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What's Eating Jackie Oh?
A Korean American teen tries to balance her dream to become a chef with the cultural expectations of her family when she enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show. A hilarious and heartfelt YA novel from the award-winning author of Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim and Re Jane .
Jackie Oh is done being your model minority.
She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet. They would never understand her unconventional dream to become a professional chef. Just ask her brother Justin, who hasn't heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.
For now, when she isn’t avoiding studying for AP World History, Jackie is improving her French cooking techniques and working at her grandparents’ Midtown deli Melty’s.
Then the most unexpected thing Jackie gets recruited for a casting audition for the teen edition of Burn Off!, her favorite competitive cooking show. Even more unexpected, Jackie becomes a contestant.
Jackie is thrown headfirst into the cutthroat competitive TV show world filled with psych outs, picky mom critiques, and dreaded microaggressions to lean into her heritage.
All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But is her way to cook traditional French cuisine? Lean into her heritage? Or is it something more? To advance through the competition, Jackie must prove who she is on and off the plate.
Patricia Park's hilarious and stunning What’s Eating Jackie Oh? explores the delicate balance of identity, ambition, and the cultural expectations to perform.
Jackie Oh is done being your model minority.
She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet. They would never understand her unconventional dream to become a professional chef. Just ask her brother Justin, who hasn't heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.
For now, when she isn’t avoiding studying for AP World History, Jackie is improving her French cooking techniques and working at her grandparents’ Midtown deli Melty’s.
Then the most unexpected thing Jackie gets recruited for a casting audition for the teen edition of Burn Off!, her favorite competitive cooking show. Even more unexpected, Jackie becomes a contestant.
Jackie is thrown headfirst into the cutthroat competitive TV show world filled with psych outs, picky mom critiques, and dreaded microaggressions to lean into her heritage.
All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But is her way to cook traditional French cuisine? Lean into her heritage? Or is it something more? To advance through the competition, Jackie must prove who she is on and off the plate.
Patricia Park's hilarious and stunning What’s Eating Jackie Oh? explores the delicate balance of identity, ambition, and the cultural expectations to perform.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
About the author
Patricia Park
3 books176 followers Patricia Park is the author of the award-winning novel, Re Jane, a Korean American retelling of Brontë’s Jane Eyre; and the YA novels, Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, and the forthcoming, What’s Eating Jackie Oh? She is a tenured professor of creative writing at American University, a Fulbright scholar, an Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, and other awards. She has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, and others. She was born and raised in Queens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
May 13, 2024
2024 API Month
I know, I know. You see me reading YA, and you're like, "What? Why? Mai, you're such a hater!" I'm well aware. I have come to the conclusion that it is non-BIPOC YA I don't resonate with. The popular white girl that goes to all the parties? I could never. But the not-as-studious-as-her-parents-want-her-to-be Asian American? Oh, I could.
Part 1
Jackie Oh, named for Jackie O, is a New Yorker that loves food and cooking more than being studious. Her brother is in prison for armed robbery. Neither things are the Korean American Dream.
Mom is a lawyer. Dad is in finance. Both are workaholics that spend more time in their offices than the sparse condo they bought.
Jackie works part time at her grandparents' deli in midtown. I had to laugh at this, because my sister's Korean Am boyfriend also owns a deli. Cross-cultural giggles.
As such, Jackie spends more of her time with her grandparents than parents. It truly takes a village.
Jackie ends up skipping her history exam in favor of auditioning for a cooking show for teens. I don't think this is a spoiler, as the cover obviously shows her cooking. Needless to say, mom and grandma aren't pleased. As always, what really got me was the casual racism of the TV show hosts, and also, her public school teacher.
Part 2
As soon as I sat down to read this part, I flew through it. I love it. We got so much more. From the other contestants. From mom. From Jackie herself. I’m not sure which boy she’ll be romancing. Not that she needs to romance anyone.
I know it feels racist (especially from Jackie's perspective) that the judges want her to incorporate more Korean into her cooking, but fusion is one of the best things to come from colonization. Army stew is this wonderful mishmash of flavors that would've never come about had the US not involved itself in the Korean War. I'm not saying they needed to be there. I'll leave that out of today's debate.
Part 3
Jackie really comes into her own. She makes up with distant friend KT, has a reconciliation with her family, and improves her New York style cooking.
I felt like she had a few contenders for a love interest. It ended up being the most obvious one, which is fine, but I'm not sure she needed one at all. This book would've shown on its own just featuring her.
📚 Buddy read with Christina
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books
I know, I know. You see me reading YA, and you're like, "What? Why? Mai, you're such a hater!" I'm well aware. I have come to the conclusion that it is non-BIPOC YA I don't resonate with. The popular white girl that goes to all the parties? I could never. But the not-as-studious-as-her-parents-want-her-to-be Asian American? Oh, I could.
Part 1
Jackie Oh, named for Jackie O, is a New Yorker that loves food and cooking more than being studious. Her brother is in prison for armed robbery. Neither things are the Korean American Dream.
Mom is a lawyer. Dad is in finance. Both are workaholics that spend more time in their offices than the sparse condo they bought.
Jackie works part time at her grandparents' deli in midtown. I had to laugh at this, because my sister's Korean Am boyfriend also owns a deli. Cross-cultural giggles.
As such, Jackie spends more of her time with her grandparents than parents. It truly takes a village.
Jackie ends up skipping her history exam in favor of auditioning for a cooking show for teens. I don't think this is a spoiler, as the cover obviously shows her cooking. Needless to say, mom and grandma aren't pleased. As always, what really got me was the casual racism of the TV show hosts, and also, her public school teacher.
Part 2
As soon as I sat down to read this part, I flew through it. I love it. We got so much more. From the other contestants. From mom. From Jackie herself. I’m not sure which boy she’ll be romancing. Not that she needs to romance anyone.
I know it feels racist (especially from Jackie's perspective) that the judges want her to incorporate more Korean into her cooking, but fusion is one of the best things to come from colonization. Army stew is this wonderful mishmash of flavors that would've never come about had the US not involved itself in the Korean War. I'm not saying they needed to be there. I'll leave that out of today's debate.
Part 3
Jackie really comes into her own. She makes up with distant friend KT, has a reconciliation with her family, and improves her New York style cooking.
I felt like she had a few contenders for a love interest. It ended up being the most obvious one, which is fine, but I'm not sure she needed one at all. This book would've shown on its own just featuring her.
📚 Buddy read with Christina
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books
May 8, 2024
A heartfelt coming of age YA novel about a Korean American teen who loves to cook and competes in a reality tv chef competition in New York City. This book doesn't shy away from addressing contemporary issues facing Asian Americans today including the rising Anti-Asian hate crimes and all the sorts of microagressions Asian Americans are forced to endure as minorities - something that has gotten even worse post-COVID. Great on audio with an important message from the author included at the end. Highly recommended!
January 27, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
So I need to be 100% upfront here. I am such a sucker for NYC localized media. I will probably always be a little salty about not going to Townsend Harris or Brooklyn Latin, but my own school did have me on the Ivy grind with the highest GPA and endless APs and clubs and professional goals. Jackie Oh is an incredibly relatable character for any overachiving highschooler who thinks that a 92% is barely medicore. I see you, I am you, and I encourage you to sleep more than four hours a night. This book nailed the conversation about how the pandemic hit so many beloved small resturants in the city (RIP Jay & Lloyd's on Ave U), the chaos of the city, and the particularly unique fusions that come from so many people from all over the world making their homes here.
