XOXO by Axie Oh

Item: XOXO
Rating: 5
Author: karenbaron

Posted May 8, 2024 by karenbaron in Review, Romance, Series, Young Adult / 0 Comments

XOXO

by Axie Oh

Series: XOXO #1
Series Rating:

Published by Harper Teen on July 13, 2021
Setting: Seoul, South Korea
Genres: YA Romance
Pages: 337
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
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Jenny’s never had much time for boys, K-pop, or really anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she has to decide whether their love is worth the risk. A modern forbidden romance wrapped in the glamorous and exclusive world of K-pop, XOXO is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Maurene Goo.

Jenny didn’t get to be an award-winning, classically trained cellist without choosing practice over fun. That is, until the night she meets Jaewoo. Mysterious, handsome, and just a little bit tormented, Jaewoo is exactly the kind of distraction Jenny would normally avoid. And yet, she finds herself pulled into spending an unforgettable evening wandering Los Angeles with him on the night before his flight home to South Korea.

With Jaewoo an ocean away, there’s no use in dreaming of what could have been. But when Jenny and her mother move to Seoul to take care of her ailing grandmother, who does she meet at the elite arts academy she’s just been accepted to? Jaewoo.

Finding the dreamy stranger who swept you off your feet in your homeroom is one thing, but Jaewoo isn’t just any student. Turns out, Jaewoo is a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world. And like most K-pop idols, Jaewoo is strictly forbidden from dating anyone.

When a relationship means not only jeopardizing her place at her dream music school but also endangering everything Jaewoo’s worked for, Jenny has to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love. XOXO is a new romance that proves chasing your dreams doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your heart, from acclaimed author Axie Oh.

Indigo Best Teen Books of 2021

XOXO by Axie Oh has Jenny Oh learning to embrace new things in life that bring her joy.

Will Jenny embrace trying new things?

Jenny Oh

The entire book is from Jenny Oh’s point of view. Jenny is a classically trained cellist trying to get into the Manhattan School of Music for college when she finishes high school. The problem is that Jenny is missing her spark when she’s playing her cello, and she doesn’t know how to get that spark. Until she meets Jaewoo, now Jenny can’t stop thinking about him. Jenny flies to Seoul with her mother to care for her grandma for five months. She has a lot to learn while at her elite arts academy; maybe one of those things could be her spark.

I like Jenny a lot; she truly spoke to me as a character. The one big thing I love about her is her determination. She is determined to make her music, and she decided to tag along with her mom to go to Seoul. Then, she has to transfer schools during the middle of the year (at least for the US but not for Seoul) and live at the school. Jenny has a ton of development throughout the story, and it was wonderful to see her gain confidence.

Bae Jaewoo

Although the book is written from Jenny Oh’s point of view, I would like to discuss Bae Jaewoo. We learn from Jenny that Jaewoo is not only a great student at the academy but also part of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world, XOXO. Jaewoo is willing to risk many things to be with Jenny, but is Jenny willing to risk everything she’s worked for to be gone?

Jaewoo also grows throughout the story. He learns that maybe it is okay not to be perfect and to have a life that isn’t connected to his music. Jaewoo is a work in progress, but things will work out with Jenny by his side.

The Romance

Jaewoo and Jenny start a romance. Well, in Jenny’s mind, it was only supposed to last for those few months they were together. Jaewoo has billions of fans who need him to focus on music, while Jenny needs to focus on her future. However, Jenny never talked this over with Jaewoo. She didn’t ask what he wanted to do once the semester was over and Jenny had to go back to the States.

These two need to work on their communication. Yet, I love these two together.

Five Stars

I am giving five stars to XOXO by Axie Oh and recommending it to people who love a good romance story, especially if it is in the young adult genre with K-pop stars and a boarding school involved. Ms. Oh had me enraptured from the very beginning of the story to the end, and I never wanted to put it down.

XOXO

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of XOXO by Axie Oh.

Until the next time,

Happy Reading!

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About Axie Oh

Axie Oh is the New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea, XOXO, and the Rebel Seoul series. Born in New York City and raised in New Jersey, she studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California San Diego and holds an MFA in Writing for Young People from Lesley University. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea, and she currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada, with her dogs. Her newest titles, ASAP and The Floating World will release in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

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