Made in Korea is a feel-good romance about two Korean American teens. Both are entrepreneurs, one who has been doing this for a while and one who is starting. They both run a school business. Valerie who knows how to make a good sale and Wes who is wanting to go to music school. They are both complex characters, with a lot going on in their lives, not just teen drama or school, but a family issue. Problems between parents and children. They are now each other biggest competitors. They will do anything to be the top-earning from spies to deals! But feelings starting to develop. This wasn’t just a cute, fluffy, comedy read; it covered and talked about important topics like life, culture, family, and following passions. I really enjoyed the back-and-forth between Valerie and Wes.
The V&C K-beauty was something new to me, I am not a makeup person, so I found that learning about it, and seeing characters arguing over it, was something new. Valerie has a cousin that she runs her business with and I adored her cousin.

Every time I read a book about cultures other than mine I try and file away as much info as I can so I can learn about their lives and what it is like. Korean culture is one that I find fascinating. The food in the book made me hungry every time I read, I would get hungry and want to eat.

This was a bubbly read with a hard-hitting theme. Made in Korea is passions, family and so, so much more!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Made in Korea was a sweet read about family expectations and finding your own path.

I struggled with Valerie's character at times - she was mean on more than one occasion and quite self-absorbed. Having said that, I understand she's a teenager and that she was crippled under the weight of her parents' expectations. The relationship with her grandmother was heartwarming.

Wes was a great character, and like Valerie bearing the enormous weight of his parents' expectations. He really grew as a person and I enjoyed watching him learn how to speak up for himself.

Overall, a heartwarming read with a lot of character. I look forward to reading Sarah Suk's next book. Thank you @netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC. I bought my own copy after reading the galley. All opinions are my own.

This was such a fun and super cute read! I love a good rivals-to-lovers story and even more so when all the characters (including the side characters) are so well developed and written. Plus there’s wonderful Asian representation, specifically Korean Americans. I’m not Korean myself but I am Asian American and I really enjoy reading about other Asian cultures and, of course, supporting Asian authors. I love that we're finally getting more Asian representation in YA books where the main cast are mostly/all Asian and I hope this continues to grow and spread to include all Asian representations.

I know a few people might find Valerie annoying, but I actually admired her tenacity and sympathized with her. She's so driven, a talented young entrepreneur, and struggles with trying to meet her mother's expectations of her - something Wes has in common. Wes is not as competitive nor dedicated as Valerie when it comes to his student business, but really needs the money for college plans that deviate from what his parents imagined for him. He's super sweet and awkward right from the start, and despite being very handsome, doesn't really know how to speak to girls. Family dynamics have a significant role in the story and it was nice to see how both Valerie and Wes's respective families influence their decisons and motivate them. The writing also flowed nicely and was easy to follow; The side characters hold their own and don't just fade into the sidelines, and feel as genuine as the main characters.

As the story progresses Valerie and Wes become more involved and competitive running each of their student businesses, all the while trying to understand/resist the connection they feel towards one another. I wasn't sure about Wes and Valerie as a couple from the beginning, but once they weren't scheming to one-up the other and finally talking civilly, I saw their tentative chemistry. That entire rose scenario was all kinds of A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E! They would have been great business partners if things had turned out differently. Both Valerie and Wes do a lot of growing and maturing throughout the story and actually acknowledge that their rivalry was getting out of control, but with both having so much at stake, have trouble figuring out what to do to stop it.

Overall, Made in Korea was a super cute, entertaining, quick read rom-com that's also full of heart and relatable family dynamics. A solid summer read that I highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book! It's about two entrepreneurial Korean Americans who compete at their school with their Korean beauty businesses. I enjoy reading books with competing businesses as they make such good enemies to lovers' stories. I enjoyed the author's writing for this book and I think Sarah did an amazing job. Everything was on point with the setting, pacing, storyline, and the whole writing in general. I also enjoyed all the Korean culture I learned from this book and I think the author did an amazing job with blending it into the book as I could understand what each Korean word meant and be able to easily learn it myself. It was great to read this book in two povs to get an idea of what they are each going through and why each character is competing.

