By Megan Amato
Despite my love for all things YA fantasy, I am not usually drawn to YA contemporary romance. I didn’t have the best time in high school, and even if I was keen to relive it, I sometimes find it difficult to be invested in the ordinary lives of teens when I’m nearly double their age. However, after seeing the book advertised on Twitter and learning it was written by a fellow Vancouverite, I decided to give Sarah Suk’s Made in Korea a chance—and I’m so, so glad I did.
Protagonist Valerie Kwon’s K-Beauty business means everything to her. It’s a chance to make her parents take her seriously as a young businesswoman and a way to make money to whisk her beloved ailing granny to Paris. She will let nothing stand in her way of success, especially not Wes Jung, the cute new student who has started a competing business. But Wes has more at stake too. He must make enough to get into the music school his parents won’t pay for, and so he makes an impulsive bet with Valerie that will potentially double the winner’s earnings. The two contend against each other, and it both pits the rivals against each other and draws them closer together. Soon Wes learns to voice his dreams and desires instead of folding to his parent’s expectations, and Valerie discovers that there is more value to the people around her than the profit they bring in.
This rival-to-lovers story defied my own expectations in so many adorable ways, and despite my reluctance to invest myself in the romance, I found myself flipping through the pages at rapid speed. Suk’s characters are compelling in all their strengths and flaws, well developed, and loveable in contrasting ways. Valerie is driven, puts business before making connections, but has a soft spot for her halmeoni and her fun-loving cousin. Wes is sweet, devoted to his passion for music, and dreams of a life outside of the scrubs his parents want for him. They’re both outsiders—Valerie by choice and Wes as the perpetual new student who never had the time to find his place—and their gradual opening up to each other is beautiful to read. Plus, the tough girl and marshmallow boy is one of my favourite tropes in m/f romance.
I admire this story because there isn’t a “mean girl” per se, and Valerie isn’t pitted against another girl to compete for Wes. The tension Suk has written in the story is more creative and less damaging to young—especially femme—readers who are constantly taught to compete against other girls and femmes. The other girl who is friends with Wes might have been a rival for his interest, but Suk created a three-dimensional side character with agency and her own desires, goals, and interests outside of their friendship—and I loved that. I would read any book with her as the protagonist.
Made in Korea is a beautiful read, full of small details that stick with you—I might just have taken to eating Hi-Chews based on my mood now—but overall, it’s a love letter to the author’s Korean-North American heritage. I encourage readers of all ages to read it, but I especially love that this is out in the world for teens to see a healthy romance and especially for teens who don’t often see representation of themselves.
*Thank you Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!