I can't talk about this book without talking about the rise in AAPI hate and racism from COVID. Ever character is touched by racial bias, from the judges always pushing Jackie to go in the expected ethnic direction with her food to her parent's challenges at work to be recognized for their sacrifice to KT trying her absolute best to distinguish herself as a college applicant in a system meant to make her outcompete her own community. Without spoilers, there is so much more that Park weaves into the narrative with finesse.
The story was well paced, with the show's confessionals and recipes adding to the reading experience intead of confusing the reader. I also loved that after a korean phrase was introduced and translated, it was able to just be on its own for future use. Park isn't excluding non-Korean readers, she is teaching us and expecting that we are smart enough to learn.
So I need to be 100% upfront here. I am such a sucker for NYC localized media. I will probably always be a little salty about not going to Townsend Harris or Brooklyn Latin, but my own school did have me on the Ivy grind with the highest GPA and endless APs and clubs and professional goals. Jackie Oh is an incredibly relatable character for any overachiving highschooler who thinks that a 92% is barely medicore. I see you, I am you, and I encourage you to sleep more than four hours a night. This book nailed the conversation about how the pandemic hit so many beloved small resturants in the city (RIP Jay & Lloyd's on Ave U), the chaos of the city, and the particularly unique fusions that come from so many people from all over the world making their homes here.
I can't talk about this book without talking about the rise in AAPI hate and racism from COVID. Ever character is touched by racial bias, from the judges always pushing Jackie to go in the expected ethnic direction with her food to her parent's challenges at work to be recognized for their sacrifice to KT trying her absolute best to distinguish herself as a college applicant in a system meant to make her outcompete her own community. Without spoilers, there is so much more that Park weaves into the narrative with finesse.
The story was well paced, with the show's confessionals and recipes adding to the reading experience intead of confusing the reader. I also loved that after a korean phrase was introduced and translated, it was able to just be on its own for future use. Park isn't excluding non-Korean readers, she is teaching us and expecting that we are smart enough to learn.
Want to read
July 18, 2024Adding this just cuz a 8 yr old recommended this to me
May 13, 2024
4.5 rounded... up? down? who knows?
This is a very informal review; I just want to express a few thoughts since I just finished the book about two minutes ago. What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park is such a good, important book that really works for me... er, mostly. See, I'm a big fan of anything related to food competitions and Park's 2023 novel Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim was one of my favorites last year, so obviously I had high expectations. I didn't quite expect what I got.
In some ways, WEJO is an issues book. Some issues it deals with include:
- AAPI hate
- microaggressions
- the second- and third-generation immigrant experience
- playing against type as an racial minority
- fighting against parent/community expectations
- gender expectations
- the trouble with pursuing one's passion
- incarceration
- confidence issues
- the reality of reality TV and fame
Yeah, that's a lot, right? And I thought Park handled all of this quite deftly until the last chapter, when I realized that I was able to overlook the problems with the book because Jackie has such a strong voice and the story is so good. Yet the book ends very abruptly - after a major incident heavily affecting the plot occurs, it is resolved off-page, leaving us with an epilogue that takes place in posts to social media. Not only is this the first time the reader is introduced to this social media-style format, but the tone of this incident is rather discordant with much of the rest of the book. I don't necessarily think it doesn't belong (I see arguments both for and against foreshadowing this type of event), but the lack of resolution to it, and to Jackie's story as a whole, leaves me feeling a bit cold.
My dislike of the ending has me reconsidering my thoughts on the book. Now I see other weaknesses; such as, and not to spoil, the author leaving us hanging with how Jackie actually gets on the show; how little we actually see of how she is portrayed on screen (which very easily could have been tied into the social media format of the epilogue); and perhaps most notably, the fates and futures of certain relationships and Jackie and her family. I understand that real life is like this - we don't always get a conclusion or a neat and tidy end to our story - but that's not really how YA novels work. We go into them expecting a conclusion, not uncertainty, even when uncertainty is more realistic. This not-so-great ending is something I saw in Park's previous YA novel as well, which makes me think this is just a weakness of the author. Or, more likely, as she is a professor of creative writing, it's a deliberate choice that makes sense coming from a "literary fiction" perspective, but really doesn't work in the YA literary scene.
Anyways, I was planning on giving the book 5 stars and an instant path to my top 10 books of 2024, but now I have no idea how I'm going to rate it since I enjoyed everything except the epilogue, which ruined the story for me. Worth reading, and I will definitely read more books by Patricia Park, but I wish she'd get better at writing endings!
This is a very informal review; I just want to express a few thoughts since I just finished the book about two minutes ago. What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park is such a good, important book that really works for me... er, mostly. See, I'm a big fan of anything related to food competitions and Park's 2023 novel Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim was one of my favorites last year, so obviously I had high expectations. I didn't quite expect what I got.
In some ways, WEJO is an issues book. Some issues it deals with include:
- AAPI hate
- microaggressions
- the second- and third-generation immigrant experience
- playing against type as an racial minority
- fighting against parent/community expectations
- gender expectations
- the trouble with pursuing one's passion
- incarceration
- confidence issues
- the reality of reality TV and fame
Yeah, that's a lot, right? And I thought Park handled all of this quite deftly until the last chapter, when I realized that I was able to overlook the problems with the book because Jackie has such a strong voice and the story is so good. Yet the book ends very abruptly - after a major incident heavily affecting the plot occurs, it is resolved off-page, leaving us with an epilogue that takes place in posts to social media. Not only is this the first time the reader is introduced to this social media-style format, but the tone of this incident is rather discordant with much of the rest of the book. I don't necessarily think it doesn't belong (I see arguments both for and against foreshadowing this type of event), but the lack of resolution to it, and to Jackie's story as a whole, leaves me feeling a bit cold.
My dislike of the ending has me reconsidering my thoughts on the book. Now I see other weaknesses; such as, and not to spoil, the author leaving us hanging with how Jackie actually gets on the show; how little we actually see of how she is portrayed on screen (which very easily could have been tied into the social media format of the epilogue); and perhaps most notably, the fates and futures of certain relationships and Jackie and her family. I understand that real life is like this - we don't always get a conclusion or a neat and tidy end to our story - but that's not really how YA novels work. We go into them expecting a conclusion, not uncertainty, even when uncertainty is more realistic. This not-so-great ending is something I saw in Park's previous YA novel as well, which makes me think this is just a weakness of the author. Or, more likely, as she is a professor of creative writing, it's a deliberate choice that makes sense coming from a "literary fiction" perspective, but really doesn't work in the YA literary scene.
Anyways, I was planning on giving the book 5 stars and an instant path to my top 10 books of 2024, but now I have no idea how I'm going to rate it since I enjoyed everything except the epilogue, which ruined the story for me. Worth reading, and I will definitely read more books by Patricia Park, but I wish she'd get better at writing endings!
March 22, 2024
This book was everything I needed in ways that I have been asking to be seen for years. Asian people get lumped in as one, as if we should all love matcha and ube and kimchi. COVID created a much larger obstacle for us as a people as a result of that and not a single person deserved the hate we did and still do receive.
This book is a love letter to the expectations our parents hold us to and the passions that we have to build ourselves around. It’s a gentle reminder that our parents are also living life for the first time. They’re parenting for the first time.
I loved the highlight on a teenager’s relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, peers, and the often random, but welcome romance with someone we’ve known for a lot time. My only gripe would be the loose end with Jackie’s older brother. I would’ve loved to see more of that familial trauma heal. And honestly, my heart goes out to Haraboji. I grew to love him and Halmoni so much and… I just wish I could’ve helped him.
Thank you Patricia Park for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a love letter to the expectations our parents hold us to and the passions that we have to build ourselves around. It’s a gentle reminder that our parents are also living life for the first time. They’re parenting for the first time.