The characters were such an amazing part of the story. I enjoyed Valerie's character as she is a character that is trying to prove to her parents that she can be successful in life and doing whatever she can to achieve her goals. I enjoy her fierce and powerful character but her development throughout the book was great as she learned how to great friends instead of caring too much about her business. I also enjoyed Wes who is a handsome boy but is also going through some family struggles. I also enjoyed his character development but the part I enjoyed was how both Valerie and Wes can help each other grow and develop. I enjoyed their enemies to lovers romance and thought it was really cute. There were some amazing side characters in this book but my favorite character was Valerie's grandma.

The ending was really great and deserving of the book. I enjoyed this entire story and wasn't disappointed at all. The reason it didn't get 5/5 stars was that it wasn't that wow book but it was a wonderful book. I totally recommend reading this contemporary book as it's a diverse book we don't see often with a lot of Korean cultures that readers should know more about. I recommend this book to fans of Jenn Bennett and Loan Le.

Wes and Valerie were great. I appreciated how both characters had to work extra diligently to make their dreams a reality and actually worked to communicate with their parents by the end of the book. The high expectations and pressures seemed to fit a trope, but Suk maneuvered it in a way that showed a lot of care and heart. The romance was so cute and incredibly heart warming,

I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Made in Korea, a YA novel about student-run Korean beauty businesses, sparked my interest because I myself once received a gift box of Korean products from a friend whose family was stationed in South Korea. She wanted to share everything Korean with me, and thus, I wasn’t surprised to see Hi-Chews mentioned on the very first pages of this novel, nor the student craze over the Korean beauty products sold within the pages of this book, as these very items were also included in my care package. Right away, I knew that this Own Voices novel was on the mark and I couldn’t wait to read it.

Sarah Suk’s debut novel follows Valerie and Wes, two Korean students at the same high school, who are running rival Korean beauty businesses. Yes, their high school is THAT cool - students are permitted to open a business on school grounds and actually sell products and services for real money. Valerie’s business has been operating for awhile, and she plans to take her grandmother on a trip to Paris with her earnings; whereas new kid Wes starts his business on a whim when the K-Pop products his mom gives to him to help him make friends are an instant hit. He too has plans for all of the money he is making - he wants to apply to music school against his parents’ wishes. As you can see … the stakes are high.

However, it quickly becomes apparent that there is only enough room for ONE Korean business at their school. As the competition heats up, both Valerie and Wes stoop to new lows in their attempts to best each other, but neither can deny the chemistry sparking between them …

Made in Korea is threefold. Business, family, and love all have their moment in the spotlight. I loved the business aspects of this book. As a former teacher, my students participated in a Market Day where they got to create a product, market it, and sell it to other students. I loved how Market Day inspired entrepreneurship in my students and gave them business sense, which is also what the leadership at Valerie and Wes’s high school encourage by allowing student-run businesses on campus.

Valerie and Wes are alike in that they both feel as if they do not live up to their parents’ standards and expectations, and thus, familial relationships play a large role in this novel. Readers get a sense of the pressure that these Korean teens feel in pleasing their families and how feeling like the “black sheep” isolates them from their parents. Teen readers will relate to Valerie and Wes as they learn how to be true to themselves and carve out a space that is all their own within their rigid family structures.

And then there is the love, which develops slowly over the book and is never an overwhelming focal point. Made in Korea keeps the love light, and only addresses it occasionally in a few chapters towards the end of the story. This may either persuade you or dissuade you from reading this book depending on what you are looking for - Made in Korea’s love story is the sprinkles on top of a business & personal growth-focused novel.

While things get fairly predictable once the novel hits the 75% mark, teen readers will still appreciate and feel inspired by this story of striking out on one’s own and taking charge of one’s own life.

Made In Korea was a pleasant, low-key read. I liked both Valerie and Wes as characters! I'm always here for an ambitious female protagonist and a cinnamon roll of a male protagonist. I just wished we got more time with them together on the page. It feels like we spent so much time with them in their own stories that the romance felt like an afterthought.

I loved this book so much. The whole premise of competing business was great. I can't wait to read what Sarah's writes next.

This! That’s the review, that’s it! I really enjoyed Made In Korea, it was such an adorable read! It’s tagged as Frankly In Love meets Shark Tank, I haven’t read FIN yet but Shark Tank is amazing and that’s what sold me! This is a coming of age story of two teens embracing their ambitions and entrepreneurships! It was so fun! Definitely recommend

A+ for diversity representation and own voices. On the surface this seems like a light hearted premise but the competition between the two MCs actually got a little dark. I think this does a good job of presenting the pressures put on teens (and Asian-American teens in particular) and the ways they try to get their parents approval or attention. I also think it's important to note the lengths a teen will go to to try and reach their dreams. I did think the voices of the two MCs sounded a little similar and sometimes I had to double check who was narrating. I also didn't like some of the betrayals. Desperation does not excuse meanness.

