Weekend Writing: Reviewing David Yoon's "Frankly in Love"

"We all just want to love who we want to love." - David Yoon, "Frankly in Love" 

David Yoon's 2019 novel, Frankly in Love, has a very basic synopsis: Boy likes girl, girl likes boy, boy is forbidden to date said girl; therefore, he creates a fake dating scheme with another girl. What could possibly go wrong? 

Frank Li is a high school senior who has always lived in America, and he disagrees with his Korean parents about the concept of love. They want him to date a fellow Korean-American. After his older sister fell in love with an African American, she was disowned by their parents. According to them, they no longer have a daughter. How sad is that? Frank is terrified that this will happen, but he also wants to find true love--no matter the race or cultural identity. 

David Yoon's Frankly in Love.

Suddenly, Frank grows closer to one of his fellow AP classmates, Brit Means. She is everything that he has been looking for, but there's one problem: She's white. His parents would never approve of this relationship, and he's not ready to be disowned. He wants to date Brit. Heck, he's convinced he loves her. Meanwhile, he wants to keep his parents happy, so what's the best solution?

That's right: Fake date his friend, Joy Song. Joy is Korean-American and her parents are in the same Korean circle as Frank's parents. Joy is everything his parents could ask for as a potential partner for their son. So, if he tells them that he's dating Joy, they won't question when he goes on dates, except he'll be dating Brit. 

Meanwhile, Joy is dating a Chinese boy--who would never win the approval of her parents. On their "dates," Frank and Joy meet and then ditch each other to go date their true partners. Their parents will never have to know and they can have the best teenage romances ever. 

David Yoon's Frankly in Love (photo/Penguin Teen).

In theory, it sounds like a simple plan, but nothing is ever as simple as it first seems. Frank and Brit's relationship becomes more challenging, and Frank realizes he has more in common with Joy than he originally thought. In fact, he starts to look forward to spending time with her instead of Brit. Could he be falling for a girl his parents would actually approve of? Could he be falling for the girl he has been fake dating? 

While this book is mainly a romance, I was more invested in Frank's relationship with his parents. That's the heart of the story. His parents are demanding and they refuse to broaden their racial perspective beyond their small "bubble." Frank is bothered and embarrassed by his parents' behavior, but what can he do about it? 

"Because my parents are the hand I was dealt, the hand I'm stuck with. I wish I could say something...But I'm scared to call them out, if I'm being totally honest. Because a child has to belong somewhere." 

David Yoon brilliantly navigates cultural differences and racism--even the racism within the same community. For example, a girl might be Korean but she's not the right kind of Korean. Frustrating, right? That's how Frank feels, but this is the life he was given. He can either accept it, or leave it and never be acknowledged again, like his older sister. 

David Yoon and his novel, Frankly in Love (photo/Barnes & Noble).

Yes, Frankly in Love is a romance, but it's so much more than that. It's a unique perspective of dating, racism, and adolescence. I learned so much about the Korean-American culture from this book, which is one of my favorite things about books: the fact that I'm always learning something new. Yoon broadened my perspective of diversity and cultural differences in relationships--relationships between romantic partners, relationships between parents and children, and relationships between community members. 

"Say me and Joy had been born in Korea. We'd be Korean. We'd belong to a tribe. But that doesn't necessarily mean we'd belong with each other. Because there are tribes within tribes, all separated by gaps everywhere. Gaps in time, gaps between generations. Money creates gaps. City mouse, country mouse. If there are that many micro-tribes all over the place, what does Korean even mean? What do any of the labels anywhere mean?"

My heart ached for Frank Li numerous times while reading this book. I wanted him to follow his heart and love who he wants to love, no matter what society tries to tell him what to do or who he's supposed to love. Frank matures and learns to accept himself. Throughout the book, Frank struggles to accept his identity as a Korean-American. He was born in America, but he was forced to be rooted in Korean traditions by his parents. 

Who does Frank Li want to be? What kind of person does he want to be? That's what he has to figure out--and he must figure it out himself. Yoon's novel is truly a coming-of-age story about a boy who has his first love (and second love) while learning more about himself. Frank grows up in the story and as the reader, it was very satisfying to be on the journey with him. 

Frank Li learned to love, but most importantly, he learned to love himself. That's the best love story of all.

Read on. 

-KJL-