Frankly in Love book cover
9-12
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Frankly in Love

By David Yoon

An Instant New York Times Bestseller and #1 Indie Bestseller!

A William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist
 
An Asian Pacific American Librarians Association Honor Book

Two friends. One fake dating scheme. What could possibly go wrong?

Frank Li has two names. There’s Frank Li, his American name. Then there’s Sung-Min Li, his Korean name. No one uses his Korean name, not even his parents. Frank barely speaks any Korean. He was born and raised in Southern California.

Even so, his parents still expect him to end up with a nice Korean girl–which is a problem, since Frank is finally dating the girl of his dreams: Brit Means. Brit, who is funny and nerdy just like him. Brit, who makes him laugh like no one else. Brit . . . who is white.

As Frank falls in love for the very first time, he’s forced to confront the fact that while his parents sacrificed everything to raise him in the land of opportunity, their traditional expectations don’t leave a lot of room for him to be a regular American teen. Desperate to be with Brit without his parents finding out, Frank turns to family friend Joy Song, who is in a similar bind. Together, they come up with a plan to help each other and keep their parents off their backs. Frank thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, but when life throws him a curveball, he’s left wondering whether he ever really knew anything about love—or himself—at all.

In this moving debut novel—featuring striking blue stained edges and beautiful original endpaper art by the author—David Yoon takes on the question of who am I? with a result that is humorous, heartfelt, and ultimately unforgettable.

Educator Resources

State Awards

Recommended reading lists from your state's teacher or librarian associations!
  • Pennsylvania
    • Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award, 2020-2021
  • Maryland
    • Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2020-2021
  • Rhode Island
    • Rhode Island Teen Book Award, 2021
  • Texas
    • Texas TAYSHAS Reading List, 2021
  • California
    • California Young Reader Medal, 2021-2022
  • Maine
    • North Star Young Adult Book Award, 2019
  • Tennessee
    • Volunteer State Book Award 2020-2021
  • Virginia
    • Virginia Readers Choice Book Award 2021-2022
  • Utah
    • Beehive Book Award, 2022

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