Jackie Oh is a Korean American teen chef. She is working through her relationships with her parents, her brother, her grandparents and her peers. While trying to make her parents proud with her schoolwork, she enters a major televised food competition for teenagers. I loved how Jackie found her voice with her family, her peers and through her cooking. I love that the author included recipes in the back of the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

I really like Jackie and find her relatable as she wrestles with her identity and her family’s expectations. Plus, blending cooking and reality TV into YA fiction is great escapism. With food on my mind, I couldn’t resist going to a Korean Hot Pot restaurant between chapters.
Outside of the cooking show, the tension in many of Jackie’s relationships, including her relationship with herself, kept me reading (and highlighting quotable bits).
Jackie’s relationship with her grandparents makes me smile, and cooking with them seems like so much intense fun. Getting to know her brother through his letters also creates a layer of depth to her story. Her complicated relationship with her mom is well developed and adds another way for readers to connect with the characters.
This book is accessible to readers with many different interests because of all its layers. However, it takes on so many issues that they could not all be developed as well as I would have liked. Near the end, the novel felt rushed, and I wasn’t ready for the last page. I still had questions and wanted to know more.
I would put this book in grades 6-10 classrooms. So many people will find this novel relatable: foodies, anyone who struggles with the expectations of others and their own dreams… Don’t let the cover or intended audience fool you, even though this is written for upper middle grades, this novel offers more than many in that category. Yes, it's fun, but is also insightful and thought provoking.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available

Patricia Park has created a fabulous book that brings together food, family, expectations, aspirations, stereotypes, and prejudice. I fully enjoyed this novel on a lot of different levels.

The main theme is about a girl being true to herself even when it means doing something that her family doesn’t necessarily approve of. Jackie Oh is Korean, which has the unspoken understanding that her parents expect her to have a high GPA and career aspirations. But what Jackie really wants is to be a chef, to feel the joy that she has when working in her grandparents’ diner. She struggles to care about school and risks it all when an opportunity arrises to audition for a teen cooking challenge. During the interview process and on the challenge itself, she has to question who she is and what kind of chef she wants to be. There is an implicit expectation that she cook “Asian” and that she act a certain way. We have all faced stereotypes, but these expectations and, at times, rude comments begin to tear her down.

I loved the intergenerational relationships in this story as well as the generational trauma that faces many families, especially immigrants. I remember dealing with my grandparents’ behavior after living through the Depression and how it colored everything they did.

I was surprised by how it brought in the hate crimes that happened post-Covid to the AAPI community. That said, I think it is important for that to be acknowledged and for a wider swath of people to understand it. As May is AAPI Heritage Month, this is coming out just in time to be fully celebrated at that time.

This is a wonderful book for high school libraries.

What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park is a captivating novel that delves into the lives of authentic characters who will evoke both laughter and tears. This engrossing tale is filled with appealing characters, culinary elements, and heartfelt moments that will keep me hooked from beginning to end.

WHAT'S EATING JACKIE OH is about a Korean American teen who enters a cooking TV show to follow her dream of becoming a chef while balancing her family's cultural expectations. This was my first novel by Patricia Park, and unfortunately, it didn't deliver for me. I found the writing style very basic and the discussions of culture simplistic compared to other books about these topics that I've read.

This book read very young to me and is probably something I'd recommend to middle grade readers who are interested in reading books about older teens rather than to older young adults. It's very straightforward with not a lot of nuance so I think a younger reader might be more interested in this than an older teen.

I was not personally engaged by this, which is disappointing since I love YA books about cooking shows, but I can see how this could be appealing to a younger audience.

I would still try other books by this author to see if they'd be a match for some of my teens, so hopefully I have better luck with some of this author's older titles.

Thank you to Random House Children's for this review copy.

This book was many stories in one. It was a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV, which I liked. It was a coming-of-age story that wasn’t centered around school, which is original. It had important plot lines around anti-Asian racism and the experience of families with incarcerated relatives, which I don’t read about often.

