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29 Dates

(29 #1)

Melissa de la Cruz (Goodreads Author)

3.46 · Rating details · 1,319 ratings · 305 reviews

How many dates will it take to find The One?

Jisu’s traditional South Korean parents are concerned by what they see as her lack of attention to her schoolwork and her future. Working with Seoul’s premiere matchmaker to find the right boyfriend is one step toward ensuring Jisu’s success, and going on the recommended dates is Jisu’s compromise to please her parents while find ...more

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Kindle Edition, 400 pages

Published December 18th 2018 by Inkyard Press

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Average rating 3.46 ·

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· 1,319 ratings · 305 reviews

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Jan 30, 2019 Jessica rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, teen-novels, filipino

I received this book for free from the publisher (Inkyard Press) in exchange for an honest review.

I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.

This book doesn’t get the greatest reviews but I tend to rate books based on what they are. This was a YA romantic comedy and I thought it was a super cute one!

In the beginning it slightly reminded me of Melissa de la Cruz’s middle grade series, The Ashleys (which I read way back in middle school), because it had a slightly materialistic vibe and was I received this book for free from the publisher (Inkyard Press) in exchange for an honest review.

I give this book 4.5 stars which rounds up to 5.

This book doesn’t get the greatest reviews but I tend to rate books based on what they are. This was a YA romantic comedy and I thought it was a super cute one!

In the beginning it slightly reminded me of Melissa de la Cruz’s middle grade series, The Ashleys (which I read way back in middle school), because it had a slightly materialistic vibe and was set in San Francisco.

The romance itself was basic but still cute. I loved the little snippets from her 29 dates that were at the beginning of the chapters.

description

I really liked that the book touched upon the casual racism that Asians in America face daily such as people thinking Asians all look the same, people being surprised at how well an Asian person speaks English, and the notion that Asians are quiet.

Since I am Filipino, I also loved the inclusion of some Filipino representation. One of the love interests was Filipino and I loved seeing that. I enjoyed the chapter that explored his life because we got to see a little bit of Filipino culture such as Filipino food and karaoke.

I noticed at least one use of the word “hella” (pg. 353) which I was super happy to see because that is one of the most popular Bay Area slang words.

Lastly, I have to address the controversy that surrounds this book. Many people have issues with this book because a non-Korean (Melissa de la Cruz is Filipino) is writing about Korean culture. I think that is a fair and valid critique and I can’t really say much about the Korean aspects since I am not Korean. The one thing I will say however, and this may be controversial, but I do think some of the criticisms I’ve read are overly harsh. Going into this book, I knew this wasn’t going to be a deep book because Melissa de la Cruz’s books are never deep. Even the one book she wrote about a Filipino American immigrant experience still had that classic Melissa de la Cruz fluff. In my personal opinion (which you do not have to agree with), I think Melissa de la Cruz just wanted to write a fun cute story and she tried the best she could with the Korean aspects (which she addresses in her author’s note at the end). She wasn’t trying to make some grand statement about the Korean experience.

Overall, I really liked this book. Is it mind blowing? No. Is it fun? Yes. So if you’re looking for something fun and not super serious, then consider reading this book. ...more

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Dec 23, 2018 Safiya rated it did not like it

I have one question: why was it necessary for a non-Korean to write about a Korean and criticize Korean culture while she's at it? According to the author's note, the author is Filipino-American, learned about seons from a Korean friend, and dedicated this book to her Korean sister-in-law. The author states that seons typically take place during or post-college, but she says in the author's note, "as an author of fiction, I've taken some liberties with this practice."

You cannot take "liberties" I have one question: why was it necessary for a non-Korean to write about a Korean and criticize Korean culture while she's at it? According to the author's note, the author is Filipino-American, learned about seons from a Korean friend, and dedicated this book to her Korean sister-in-law. The author states that seons typically take place during or post-college, but she says in the author's note, "as an author of fiction, I've taken some liberties with this practice."

You cannot take "liberties" with a culture that's not yours. It doesn't matter if you have friends or family-through-marriage of that culture. That's going out of your lane, and I'm disappointed that an author of color would make this mistake, given how much people of color already have to deal with in terms of appropriation and fetishization.

The nuance that this book would require is incredible. Jisu is Korean-born-and-raised, goes to a good Korean high school, and has hardworking, rich parents who adhere to strict cultural values, such as matchmaking and good grades. There is no way for a non-Korean to understand what the culture is like, much less understand how it is for a person who grew up in South Korea to suddenly move to America and go to a new school. Even I know this, and I'm South Asian.