I loved the highlight on a teenager’s relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, peers, and the often random, but welcome romance with someone we’ve known for a lot time. My only gripe would be the loose end with Jackie’s older brother. I would’ve loved to see more of that familial trauma heal. And honestly, my heart goes out to Haraboji. I grew to love him and Halmoni so much and… I just wish I could’ve helped him.
Thank you Patricia Park for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 4, 2024
I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley.
This book was many stories in one. It was a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV, which I liked. It was a coming-of-age story that wasn’t centered around school, which is original. It had important plot lines around anti-Asian racism and the experience of families with incarcerated relatives, which I don’t read about often.
I liked Jackie, and I thought her voice was authentic. I’m just not sure which story is the main one. Is it about a girl living out her kitchen dreams against her parents’ vicarious wishes? Is it about being yourself, just a self that happens to be a girl and a chef and Asian and not interested in being a “model minority” and the family member of a person in prison and and and…?
I liked this book for what it was. I’d love to read a more focused book from this same author: the voice was great!
This book was many stories in one. It was a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV, which I liked. It was a coming-of-age story that wasn’t centered around school, which is original. It had important plot lines around anti-Asian racism and the experience of families with incarcerated relatives, which I don’t read about often.
I liked Jackie, and I thought her voice was authentic. I’m just not sure which story is the main one. Is it about a girl living out her kitchen dreams against her parents’ vicarious wishes? Is it about being yourself, just a self that happens to be a girl and a chef and Asian and not interested in being a “model minority” and the family member of a person in prison and and and…?
I liked this book for what it was. I’d love to read a more focused book from this same author: the voice was great!
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January 3, 2024
Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Readers for sending me an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
review coming soon
──✒ pre review initial thoughts
did this take on too much all at once? i’m still not sure
review coming soon
──✒ pre review initial thoughts
did this take on too much all at once? i’m still not sure
June 18, 2024
I love cooking challenges and this one was very detailed (the second half of the book is completely devoted to it) so this was fun for me. I loved the creativity of the various dishes that were featured, although gastronomic experiments are not my thing (I don’t like food too pretty to eat). Jackie’s obsession with cooking challenges prior to starting the show was baffling – every show tells you to put a part of yourself on the plate and she seems to not understand this concept. But she learns how to embrace her humble beginnings and, in the process, learns how to also love herself. There is a lot about Asian hate in this one and I’ve been very lucky to have mostly avoided this most of my life * knocks on wood * but it’s important that it was highlighted in her journey.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
June 17, 2024
Epitome of bitter sweet.
March 31, 2024
Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is my second Patricia Park book and it has become quite clear that she's a new favorite for me. I saw she had What's Eating Jackie Oh? coming out and immediately requested to read it; thankfully, I was approved.
Park has such a distinct voice with her writing style and I love reading her stories. In this one we're following Jackie, a Korean American teen, as she navigates life trying to live on her own terms -- trying to become a chef -- while her parents are expecting bigger, more studious things, like the Ivy League.
I loved the idea of a teen cooking show and busting through parental and cultural expectations. The reason this only got a 4 star from me is because there was a bit of cliche moments in this; the judges responses on the cooking show, the delivery guy at the restaurant who can cook, Jackie trying to figure out who she is while cooking, etc. I liked the idea of some of these but I would have liked a little bit of a different way to show these things, maybe?
The end left me wanting more! I want to read more about Jackie, so that's how I know it was a good book. I can't wait to see what else Park puts out next!
This is my second Patricia Park book and it has become quite clear that she's a new favorite for me. I saw she had What's Eating Jackie Oh? coming out and immediately requested to read it; thankfully, I was approved.
Park has such a distinct voice with her writing style and I love reading her stories. In this one we're following Jackie, a Korean American teen, as she navigates life trying to live on her own terms -- trying to become a chef -- while her parents are expecting bigger, more studious things, like the Ivy League.
I loved the idea of a teen cooking show and busting through parental and cultural expectations. The reason this only got a 4 star from me is because there was a bit of cliche moments in this; the judges responses on the cooking show, the delivery guy at the restaurant who can cook, Jackie trying to figure out who she is while cooking, etc. I liked the idea of some of these but I would have liked a little bit of a different way to show these things, maybe?
The end left me wanting more! I want to read more about Jackie, so that's how I know it was a good book. I can't wait to see what else Park puts out next!
April 2, 2024
I loved this! Jackie Oh is a Korean American teen who deals with pressure to succeed academically when she just wants to cook fancy French food. She fails World History but gets to be on a teen cook-off tv show. Her family life is complicated and so are her friendships. And so is she! I love her attitude, her political awareness, and her love of NYC. This is a fantastic book. I got to read an electronic advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, but I’m planning to buy a paper copy of this for my tween when it comes out. I can’t think of any way this book could be better except to keep going—I really want to know what Jackie Oh and her family do next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 29, 2024
Loved this book that features Jackie Oh, a Korean American teen chef. Loved the scenes that focused on her family as she navigated a Top Chef like food competition. Unlike her parents, Jackie and her sibling aren't the model minority and it's one of the few books that addresses the incarceration of AAPI and the family structure. Also loved how Jackie found her voice, not just within her family and friends, but through her food. I can't wait to try the recipes in the back of the book. #StopAAPIHate
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
June 10, 2024
Enjoyable YA book about an Asian American teen who isn't falling in line with her high achieving parents' Ivy League expectations. She'd rather get creative in the kitchen. Loved the family dramas, the backstage look at a reality cooking show, the experiences of immigrants in America, etc. I would have liked a deeper dive into some aspects, but liked this funny and touching book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
June 20, 2024
3.5. Enjoyed this YA meets Bakeoff and The Bear and appreciated the focus of multigenerational families and generational trauma.
June 29, 2024
I enjoyed this story. I’m also a big fan of cooking competition shows so I automatically knew this would be right up my alley. The characters were cool and believable, the world building was nice and the pacing was pretty good. Now I want to go and watch The Great British Bake Off.
April 22, 2024
3 1/2
ackie Oh is obsessed with cooking and cooking shows. Her favorite thing in the world is helping out at her grandparents diner, Melty, where she thrives on the rapid pace of cooking and concocting. Jackie, however, is a high school student whose parents would rather she focuses on her grades so that she could have a solid and practical future. Cooking and owning a restaurant, while nice, isn’t solid or practical. When Jackie scores a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on a spin-off of her favorite cooking show, she learns a few things about herself and cooking in Patricia Park’s What’s Eating Jackie Oh?.
Caveat: I am not the intended audience for this novel so take my comments/review in that spirit.
I’m going to do something I normally don’t do and that is bullet-point my observations/opinions.
*Jackie’s familial situation reminded me of last year’s Throwback by Maureen Goo (see my review), right down to doting grandparents (grandmother) and antagonism between parents and child. Also reminiscent was the mother’s line (in both books) that said that KPop and KDrama were not yet cool when she was growing up so she had to be cool in other ways to fit in.
*Jackie’s self-absorption and self-centeredness grew tiresome as did her being angry so much, especially how it related to her best friend, KT, whom we see she couldn’t be bothered to learn that much about nor the vegetable delivery guy that Jackie presumed to know. While she did change, I wish it had begun earlier.
*If I know that CIA stands for Culinary Institute of America, I’m pretty sure a cooking show host would as well.
*The cooking event among the teens embraced a lot of cliché. I did like the interactions between Jackie and the teen from Chicago, Gus who seemed to be the most talented chef among them.
