When Melody's life was uprooted - her mom had decided it was time they moved back to Korea to live with her father - she was understandably displeased (leaving your friends and world behind is hard) but was also in for a major culture shock.

Adapting to Korea, the conservative lifestyle, and the strange customs of wealthy Korean families (i.e. being constantly set up on blind dates with the sons of other wealthy Korean businessmen) was hard for Melody and interesting to read about.

I enjoyed the journey of watching Melody slowly warm up to Korea. I also really liked that this book touched upon themes of belonging - for many Asians born outside of Asia, it can be difficult to connect and feel a sense of belonging to their ethnic country of origin. Speaking from experience, looking Asian and being able to speak the language just isn't enough to fit in - there are so many nuances in the way people dress, behave, and speak that can make you stand out as a foreigner, even in your "home" country.

Although I did find Melody annoying at times (she's rather selfish and insensitive - I guess not unlike most North American teenagers), I think it helped contrast the different mentality and culture of a teen who grew up in the USA versus those who grew up in Korea.

While this was a decent debut novel, it still left a lot to be desired. For example:
1. The conflicts were too easily resolved and the relationships (particularly the relationship between Melody and her father, Melody's mom and sister, Melody and her best friend, and the romantic relationship) felt a bit underdeveloped
2. Melody's inconsistent struggle with Korean. We know, early on, that Melody's Korean is passable and she often isn't able to understand the Korean that's spoken amongst her family. She also struggles with her Honors Korean class. So... why doesn't these struggles extend beyond school and family? She seems to have no trouble navigating the City, ordering food, and taking transit. When I travelled to Asia, I still often struggled with my passable Cantonese/Mandarin/Japanese language skills.
3. Melody's dad and his apparent wealth. There are several reviews that brought this up - Melody's dad seems to be loaded. And yet, Melody and her mom were only living in a dingy apartment in New York and Melody was always under the impression that they were just getting by. How? Did he not send money over? Did he never buy them and send them lavish gifts? Also, how is it that Melody never knew her dad was rich and lived a luxurious lifestyle? Did he only become rich in the last year or so and was finally able to afford a private chef, chauffeur, apartment mansion, and to fly his family over in first class?

Audiobook Comments:
The audiobook was well-narrated, at a decent pace. I listened to it at regular speed and enjoyed the narration.