. I definitely think if you get the chance to listen to an audiobook version, it would be so much better that way. The voice was written in a way that was very relatable and easy to read.

One thing I was a bit annoyed by way just the whole “manic pixie dream girl” thing but I felt like the main focus wasn’t really Sunny’s huge crush on Cirrus but more about Sunny wanting to fit in and not be the “loser” he thinks he is and just regain his confidence in himself, I guess.

I did really like his friendship and especially his relationship with his brother. I’m a big sucker for friendships and family so that was great to read. I can definitely just imagine this being such a fun adaptation as a coming of age, finding yourself kind of film.

If you enjoy nerdy friendships, wanting to fit in, accidentally-desperately lying because you want to seem “cool” and getting yourself sucked into a whole ploy about being in a band and now you have to go through with it, and cosplaying and DIY fun, this is for you! I would recommend this to anyone who wants some great sibling dynamics, name puns, and a feel good novel!

I was a little wary of this book at the beginning because some of the dialogue and the actions within the book seemed more middle grade than young adult. However, as the story went on and I got to know the characters better, I started to love the story more and more. I still think that some of the dialogue needs work, specially not using the term bull sparkle, but I really enjoyed the characters and how their relationships progressed over time. I also loved the ending. I knew it was coming, but Yoon was able to do it in a way that it didn't feel too cliche. I think this book would be great for readers 13-16. I think at 21, I am just not really the target audience.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing an ARC of Super Fake Love Song.

I want to start off by saying I do not feel one way or the other about romances where someone is pretending to be someone they're not. That trope doesn't bother me so much, so with this book, it wasn't an issue. I DNF'd this book at 25% and I'm unsure if I am able to give a review that would be applicable to the entire book, but I will review what I read. I love contemporary romances and this being a YA romance was right down my alley. However, at around 4% I noticed that the characters in this book were written in a very cliche way. For example, the "nerds" in this book were often portrayed as weak, unable to do anything that required physical activity, and in turn, were only good for LARP (live action role playing). Another odd cliche was that jocks (particularly football players and cheerleaders) were written to seem "dumb" and were only good for their sports. I had an extremely difficult time with the way the characters are written, and even the main character often seemed condescending to the other characters in the book.

Though I read only to 25%, I read enough to know that the writing style simply was not for me. The idea of the book definitely seemed rather cute, and I'm sure the romance would have been enjoyable, but unfortunately it was so hard to get past the beginning of this book. This was my first David Yoon book, and I am a huge fan of his wife's works. But for me, this was a story that I will not be continuing to read.

I love this so much. There is this underlying theme of poking fun at yourself, feeling like the world is going to end. I loved getting to know Sunny and his friends, Cirrus is great too! But man, Gray!!! I am in LOVE WITH GRAY!! I want a story all about him!