I liked Jackie, and I thought her voice was authentic. I’m just not sure which story is the main one. Is it about a girl living out her kitchen dreams against her parents’ vicarious wishes? Is it about being yourself, just a self that happens to be a girl and a chef and Asian and not interested in being a “model minority” and the family member of a person in prison and and and…?

I liked this book for what it was. I’d love to read a more focused book from this same author: the voice was great!

I just didn't like Jackie's character. She was selfish and a bad friend. I have no idea why the delivery boy even liked her.

This book was engaging from page 1. I loved the main story line but also all the side stories. It was so interesting to learn about cooking and how ingredients work together. I never knew there was so much chemistry, biology and history involved! It was fascinating how food evolves with each new generation while still respecting the past.
I also loved the side stories like her relationship with her parents, her friends, and her co-chefs. It was such a well rounded story and I can imagine each character having their own story to tell.
The one huge downfall for me was the ending. It just ended. Stopped. So many stories were left unresolved. Maybe there is the thought of a sequel but I have to admit, I kept scrolling through the recipes and acknowledgments looking for the ending. That was so disappointing to me.
Other than that, it was a great book. I would definitely read more from this author.
Enjoy.

Cooking shows are my jam. In the past few years, I have read a few YA books that included chef story lines. What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park did NOT disappoint. Having struggled with making my family of origin happy with my choices and their conflicting expectations made me connect with Jackie. I found myself laughing out loud and crying. This is a sweet coming of age story and I think many people will devour it and pass it on to their friends and family.

I loved reading about Jackie Oh and her close knit family. I liked that this book showed the deep connection Jackie had with her grandparents and the strain between her parents. I also liked that it discussed subjects that were more difficult like the issue with her sibling and the expectations of her parents. I loved that Jackie fought for herself and wasn’t afraid to challenge the way people viewed her. The cooking show was fun and I was invested in the outcome. I wish we saw more of how things ended but I still really liked the book and suggest others check it out.

CW: incarceration and assault

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

I loved this! Jackie Oh is a Korean American teen who deals with pressure to succeed academically when she just wants to cook fancy French food. She fails World History but gets to be on a teen cook-off tv show. Her family life is complicated and so are her friendships. And so is she! I love her attitude, her political awareness, and her love of NYC. This is a fantastic book. I got to read an electronic advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, but I’m planning to buy a paper copy of this for my tween when it comes out. I can’t think of any way this book could be better except to keep going—I really want to know what Jackie Oh and her family do next.

Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is my second Patricia Park book and it has become quite clear that she's a new favorite for me. I saw she had What's Eating Jackie Oh? coming out and immediately requested to read it; thankfully, I was approved.

Park has such a distinct voice with her writing style and I love reading her stories. In this one we're following Jackie, a Korean American teen, as she navigates life trying to live on her own terms -- trying to become a chef -- while her parents are expecting bigger, more studious things, like the Ivy League.

I loved the idea of a teen cooking show and busting through parental and cultural expectations. The reason this only got a 4 star from me is because there was a bit of cliche moments in this; the judges responses on the cooking show, the delivery guy at the restaurant who can cook, Jackie trying to figure out who she is while cooking, etc. I liked the idea of some of these but I would have liked a little bit of a different way to show these things, maybe?

The end left me wanting more! I want to read more about Jackie, so that's how I know it was a good book. I can't wait to see what else Park puts out next!

Jackie Oh is done being the model minority and ready to pursue her true passion: cooking. Specifically: cooking leftovers. More specifically: figuring out how to make a lifetime of cooking leftovers for fun translate into success on a “high school” version of a popular competitive cooking show.

Pacing was outstanding in this book, aided by a snappy, entertaining narrative voice. Relationships with family members and friends felt authentic. Conflicts and internal struggles were fleshed out and believable.

The ending was unexpected *and* well-earned. Although I was surprised by how the book concluded, it felt appropriate. It also felt like an ending that will keep me thinking about this book for quite a while.

