Review—Made in Korea by Sarah Suk

 

Publisher: Simon and Shuster for Young Readers

Published: May 18, 2021

Genre: Own Voices, YA Romance

Source: E-ARC

Rating: 4.5 Stars

See what reviewers are saying HERE

Blurb:

Frankly in Love meets Shark Tank in this feel-good romantic comedy about two entrepreneurial Korean American teens who butt heads—and maybe fall in love—while running competing Korean beauty businesses at their high school.

There’s nothing Valerie Kwon loves more than making a good sale. Together with her cousin Charlie, they run V&C K-BEAUTY, their school’s most successful student-run enterprise. With each sale, Valerie gets closer to taking her beloved and adventurous halmeoni to her dream city, Paris.

Enter the new kid in class, Wes Jung, who is determined to pursue music after graduation despite his parents’ major disapproval. When his classmates clamor to buy the K-pop branded beauty products his mom gave him to “make new friends,” he sees an opportunity—one that may be the key to help him pay for the music school tuition he knows his parents won’t cover…

What he doesn’t realize, though, is that he is now V&C K-BEAUTY’s biggest competitor.

Stakes are high as Valerie and Wes try to outsell each other, make the most money, and take the throne for the best business in school—all while trying to resist the undeniable spark that’s crackling between them. From hiring spies to all-or-nothing bets, the competition is much more than either of them bargained for.

But one thing is clear: only one Korean business can come out on top.

Review:

Made in Korea is a must read! Valerie and Wes are those characters you root for from beginning to end. They’re fun, realistic, and you can’t help but fall in love with them. I liked how the story was told in a unique and interesting way. It was different but in a good way. It wasn’t cliche; more like a breathe of fresh air.

An easy and fast-paced story; this is one that checks off everything you could want in a book and more. It’s about two “rivals” who end up having a tons of chemistry but also are competing when it comes to selling those beauty products to the school! Why is this trope so fun? I never wanted the book to end. 

Overall, I thought this ended perfectly. Kind of like an ice cream with a cherry on top! It was sugary sweet and I loved every minute of it. 

*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are subjective but my own. 

Buy the book:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Sarah Suk (pronounced like soup with a K) lives in Vancouver, Canada where she writes stories and admires mountains. When she’s not writing, you can find her hanging out by the water, taking film photos, or eating a bowl of bingsu. You can visit her online at sarahsuk.com and on Twitter and Instagram @sarahaelisuk.