Jisu and many of the other characters criticize Korean culture a lot. There is the "jansori" Jisu constantly mentions, and then the constant criticism of the seons and her parents' expectations of her grades. Yes, it's pretty much a universal Asian thing for parents to expect nothing less than a 110% from their kids, but cultural differences affect that a lot! You can't criticize a culture that's not yours. Maybe the author wanted to be authentic and show how much resentment Asian kids have towards their parents and culture (as an Asian-American kid, I testify), but I'm not going to understand how it is for a Korean kid and a Korean kid isn't going to understand how it's like for me. Same rule applies here. A Filipino-American can't write about Koreans. This goes for any culture, really. I'm pointing out what I see here.

The thing is, you can tell how awkward the writing is. The code-switching is unnatural and both Jisu's criticism and love for her culture seems forced. She talks too much about feminism and expectations and how much she misses home and her friends. Even her descriptions of the food is clunky, and it's especially noticeable because the description of the Filipino cuisine that comes up because of Austin is so, so much more authentic. I don't get why the author couldn't just write about Filipinos to begin with? If she was going to take liberties with Korean culture anyway, then why not.write her own and take liberties with it?

If we're talking about the actual writing, it was strange. I don't understand why Jisu was so critical of "teens" when she was a teen herself. It was the wrong mindset for a teenager. And then there's Austin, who has no chemistry at all with Jisu, yet gets pulled into this insta-love thing that is too confusing. And while I love Dave, I don't see why it was necessary to even give him a girlfriend when Sophie basically had no screen time, not to mention the fact that the author made a big deal out of Jisu choosing a Korean in the end. All of it was forced.

There's also the fact if Min and Euni. Aside from their naming (is Euni supposed to pronounced according to Korean romanization or the way the 'Eu' in Eunice is pronounced, given that's her full name) and did the author purposefully give Min a monosyllabic name and why? They seemed like promising friends, but we barely get to meet them before Jisu gets shipped to America and get only bits of texts from them. I can't even feel sorry for Euni's accident because I don't know her.

This reminds me— the whole plot with Jisu getting shipped to America was so stereotypical and sudden. She sneaks home late and wakes up to her parents handing her tickets and saying she's taking the afternoon flight to a new country, where she'll live for the next year. It doesn't make sense at all. And then we get absolutely nothing about how Jisu feels adjusting to new life in San Francisco (which is impossible anyway, given that the author isn't Korean).

I'm all for diverse casts. If there had been a Filipino MC and a Korean side character or even a love interest, it would be fine, but a non-Korean writing a Korean MC just doesn't work. Had this book been written by a Korean, I think it would've worked really well. If the author had written about Filipinos instead, it would've been even better, but you can't win everything, I guess.

This book was just a whole mess. I was looking forward to read ALEX AND ELIZA soon, but after this book, I don't think I can read anything else from this author. It'd just make me uncomfortable. I'm a bit upset at this turn of events, but it is what it is. I hope the author sticks to writing about Filipinos from here onwards. ...more

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Jan 24, 2019 Sarah ♡ rated it did not like it

Shelves: nope, curiosity-killed-the-cat, my-2019-reads

Sigh. Alright, this did not get a one-star rating because I'm a salty Korean American (I am) who gives bad ratings to non-Korean authors who write inaccurate/unrealistic Korean characters (I do). This got a one-star because for a contemporary romance there was no romance between the main character, Jisu, and her love interest. None. Zilch! Nada! It literally went from zero to one hundred.

Okay, if I'm being nice it went from like zero, to like ten, and then to a hundred. Jisu goes on seons and h ...more

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Feb 27, 2019 Cristina rated it it was amazing

This book was really cute! 😍
I loved the characters, the dates were interesting because they had nothing in common - each date had a different topic - and I guessed who the 29 date was!!! ❤️
I’m so glad that everything turned out to be perfect for Jisu! 🙏

flag 20 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2019 Fafa's Book Corner added it · review of another edition

Mini review:

DNF

Trigger warning: None till the point I read.

I received this E-ARC via Inkyard Press and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the synopsis for this book. And decided to request it. Unfortunately I didn’t like it.

I did not like the main character at all. I felt that she was a bit too judgmental. The writing style didn’t help either. It was jarring which made it difficult to read.

Overall this wasn’t for me. Still recommend.

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Mar 26, 2019 Vicky Again added it

this book took me THREE MONTHS to read I am so glad it's over ...more

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Nov 24, 2018 Samantha (WLABB) rated it really liked it

Shelves: contemporary, arcs, ya, diverse

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Jisu was devastated, when her parents shipped her off to San Francisco in hopes that she could perform better in an American school, but they may have given her the greatest gift, since her new environment did yield some stellar results.

