Cover Image: Once Upon a KProm

Once Upon a KProm

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I really enjoyed this book! It was a lot of fun. Kat Cho has a great voice and eye for detail and conflict.

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Super cute, super romantic, super fun! I loved it!

(Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change upon final publication.)

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Once Upon a K-Prom is a fun romp. The story takes a while to get going, but then it takes off. The final conflict in the story was filled with more deceit than I like. Overall, a fun story that I would recommend to a middle grade/YA audience, especially one that likes their K-Pop.

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First Impressions: Imagine if your childhood best friend was a member of BTS + y’all were supposed to go to Prom together before he got famous.

This was a cute, mostly light hearted read. I listened to the audio book
So I really enjoyed hearing all the correct pronunciations and it helped a lot when I was reading the book without the audio. One of the first times I have read about how difficult and intense it is to be a K pop idol, it's different from being a regular celebrity. K pop companies can tell you what to wear, eat, how to act , they can take away your personal phone & make you sign clauses to not date anyone for ‘X’ amount of years and can drop you from your contract if you disobey any of the rules. I think that part where our MC, Elena understands her perspective on things is not the only perspective and she begins to understand her part in why some of her relationships are estranged is really helpful. Especially for teens navigating confusing/difficult interpersonal relationships at this pivotal point in their lives. I wish some of that inward reflection happened a little sooner for Elena. I Learned a lot of other stuff about K pop too like “my bias” means your favorite member of the band (not sure if this is obvious to other ppl but I had to google it)
Adding Oppa to the end of your bias’ name like Robbie-oppa is a term of endearment to be used for someone you're close with and means like big brother. Seems like the idea is for Kpop idols to want their fans to feel comfortable enough to call them that because it creates a deeper bond. At one point Robbie says his idol training taught him to treat every girl as if she was your girlfriend already. As in make her feel as special as you would a GF. I thought this was interesting and, for me, explained why fans of a group are calling members their big brothers all the time. Lastly, the 3rd act breakup and resolution happened so fast! It was like 3 chapters left like we all know you gonna forgive him girl… lol. I will definitely be reading another Kat Cho book.

This book has great Korean representation, and explains some of the “less glamorous” sides of being a Kpop Idol. I would recommend this book to folks who are K pop fans & teens with a lot of siblings (Elena has 3 older sisters & 1 twin brother who gets more attention than her bc he is the only boy so she often feels like the forgotten sibling & she comes to terms with that a lot in this book)

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Loved, Loved, Loved this. What is it about childhood friends to lovers that is just so addicting? I can't get enough. I wouldn't call myself a K-POP fan, but dammit, these books that feature K-POP heavily make me inclined to become a fan LOL
Like. where is my K-POP idol to fall in love with me?
I thoroughly enjoyed this, and had so much fun reading it. The characters were great. My ONLY complaint is that the music and music videos aren't real and I can't listen/watch them lol
But overall, it was fantastic, and I will totally read anything this author puts out. I loved it.,

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This is such a cute story, Full of fun and great dialogue. This will be loved by teens who are fans of K-pop and K-drama. Great add to any YA collection.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Disney-Hyperion for an e-ARC. Once Upon a K-Prom is a wonderful story. I really enjoyed reading it. If you like anything to do with K-pop then you need to read this book. The characters were so relatable and the chemistry was so good. Kat Cho definitely did a good job in writing this. I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

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Thank you to Netgally, the author, and Disney for providing me with an eARC of this book, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own!

Overall, I found this cute enough. As someone who only went to prom one year and reluctantly at that, I can agree that Elena’s criticism of it are completely valid. I do think kids spend too much money on one night that is probably going to only be a flicker of a memory in ten years. The dresses, the tuxedos, the flowers, the limos and all that jazz are really just a waste of money, but enough from me. So, I can honestly say that this was probably my least favorite aspect of the book. Everyone freaking out over a dance, just had me rolling my eyes. Also, the school bullies were tied into this story line and I really don’t like reading about high school bullies. However, I really liked the more intimate moments between all the characters.

I loved reading about how cute Elena and Robbie were as child and the banter was honestly great. They were so cute together. They both grew and discovered what they really thought was important in life over the course of the book, and of course they develop more as they age, but we’re not going to get to see that. The romance, however, didn’t really start until the 60% mark and that is where we turned from the prom plot to the land of K-Pop more. During this segment it mentioned some of the things that K-Pop stars go through when they’re trying to break into the business, but overall any conversation of substance was glossed over. I would say this falls pretty high on the escapism charts.

