Series: None
Author: Sara Fujimura
Published July 13th 2021 by Tor Teen
Goodreads Synopsis
My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Some Kind of Wonderful meets Kara McDowell's Just for Clicks with diverse characters, perfect for readers looking for feel-good YA romance and those who like "clean teen" reads
Dakota McDonald swore after "The Great Homecoming Disaster" that she'd never allow her romantic life to be a plot line in her parents' HGTV show again. But when the restaurant run by the family of her best friend (and secret crush), Leo, is on the line, Dakota might end up eating her own words.
Leo Matsuda dreams of escaping his small town Arizona life and the suffocating demands of working in his family's restaurant, but the closer he gets to his goal--thanks to the help of his best friend (and secret crush) Dakota--the more reasons there are for him to stay.
Goodreads
Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.
For Dakota McDonald, her entire life has been a reality show - literally. Her parents are the stars of a well loved home refurbishment show, and when they unexpectedly found out they were pregnant during season 4, her entire childhood has played a role in the plot of the show. She's never really minded it, having her privacy at school and at her best friend, Leo's, family restaurant, but when she was pranked by her date at last years homecoming, resulting in a wardrobe malfunction, a viral meme, and even a SNL skit, she's wary for her personal life to be shown on screen. For the final season, and Koty's upcoming 16th birthday, the network want to host a massive Sweet 16 party for her, complete with a handsome date, to model tuxedos from a sponsor. To say Koty is wary would be an understatement, but when her relationship with Leo is put firmly in the Friend Zone, she knows she needs to do this to start to heal. Will she find someone to be happy with, or will her feelings for Leo be too much to overcome? For Leo, he wants to be able to step out from his responsibilities at the family restaurant, as the only son, and be able to go to Japan with Koty and others in the Japanese Culture Club this summer, but money is tight. Can he get over his fear of being in the public spotlight, and let Koty use her fame to help his yakisoba business at the school fair and more?
I will admit, this was a bit of an impulse request on NetGalley, but any book that is compare to My Big Fat Greek Wedding is bound to get my attention and though this wasn't a carbon copy, I can really see what that reference was made. Leo is from a Japanese family, as is Koty's mother, and they are both part of the Japanese Culture Club. Learning the language, watching Japanese shows, and talking about their family histories is really important for them both, and I liked how the book didn't sugar coat everything, and even touched on the topic of Japanese American internment camps during and following the Second World War. There's a trip to Nagoya that the school club is planning on doing this summer, and the city is important to both Koty and Leo, so to go on the trip would be a dream. For Koty, she can easily afford it, but it's more difficult for Leo, and she would do anything to help him get on the trip, even talking about her private life more online and on the show. However, it is awkward after they nearly kissed in the walk in fridge, and Leo firmly placed her in the Friend Zone. So, Koty tries to move on, and finds herself auditioning dates at the restaurant prior to her party - first actors who are arrogant and stuck up, and then Alex, a family friend of one of the production team, and they really hit it off. I liked Alex, and though it was clear that Koty and Leo were endgame, it was nice seeing Koty come out of her shell, try more normal, teenage things, and grow, before they got together.
For anyone who likes watching reality shows like the one depicted in the book, it was a joy to see the behind the scenes of what it is like being a 'star', and especially in today's day and age, when all of your actions are examined and criticised on social media and in the tabloids. Koty is treated as a DIY Princess, thought to be a diva, and some of the coverage about her is downright cruel, but she copes extremely well - though a little guarded. I really disliked the producer, Phil, who wanted his pound of flesh from Koty, and tried to get more and more juicy material for the show, even invading her privacy or causing scenes to be made all for ratings. I felt like Koty dealt with it all so well, though, especially when faced with trolls and others who wanted to pull her down, and the final scenes showed this off perfectly. Such a good YA read, perfect, I'd say, for summer reading!
Dates Read:
February 18, 2020
Rating
4 Stars
