Kat Cho is merely known for her fantasy books based on Asian folklore and mythology. But did you know she also published two romance companion novels? I didn’t, until I stumbled upon both books on another blog. The first book in this interconnected duology is Once Upon a K-Prom and tells the story of two former best friends who promised each other to go to prom together. Now, seven years have passed and they haven’t been in touch for the majority of those. Will they end up sticking to their childhood promise or is it just that, a childhood promise?

About the book

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho
Published by Disney Hyperion on May 17, 2022
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781368064644
Genres: Contemporary, Young adult
Rating: 4/5

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 year 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?

My review

Before reading

I’ve heard of Kat Cho’s books before, but never picked one up. They just didn’t sound too appealing to me. A few years ago there was an influx on contemporary YA novels about Korean culture and KPop in particular. I read several of them, such as Axie Oh‘s XOXO and ASAP, Lyla Lee‘s I’ll Be the One, Jessica Jung‘s Shine and Bright and Sarah Suk‘s Made in Korea. I enjoyed all of them as they provide an insight in a culture foreign to me. I occasionally listen to some Kpop, but I’m not as obsessed as other people. I just listen whenever it comes on shuffle, but am not actively seeking new music to listen to or following Kpop groups. However, such books always are entertaining as well as addressing important themes and issues. Therefore, I knew I had to read Once Upon a K-Prom. I think I saw it somewhere years ago, but never payed too much attention to it. I was in need of something different than the books I read before – which were two historical fiction novels back-to-back – and I was sure this novel would serve as the perfect palate cleanser. I expected teen drama (it’s YA after all), but also some more insight in Korean culture and important issues being addressed.

Characters

Most of this story is told from Elena’s POV. This way, we get to know her well and therefore share in her struggles. She is pretty clumsy, which brings her into a lot of uneasy and uncomfortable situations, but also provides some funny moments. Furthermore, she is living in her sibling’s shadows and is aware of the fact she hardly gets approval from her parents, which is important to her. She feels invisible. This changes when her former best friend returns in her life, although his status as a popular KPop idol makes her wonder if she’s invisible to him too, and question his motives. Gradually, she finds the courage to stick up for herself and her beloved community center More and lets herself be walked over less. This is a significant growth compared to the Elena we meet at the start of this book and Cho has written this pretty well. Besides, Robbie gets his own voice in a few of the chapters which provides more insight in what his life looks like and the sacrifices he had – and still has – to make. His chapters are essential to understand his actions, but also mean you know more as a reader than Elena does. I felt for her at some point, but also understood the lengths Robbie has to go through to achieve his goals. Don’t get me wrong, I strongly disagree on the way he handles things, but they are necessary for the plot to move forward. I also wasn’t too fond of Elena completely distrusting Robbie every time something unexpected happens, but again, this is pretty understandable as well considering the reputation that comes with popularity. She is right to keep her guard up, but Robbie is still a human of flesh and blood. This annoyed me multiple times unfortunately.

Writing

Cho’s writing is smooth. The POV switching – although not being too often – was clear as Elena’s is first person’s POV while Robbie’s is third person’s POV. I don’t mind this switch at all though. I listened to the audiobook for this novel and the narrator is pleasant to listen to. There are several Korean words and phrases in the story and in my opinion they should be narrated by a narrator who speaks the language. I had to get used to the narration at first though, but once I got the hang of it, I was sucked into this book.

Plot

Although a bit predictable, the plot itself was captivating. This is merely due to the characters, their actions and their growth. The side characters are mostly clear antagonists and ready to make Elena’s life miserable, something that is providing to her growth as well as keeping the story moving forward. I usually feel too old for the typical YA teen drama these days, but this time I was invested. This definitely has to do with the deeper layers the author adds to the novel. Elena is volunteering at a community center and this center is clearly important to her. Here she feels seen, unlike at home or school. She experienced people getting out of her life a handful of times and this makes her question whether it’s her fault and whether she’s worth it. Her loneliness is palpable through the pages. Her time with Robbie and eventually the other members of the group provide a positive experience to her, although her guard is up sky high. Beyond these themes, Cho also provides a little more insight in Korean culture, albeit less than in other novels I’ve read. I didn’t mind this though as the focus was clearly on the friendship between the main characters and how this might become more than just that.

Final thoughts

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho is a young adult novel I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading. I definitely have outgrown the genre, but books with such deeper themes and diversity always pique my interest still. The characters carry the plot and the element of the struggling community center which is so dear to Elena that she wants to raise funds for it, provides much needed depth to an otherwise predictably unfolding plot. Although I didn’t agree on many of the characters’ actions, I understood their reasons. These events are necessary to move the plot forward and keep the reader captivated. I surely was! Cho’s writing is accessible and smooth, which made me fly through this book in a breeze. After needing some time to get used to the audiobook narration, I enjoyed this as well. I will definitely pick up the companion Wish Upon a K-Star as I’m sure this world has much more relaxing hours to offer.