My brief thoughts here : https://www.bethfishreads.com/2021/08/what-i-read-in-july-brief-thoughts.html

and on GoodReads & promoted on Twitter and Instagram

This was a great YA debut, and I'm definitely looking forward to reading what Sarah Suk writes next!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

I started this book thinking it was so cute. I fan-girled over Val’s cute grandma, discussion of Korean beauty products, and Korean food. However, further into the book (and deeper into the plot), I really disliked how the personalities and motivations of Val and Wes evolved. Val is selfish and rude to her cousin and business partner - Charlie. Wes lies to his parents about his future and his ways to secretly fund his music school aspirations. Most teens and Kdrama lovers will appreciate this book, and those are mainly the people that I think I want to recommend it to.

Made in Korea is billed as a romcom, and it delivers with its funny and dynamic he-said/she-said dual narrative centering two Korean American teens. Valerie is an ambitious and resourceful girl with an acute business sense while Wes is much less assertive and socially awkward, but still astute in his own way, and sensitive in a way that makes you want to protect him.

The plot of Made in Korea is over-the-top in a K-drama worthy fashion, with twists and turns and increasingly high stakes driving the suspense as the story unfolds. The rivals/enemies-to-lovers trope is wielded with grace and humor as Valerie and Wes navigate that weird gray area where you’re supposed to want the other person to fail but can’t help but respect and even like them.

What really made the book for me is that the lighter romcom elements are grounded by a more serious and earnest theme of wanting to be Seen. While on the surface they may seem radically different, Valerie and Wes both desperately crave the approval and support of their parents. Valerie’s mom constantly compares her to her perfect-on-paper older sister and finds her wanting, dismissing her K-beauty business as child’s play. Wes’s dad requires him to seek out a stable and lucrative field above all else, including his dreams of becoming a musician. These conflicts provide depth to the protagonists’ motivations in their competing businesses and create common ground between them for their blossoming friendship and eventual romantic entanglement.

While their parents may not give them the support they need, Valerie and Wes each has their own support system: Valerie has her Halmeoni, who loves her unconditionally and serves as her rock, and Wes reaches out to his paternal uncle, who understands his experiences as someone who is himself a musician by trade and similarly subjected to the disdain and disappointment of Wes’s father. These relationships add a layer of nuance to their family dynamics and offer hope and solace to the two main characters.

Three other major supporting characters also won my heart: Charlie, who is Valerie’s cousin and business partner; Pauline, a biracial Korean American who ends up partnering with Wes for his business as a way to connect with her heritage; and Taemin, an irreverent Korean American teen who’s trying his best to turn over a new leaf. Pauline is geeky in a way that I understand all too well while Charlie is the charming and loyal sidekick who deserves better because Valerie is too caught up in her own issues to notice that she’s mistreating him. Charlie and Pauline once had a biology partner meet-cute, but a certain incident set them adrift and estranged from each other, so they spend the book trying to find their way back to each other. Taemin is adorable in his bad-boy-with-a-heart-of-gold way who becomes a surprising hero/villain of sorts when he is dragged into Valerie and Wes’s shenanigans. I would 100% be down to read sequels or companion books about how these characters develop beyond/after the events of Made in Korea.

Conclusion: While reading Made in Korea, I laughed out loud multiple times, and toward the end, I found myself crying as well because it’s so heartfelt. It was a wonderful rollercoaster ride of emotions, and I hope it can bring other readers the same experience.

Senior Valerie Kwon runs the top student business at Crescent Brook High, selling beauty products with her cousin and making a killing in cash. She hopes this will get her into a top business college and finance her grandmother’s dream trip to Paris. Nevertheless, her parents and perfect older sister frustratingly think it’s a cute hobby. Enter Wes Jung, a new student and business competitor, who begins selling promo products for a popular K-pop group, for which his mother is a publicist. When the two businesses clash and nearly burn, Valerie and Wes find themselves facing off in more ways than one. Suk’s fast-paced debut is filled with plotting, spying, and the bet to end all bets. Family dynamics and peer relationships are front and center, with all lessons learned adding to the story’s page-turning fun. Readers who like their romances on the schemy side will be in for a treat with this first novel starring a pair of entrepreneurial teens.

