A to Z Challenge Book Review: XOXO by Axie Oh

1/2

My letter “X” pick for the A to Z Reading Challenge was XOXO by Axie Oh. This was a light, fluffy easy read that got my attention immediately and I couldn’t put it down. Our main character, Jenny, is a talented young Korean-American cellist whose life is all practice, practice, practice. At the urging of her uncle to cut loose and live a little, Jenny ends up wandering the streets of LA with a sweet Korean guy named Jaewoo who wandered into the karaoke bar where she works (he’s spending his last night in America before flying home). They share a memorable evening and go their separate ways, with Jenny never expecting to see him again. When her mother’s cancer diagnosis forces her to relocate to Seoul, Jenny enrolls in a prestigious music academy only to find Jaewoo as a classmate. That’s not the biggest shock – Jaewoo is revealed to be a member of the popular K-Pop group, XOXO, and K-Pop stars are not allowed to date. Jaewoo can’t risk breaking the rules as he is his family’s breadwinner. Thus begins a forbidden romance that has us rooting for Jenny and Jaewoo all the way to the end of the book.

I loved that Jenny was down-to-earth and Jaewoo was very likeable (almost too perfect, though). The side characters of Jenny’s roommate and the other boy band members were colorful and a lot of fun (especially Nathaniel). I also love the warm way her relationship with her mom and grandmother were portrayed. All in all a fun and satisfying read. I’ll give this one 4 & 1/2 stars, just because it got a bit too saccharin sweet at times.