• Pro: Jisu was easy to like and root for. My heart broke, when her whole life was uprooted, but I admired the way she took it in stride, and also commended her on fulfilling her filial duties. Beside being under the standard pressure to get into ...more

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Dec 05, 2018 The Candid Cover (Olivia & Lori) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2018-releases, kindle, arc, young-adult, netgalley

I was intrigued when I first saw 29 Dates by Melissa de la Cruz since I don’t know much about Korean culture, and the story sounded super cute. It tells the story of a girl who goes on dates set up by a matchmaker, and I loved reading about each of her 29 dates. The main character is also enjoyable, and I would say that this is the perfect pick-me-up.

Full Review on The Candid Cover ...more

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Aug 25, 2019 Norah Una Sumner added it

Shelves: young-adult, 2019, contemporary, drama-llama, family-theme

not sure how to rate this one but one thing is certain - dave is a sweetie and deserves all the hugs (as well as his family)

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Dec 13, 2018 Cindy ✩☽♔ rated it it was ok

Rating ~2.5

Man I really wanted to love this book. Because I want to support books that have minorities in lead roles. But it just never clicked with me. Most of the book felt like a hollowed out K-drama with all the ridiculous family dynamics, but none of the heart.

It often felt too rushed and too easy, rather than authentic. The book was a light, quick read, but it was very predictable. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad book, but it isn’t particularly good either.

*More detailed review to come*

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Feb 12, 2019 Courtney ♡ librarycutie rated it did not like it

Shelves: contemporary, 2019, did-not-like

alright so, i had a lot of problems with this book, but it ended in a really cute and cheesy way so that’s why it’s bumped to 3 stars.

first, it was a whole lot of cringe! i think the idea behind it was cute, but i didn’t like that it was told in this way. i went into this story expecting a really cute contemporary that would flow really nicely because Melissa De La Cruz is a popular author, but this is my first book i’ve read by her and... i’m not impressed. the main character was very annoying ...more

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Dec 27, 2018 Kris Mauna rated it it was ok

Shelves: arc-reading, contemporary

I think Melissa de la Cruz is a fantastic author who has done wonderful things to bring more diverse books to teens.. But I'm not sure how I feel of her writing a Korean (not even Korean-American) MC with a detailed Korean background. I'm not Korean so I can't speak on how well of a representation this book was so I'm not going to. A lot of moments did feel a bit jarring for me as a reader, though. It was like watching a kdrama but without the heart and love poured into the story.
(One of the cha ...more

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Jun 28, 2020 Alice (Married To Books) rated it liked it

Shelves: bame, read-in-2020

I picked up 29 Dates on a whim since I was seeking a fun YA Contemporary read for the summer months. It is inspired by K-Dramas and follows Jisu who lives in Korea with her family. Her parents want her to get the best grades and also sign her up for a matchmaker service to try and find her the right person to date. However, after flunking one too many tests, she finds herself transported over to San Francisco in a new school, away from her close Korean friends and still having to go on dates. I ...more

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Jan 17, 2019 Amy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: read-netgalley

***3-3.5 stars ***

I'm such a sucker for YA novels that I hope I never lose touch with them. They take me back in time; I always enjoy them and feel that I can relate to the story.
Melissa de la Cruz has been one of my favorite YA authors, specifically her Blue Bloods series.
29 Dates did not disappoint. Jisu, a girl from South Korea is sent by her family to San Francisco to complete her senior year of high school. In Korean culture, seons are arranged dates to help matchmaking within their cultu ...more

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Jan 31, 2019 Mehsi rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, 4-5-twinkling-stars, warning-english-books, it-is-just-all-so-real

First up, thanks to Hebban.nl for giving me a copy of the book so I could participate in the Reading Club for this book!

I have been meaning to read this book for some time so imagine my delight when there was a Reading Club coming up for this book and that they had a contest to select members. Then imagine my further delight when I was selected! Eep!

So this book was just a delight to read. Korea, friendship, strict parents, dates (so so many dates), moving to America for a school year, photograp ...more

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Mar 16, 2019 Lost in Book Land rated it it was amazing

I have such grand reading plans over my break, I literally can not wait! However, I recently (last night) finished reading 29 Dates by Melissa De La Cruz, now I first want to apologize because this book should not have taken me this long to read but work has been taking up way too much of my time lately and whenever I go to read anything I just end up falling asleep. However, I finally have things set up for a while with work and now I am free to read at night again!

SPOILERS AHEAD

In this book, w ...more

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Jan 16, 2019 Luna rated it it was ok

Sooo what was this book even about? Like I understand the blurb, but when I got to the book I was greeted with a very bland, plotless, pointless book. Let's start with the plot.

