Publishers Weekly Review
Yoon's (Frankly in Love) endearingly winning coming-of-age novel begins when 17-year-old self-described nerd Sunny Dae, who is Korean American, meets the girl of his dreams: Korean American Cirrus Soh, the well-traveled daughter of commercial real estate developers. After her family moves to Rancho Ruby, a "99.6 percent" white community in Southern California, tongue-tied Sunny doesn't correct Cirrus when she mistakes his older brother Gray's room for his, leading Cirrus to believe that Sunny is a budding rock star. Desperate to impress and avoid being caught in the lie, Sunny recruits his best friends to join his fake band, the Immortals. Together, they learn to play instruments and work on perfecting one of Gray's unperformed songs. But when Gray moves back home, and the bully who has tormented Sunny for years figures out the scheme, Sunny's plans may all come tumbling down. Through Sunny, who feels conflicted about his parents' obsession with money and his older brother's choices to abandon music for a more stable career, Yoon challenges stereotypes and tackles the age-old theme of being true to oneself, whether that self is a rock star or a nerd. Ages 14--up. Agents: Sara Shandler, Joelle Hobeika, and Josh Bank, Alloy Entertainment. (Nov.) |
School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--Most of the time, Sunny Dae is OK with being a nerd, despite the bullying and casual racism he experiences at school for being Korean American in a mostly white community. He has two close friends, and together they run a successful DIY cosplay video channel. But Sunny is jealous of his older brother, Gray, a musician living in Hollywood. When his parents' colleagues bring their teenage daughter, Cirrus (also Korean American), to Sunny's house, Sunny makes a split-second decision to pretend that Gray's bedroom is his own and that he is the one in a rock band. And something amazing happens: Cirrus thinks Sunny is cool. For several weeks, Sunny carries the lie further by wearing Gray's clothes and convincing his friends to actually form a band with him to play in an upcoming talent show. With his new persona, Sunny begins to experience what it's like to feel cool for the first time in his life. Predictably, Sunny's lies soon alienate those close to him, and eventually he must come clean and make a decision about who he truly wants to be. Readers will be drawn in by the sweet romance and Sunny's hilarious narration. But in a novel filled with excellent writing, strong characterization, and abundant positive messages, perhaps the greatest strength of all is the emotional openness of the male characters. VERDICT Yoon's sophomore follow-up to 2019's Frankly in Love is charming, witty, and inspirational. Highly recommended.--Liz Overberg, Zionsville Community H.S., IN |