Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Hello, I Love You
by by Katie M. Stout

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Published: 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Genre: YA, South Korea
Hardback: 304 pages
Rating: 4

First sentence(s):
Big Brother,
I want you to know something: It wasn't your fault, not any of it. And I'm so sorry. Sorry for ditching the family and for shipping off to the other side of the world.

Grace Wilde is running-from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who's topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother's breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie's twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, Katie M. Stout's Hello, I Love You explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

My two-bits:

I have been looking for Kpop related fiction and found this one which fit the bill. Still looking for more.

In this story the main character, Grace, is an American teen attending school in South Korea not so much for interest in Korea, but for escapism. Because of this, there are only glimpses of the locations and culture.

However, I did enjoy the glimpses into the Kpop industry, boarding school and jaunts into town for entertainment.

There is a coming of age moment at the end for Grace as she deals with the issues that caused her move from the U.S. And, some push-pull romance is sprinkled in as well.

About the author:

Hello! I'm Katie, and I write books.

I'm from Atlanta, Georgia, but I have a passion for travel, which has taken me all over the world. I've lived in Thailand and England, and I've visited five continents. I love Southern sweet tea and English sticky toffee pudding, and I'm a full-time grad student and part-time social media manager for a Christian charity.

Thirsty Thursday and Hungry Hearts - 4.28.16

Thirsty Thursday and Hungry Hearts
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A meme to share some food and/or drink quotes found in current reads.

Hello, I Love You
by Katie M. Stout
-Music, Romance, YA, Korea
Amazon | Goodreads | Website
A teen escapes to a boarding school abroad and falls for a Korean pop star in this fun and fresh romantic novel in the vein of Anna and the French Kiss.

Grace Wilde is running—from the multi-million dollar mansion her record producer father bought, the famous older brother who’s topped the country music charts five years in a row, and the mother who blames her for her brother’s breakdown. Grace escapes to the farthest place from home she can think of, a boarding school in Korea, hoping for a fresh start.

She wants nothing to do with music, but when her roommate Sophie’s twin brother Jason turns out to be the newest Korean pop music superstar, Grace is thrust back into the world of fame. She can't stand Jason, whose celebrity status is only outmatched by his oversized ego, but they form a tenuous alliance for the sake of her friendship with Sophie. As the months go by and Grace adjusts to her new life in Korea, even she can't deny the sparks flying between her and the KPOP idol.

Soon, Grace realizes that her feelings for Jason threaten her promise to herself that she'll leave behind the music industry that destroyed her family. But can Grace ignore her attraction to Jason and her undeniable pull of the music she was born to write? Sweet, fun, and romantic, this young adult novel explores what it means to experience first love and discover who you really are in the process.

Quote:
He studies the list. "Do you like fish?"
"Umm..."
He smiles. "You don't"
"Well, if that's what they specialize in here, that's fine. I'll be brave. Make memories and whatnot."
-chapter 4, page 45

=====> FISH is one of "those" that I would like to incorporate more into my diet - being known to be brain food. I have been meaning to explore beyond the usual salmon.

=====> Here is a South Korean popular fish dish, Hongeo, that I would like to try some day. They say it is a smelly fermented skate with a texture of chewy flesh and crunchy cartilage served sashimi style.

=====> And to put a twist on fish...

I also want to try the Korean sweet ice cream treat version pictured above - Bungeoppang known as “crucian carp cake/bread”. Bungeoppangs are prepared using an appliance similar to a waffle iron. The batter is poured into a fish-shaped mold, red bean paste is added, then more batter to encase the red bean paste. The mold is then closed, and roasted. -per wikipedia

~*~
* image source: Hongeo, Bungeoppang