This review first appeared in Booklist magazine, June 1, 2021

Being frustratingly short is Made in Korea‘s biggest flaw; I wanted so much more of the story, so much more of the details, the emotions and the romantic development! Featuring a cast of Koreans and a story full with intricacies only those raised Asian would be able to understand, Made in Korea is utterly charming and completely wholesome. And while there are a couple of things I didn’t quite like, it was a great debut novel and I cannot wait to read so much more from Sarah Suk. This is definitely one for the “Best of 2021” lists!

Plot, Prose and Pacing: A Guilty Pleasure Read

Told from dual perspectives (although the distinction between the two characters’ chapters are not very clear), Made in Korea follows Valerie and Wes as they duke it out over their respective businesses and maybe, even fall in love.

Valerie Kwon is the resident businesswoman of her high school, selling coveted K-beauty products out of her locker with her cousin, Charlie. She’s made a killing so far and no pun intended, is utterly ruthless in the way she runs her business. Her main goals: to earn enough money to take her grandmother to Paris and to prove to her parents that it’s not just a hobby. But when new kid, Wes Jung shows up and begins to sell K-pop merchandise to fund his secret musical dreams and college applications, her business is threatened. Valerie isn’t about to let anyone encroach on her territory and ambitions. But Wes is equally as desperate to achieve his goals. And maybe along the way, they just might fall in love.

If you thought that was the cheesiest, most guilty-pleasure inducing thing you’ve ever read, you got that right. I loved all the shenanigans that Valerie and Wes get into just to get ahead of their rivals, especially hiring the “spy” which was the most chaotic character to ever exist. It was so refreshing to be able to read heartwarming Asian stories that did not involve some sort of dramatic, overblown and toxic relationship with the parents (I’m looking at you, Gloria Chao!) with a boy coming to save you from your oh so awful parents. And while Valerie’s relationship with her parents isn’t great, it felt a whole lot more realistic and less toxic than Asian parent-child relationships are portrayed in YA.

Although Made in Korea has a great plot, I felt that the writing was quite juvenile, not quite middle grade but not as sophisticated as a lot of the books out there. And pacing lagged at certain parts which seems counterproductive because I felt some parts really lacked depth and detail which I will get to in a later section.

Characters: Underdeveloped Mains, Colourful Sides

Warning for minor character spoilers for Valerie and Wes

For me, the most important element of a YA contemporary are the characters because unlike in fantasy, there’s nothing else to distract by the realness or believability of a character. In Made in Korea, despite the story being about Valerie and Wes, the side characters and plots are so much more interesting than the two main characters, who despite all circumstances, remained rather underdeveloped throughout.

Valerie is introduced as a no-nonsense, talented and capable businesswoman who has kept V&C Beauty one of the most profitable and highly sought after brands at school. At the same time, she values her family, loves her grandmother and just wants to be recognised by her parents who idolise her elder sister. On the other hand, she doesn’t have any friends because everything is about the business to her; Valerie, is frankly, quite an annoying character. But by the end of the book, although it is wrapped up nicely, she doesn’t feel any less annoying and I found it hard to relate to her even though I find myself in her shoes, quite often. Simply put, it’s because there isn’t any real depth to Valerie, which I would blame on the writing; everything about her personality and character is revealed up front leaving little room for growth. But is she a refreshing character, she is. I love the choices she makes and I love how she shows her emotions.

Wes, on the other hand, suffers even more than Valerie does. When introduced, Wes is a meek and shy puppy dog sort of character with a secret backbone. He’s a little bit sexy, a little bit shy, a little bit pitiable but also a little bit bold. He struggles with himself because his family wants him to pursue a high-flying college degree (as most Asian parents are wont to do) but he wants to pursue music. He is a truly endearing character as he reaches out to his estranged uncle for advice and guidance. But despite a satisfying end and the multiple dirty tricks him and Valerie play on each other to push their business forward, Wes is no different than when he started out. There is absolutely no change in his character! Plus, the book seemed to be unable to center upon a sold characterisation: one minute, he’s dashingly sexy but the next, he’s so shy he can’t talk. But do I love him? Of course, I do!