One of the problems that is probably going to come up with some reviewers is the communication problems between Robbie and Elena. I wouldn’t exactly call it miscommunication, but there were moments where they both could have been a bit more open and lessened their heartache. Also, there is this whole plot point that I won’t address directly without spoiling it, but if Robbie had been a bit more upfront, then things would have gone not only smoother, but better. Another thing that might bother some readers is that WDB, the group Robbie is part of, takes over BTS’s role in the world. So while there are mentions of other notable K-Pop groups, BTS is never mentioned because WDB is BTS in this world. I would recommend not overthinking it. It might ruin the fun.

I would recommend this for readers who’ve always wanted to date a boy band member, K-Pop or otherwise. Readers who like childhood friends to “lovers” (there’s nothing even remotely steamy in this book so) may also enjoy this. It’s a fun and easy read, just don’t read to much into it and keep your expectations in check and you’ll be fine. I’m thinking I might check out Wicked Fox later this summer, but we’ll see. Happy reading!

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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of "Once Upon a K-Prom" by Kat Cho.

I wanted to like this book but I think I am very quickly aging out of the YA demographic for contemporary books. I find the characters to be trite and frustrating and the going back and forth of will I or won't I decide to go to prom with him simply frustrating.

I did like that Elena was volunteering but her simply being part of it but not really believing in anything put me off. I understand that she is the character who has to find what she is really into but it's still this circle of her constantly saying that she isn't against prom and nobody listening that started to frustrate me. Her selfishness of saying that nobody cares at home and that they only look at her brother while her brother is actually trying to talk to her early on in the book really turned me off.

Really I think this would be a great book for someone who is younger and more closely related to school and prom but for me it barely kept my attention.

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I'm not going to lie, I devoured this four hours. I loved the characters and whole idea of this book. Between Elena struggling with her family life, her fundraising for the community center, and tackling feelings she may or may not have for Robbie, I was thoroughly entertained. Dynamic characters, not so unrealistic events, and sweet feelings, this book will not disappoint any K-pop lovers.

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'There are so many reasons to fall in love with Once Upon a K-Prom and its ever so endearing cast of characters. Kat Cho takes the K-drama formula and factors the equation perfectly to bring everything you could want and more. Elena Soo spoke to me - I was that girl weird, quirky girl who was over-looked and forgotten about more than I care to remember. Adding in the super cute childhood friend, now hot K-pop boy band member returning to keep their childhood promise to go to the prom together??? Don't mind me. I'll just be over here swooning a little. Kat Cho's K-pop boyband WDB members have all the charm and charisma you could want in the real deal. Finishing this book was the hardest thing for me. I didn't want it to end, but like all good K-drama you have to come back to reality eventually. Can't put into words how much I love this book!

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I received this book as an ARC for an honest review!

Robbie is not your average heart throb, but he’s the boy you want in your corner and the boy next door. He is Labrador energy. He is a new k-pop idol who has ties to his old child hood friend Lani in Chicago. They both made a promise to go to prom together, but this was before Robbie had to move to Seoul. Through some convincing from Robbie, who has loved her for the past 7 years, he’s able to come back and fulfill this promise. But Elena will have NONE of it, due to his “ghosting.”

It was so interesting to dive into this story to see HOW he makes up for it.
This book was a straightforward romance that made you feel like you were in high school again. This book was not juvenile, due to the MC’s sense of responsibility and maturity! I enjoyed this book, because it made me learn new things, it made me listen to some k-pop, and it just made me want to fan girl over a group. Please give this book a read! It’s a great feel-good book. And if you keep up with K-Pop, it mentions several groups ;)

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Once Upon A K-Prom by Kat Cho is a sweet second chance romance about once best friends Elena and Robbie. This Young Adult romance was cute and sweet. It evoked feelings the same feelings I have had watching K-Dramas, lots of fun tropes and silly characters but for me, thats what made it so great. Serious Elena, sweet Robbie and his ridiculous band mates. It was a little campy and that was just fine by me. The light and fluffy nature of the book, with no high stakes, makes it an easy read. I really enjoyed it and would read more books from Kat Cho in the future.