Where was the plot? This book progressed but there was no clear plot in sight, I didn't feel any big conflict or resolution as the book just felt like a threadbare patchwork quilt of writing. Another gripe I had was that the author seemed to be attempting to ride from the point of view of a teenager, but as a teen, I can ...more

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Feb 26, 2020 Cassie | Lost In Tomes rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary

This was just the kind of predictable romance I like to listen to while I am working. Fun enough to keep my interest but basic enough that I can get away with doing other tasks while I'm listening. I was very pleased with the Korean representation especially considering that the author is of a different ethnicity and that doesn't always work out well. You can tell she did her homework and I appreciate it.

Definitely sits on the younger end of YA - there's a scene I don't want to forget where some ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Zan rated it did not like it

uhh I think a cultural and rom-com flop just about sums this one up

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Apr 12, 2019 Sam! at the bookstore rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 4-stars

Rating: 4 stars

What a fun little novel! It was a super easy read, but I loved Jisu as a character and I adored the romance. The concept made this a great book, even if the writing felt juvenile a lot of the time.

Recommended for a fun, light read! Especially for seniors currently applying to colleges.

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Dec 27, 2018 Blodeuedd Finland rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, audiobook, fiction, romance

Jisu is about to start her last year of HS when her parents sent her to San Francisco. There she will focus on school, get great grades and get into a great College. I must say that school in Seoul sounds horrible, Jisu thinks so too. And at the same time she wants those good grades because that is what ger parents want. As for her parents, evil! They just said pack your bags, you are leaving tonight!

But San Francisco is great for her. She gets to be more on her own. She finds new friends, she ...more

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Jan 18, 2019 Ms. Woc Reader rated it did not like it

Shelves: did-not-like, romance, asian-protagonist

I wanted to love this book. Years ago I read Melissa de la Cruz's Fresh off the Boat and loved it. I've been waiting for her to write another book with an Asian protagonist that measures up since. Sadly the vast majority of the leads in her novels are white. But that's an entirely different discussion for another time.

I was so happy when Netgalley approved me for an arc of 29 Dates. Finally a teen book featuring an Asian girl and a fully Asian one not a half white one chasing white boys. Two po ...more

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Feb 22, 2019 Hanis rated it really liked it

[Short Review] 29 Dates is my 14th book this year, and I picked it up in an attempt to get out of my reading slump season. Perhaps reading something light and fluffy could bring my reading spirits up, and I was correct. I do feel like reading again now after reading this book!

I got this book with zero expectations and mixed reviews that I got from all social media platforms. Goodreads becomes the main platform that I rely on, and I scrolled through mixed reviews regarding this book. Some people ...more

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Mar 25, 2020 Lee rated it did not like it

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, romance

Alright this book... was just a mess. There is no other way to describe it. Just a mess that I would have DNF if I wasn't desperate for audiobooks.

Ji-su's parents become concerned when they don't feel like she is paying proper attention to her schoolwork. They have also set her up with a matchmaker in hopes of finding the right boy for her that will also set her up for future success. But, when one test doesn't go as planned and she misses out on a date, Ji-su suddenly finds herself attending s ...more

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Feb 20, 2019 Sharlize D'Souza rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Feb 05, 2019 Karen rated it liked it

Shelves: ya, library, audio, read-2019

3.5 stars

Cute and I'm sure listening to this on audio rather than reading added to my enjoyment. The narrator was wonderful. Jisu was adorable and relatable and the romance was sweet.

Several large plot points went unresolved (view spoiler) in favor of the romance whe ...more

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Apr 18, 2019 utterlyanintrovert rated it liked it

Shelves: page-turner, fangirling-is-on, recommendations, asians-33333, coming-of-age, favs, relationship-goals, hot-freaking-jocks, friendship-goals, sweet-guys

(view spoiler)

This was honestly one of the cutest reads I've read (next to Kasie West's ofc) I love the fact that it gives a lot of insights of what sense are really like. But honestly, Melissa gives too much of an emphasis on that alone that I was tired of reading all about her dates! Nonetheless, the fact that it's unli ...more

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Jul 15, 2019 Laura Gardner rated it really liked it

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5 for 29 Dates by @authormelissadelacruz
.
❤️
❤️
Love this rom-com! Every other chapter is a date with a different Asian boy (seons arranged by a matchmaker on behalf of Jisu’s parents). Some are disasters and some are just unsuccessful, but they are all hilarious. (I think my favorite dates are the ones where Jisu calls the boy out for being sexist or cheap or a jerk 😂) Meanwhile, Jisu has been sent from South Korea to San Francisco to improve her chances to get into a competitive colleg ...more

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Jun 08, 2019 Karen marked it as dnf-2016-onward · review of another edition

dnf @ 19%

Maybe I need to just stop trying to read books by Melissa de la Cruz.

flag 2 likes · Like · see review

Sep 08, 2020 JiixBooks rated it did not like it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020, audio-book, bookbeat

Yah I’m not finishing that

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About Melissa de la Cruz

Melissa de la Cruz

13,618 followers

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like ...more