*The ending action/situation seemed intended to shock and felt out-of-place tonally in this YA novel. While the message is necessary, how it occurred in this novel should have been handled differently.
*I loved the relationship Jackie had with her grandparents. They all had a great time together and there was real affection and love and teasing. These were some of my favorite interactions in the novel.
All in all What’s Eating Jackie Oh? was an engrossing, mostly enjoyable, quick read that may have tried to cover a little too much ground in a short time.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.
ackie Oh is obsessed with cooking and cooking shows. Her favorite thing in the world is helping out at her grandparents diner, Melty, where she thrives on the rapid pace of cooking and concocting. Jackie, however, is a high school student whose parents would rather she focuses on her grades so that she could have a solid and practical future. Cooking and owning a restaurant, while nice, isn’t solid or practical. When Jackie scores a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on a spin-off of her favorite cooking show, she learns a few things about herself and cooking in Patricia Park’s What’s Eating Jackie Oh?.
Caveat: I am not the intended audience for this novel so take my comments/review in that spirit.
I’m going to do something I normally don’t do and that is bullet-point my observations/opinions.
*Jackie’s familial situation reminded me of last year’s Throwback by Maureen Goo (see my review), right down to doting grandparents (grandmother) and antagonism between parents and child. Also reminiscent was the mother’s line (in both books) that said that KPop and KDrama were not yet cool when she was growing up so she had to be cool in other ways to fit in.
*Jackie’s self-absorption and self-centeredness grew tiresome as did her being angry so much, especially how it related to her best friend, KT, whom we see she couldn’t be bothered to learn that much about nor the vegetable delivery guy that Jackie presumed to know. While she did change, I wish it had begun earlier.
*If I know that CIA stands for Culinary Institute of America, I’m pretty sure a cooking show host would as well.
*The cooking event among the teens embraced a lot of cliché. I did like the interactions between Jackie and the teen from Chicago, Gus who seemed to be the most talented chef among them.
*The ending action/situation seemed intended to shock and felt out-of-place tonally in this YA novel. While the message is necessary, how it occurred in this novel should have been handled differently.
*I loved the relationship Jackie had with her grandparents. They all had a great time together and there was real affection and love and teasing. These were some of my favorite interactions in the novel.
All in all What’s Eating Jackie Oh? was an engrossing, mostly enjoyable, quick read that may have tried to cover a little too much ground in a short time.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.
March 21, 2024
a special thank you to netgalley and publisher for the arc! rtc
------------------------
this book just truly reminds me why i love the ya contemporary genre so much. it’s vibrant, yet honest. simple premise, but backed with so many voices and a rich cultural background to tell its audience. it’s funny and can be a little cringe at times, but not afraid to talk about the serious social injustices most (western) media ignores.
jackie oh’s character was great. her passion for food was infectious, and her creativity goes beyond. i’ve never dwelled much on the culinary world besides watching masterchef kids when i was younger (help), and seeing that world through her lenses has me awed. the description of each dishes, how her mind worked its way to invent one, and also how one has to prepare and reuse the things in the kitchen.
i really enjoyed getting to know her in this book and how she navigated, especially as a korean american teenager just surviving, through everything there was. the competition was great and entertaining, but i mostly treasured the dynamics that were shared and grew throughout.
i loved how her relationship with her grandparents (halmoni and haraboji) was highlighted and i loved how her and her umma’s was developed. and of course, even though they got less screen time on the book, i love how we could still clearly see the bond between her and her brother (oppa), and how her dad actually was even in a fraction of moment. the generational trauma also. brrrr. this book just absolutely nailed itt.
i love the friendship, both the main one with KT and the others she made along the way in her competition. oh! and i especially loved how we got to see more of each competitors, past the masks they put on tv. it was so so great every time.
this book was a love letter to many things, just as lots of jackie’s dishes were, but it was still so brutally honest with what society has given and i applaud it for that.
it talks a lot about covid and how affected the asian-american community especially was and still is because of it. from the economic standpoint and of course social too, on top of the already ongoing racism existed in the country. this book was also a story about the struggles of that, how the remnants and reminders were still following her steps even after everything was receding. it raises awareness and presents another view of this world's ugly society that most of us probably wouldn't have known, let alone understood, because we weren't given the shoes to try to fit our feet in. because the general media never told us and was constantly whitewashed. this book was a stand against it and it was just so so good.
and also the fact that the author, patricia park, also includes an article she wrote on asian-american hate crimes at the end of the book? chef’s kiss.
to be honest, my only complaints for this book were the “romance” and the ending. the romance, if you could even call it that, felt unnecessary and flat. i think it was fine without it, but i guess good for her!!!! and as for the ending. it was just too short! i need more 😭 i need to know 😭
(okay woah this is very long. i do not expect it to be this long it’s literally 2 am but okay!!!!)
but anyways. to conclude, i’d say if you enjoy ya contemporary in general, i’d definitely recommend you to read it! you would not be disappointed and at the very least, you would be entertained. TRUST. there are definitely more things about this book i haven’t talked about, but well guess you’ll have to find out yourself 😁😁😁<3
4 stars (★ ★ ★ ★ )! 21.3.24
------------------------
this book just truly reminds me why i love the ya contemporary genre so much. it’s vibrant, yet honest. simple premise, but backed with so many voices and a rich cultural background to tell its audience. it’s funny and can be a little cringe at times, but not afraid to talk about the serious social injustices most (western) media ignores.
jackie oh’s character was great. her passion for food was infectious, and her creativity goes beyond. i’ve never dwelled much on the culinary world besides watching masterchef kids when i was younger (help), and seeing that world through her lenses has me awed. the description of each dishes, how her mind worked its way to invent one, and also how one has to prepare and reuse the things in the kitchen.
i really enjoyed getting to know her in this book and how she navigated, especially as a korean american teenager just surviving, through everything there was. the competition was great and entertaining, but i mostly treasured the dynamics that were shared and grew throughout.
i loved how her relationship with her grandparents (halmoni and haraboji) was highlighted and i loved how her and her umma’s was developed. and of course, even though they got less screen time on the book, i love how we could still clearly see the bond between her and her brother (oppa), and how her dad actually was even in a fraction of moment. the generational trauma also. brrrr. this book just absolutely nailed itt.
i love the friendship, both the main one with KT and the others she made along the way in her competition. oh! and i especially loved how we got to see more of each competitors, past the masks they put on tv. it was so so great every time.
this book was a love letter to many things, just as lots of jackie’s dishes were, but it was still so brutally honest with what society has given and i applaud it for that.
it talks a lot about covid and how affected the asian-american community especially was and still is because of it. from the economic standpoint and of course social too, on top of the already ongoing racism existed in the country. this book was also a story about the struggles of that, how the remnants and reminders were still following her steps even after everything was receding. it raises awareness and presents another view of this world's ugly society that most of us probably wouldn't have known, let alone understood, because we weren't given the shoes to try to fit our feet in. because the general media never told us and was constantly whitewashed. this book was a stand against it and it was just so so good.
and also the fact that the author, patricia park, also includes an article she wrote on asian-american hate crimes at the end of the book? chef’s kiss.
to be honest, my only complaints for this book were the “romance” and the ending. the romance, if you could even call it that, felt unnecessary and flat. i think it was fine without it, but i guess good for her!!!! and as for the ending. it was just too short! i need more 😭 i need to know 😭
(okay woah this is very long. i do not expect it to be this long it’s literally 2 am but okay!!!!)
but anyways. to conclude, i’d say if you enjoy ya contemporary in general, i’d definitely recommend you to read it! you would not be disappointed and at the very least, you would be entertained. TRUST. there are definitely more things about this book i haven’t talked about, but well guess you’ll have to find out yourself 😁😁😁<3
4 stars (★ ★ ★ ★ )! 21.3.24
April 19, 2024
What’s Eating Jackie Oh is about a 15 year old who is expected to be an amazing student and is instead obsessed with cooking. Her grandparents are Korean immigrants.
