English & Korean
YA
Korean-American Identity
Small Business
Family Responsibility
Social-Emotional Learning
Relationships
Sarah Suk
summary
Valerie Kwon and her cousin Charlie run an incredibly successful student business selling Korean beauty products. Valerie is desperate to prove to her family that she’s just as capable and business-savvy as her older sister, and take her grandmother on a vacation with the profits. When a new boy named Wes starts at Valerie’s high school, he inadvertently becomes V&C K-Beauty’s biggest (and…cutest?) competitor.
I really enjoyed Made in Korea. It’s a book that feels very current and relatable but doesn’t involve politics or world events. It’s about teens that want to prove capability: to themselves, to each other, and especially to their families. And there’s a lot of bingsu eating, because who doesn’t love mounds of shaved ice covered in delicious toppings? There’s a bit of love, a lot of competition, some saxophone playing, and a slew of K-Pop fans.
This book was kindly sent by Simon & Schuster, but all opinions and decisions to review are my own. The book includes some underage drinking, a lot of sass, and a high school that really goes all out for all of its events throughout the school year. This book was recently released on May 18th!
Sarah Suk
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 on Twitter and Instagram @sarahaelisuk.