On the other hand, the side characters are so much more interesting, which is a first for me, in a contemporary! From:

Charlie, Valerie’s cousin who is the adorable jock to
Pauline, Charlie’s love interest, incredibly smart and kind-hearted to
Taemin, chaotic energy personified
there was so much more to these characters and their multiple layers. Most of the time, I was more invested in these characters because you just knew how Valerie and Wes’ stories would wrap up. But, the most frustrating part about the characters Valerie and Wes’ romance

Themes: A Little Bit of Everything, Everywhere

If there’s no romance in the YA contemporary, I would not pick it up; I only read contemporaries if they’re cute, fluffy and guaranteed for a HEA (Happily Ever After!). And Made in Korea was definitely shaping up to be one!

Charlie and Pauline, I absolutely loved! So. Much. Tension. Give me all that tension!

Valerie and Wes, on the other hand, the romance lacked a spark of chemistry. It happened too quickly, not quite insta-love but without much spark. There was no build-up to their emotions and despite the enemies-to-lovers plot, there was a decided lack of tension and will-they, won’t-they, when-will-they. Some parts of the romance carried sexual undertones but then other parts relied on chaste, quick kisses with a passion that can only be described as cheesy. It was sweet and very young, don’t get me wrong, I love chaste and adorable teenage romances because there’s a lot of power in a simple handhold but this one was a little bit all over the place. I never quite believed they were in love with each other.

And I like to think it’s because Valerie seemed to fall in love with Wes in a very out of place part of the book: when they’re discussing about their Asian, specifically, Korean-American identity. I absolutely love when a book discusses identity because it’s such a big part about being Asian but the discussion in Made in Korea felt completely out of place and really affected the pacing because after this discussion over a couple of paragraphs, the issue of identity and belonging was never brought up again. Furthermore, nothing else in the book suggested that either Valerie or Wes were struggling with their identity of belonging in a Western society. They definitely questioned their upbringing and family relations but nothing else in the book was about them being Asian-American; in fact, nowhere else in the book was it ever mentioned that they did not fit in as Asians.

Because, Valerie constantly wins best business at a seasonal school event, the students are obsessed with K-beauty and K-pop merchandise, Charlie is super hot and popular, the book has portrayed a healthy religious community and even when getting a job is being discussed, there’s no mention of identity. I definitely would have loved more nuance if the book was going to raise a couple of paragraphs about being an Asian-American.

On the other hand, I loved that Valerie has a very strong relationship with her grandmother yet has a difficult relationship with her mother and sister. I’m not the middle child, I’m the oldest, but the way my family dynamics work, I can sympathise with Valerie and I know what it’s like to be overlooked as the favourite child. I also absolutely love Wes’ plot about wanting to go to music school instead of a traditional Asian route like medicine or business. It’s such a struggle for Asians and not just Asian-Americans of wanting to do the Arts; our parents still don’t value these avenues as much as those that can rake in prestige and money fast.

To sum it all up, I watch so much K-dramas that I tend to view Korean-focused books through a K-drama lens only because Made in Korea is so relatable. It’s charming, light-hearted but also with a couple of more serious undertones. It doesn’t try too hard to be a gut-wrenching, highbrow story about Asian-American identity struggles and presents a lighter side of trying to find our identity and our life experiences. I appreciate when authors write that not everything is a struggle or fight to the death, especially toxic relationships with Asian parents which I find is a recurring theme in Asian-America YA contemporaries. I am not Asian-American so I can’t say I share the same experience of a mixed culture identity but I am Asian and it’s very frustrating to constantly see my parents and elders being vilified in popular culture because of how they were raised and the only way they know how to raise their kids.

That said, Made in Korea has to be one of my favourite books of 2021 despite many of the flaws in it which I felt could have been addressed if the book was longer and had taken the time to examine nuances in storytelling. It’s charming (please count how many times I use charming in this review!) and very sweet, delightful and filled with quirky references to K-culture. I can’t wait to see more of what Sarah Suk will write!

This rom-com was delightful, pairing two characters with deep vulnerabilities and full humanity even as they're at each other's throats in a rivals-to-lovers arc. The K-beauty and K-pop businesses driving the plot were believable and timely, and the family backstories really enriched each character's journey. What a fun, sweet read!

