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blondofondo's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Very cute story. Enjoyed the friendships she made, the character growth, and the fun setting. Just wish there had been more in the ending, to see more of the characters at the end and how they fared after the semester, but maybe that’s in book 2. I’m looking forward to reading the second book since I really loved Sori and Nathaniel.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Eating disorder
shannnne_reads_words's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Terminal illness and Death of parent
dragonlilly's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This was a fun and extra sweet story with a lot to love! Axie Oh touches on a lot of important topics within this book, such as the difficult and terrible parts of idol life, bullying, being in a new country and school all at once and adapting to that culture, death of a parent and distance between parent and child, the importance of friends, and learning to chase after what you love and what makes you love life. One of the characters is also shown to be moving on from a break-up, and while I did hope they would get back together, it was also refreshing to see a character be ok with moving on, while also never regretting their past relationship and treasuring the happy moments they had. Axie Oh also discusses these topics by 'showing' rather than simply 'telling' and this really allowed these discussions to be more engaging and threaded all throughout the story in a great way, illustrating the depth of her writing. I was constantly predicting what would happen next, and also constantly found some of my predictions to be wrong, but it made for a fun and lighthearted reading experience. Throughout the book, I even found some moments that reminded me of my own relationship and that was fun too. The friendships between characters were so deeply heartwarming and made me enjoy this book even further, and I really found myself enjoying the characters and story right from the start of the book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying and Death of parent
kaneebli's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail
ceredonia's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Cancer, Racism, and Death of parent
daenerystargaryen's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, Sexism, Medical content, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Abandonment
torturedreadersdept's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
Finished reading: May 7th 2024
"Because the people who live for tomorrow don't take risks. They're afraid of the consequences. while the people who live for today have nothing to lose, so they fight tooth and nail. "
I confess that the main reason I bumped this title towards the top of my TBR was that I needed a title starting with X for the Popsugar challenge. I've been meaning to try Axie Oh's writing for a while though, so it was by no means a struggle to do so... I'm so glad I did now, because I ended up having a fantastic time reading XOXO. I think this book came at exactly the right time for me, because I was craving a cute and mostly uplifting romance and this is exactly what this story turned out to be. I loved the whole music element and while I'm not exactly a K-pop fan nor did I know just how big of a thing it was, it was still easy to follow XOXO. The main characters were easy to warm up to, and I loved spending time with Jenny and the rest. The romance was cute in general, but also had a dose of forbidden romance and drama along the way... I could have done without the love triangle vibe, but as a whole I wasn't too bothered by that. I especially loved the descriptions of the South Korean setting and the food, which definitely made me crave Asian food. I ended up having so much fun reading this story, and I already can't wait to read the sequel with Sori in the spotlight. This was my first time reading Axie Oh, and I already know she will appear on my list of favorite new author discoveries of 2024!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
cait's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
xvicesx's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was in two minds about the rating, but ultimately it's a very enjoyable book and I stayed up until late into the night to finish it so it deserves its 5 stars.
I very much loved Axie Oh's "The Girl Who Fell Under the Sea" and I bought this book on the back of that then took a very long time to feel in the mood for it. It aged like a fine wine.
XOXO is a fast paced, feel good novel with low stakes and beautiful friendships in the difficult world of K-pop idols. The characters are relatable, lovable, and you learn a couple things along the way about a fairly difficult lifestyle in my mind. Really enjoyed it!
I very much loved Axie Oh's "The Girl Who Fell Under the Sea" and I bought this book on the back of that then took a very long time to feel in the mood for it. It aged like a fine wine.
XOXO is a fast paced, feel good novel with low stakes and beautiful friendships in the difficult world of K-pop idols. The characters are relatable, lovable, and you learn a couple things along the way about a fairly difficult lifestyle in my mind. Really enjoyed it!
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, and Death of parent