I’ll be adding this book to the collection at my library!

An interesting exploration of Asian American culture in relation to food and the model minority myth. Slightly cliche with a somewhat unsatisfying ending (there are many plot lines I feel the author never completely tied up, such as the character arcs of Jackie's competition on Burn Off!), but overall this was an entertaining YA novel that will definitely strike true for many Asian American teenagers.

Second-generation Korean American teen Jacqueline Oh dreams of becoming a chef in New York City in Patricia Park's teen & young adult novel, What's Eating Jackie Oh? A sophomore in high school, she spends her free time working with Ratón and Segundo (Manuel and Miguel) at Melty’s, a deli her Halmoni and Haraboji own in midtown NYC. It’s her happy place. Jackie started cooking alongside her grandma and grandpa as soon as she could hold a knife. She can't wait until the summer months when she can work at Melty's fulltime.

On Fridays after Korean hagwon, or “cram school,” Jackie visits H&H in Bayside where they watch “Burn Off!” Jackie has read every book written by Stone McMann, her favorite celebrity chef from the show. Burn Off sounds like Food Network’s Chopped! and Iron Chef combined. Instead of Kitchen Stadium, Burn Off! has Kitchen Coliseum. A very orange host Dennis dresses like Julius Caesar wearing a toga and laurels. Sometimes they stop the program and stage their own competition.

But Jackie has a secret. She's practically failing World History, and she knows what will happen when Umma and Appa find out. Her Mom and Dad will ban her from working at Melty’s. Umma went to Bronx Science where Jackie attends, while her Appa attended Stuyvesant, specialized high schools that prepare students for university. Jackie's parents have their dreams; she has her own. They both expect Jackie to attend an Ivy League university. In one of their arguments, Jackie quietly tells them she doesn’t want their lives.

Jackie’s best friend Kaitlyn Tseng checks in with her to see how she’s doing after the fallout. Jackie is on probation and cut off from Melty’s. KT tentatively offers to study with Jackie for the final. The two friends haven’t been close of late. KT is a debate champion working hard to get into Harvard, which is the life Jackie doesn’t want for herself. Jackie senses something is up. She just can’t put her finger on why they aren’t as close. She has never shared what happened to her older brother Oppa (Justin). She’s been burned in the past.

Jackie visited Melty’s during her probation and jumped in to help her grandparents. That’s when Meg, a talent scout from Chop Chop Productions tells her about this Top Chef-like teen cooking competition. Jackie fully expects to audition. (One of the prizes is a mentorship in Stone’s kitchen!) Of course, it’s the same day as her world history final. Decisions, decisions.

The looming threat of flunking a class doesn’t deter Jackie. She's passionate about her love of cooking. But this teen competition tests more than her knowledge and skills. She is seen as "the Asian chef" and expected to fit the mold based on stereotypes. She also spends more time with her usually workaholic Umma. She chaperones Jackie to California, and their frosty relationship thaws over time. Jackie thinks her mom is working and not paying too much attention. (Umma (Josie) has her own problems she hasn’t shared with Jackie.) Umma takes notes and helps Jackie.

Where Jackie may have felt alone before, her eyes open during the competition with other teens. She sees that everyone has his or her own struggles, and people have different ways of coping and responding. Jackie also has time to think and take stock of her life and relationships with others. She sees the people in her life differently. She also learns that world history can help her more than she realized. And she misses KT. She wants to save the friendship. She is growing up before the reader’s eyes.

Park captured well the struggle within Jackie’s family as they navigated tough terrain. The story takes place post-Covid-19 lockdowns. H&H’s deli has been struggling. Jackie has new fears after seeing disturbing things on the subway as well. I felt this quiet S.O.S. grow as the story continued. Jackie’s parents are grieved and angry about the eldest son, but they keep their feelings hidden. They are both well-educated, talented people who believe their hard work will advance them. But they learn that isn’t always the case. They want better for Jackie, which is why they push her so hard to excel in school. Jackie is their last hope.

