Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the ONCE UPON A K-PROM by Kat Cho Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About the Book

Title: Once Upon a K-Prom
Author: Kat Cho
Genre: YA Romance
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 336
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.

Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing – she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that’s always made her feel like she belonged.

So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.

Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants – even if she can’t stop thinking about Robbie’s smile…right?

About the Author

Kat Cho used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She currently lives and works in NYC and spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat is the internationally bestselling author of the Gumiho duology (Penguin) and Once Upon a K-Prom (Disney).

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My Review

Once Upon a K-Prom
by Kat Cho
Rating: 4/5

Wow. Having never read anything from Kat Cho, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. As an Asian-American, I was super impressed with the author’s ability to relate meaningful and multidimensional characters. After recently seeing Everything Everywhere All At Once in theaters, I was even more drawn into the family relationships among Asian immigrants. Although the author speaks from a Korean perspective, I felt it was applicable to many. I’d love to see this book as a movie.

First, the cover is ridiculously cute and dreamy.
Second, the story was so high school but not. LOL. The hierarchy and the insecurities were all present but with an interesting K-Pop background to add some glam (and drama). Who doesn’t love a story about childhood sweethearts reuniting years later? Everyone deserves a second chance, right?
Third, although at times the main character, Elena, made me frustrated with her defense mechanisms, I still was able to relate to her in a sympathetic way – her character did not become annoying which was refreshing. Robbie is a sweetheart and I loved reading about his journey. As an amateur musician and songwriter myself, it was fun to get a glimpse into another talented soul and their passions. The bios for the rest of the Korean boy band were fun too.
Fourth, the story has a great message for young people regarding family and friendships and how the past can affect your future.

Highly recommend if you enjoy YA rom-coms with K-Pop and childhood sweethearts.

PG-13: a handful of swear words

My thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC of the book. All opinions expressed here are entirely my own. No positive review was expected and no compensation received.

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive a finished copy of ONCE UPON A K-PROM, US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

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Tags: #bookish#bookworm#disneybooks#diversebooks#giveaway#katcho#katchowrites#kpop#kpopbooks#kprombook#letstalkya#onceuponakprom#prom#yalit#yaromance#yaromcom#youngadult