Jackie is a protagonist in just didn’t like. She spoke in acronyms, like calling people by initials (H&H for her grandparents), which I hated. She was selfish and could only see her own life from her own shoes. Her character didn’t grow much either. She’s outwardly rude to people who are nice to her. None of it makes sense.
The author tried to fit way too many topics in this book. We should all learn about the hate and racism that so many Asian people had to endure during and after Covid because we should all be living better than that. But then the author put in so many other topics that congested the book.
Why does this author constantly say Americans prefer boring food? It’s not true. At least it isn’t where I live. Then again, I was born in Germany and love food from other places. It’s how I grew up.
The ending has no real resolution. The book just ends. I was so frustrated at that.
The writing showed promise. I just wanted to dig deeper into some of these other people. The view behind the scenes of the cooking show was cool, but bringing in people who couldn’t cook when so many can? That didn’t seem realistic.
I don’t know. This one wasn’t for me. I’d definitely try this author out again, though. I received this ARC for my honest opinion.
Jackie is a protagonist in just didn’t like. She spoke in acronyms, like calling people by initials (H&H for her grandparents), which I hated. She was selfish and could only see her own life from her own shoes. Her character didn’t grow much either. She’s outwardly rude to people who are nice to her. None of it makes sense.
The author tried to fit way too many topics in this book. We should all learn about the hate and racism that so many Asian people had to endure during and after Covid because we should all be living better than that. But then the author put in so many other topics that congested the book.
Why does this author constantly say Americans prefer boring food? It’s not true. At least it isn’t where I live. Then again, I was born in Germany and love food from other places. It’s how I grew up.
The ending has no real resolution. The book just ends. I was so frustrated at that.
The writing showed promise. I just wanted to dig deeper into some of these other people. The view behind the scenes of the cooking show was cool, but bringing in people who couldn’t cook when so many can? That didn’t seem realistic.
I don’t know. This one wasn’t for me. I’d definitely try this author out again, though. I received this ARC for my honest opinion.
April 2, 2024
I just didn't like Jackie's character. She was selfish and a bad friend. I have no idea why the delivery boy even liked her.
March 18, 2024
thanks to NetGalley for the eARC
⭐️=4.25 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=1.5 | 12+
summary: after flopping out of world history, 15yo Jackie Oh competes on a cooking show for teens
thoughts: I requested this ARC out of nowhere and wasn’t expecting much—a cheesy YA book, probably—but this was incredible?? so emotional and heartstrings-tugging with incredibly stressful tension during the cooking competition scenes. I loved it.
I will say that the romance felt unnecessary and last minute, and there was one little unresolved bit, but sans that this was genuinely and surprisingly great.
content note(s): anti-Asian racism, mild fatphobia
⭐️=4.25 | 🤬=2 | ⚔️=1.5 | 12+
summary: after flopping out of world history, 15yo Jackie Oh competes on a cooking show for teens
thoughts: I requested this ARC out of nowhere and wasn’t expecting much—a cheesy YA book, probably—but this was incredible?? so emotional and heartstrings-tugging with incredibly stressful tension during the cooking competition scenes. I loved it.
I will say that the romance felt unnecessary and last minute, and there was one little unresolved bit, but sans that this was genuinely and surprisingly great.
content note(s): anti-Asian racism, mild fatphobia
June 17, 2024
7.0/10
I have a lot to say about the book, but I also don't have much to say about it, and I realize that makes zero sense, but here we are.
Ultimately, I thought the book was enjoyable, but surprisingly dull. And not dull like boring but more dull like not super memorable, and I don't really know if this story will really stick with me, even though I really liked a lot of the elements of it.
The writing style is really fun. The way texts are printed in the book is the way things should be (publishers are catching up, hey), and telling the story through prose, texts, script format, and recipes is neat and very fun. And I appreciate the story in broad strokes, even if the execution felt a bit flat.
Overall the TV storyline feels super rushed and surface level. It's like if I, someone who has only watched a handful of cooking shows in hotel rooms while traveling because nothing better is on, decided to write a book set while filming a TV show. I know nothing about being on a cooking show. And maybe what it looks like it's like to be on a cooking show from the outside is actually what it is like. But even so, there are deeper insights that someone in the world would probably know about, that just didn't seem to come across here. And that made me sad, because I'm always interested in behind the scenes pop culture stuff because I want to know what it is behind the curtain. Since that was the biggest hook for the book, that was disappointing on some level.
And plot wise, things were a little bit... all over the place. I understand it when authors have a lot of things to say (I have a lot of things to say!) but sometimes trying to say them all in one single book lessens the impact of everything. I think it worked up until the introduction of the subplot. It was a cohesive narrative that made sense, but then trying to add another Issue to the balance felt sudden and rushed.
Also the ending just seemed really abrupt and unsatisfying.
But it was a book that addressed Covid (and other travesties that Covid caused) really well, and I appreciate that a whole lot.
I have a lot to say about the book, but I also don't have much to say about it, and I realize that makes zero sense, but here we are.
Ultimately, I thought the book was enjoyable, but surprisingly dull. And not dull like boring but more dull like not super memorable, and I don't really know if this story will really stick with me, even though I really liked a lot of the elements of it.
The writing style is really fun. The way texts are printed in the book is the way things should be (publishers are catching up, hey), and telling the story through prose, texts, script format, and recipes is neat and very fun. And I appreciate the story in broad strokes, even if the execution felt a bit flat.
Overall the TV storyline feels super rushed and surface level. It's like if I, someone who has only watched a handful of cooking shows in hotel rooms while traveling because nothing better is on, decided to write a book set while filming a TV show. I know nothing about being on a cooking show. And maybe what it looks like it's like to be on a cooking show from the outside is actually what it is like. But even so, there are deeper insights that someone in the world would probably know about, that just didn't seem to come across here. And that made me sad, because I'm always interested in behind the scenes pop culture stuff because I want to know what it is behind the curtain. Since that was the biggest hook for the book, that was disappointing on some level.
And plot wise, things were a little bit... all over the place. I understand it when authors have a lot of things to say (I have a lot of things to say!) but sometimes trying to say them all in one single book lessens the impact of everything. I think it worked up until the introduction of the subplot. It was a cohesive narrative that made sense, but then trying to add another Issue to the balance felt sudden and rushed.
Also the ending just seemed really abrupt and unsatisfying.
But it was a book that addressed Covid (and other travesties that Covid caused) really well, and I appreciate that a whole lot.
May 5, 2024
📱Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC ebook copy of What’s eating Jackie Oh? Published on 4/30/24. This was such a fun buddy read with Mai 💕
This YA book made me tear up more than once. 😭 It strikes that perfect balance between laugh out loud hilarious and multi-layered and deep. The main character, Jackie Oh, is flunking out of history class because she’s so hyper focused on her obsession with cooking. This is a disappointment to her parents who have Ivy League degrees and expect her to go to an Ivy League school and major in something more practical like business or law (their respective degrees).
Jackie spends all of her free time working at H&H’s restaurant Melty’s (a sandwich shop that caters to the white palette in NYC). H&H are her grandparents (Halmoni and Haraboji) who support her love of cooking by watching the show Burn Off! together and challenging each other to cooking competitions off-hours after Melty’s has closed. Jackie applies to the Burn Off show for teenagers as a contestant, behind her parent’s back. When she gets on the show, she experiences immense growth that tests both her skills as a chef and her character as she finds out her cooking idol, Chef Stone, is quite frankly racist.
