I'm a sucker for YA novels set in Korea, whether it's chaebol drama or K-pop chaos. This book wasn't as exciting as its counterparts in the genre and nor does it offer anything new, but I enjoyed it overall.

There's no big conflict to propel what is essentially a coming-of-age story, which focuses on Melody adjusting to life in Seoul while navigating school, grades, romance, parental expectations and the pursuit of an unconventional career path frowned upon by her parents. I enjoyed following the protagonist as she grapples with her two identities, family secrets and first love.

I loved the book's themes but found Melody hard to like even though I get that it's part of character development. She was disrespectful to her elders and often speaking out of turn; sometimes well-intentioned but many times overboard. Not forgetting how she snoops through her mum's phone and keeps giving the poor woman a hard time. Melody is also highly self-absorbed and hardly asks about Sophia when the two talk, even wondering to herself "What does Soph know?"

Still, this is a beautiful love letter to Seoul and Korean culture. I loved all the descriptions of food, hanoks, cafes and even the subway system. It reminds me of my own visit and I can't wait to go back again. In the meantime, I'll just keep reading books like this one!