Description

From acclaimed author Lydia Kang comes a funny, moving YA novel following a third-generation Korean American teen who goes to extreme and hilarious lengths to connect more with her Korean heritage, perfect for fans of Maurene Goo and Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Jane Choi is a typical Nebraskan teen—a corn-fed lover of Husker football. But lately, in this coming-of-age story, she feels like she’s missing something. Her non-Korean classmates—that’s everyone—are immersed in K-pop, K-dramas, K-beauty . . . basically, K-everything. But for Jane, kimchi? Not a fan. Bibimbap? What is that? Her mom even named her after the very not-Korean Jane Eyre.

Everyone seems to know more about Korean culture than Jane. And she isn’t sure whether she’s more annoyed at them, or herself.

With a baby brother on the way, Jane is determined to save her new sibling from enduring the same humiliation. Enter: a totally foolproof plan to become the K-Jane of her dreams. What better way than to start a private social media account about all things Korean so her closest cousins can learn from her?

But her journey of cultural identity is more complicated than taste-testing multiple varieties of kimchi in front of a camera. And when online virality crashes into real life, Jane’s plans might just go K-boom in her face.

  • A Coming-of-Age Story: Follows a teen girl's hilarious and heartfelt quest to connect with her roots, save her baby brother from her same fate, and figure out who she really is outside of being a corn-fed Nebraskan.
  • Cultural Identity Journey: Perfect for readers who love stories about self-discovery, heritage, and the complicated feelings that come with being a third-generation Korean American when K-pop and K-dramas are suddenly everywhere.
  • From Private Account to Viral Sensation: Jane's plan to secretly educate her cousins on all things Korean backfires spectacularly when her social media project crashes into her real life, with consequences she never saw coming.
  • Sweet YA Romance: Features an adorable, chemistry-filled subplot with a charming lab partner that will have readers cheering.

About the author(s)

Lydia Kang is an associate professor of internal medicine and an award-winning and bestselling author of adult fiction, young adult fiction, and science nonfiction, including K-Jane, Opium and Absinthe, Star Wars: Cataclysm, The November Girl, and Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything.

Reviews

"K-Jane is a heartwarming -- and incredibly clever -- novel about feeling at home in yourself. Lydia Kang writes with such extraordinary compassion for her characters. You'll feel for Jane and root for Jane and love what Jane loves -- including her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska." - Rainbow Rowell, No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of Fangirl

"K-Jane is the soul food I didn't know I needed! Funny, charming, heartwarming, and deeply moving, it touched me to my Korean American core. I adored it!” - Ellen Oh, author of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee

"Kang offers a funny and heartfelt exploration of identity, cultural disconnect, and the sometimes messy path to self-discovery." - Booklist

"Refreshing...A nuanced, skillfully executed, and highly entertaining exploration of cultural belonging." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Hilarious and heartening, this earnest novel by Kang excavates one teen’s longing to connect—with her identity, her family, and the people around her who seem to find comfort in aspects of her culture that she wasn’t raised to celebrate." - School Library Journal

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