I loved the intersectionality the author brought to this book in the form of so many important issues. This wasn’t just a book on the Asian American experience but so much more:
- food insecurity
- undocumented immigrants
- immigrants using leftovers to not waste food
- Asians catering to white people’s tastes
- incarceration rates of Asian Americans
- white supremacy in the form of a hell of a lot of micro-aggressions
- targeted AAPI hate and violence
- white fragility (Judge Stone criticizing Jackie for not making fancy food and for not being Korean enough and getting offended when Judge Kelly defended Jackie)
- generational trauma and healing of family dynamics
- tricky friendship dynamics between her best friend KT
- the classism that comes with the cooking industry (calling Jackie’s food “glorified street food” as an insult because the chefs wouldn’t pay $300 for street food)
This book was so creative and it touched on my love for complex family dynamics, deep character growth, and food. I cannot imagine this book would be as fun if you aren’t a foodie like me so take that with a grain of salt. 😉 I adore learning how to become a better cook and experimenting with different fusions of flavors and cultures. It was so fun to see Jackie’s creativity and perseverance as she navigated the cooking challenges and the micro aggressions. I cannot praise this YA book enough. We need more YA books with American Asian representation like this. Happy AAPI month!
This YA book made me tear up more than once. 😭 It strikes that perfect balance between laugh out loud hilarious and multi-layered and deep. The main character, Jackie Oh, is flunking out of history class because she’s so hyper focused on her obsession with cooking. This is a disappointment to her parents who have Ivy League degrees and expect her to go to an Ivy League school and major in something more practical like business or law (their respective degrees).
Jackie spends all of her free time working at H&H’s restaurant Melty’s (a sandwich shop that caters to the white palette in NYC). H&H are her grandparents (Halmoni and Haraboji) who support her love of cooking by watching the show Burn Off! together and challenging each other to cooking competitions off-hours after Melty’s has closed. Jackie applies to the Burn Off show for teenagers as a contestant, behind her parent’s back. When she gets on the show, she experiences immense growth that tests both her skills as a chef and her character as she finds out her cooking idol, Chef Stone, is quite frankly racist.
I loved the intersectionality the author brought to this book in the form of so many important issues. This wasn’t just a book on the Asian American experience but so much more:
- food insecurity
- undocumented immigrants
- immigrants using leftovers to not waste food
- Asians catering to white people’s tastes
- incarceration rates of Asian Americans
- white supremacy in the form of a hell of a lot of micro-aggressions
- targeted AAPI hate and violence
- white fragility (Judge Stone criticizing Jackie for not making fancy food and for not being Korean enough and getting offended when Judge Kelly defended Jackie)
- generational trauma and healing of family dynamics
- tricky friendship dynamics between her best friend KT
- the classism that comes with the cooking industry (calling Jackie’s food “glorified street food” as an insult because the chefs wouldn’t pay $300 for street food)
This book was so creative and it touched on my love for complex family dynamics, deep character growth, and food. I cannot imagine this book would be as fun if you aren’t a foodie like me so take that with a grain of salt. 😉 I adore learning how to become a better cook and experimenting with different fusions of flavors and cultures. It was so fun to see Jackie’s creativity and perseverance as she navigated the cooking challenges and the micro aggressions. I cannot praise this YA book enough. We need more YA books with American Asian representation like this. Happy AAPI month!
July 10, 2024
At first I didn't think I liked this book very much. Jackie's voice in the story was LOUD. I never read Patricia Park's first book so maybe the character in there had a similarly loud voice, I don't know. Jackie used A TON of abbreviations when she was talking (and when she was talking to herself in her head) and I didn't like that. It took a bit for me to get used to her way of speaking. I also found her to be a tough character to like because she was very opinionated and head-strong and at times too damn honest for her own good. She was in a competition with these other kids and she came off really callous to a lot of them and to the audience (in my opinion) for the TV show. I was able to understand her a bit better though as the book progressed.
I was also a little miffed because in the beginning there didn't seem to be much cooking or discussion of cooking and sometimes eve n during the TV show episodes, Jackie would just summarize who had been eliminated, what the theme was , and what dish she made. I didn't expect her to word for word describe every part of the competition but the constant summarizing felt like a bit much at times.
I also liked that there was no real romance in this story. I thought there might be something between Jackie and Stephen but I was glad it wasn't really touched on much. I think if it had been it would have really detracted from the story overall.
I enjoyed a lot of the family aspect of the novel too. Jackie and her grandparents together were really sweet and I could understand Jackie's trouble with connecting to her parents on a personal level because they were always working. I like how her parents were able to come around and support her with her dream. I thought that was a really touching moment when her father brought up how she could attend a culinary program (even if that program was still at an Ivy league school).
Part of the reason this book isn't 5 stars though is because of all the mentions of COVID (which I didn't realize would be prevalent in the story) and all of the Xenophobia that was in the story as well (that I also didn't expect). This book would benefit from a trigger warnings page. Regardless, I still enjoyed it but the ending really upset me. I wanted Jackie to win the competition and shove it in that other boys face. I also felt like you're kind of left hanging at the end there because of the random blog post? twitter post?
I was also a little miffed because in the beginning there didn't seem to be much cooking or discussion of cooking and sometimes eve n during the TV show episodes, Jackie would just summarize who had been eliminated, what the theme was , and what dish she made. I didn't expect her to word for word describe every part of the competition but the constant summarizing felt like a bit much at times.
I also liked that there was no real romance in this story. I thought there might be something between Jackie and Stephen but I was glad it wasn't really touched on much. I think if it had been it would have really detracted from the story overall.
I enjoyed a lot of the family aspect of the novel too. Jackie and her grandparents together were really sweet and I could understand Jackie's trouble with connecting to her parents on a personal level because they were always working. I like how her parents were able to come around and support her with her dream. I thought that was a really touching moment when her father brought up how she could attend a culinary program (even if that program was still at an Ivy league school).
Part of the reason this book isn't 5 stars though is because of all the mentions of COVID (which I didn't realize would be prevalent in the story) and all of the Xenophobia that was in the story as well (that I also didn't expect). This book would benefit from a trigger warnings page. Regardless, I still enjoyed it but the ending really upset me. I wanted Jackie to win the competition and shove it in that other boys face. I also felt like you're kind of left hanging at the end there because of the random blog post? twitter post?
April 19, 2024
* Coming of age
* Behind the scene reality tv
* Korean/Korean-American culture
* Navigating challenging mother-daughter relationship
* Discussion of incarceration
* Discussion of hate crime
* Aspiring chef
* Navigating friendships
Jackie is just another teen trying to figure out life while juggling understanding her ethnic identity, family troubles and lack of discussions, struggling to connect with her friends, her dreams not aligning with what her family wants for her and more. I mean, isn't that what being a teen is?
She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to go on a cooking reality show but this is all while she is losing grasp of her schooling. Her family, especially her parents, are upset. Jackie doesn't care and goes for it. What comes with it, is a tsunami of actual reality.
Jackie comes face to face with the ingredients of life: family, friends, culture, history, feelings, ignorance, and more. She needs to learn how to mix these ingredients of life in order to make the close to perfect recipe for her to make sense of life in itself.