Made In Korea is a quirky contemporary YA novel about young love and family with it following two very ambitious and competitive Korean-American teenagers who dispute over who will have the best beauty business at their high school.

Valerie Kwon is not a girl to mess with, especially when it comes to her business, V&C K-Beauty. With the help of her cousin, Charlie, they run the most successful business at their school and no one has been able to surpass their success. Every Monday of the week, customers line up by her school locker and are eager to know what products are in stock, and she sells out every time. Every sale week is a win, bringing Valerie closer to fulfilling her goal of bringing her loving and young-at-heart Halmeoni to Paris.

On the other hand, Wes Jung is the new kid in town. He wishes to pursue his passion of music after graduating, regardless of his parents’ disapproval. However, it just so happens that Wes’ mother works for one of the world’s trendiest K-Pop bands and is given some of their branded beauty products to “make friends” in this new place he is now supposed to call home. Opportunity arises when Wes sees this to make a quick buck, one that will fund his musical endeavours his parents would never support. But little does Wes know that he is about to become V&C K-Beauty’s biggest competitor for both customers and profits.

Valerie and Wes, now heated competitors, are willing to do whatever it takes to make the most profits and be the best, all while trying to resist the growing spark that attracts them to each other. Hi-Chews, spies, and nail biting bets are just the beginning of this brewing rivalry, but it should not be forgotten that only one business can rule the school.

The approach that the storyline took throughout this novel was so unique! It’s often that you see kids trying to make a quick buck in school by selling food and drinks, but you rarely see beauty products being sold, particularly ones that are Korean K-Pop branded. Korean beauty and music are becoming immensely popular in this day and age and I think this novel will definitely hook fanatics of both! You also get a better insight into how Asian-American teens struggle to meet the desires and wants of their parents and must go against the grain to achieve their goals in life. This aspect is important because of its cultural significance to the characters and how it affects their motives through the duration of the story. The only issue that arose for me was a confusion in whose POV I was reading. The book only specified certain days of the week and the month and day it was, and at times it was hard to differentiate who was who. As you continue to read, this may become less of an issue as you get to know who Valerie and Wes are.

The setting and worldbuilding of this book was so much fun to read about! Suk was so good at writing food descriptions, from Bingsoo to Kimbap and Hi-Chews, my mouth was near watering by the end of this. Although this setting is quite modern, you very much feel the traditional values of Korean culture shining in this, and how Valerie and Wes navigate through them. As for the worldbuilding, it was realistic enough for the readers to step into the character’s shoes and imagine what a particular person, place, or thing looks like. Since this centres around two high-schoolers, getting a glimpse of their home life, families, and the places they visit make it easier to visualise what exactly the author is trying to portray to readers.

The characters were enjoyable! Valerie and Wes shined in this book mostly because of their opposing personalities. Valerie is very determined, sales-driven, and is quite stubborn in her own right, while Wes is more tame, laidback, and is motivated by self-interests rather competition. Although they different from each other, they understand each other through similar cultural ideals. Their relationship took a nice pace, and it didn’t feel rushed at all given their initial rivalry. Halmeoni, Valerie’s grandmother, shined because of her quirky, upbeat, and somewhat rebellious personality, and her ability to be young-at-heart was what made her one of my favourite characters to read about! Charlie, Valerie’s cousin and the “C” in their business partnership, was one of those characters who makes you feel all soft and fluffy on the inside because of his down to earth and wholesome demeanour to every character that appears in the story! He was another one of my favourites because of his realness and his ability to make you feel present in the reading.

Made In Korea is much more than a competition of profits and business deals. It’s a book of understanding culture and familial dynamics from the perspective of emerging adults. The themes of family, friendship, and loneliness are important to the main characters and their own backstories, and I think readers will be able to see themselves within these. You also witness the development of characters from beginning to end and the hurdles and hardships they must take to fulfil their goals. In no way is this novel just about the beauty and glamour, and for that reason alone I would recommend it. Overall, this was such a fun book to read concept and character wise! This is definitely a book you wouldn’t want to miss!

See this review and more at my blog, The Scribe Owl!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 stars

It's really hard to write reviews for books where there's little to nothing to say. While Made in Korea had all the elements of a good book, we didn't really connect. In this case, it's probably more of an "it's not you, it's me" situation, but while the book was basically good, it just wasn't working for me.