XOXO
Jenny's never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk. A modern forbidden romance wrapped in the glamorous and exclusive world of K-pop, XOXO is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo.
Jenny didn't get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.
With Jaewoo an ocean away, there's no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she's just been accepted to? Jaewoo.
Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn't just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.
When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo's worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she's willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn't have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh.
Indigo Best Teen Books of 2021
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Community Reviews
Jenny, a cello prodigy, finds herself suddenly (though temporarily) moving to Korea when the grandmother that she's never met before is diagnosed with cancer. Jenny and her mother move from LA to Seoul for 6 months while her grandmother undergoes treatment, and Jenny gets into the prestigious Seoul Arts Academy for the semester.
Her one goal? To use SAA's end of term showcase to get into her dream conservatory school: the Manhattan School of Music. The only problem? The hot boy she had a meet-cute with in LA turns out to be a student at her new school and he can be... distracting!
In XOXO, Axie Oh perfectly portrays the hurdles and stresses of being an art student, as well as the tensions and love in parent/child dynamics, AND the unique position one finds themselves in when returning to their motherland. The plot hinges on Jenny not knowing much about K-pop, when she accidentally meets a member of one of the most famous K-pop bands in the world and sparks fly. Only after she moves to Korea where K-pop and Korean Idol Culture is everywhere, does she see a poster for the band XOXO and realize that Jaewoo isn't just another student, he's a popular idol. When having a relationship means throwing both of their lives off the paths they've carefully mapped out, how much are they willing to risk for love?
Axie Oh breaks down Idol Culture in order to create this dramatic yet sweet love story that tests what Jenny and Jaewoo really want and need. Additionally, it's set almost entirely in Korea, so get ready for the wanderlust! This was the perfect mini-vacation to enjoy from the comfort of my couch. Last but certainly not least, if you consider yourself a foodie and love yummy food descriptions, this is the book for you. Axie Oh describes so much delicious food, I was practically drooling.
XOXO is definitely a must-read for contemporary romance readers.
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