I loved this book. You guys know whenever I read YA I try to picture if I can give this to my future students and I definitely would. Middle or high school, this book would have interested me as a kid and it pulled me in even as a 23 year old. I wanted to know more about Jackie and her background. I wanted to know her family's culture. I did want her to dive deeper into her ethnic background but I loved that she also decided to look beyond it when she wanted to branch beyond it. She didn't want to be labeled and that's admirable. Like any teenager, she had her annoying, faulty moments but it wouldn't be a coming of age story without it. I just wished there would have been a little more on her brother & dad's relationship and everything going on with her grandfather at the end. It felt rushed and I was left wanting more.
Overall, I can't wait to put this in a future student's hands!
Quote I loved: "When you truly love what you love, and you want to be the best at it, then "good enough" will never good enough."
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Patricia Park for this amazing eARC!!! 🫶🏽
* Behind the scene reality tv
* Korean/Korean-American culture
* Navigating challenging mother-daughter relationship
* Discussion of incarceration
* Discussion of hate crime
* Aspiring chef
* Navigating friendships
Jackie is just another teen trying to figure out life while juggling understanding her ethnic identity, family troubles and lack of discussions, struggling to connect with her friends, her dreams not aligning with what her family wants for her and more. I mean, isn't that what being a teen is?
She gets the opportunity of a lifetime to go on a cooking reality show but this is all while she is losing grasp of her schooling. Her family, especially her parents, are upset. Jackie doesn't care and goes for it. What comes with it, is a tsunami of actual reality.
Jackie comes face to face with the ingredients of life: family, friends, culture, history, feelings, ignorance, and more. She needs to learn how to mix these ingredients of life in order to make the close to perfect recipe for her to make sense of life in itself.
I loved this book. You guys know whenever I read YA I try to picture if I can give this to my future students and I definitely would. Middle or high school, this book would have interested me as a kid and it pulled me in even as a 23 year old. I wanted to know more about Jackie and her background. I wanted to know her family's culture. I did want her to dive deeper into her ethnic background but I loved that she also decided to look beyond it when she wanted to branch beyond it. She didn't want to be labeled and that's admirable. Like any teenager, she had her annoying, faulty moments but it wouldn't be a coming of age story without it. I just wished there would have been a little more on her brother & dad's relationship and everything going on with her grandfather at the end. It felt rushed and I was left wanting more.
Overall, I can't wait to put this in a future student's hands!
Quote I loved: "When you truly love what you love, and you want to be the best at it, then "good enough" will never good enough."
Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Patricia Park for this amazing eARC!!! 🫶🏽
March 6, 2024
What’s eating Jackie Oh? By Patricia Park
Jackie is the sometimes-rebellious daughter of two high powered Korean American New York City parents – one a lawyer vying for partnership (her mom), and her dad who works in business and finance. Secretly her dream is to pursue her own path where she would use her mad kitchen skills to win a national competition and go on to a rewarding culinary career - most definitely not the type of career her parents have in mind for her.
The tensions arising from this clash of opinions is eased somewhat by her loving grandparents who run a very busy Korean American restaurant where Jackie often is found helping out, and her off and on again friend KT, who has her own issues that complicate matters.
Running like a dark river underneath all of this is what her older brother is going through. Well before the events of the book, Justin had made some bad life choices that left a major scar on his relationship with the parents. And then there’s that cute boy who is taking over deliveries of produce to the grandparents’ restaurant. Does he dislike her? Like her?
It all adds up to an escalating series of opportunities for Jackie when she is chosen to compete in a national teen chef contest. I was flying through the pages, really enjoying the expertly crafted mounting tension leavened by humor and (of course) some mouth watering descriptions of the dishes Jackie and her fellow competitors whip up.
And then… sadly… it failed to stick the landing. A major plot twist is produced at the 11th hour, but there is no personal engagement by Jackie and her family – no face to face discussion with friends, no internal soul searching, no hint of how this is going to affect Jackie. I was truly sorry that it ended so abruptly and at such a remove, choosing to lean on the device of a series of electronic messages by friends and strangers to essentially end the book.
Overall I give it a 4 out of 5 stars because of that disappointment – otherwise it would have been 5 stars all the way.
Jackie is the sometimes-rebellious daughter of two high powered Korean American New York City parents – one a lawyer vying for partnership (her mom), and her dad who works in business and finance. Secretly her dream is to pursue her own path where she would use her mad kitchen skills to win a national competition and go on to a rewarding culinary career - most definitely not the type of career her parents have in mind for her.
The tensions arising from this clash of opinions is eased somewhat by her loving grandparents who run a very busy Korean American restaurant where Jackie often is found helping out, and her off and on again friend KT, who has her own issues that complicate matters.
Running like a dark river underneath all of this is what her older brother is going through. Well before the events of the book, Justin had made some bad life choices that left a major scar on his relationship with the parents. And then there’s that cute boy who is taking over deliveries of produce to the grandparents’ restaurant. Does he dislike her? Like her?
It all adds up to an escalating series of opportunities for Jackie when she is chosen to compete in a national teen chef contest. I was flying through the pages, really enjoying the expertly crafted mounting tension leavened by humor and (of course) some mouth watering descriptions of the dishes Jackie and her fellow competitors whip up.
And then… sadly… it failed to stick the landing. A major plot twist is produced at the 11th hour, but there is no personal engagement by Jackie and her family – no face to face discussion with friends, no internal soul searching, no hint of how this is going to affect Jackie. I was truly sorry that it ended so abruptly and at such a remove, choosing to lean on the device of a series of electronic messages by friends and strangers to essentially end the book.
Overall I give it a 4 out of 5 stars because of that disappointment – otherwise it would have been 5 stars all the way.
May 20, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's, Crown Books for Young Readers for a digital advance reader's copy. All comments and opinions are my own.
I enjoyed this page-turning coming-of-age YA (young adult) novel about a Korean high schooler’s journey as she discovers her identity both on and off the plate.
Jackie Oh turns to cooking as therapy – to relieve the stress her parents have heaped on her to go to an ivy league college, especially since she’s not naturally a high achiever in school. And her older brother is in prison which is sad for everyone. Author Patricia Park says” From repurposing leftovers at her grandparents’ Manhattan deli to competing on the TV cooking show Burn Off!, food feels like a problem Jackie can actually solve in a world that makes zero sense.”
I loved the relationship Jackie has with her grandparents. Their conversations are both humorous and heartwarming. She watches the cooking show Burn Off! with her grandparents and describes how they bonded: “It was a show I didn’t have to translate into English, and they didn’t have to translate into Korean. Food is like the universal language.”
Throughout the novel Jackie is learning about herself and often fighting stereotypes: gender, ethnicity, family, etc. “Every day,” says Jackie, “I walk around feeling like I’m carrying an invisible backpack full of stress bricks. On top of my actual backpack loaded with textbooks, notebooks, and my laptop. I just feel all this pressure weighing down on me, all the time.”
The story is told in Jackie’s first person, so we learn about her and what makes her happy: “Recipe-making is my mental happy place.” She also admits, “I’m obsessed with leftovers – each time you cook something, you have to think of how you’ll transform its afterlife.” And “In the kitchen, I’m in my zone. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I love cooking so much. Being in the kitchen helps me shut out all the scary nonsense from the outside world. Cooking is my therapy.”
Patricia Park says, “This novel was inspired by two things: My love of cooking with leftovers, and the fears and frustrations those in my community have faced over anti-AAPI hate. I’ve spoken with many students across the country like Jackie, who don’t understand why they and their family are being targeted. Who, like Jackie, cannot make sense of this moment and are done being “model minorities.” To my fellow Asians in America, who are tired of being pushed around (literally, metaphorically) – I also dedicate this book to you.”