Patricia Park

One of the inspirations Park gave for What’s Eating Jackie Oh? is an editorial she wrote “I’m Done Being Your Model Minority” for The New York Times here in March 10, 2022. (If you don't want to pay to read, you can listen and read along with Wayne Samuel here.) Park wrote this in response to the increasing violence against Asian and Pacific Islander Americans.

Park rode the NYC subway alone at age 12 and would take it from Queens to Bronx to attend school. A stranger slashed her classmate’s face once, but she still took the subway to commute those four hours a day. But violence in her community grew from 3 reported attacks in 2019 to 131 bias incidents In 2021. The AAPI community became a scapegoat for the spread of Covid-19 during the pandemic.

Park cited examples such as one man assaulted 7 women in two hours in Manhattan. Another man followed Christina Yuna Lee into her apartment building and stabbed her to death. Victims don’t always report microaggressions or assaults, she said. Language barriers, immigration status, and the fear of losing their “model minority” reputation prevent them from speaking up. They believe in working hard and keeping their head down. But Park is “done being your model minority.” Staying silent is dangerous.

This explains why Park’s characters are not immune to anti-Asian violence in Jackie’s beloved NYC. No spoilers here. I will just say a subway ride turns violent. Park uses the Oh family’s fictional tragedy to show the real fears of those in the AAPI community.

My Final Thoughts

I am a foodie who loves K-Dramas, which is why I requested the advance reader copy. The YA novel releases on April 30, 2024. Most K-Dramas I’ve enjoyed have multi-generational characters like this YA novel. They also have scenes of characters cooking and bonding over meals. Park gives as one inspiration her love of cooking with leftovers. She writes that food has the beauty of being a universal language. As a result of watching cooking competitions, Jackie learned more about her grandparents’ past. They shared their first times eating Spam and chocolate given by fat American GIs, which made me smile. I haven't eaten Spam in a while. I may need to make a grocery run. Park’s novel has "mixed media" in that she has prose, text messages, social media posts, interviews of Jackie behind the scenes at the competition, and recipes at the end.

Jackie’s teen competition reminded me why I stopped watching Food Network Star. The mentors/judges prized personality over ingenuity and technique. Food Network used to have chefs who taught people at home how to cook. Now, they just have endless competitions.

Now, I did notice I wasn’t invested until further into the novel, and the end felt unfinished. A heart-racing prologue with a frantic scene of Jackie working in the kitchen would help to snag a reader. The scene could be real (the teen competition) or imagined (a dream scene). And though minor to the plot, a romance begins at the end. Park also wanted to teach and share about the AAPI community's fears and frustrations with young readers. But the hate crime takes place toward the end. That ending is very painful, too. I think she has the makings for a series here. I’d like to follow Jackie and her family to see what happens next.

This book was everything I needed in ways that I have been asking to be seen for years. Asian people get lumped in as one, as if we should all love matcha and ube and kimchi. COVID created a much larger obstacle for us as a people as a result of that and not a single person deserved the hate we did and still do receive.

This book is a love letter to the expectations our parents hold us to and the passions that we have to build ourselves around. It’s a gentle reminder that our parents are also living life for the first time. They’re parenting for the first time.

I loved the highlight on a teenager’s relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, peers, and the often random, but welcome romance with someone we’ve known for a lot time. My only gripe would be the loose end with Jackie’s older brother. I would’ve loved to see more of that familial trauma heal. And honestly, my heart goes out to Haraboji. I grew to love him and Halmoni so much and… I just wish I could’ve helped him.