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absolutely delightful! sometimes the pacing was a little off-putting, like I wish some of the important moments were given more time to breathe. HOWEVER, the characters were such a joy to read about. elena is such a messy, imperfect character, reminiscent of myself when I was a teen. she has no clue what she wants to do with her life, and it’s okay! honestly, it refreshing to see in a YA book. robbie is my soft, emotionally constipated son for whom I would destroy the world. I loved reading his perspective.

also, 100% would be a constellation with jongdae and minseok fighting for their spot as my bias. robbie would obvs be my bias wrecker.

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I was really looking forward to Once Upon a K-Prom and was lucky enough to be blessed with access to an eGalley copy of it. Elena’s personal journey resonated with me so much, as I could relate to being a shy teen with low self-esteem who’s afraid of rejection after so many people have left me. The childhood friends to lovers romance had its cute moments. It was refreshing that Elena didn’t suddenly become star-struck over Robbie; instead, she treated him like her old friend, with the potential for something more. I also appreciated how we were given a few chapters told from Robbie’s perspective. This helped me to better understand his true feelings and why he acted the way he did. However, I wish we got more chapters from his POV as the romance would have benefitted from his character being developed more. If you’re a fan of K-pop and/or K-Dramas, you will enjoy all the nods and Easter eggs in Once Upon a K-Prom. This is one book that can be breezed through quite easily in one sitting.

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Was this book cute? Yes. If you want a cute YA romcom to zone out to, I think you would probably like this.

I had trouble getting into it though. I’ve had a lot of experience with fundraising, so I was frustrated from the get go. Because, frankly, the main character is REALLY bad at it. Like so bad that it was painful. And she never really improved. All the ideas that lead to them actually making money were not hers and only worked because she happened to be friends with a celebrity. Obviously I know this is really picky, but it bugged me. I assume most people would be able to look past this though.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC!

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Once Upon a k-prom by Kat Cho is my first book by the author and I really enjoyed it! Shout out to disney books for sending me an e-arc and a finished copy to read and review for u guys! All opionions are my own!
So this book follows our main character name Elena and she is anti prom becasue she is always single until her childhood crush comes back in town for a music festiveal (crush is a super famous k-pop artist)! For someone who isn't a huge fan of k-pop I was able to read this easily and was able to understand! If u r looking for a freinds to lover trope or found family then this book is for you! I'm excited to read Kat Cho ya fantasy series!

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Thank you NetGalley for the free eArc in exchange for an honest review!

As a massive kpop fan and a big reader, this book was a dream come true! I had the two things I love the most in this world combined into one thing. I think the author did an amazing job showing the difficult side to being a kpop idol, but also how amazing it can all be at the same time. I absolutely loved the mentioning of real life idols sprinkled in. My only complaint was that Elena tended to be very self centered in a childish way, but she’s a teenager so she’s still learning. Anyways- if you love kpop, kdramas, or even just cutesy teen romances with lots of diversity I HIGHLY recommend this one!

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This was another cute YA romance story with a K-pop twist. I found the main characters to be cute and relatable, though frustrating at times. Elena spends the novel working through her own personal issues with feelings of abandonment, and insecurity. While her childhood friend Robbie Choi has chased his dreams and become a K-pop idol, she can't seem to figure out what she wants to do with her life, jumping from hobby to hobby, never really sticking with anything. Throughout the story, she definitely develops as a character and learns what it means to be true to yourself and to follow your dreams. This realization does come at a cost, as she spends a lot of the story pushing people away when they are just trying to help her, which was frustrating to read. Robbie is your classic childhood love interest, and although he had some depth (with his songwriting struggles), I wish he had a little more to his character.

Overall, the story was your typical YA rom-com and it was a quick read. I enjoyed the ups and downs the characters went through and the k-pop addition. I wish it dug a little deeper into the negative sides of k-pop, as it briefly touched on it, but it could have made the story that much better if they really dug into that storyline.

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This book gave me the right level of K-Drama and K-Pop that just made my heart so happy. It made me happy in the way other books inspired by K-Pop/Drama did and made me want to listen to nothing but K-Pop while reading. I loved that there was some alternate perspectives but I was really happy to read Elena’s perspective because she was so funny and was super relatable. Honestly, I just smiled the entire time I was reading it!

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