I enjoyed this book, which is both realistic and humorous. The ending surprised me (no spoilers) and I think it would be a great book to read in a group and discuss together. Plus, there are recipes!
I enjoyed this page-turning coming-of-age YA (young adult) novel about a Korean high schooler’s journey as she discovers her identity both on and off the plate.
Jackie Oh turns to cooking as therapy – to relieve the stress her parents have heaped on her to go to an ivy league college, especially since she’s not naturally a high achiever in school. And her older brother is in prison which is sad for everyone. Author Patricia Park says” From repurposing leftovers at her grandparents’ Manhattan deli to competing on the TV cooking show Burn Off!, food feels like a problem Jackie can actually solve in a world that makes zero sense.”
I loved the relationship Jackie has with her grandparents. Their conversations are both humorous and heartwarming. She watches the cooking show Burn Off! with her grandparents and describes how they bonded: “It was a show I didn’t have to translate into English, and they didn’t have to translate into Korean. Food is like the universal language.”
Throughout the novel Jackie is learning about herself and often fighting stereotypes: gender, ethnicity, family, etc. “Every day,” says Jackie, “I walk around feeling like I’m carrying an invisible backpack full of stress bricks. On top of my actual backpack loaded with textbooks, notebooks, and my laptop. I just feel all this pressure weighing down on me, all the time.”
The story is told in Jackie’s first person, so we learn about her and what makes her happy: “Recipe-making is my mental happy place.” She also admits, “I’m obsessed with leftovers – each time you cook something, you have to think of how you’ll transform its afterlife.” And “In the kitchen, I’m in my zone. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I love cooking so much. Being in the kitchen helps me shut out all the scary nonsense from the outside world. Cooking is my therapy.”
Patricia Park says, “This novel was inspired by two things: My love of cooking with leftovers, and the fears and frustrations those in my community have faced over anti-AAPI hate. I’ve spoken with many students across the country like Jackie, who don’t understand why they and their family are being targeted. Who, like Jackie, cannot make sense of this moment and are done being “model minorities.” To my fellow Asians in America, who are tired of being pushed around (literally, metaphorically) – I also dedicate this book to you.”
I enjoyed this book, which is both realistic and humorous. The ending surprised me (no spoilers) and I think it would be a great book to read in a group and discuss together. Plus, there are recipes!
May 10, 2024
Jackie Oh is totally enamored with cooking and culinary programs. Her favorite thing in the world is working as a waitress at Melty's, her grandparents' diner, where she loves the fast-paced atmosphere of preparation and creation. But Jackie is a high school student, and her parents would prefer that she concentrate on her schoolwork so that she can have a reliable and useful career. Even while it's lovely, running a restaurant and cooking aren't reliable or practical. Jackie discovers a few things about herself and cooking when she receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to appear on a spin-off of her beloved culinary show.
Jackie Oh was such a breath of fresh air as a character. She does not want to be seen as a model minority and this is represented well in this story. She is not timid, she could care less about school, and more importantly she does not care for her families opinions of her. Getting to know her through her family was refreshing because the family dynamics were so relatable. Not only family but also how relatable her friendships were as well.
As a Food Network kid, Jackie's passion for food was so entertaining to read about. Park executed the cooking show style extremely well in this book and it was very reminiscent of the teen cooking shows that we see so often.
My only gripe with this book was the ending!!! I honestly feel like the ending could have happened in the middle of the book rather than the end. My jaw literally dropped because I was not expecting it and went to keep turning the page and there was nothing more left of the book. I really enjoyed Park's writing style and I am looking forward to reading her other works. If you enjoy YA contemporary or contemporary novels in general I would highly recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2024
This book was unexpected in a multitude of ways.
I picked it up at first because I'm a sucker for a cooking competition in any form of media. It's one of my comfort formats for sure. Add a BIPOC protagonist and I'm even more interested, especially in YA. I just absolutely love how many different cultures and voices are being highlighted in books now, as they should have been all along.
But, anyway...what I didn't expect was how much this book would play around with formats, both physical and narrative. It swings back and forth between standard novel narration, screenplay format, seemingly "handwritten" notes, text messages, etc. Tons of visual interest in this book. It also utilizes a mixture of English translation and actual Korean characters when using Korean words, which again provides a lot of visual interest you don't always see.
Story-wise, it doesn't provide the cliche, picture-perfect ending that a lot of books do.
I picked it up at first because I'm a sucker for a cooking competition in any form of media. It's one of my comfort formats for sure. Add a BIPOC protagonist and I'm even more interested, especially in YA. I just absolutely love how many different cultures and voices are being highlighted in books now, as they should have been all along.
But, anyway...what I didn't expect was how much this book would play around with formats, both physical and narrative. It swings back and forth between standard novel narration, screenplay format, seemingly "handwritten" notes, text messages, etc. Tons of visual interest in this book. It also utilizes a mixture of English translation and actual Korean characters when using Korean words, which again provides a lot of visual interest you don't always see.
Story-wise, it doesn't provide the cliche, picture-perfect ending that a lot of books do.
May 28, 2024
I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.25 stars
I liked 98% of this book. It's funny, it's raw, it's honest, it's unique. A Korean American coming of age story that doesn't focus on school or romance? I've never read anything like it and I was so excited to dive in.
Jackie is a 15-year-old second generation Korean American New Yorker. The academic pressure from her parents, the clash between her passion for cooking and what her family wants for her, and the increase in AAPI hate has completely messed up her world. She's selfish and angry and sneaky and passionate and determined. She comes across as an actual 15-year-old and I really appreciated that, even if I didn't always like her.
This story is great. It tackles a lot but it all makes sense and works. Jackie's story is multifaceted and I don't think the author could have done a better job capturing it all. The pacing is perfect! I mean, I felt like I was actually watching the first cooking challenge Jackie had on the show. And the inclusion of Korean characters when Halmoni and Haraboji spoke Korean made me so happy! I love when other languages are depicted in their natural form (as opposed to an anglicized version).
I gave this 4 stars because I think these stories are important. Teens deserve to see themselves represented in fiction they can relate to. But my honest rating is 3.25 stars because the 2% of the book that I didn't like -- that I, in fact, hated -- was the end. I'm all for endings that don't tie everything up in a neat bow. But I feel like Jackie was cheated out of the opportunity to wrap up her story.
I'll recommend this to everyone but with a warning about the ending.
3.25 stars
I liked 98% of this book. It's funny, it's raw, it's honest, it's unique. A Korean American coming of age story that doesn't focus on school or romance? I've never read anything like it and I was so excited to dive in.
Jackie is a 15-year-old second generation Korean American New Yorker. The academic pressure from her parents, the clash between her passion for cooking and what her family wants for her, and the increase in AAPI hate has completely messed up her world. She's selfish and angry and sneaky and passionate and determined. She comes across as an actual 15-year-old and I really appreciated that, even if I didn't always like her.
This story is great. It tackles a lot but it all makes sense and works. Jackie's story is multifaceted and I don't think the author could have done a better job capturing it all. The pacing is perfect! I mean, I felt like I was actually watching the first cooking challenge Jackie had on the show. And the inclusion of Korean characters when Halmoni and Haraboji spoke Korean made me so happy! I love when other languages are depicted in their natural form (as opposed to an anglicized version).
I gave this 4 stars because I think these stories are important. Teens deserve to see themselves represented in fiction they can relate to. But my honest rating is 3.25 stars because the 2% of the book that I didn't like -- that I, in fact, hated -- was the end. I'm all for endings that don't tie everything up in a neat bow. But I feel like Jackie was cheated out of the opportunity to wrap up her story.
I'll recommend this to everyone but with a warning about the ending.
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