Review of XOXO by Axie Oh

Can someone (like me) who knows next to nothing about K-pop find love with a YA romance between a Kpop star and a Korean-American girl? Check out my review of XOXO by Axie Oh!

XOXO by Axie Oh

To be published on July 13, 2021 by Harper Teen.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

Synopsis: Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory.

When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans.

But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure.

Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester.

And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and strictly forbidden from dating.

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

Review of XOXO by Axie Oh

Do you love celebrity romances?

I don’t generally love YA books about celebrity romances (even thought I have a whole list of YA Celebrity Romance Books; go figure). AND I don’t really know much at all about K-pop.

But I absolutely loved XOXO. It had a little bit of a “runaway celebrity in disguise” plot. The American in a foreign boarding school aspect reminded me a quite a bit of Anna and the French Kiss.

Jenny, a talented cellist, works at her uncle’s noreabang in Los Angeles. One night a guy comes in and the two of them end up hanging out together, culminating in some snapshots taken in a photo booth.

When Jenny’s mom tells Jenny that her grandmother in Seoul needs surgery, Jenny convinces her mom to take her along. She’s accepted as a student at a prestigious Korean arts academy.

When she gets there, Jenny excited to explore Seoul and a little disconcerted by her surly roommate. She’s also shocked that the boy she met back in L.A. is also a student at her new school.

Even more shocking, he’s a member of XOXO, an up-and-coming K-pop boy band. (Like me, Jenny didn’t know all that much about K-pop, which made me feel better.)

I loved watching Jenny explore Seoul (she speaks a good amount of Korean, luckily), adjust to her new school.

The members of XOXO were a fun group. I learned a lot about the incubation and development of K-pop groups, and the tight control that labels hold over the artists and their music, image and branding.

XOXO was an adorable romance.

It was also an exhilarating travelogue (I’ve actually visited Seoul, but it was amazing to go back).

Finally, it was a charming story about love, family, found family, friendship, and following your dreams.

There is something in this story for everyone. I highly recommend it to fans of YA contemporary and YA romance!

What else can I read by Axie Oh?

This is the first YA book I’ve read by Axie Oh. I thought XOXO was her debut, but Cassie, in comments, pointed out that she wrote two YA dystopians: Rebel Soul (2017) and a sequel Rogue Heart (2019) plus a new YA fantasy, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea. I can’t wait to see what comes next!

Could there be more books featuring other XOXO bandmembers?

Edited to add: Well, YES a sequel to XOXO is what’s next: ASAP by Axie Oh in 2024. Check out my review here!

My list of Best Celebrity Romance books has an entire section on Kpop romance books!

Also check out my list of Best YA Books With Rock Star Romance!