Thank you Patricia Park for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

a special thank you to netgalley and publisher for the arc!

this book just truly reminds me why i love the ya contemporary genre so much. it’s vibrant, yet honest. simple premise, but backed with so many voices and a rich cultural background to tell its audience. it’s funny and can be a little cringe at times, but not afraid to talk about the serious social injustices most (western) media ignores.

jackie oh’s character was great. her passion for food was infectious, and her creativity goes beyond. i’ve never dwelled much on the culinary world besides watching masterchef kids when i was younger, and seeing that world through her lenses has me awed. the description of each dishes, how her mind worked its way to invent one, and also how one has to prepare and reuse the things in the kitchen.

i really enjoyed getting to know her in this book and how she navigated, especially as a korean american teenager just surviving, through everything there was. the competition was great and entertaining, but i mostly treasured the dynamics that were shared and grew throughout.

i loved how her relationship with her grandparents (halmoni and haraboji) was highlighted and i loved how her and her umma’s was developed. and of course, even though they got less screen time on the book, i love how we could still clearly see the bond between her and her brother (oppa), and how her dad actually was even in a fraction of moment. the generational trauma also. brrrr. this book just absolutely nailed itt.

i love the friendship, both the main one with KT and the others she made along the way in her competition. oh! and i especially loved how we got to see more of each competitors, past the masks they put on tv. it was so so great every time.

this book was a love letter to many things, just as lots of jackie’s dishes were, but it was still so brutally honest with what society has given and i applaud it for that.

it talks a lot about covid and how affected the asian-american community especially was and still is for it. from the economic standpoint and of course social, on top of the already ongoing racism existed in the country. this book was also a story about the struggles of that, how the remnants and reminders were still following her steps even after everything was receding. it raises awareness and presents another view of this world's ugly society that most of us probably wouldn't have known, let alone understood, because we weren't given the shoes to try to fit our feet in. because the general media never told us and was constantly whitewashed. this book was a stand against it and it was just so so good.

and also the fact that the author, patricia park, also includes an article she wrote on asian-american hate crimes at the end of the book? chef’s kiss.

to be honest, my only complaints for this book were the “romance” and the ending. the romance, if you could even call it that, felt unnecessary and flat. i think it was fine without it, but i guess good for her!!!! and as for the ending. it was just too short! i need more 😭 i need to know 😭

(okay woah this is very long. i do not expect it to be this long it’s literally 2 am but okay! 😭)

but anyways. to conclude, i’d say if you enjoy ya contemporary in general, i’d definitely recommend you to read it! you would not be disappointed and at the very least, you would be entertained. TRUST. there are definitely more things about this book i haven’t talked about, but well guess you’ll have to find out yourself 😁😁😁<3

4 stars!

Jackie Oh and her family have many familiar traits of Korean American families I know. The food that she describes are familiar and the family dialogues are familiar. Overall, it was a fun read that picked up a little later (around the 50% mark). I’m glad I finished it. I got to see the many flaws of each character but also the growth.

Great read for lovers of cooking shows and competitions. Jackie is struggling with traditional Korean family expectations and academics which she finds a bore. She totally excels in the kitchen and manages to win a spot in teenage cooking competition. She is determined to prove to her family and herself that she has a future in the culinary world as a chef.
This book also also deals with deep issues, such as her brother her brother being in prison and the challenging Asian American experience. I liked that Jackie was able to grow in confidence, stand up for herself, and follow her dreams.

This book is raw, it is messy, and it is honest and for that I applaud the author. So many times, when we watch a show on tv we only see what the network wants us to see. In Jackie’s book her experience is not sugar coated. To be honest neither is she most of the time and that is fine. That is real and beautiful. This book hits on things that are big topics. Family members who are in jail, hate crimes, family cultural expectations, undocumented citizens reality in this country and I love it all. That is life. Take all these things and place them into a pot and we would find that this is the real American experience. Life is not just sugar and spice. It is the nit and the grit and those are the things that inspire us. Not only as people but even chefs. This book will not be everyone’s cup of tea, and that is okay. Because sometimes just being faced with having to read about issues we don’t face daily helps remind us that maybe things need to change.
Thank you to Random House Children’s, Crown Book for Young Reader, and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.