GOOD ENOUGH

"A funny story." "Will hit home for many readers."

"Patty's immigrant parents expect her to be a “P.K.D” (perfect Korean daughter), which means that between AP classes, violin, church and Ivy League applications, Patty gets little time—and less encouragement—to figure out what she wants for herself. When she develops a crush on a new boy and forms a friendship with him, her romantic feelings go unrequited but he does show her to think more broadly, encouraging her to take her violin teacher's advice and apply to Juilliard (her parents insist there is “no security in music”). While Patty is full-out nerdy, she has a great sense of humor, shown through interludes in which she posits her dilemmas as SAT questions or lists “how not to be a P.K.D.”: “Instead of translating Vergil's Aeneid you spend two hours talking on the phone with Susan about how cute Ben is.” Yoo (The Sammy Lee Story ) writes with particular fluency of Patty's love of music. Readers will appreciate, too, that the author does not demonize Patty's high-pressure parents: they may bark “HarvardYalePrinceton ” at her but their love is never in doubt. An overneat ending doesn't significantly detract from a funny story that will hit home for many readers. Ages 12-up."

- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

"Enjoyable, funny but not superficial read."

"Patti knows that the only thing harder than calculus, or maybe mastering the cadenza from the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto in E Minor, is being a PKD, a Perfect Korean Daughter. The PKD achieves great grades, shines at extracurriculars and is devoted to her church but never complains or brags. Most important, the PKD never questions her parents’ pushing her to get into Harvard, Yale and Princeton and become a doctor or a lawyer. Though witty, linguistically gifted Patti has a number of academic talents, her greatest joy is playing the violin. She knows she’s not supposed to rock the Harvard/Yale/Princeton boat but, encouraged by her violin teacher, she applies to Juilliard. Now her dilemma is not her SAT scores or her grades, but how to hide her desire to attend music school from her academically oriented parents. The Clash, a jam session and a new boy at school encourage Patti to break from her PKD shell and see her social life and violin studies in new ways. Teens living through the pressure of college applications and questioning their futures will sympathize with Patti in this enjoyable, funny but not superficial read, which bears many similarities to Alex Flinn’s Diva (2006). (Fiction. YA)"

- KIRKUS REVIEWS

"A good option for reluctant readers."

"If Patti Yoon's life were like the multiple-choice SAT questions she studies for, it might look like this: During Patti's senior year she decides to a) Make her Korean parents happy and go to HYP (Harvard, Yale, or Princeton), b) Go behind her parents' backs and apply to Juilliard, c) Quit studying and become infatuated with a trumpet player who listens to The Clash, d) Eat Korean food made with Spam (recipes included) and be the PKD (perfect Korean daughter), or e) All of the above. Patti would pick E, but life isn't a multiple-choice test, so she has to decide among these choices while trying not to stand out as an overachiever (standing out is a no-no for a PKD). Yoo will have teens wondering if Patti can ever measure up, and how she will survive the pressure and heartbreak of her senior year. Short chapters, the teen's funny occasional SAT tips, and her top-10 lists make this a good options for reluctant readers. — Shannon Seglin, Patrick Henry Library, Vienna, VA"

- SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL

"Humor and authenticity."

"Patti Yoon is expecting to be named to the Connecticut All State High School Orchestra first chair All-State Concertmaster for the fourth year in a row when she instead meets Cute Trumpet Guy. Hormones kick in, fluster follows and all she can think about are the green-olive eyes of Cute Trumpet Guy. Although Patti makes the orchestra, she is not first concertmaster as she had hoped or as her parents had expected. She is caught in between expectations--the expectations she sets for herself and the expectations her parents have set for her. She loves music, her father loves math. As she muddles through the year, she keeps lists: lists of how to make her parents happy, study tips for the SAT, how to succeed at college interviews and recipes for her mother's Korean Spam meals. Patti's love of music grows and expands in more diverse ways along with her interest in Cute Trumpet Guy, Ben Wheeler, who turns out to be the new guy in her high school class. Her friendship with him helps Patti develop more independence and confidence. But the friendship also leads her into disobeying her parents by going out with him when she is supposed to be with her church youth group. Caught between cultures, Patti must also learn to navigate her own dreams and aspirations alongside the expectations of others. The author reflects on the hard lessons of adolescence--maneuvering between childhood and adulthood and developing a sense of self--with humor and authenticity. Age Range: Ages 12 to 15. REVIEWER: Janis Flint-Ferguson (Vol. 42, No. 1) ”

- KLIATT