Author: David Yoon
Narrator: Michael Bow
Unabridged: 9 hr 3 min
Format: Digital Audiobook Download
Publisher: Listening Library
Published: 11/17/2020
I'm not going to lie, about a quarter of the way into this book, I was ready to close it and put it back on the shelf. The way "nerds" were being portrayed in the start felt so cliche and the amount of second-hand embarrassment I felt for the main character, Sunny, while reading was almost unbearable. I pushed through, however, and I'm so glad that I did. While the beginning of the story still doesn't sit entirely right with me, by the time I finished reading, I saw the significance of it being written the way it was. Overall, Super Fake Love Song was a really cute story. I found myself rooting for Sunny more and more as I worked my way through the story. David Yoon did a great job of making sure the side characters were fully fleshed out as well, which is always appreciated. By the time I was a little over halfway through the book, I couldn't put it down. I needed to know what was going to happen next. The one fault I did find with the book, aside from my issues with the first quarter, was that the story was very heavily dialogue based. While this is something I don't personally love, I don't think it's something that should make or break a book
Oh gosh, I absolutely sped through this! Super Fake Love Song takes on a lot lighter and more romcom feel than Frankly in Love. (And when I say romcom, I do actually mean it.) Even though there's this twisting feeling in your gut for the big reveal of Sunny's secret (as he fakes being in a rock band......more
3.5 stars This book was a bit of a slow grower as I struggled with the premise at first. Around the halfway point or so I realized the positive aspects of the story outweighed the negative, and I settled into a good reading groove. Surprisingly, given the title, the romance is not the strength of the......more
guys i swear one more 2 star read and i'm gonna quit reading......more
**Many thanks to BookishFirst, Penguin Teen/Putnam, and David Yoon for an ARC of this book! Now available in paperback!** Sunny Dae (yes, that's really his name) has always been a nerd, a far cry from his wannabe rockstar older brother Gray who is out pursuing his dreams in LA. When he moves to a new......more
11/18/20: REVIEW TIME!! Big thanks to Bookish First and the publisher for providing me with a beautiful finished copy of this, my most anticipated book of 2020... unfortunately, just like everything else in 2020, it sucked. So there's irreverent and then there's POINTLESS. This book leaned heavily tow......more
“The fun of this engrossing read (I found myself laughing out loud and admiring Yoon's wordplay) is that underneath the slapstick lies a finely nuanced meditation on how we perform as ourselves. The real surprise is how many of our perceived shortcomings are part of a self-imposed narrative . . . Through romance and failed romance, passion projects and fake passion projects, Sunny and the people around him learn that being true to yourself, once you figure out what the heck that is, is the most important thing of all.”—The New York Times Book Review
“While this is the classic (YA at its best) story of a boy and his first high school relationship, at its heart Super Fake Love Song is also the story of an even more important relationship: the one you have with yourself. It’s a big-hearted novel full of delightful, funny, empathetic characters.”—NPR
“Don’t miss this sweet rom-com about identity and belonging.”—HelloGiggles
“This real-life role-playing-game YA novel addresses being true to oneself in a funny, heartfelt way. . . . Yoon's colorful language and careful plotting enhance an effective, meaningful story about self-acceptance.”—Shelf Awareness
“[S]weet and pointed story of a nerd out of his depth. . . . David Yoon explores the cost of toxic masculinity and the price to young adults when parents give up everything to chase the American dream.”—Minneapolis Star Tribune
“Yoon captures the humor, the heart, and the universal anxieties—and possibilities—of trying on new identities in high school . . . A clever, hilarious, and empathetic look at diverse teens exploring authenticity, identities, and code-switching.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review
“Yoon’s (Frankly in Love) endearingly winning coming-of-age novel . . . challenges stereotypes and tackles the age-old theme of being true to oneself, whether that self is a rock star or a nerd.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
“Readers will be drawn in by the sweet romance and Sunny’s hilarious narration. But in a novel filled with excellent writing, strong characterization, and abundant positive messages, perhaps the greatest strength of all is the emotional openness of the male characters. Yoon’s sophomore follow-up to 2019’s Frankly in Love is charming, witty, and inspirational. Highly recommended.”—School Library Journal, starred review
“With this delectable comedy of errors, Yoon reaffirms his place in the pantheon of authors crafting smart, satisfying romantic fare for teens . . . [It] offers a more complex melody by mixing in running commentary on diversity, culture, and class. . . A worthy read-next for fans of Jenny Han, Nicola Yoon, and David Yoon’s Frankly in Love, it’s a novel that strikes all the right chords.”—BCCB
"The novel is a joyful one. . . For nerds—and those who love them—this is a fitting tribute.”—The Horn Book
“[Sunny’s] voice, unique and wry, is gripping. Fans of Yoon's Frankly in Love—and there are legions—will enjoy this follow-up that similarly tries to reconcile romance with identity.”—Booklist