Somewhere Only We Know

by Maurene Goo

9:00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest Korean pop star on the scene, and tomorrow is her debut on The Tonight Show, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. She’s in her fancy hotel, and her feet are killing her. She’s dying for a hamburger.
10:00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid reporter job that he keeps secret from his high-profile journalist father. On his way out, he runs into a girl wearing hotel slippers who is determined to find a hamburger. She looks familiar. She’s kind of cute. He’s really curious.
12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.
With her trademark humour and voice, Maurene Goo delivers a sparkling story of taking a chance on love—and finding yourself along the way.

• ISBN10: 1466898836
• ISBN13: 9781466898837
• Publish Date: 1 June 2019 (first published 7 May 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 5 April 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Palgrave Macmillan
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Chelsea]

Something about this book just rubbed me the wrong way. First of all, the plot was pretty predictable. What do you think is gonna happen when a pop star falls in love with a guy who she doesn't know is a tabloid photographer?? I knew from the start what was going to happen and sadly that's exactly how the book went.

I also didn't like how negatively the author made the kpop world seem. Kpop gets enough hate, there's no need to add fuel to that fire. Especially since a lot of people reading this will be experiencing it for the first time and there's nothing in this book that would make anyone want to give it a try. Yes, sometimes it can be restricting and I have no doubt that it's a hard career path, but there's tons of idols who love it and are very successful while still doing what they want to be doing. The author pulled out all the most negative things about that world and didn't add anything positive which really disappointed me. Yes I understand some of the topics covered are important issues but I didn't think it had to be so negative.

The majority of the book takes place over the duration of a day in Hong Kong. At no point in time while reading this did I actually feel like I was in Hong Kong. There was nothing that stood out to me where I felt like I was in a different place. Maybe I watch too many Asian dramas, who knows, but I wished the setting would have been a little more magical.

I didn't really like the ending either. It's still not easy for Korean singers to make it in the US market and the fact that the MC could just switch over to the US was just too easy. Maybe I'm being too picky about the whole thing but I was just so annoyed by the very basic understanding the author showed of that world that I couldn't enjoy the book at all.

[layawaydragon]

She's so lucky she's a staaaaaar.

*insert lucky by britney spears gif*


"This feeling right now? The tingles and light-headedness? It was the anticipation of something extraordinary." -ARC Quote

What a magical day. What a fantastic ending.

I flew through this book. Full of d'awwwwws and ohhhhhhhhs and nonononononononos.

I didn't think I'd be won over so quickly & so hard, but as with The Sun Is Also A Star, I'm apparently a big old softy. Well, they're both also by marginalized authors who write circles around the YA white standard. *cough cough*

I loved every bit of this. I can't even really describe it. Just a perfect fun, flirty, contemporary romance where a single day changes everything and nothing.

"Osmosis by way of ferocious adoration." - ARC quote.

The best friend. The manager. The bookstore! The first kiss! The families! The disguises and running around and FOOD.

I knew the betrayal & reveal were coming. It still made me antsy & crushed rather than bored & expected.

Love the conversations around talent and effort and practice and passion.

Did I mention the great supportive families and adults and friends?

"The one thing I'd learned from four years in K-pop was that hard work trumped talent on any given day."- ARC quote.

Learned a lot about the Korean pop scene for girls (for someone who knew nothing). It's not that different than USian TBH. Just not as exposed or seen as "weird" here. And I can't believe I'm going to reference them, but South Parks disturbing episode about Brittany Spears and Miley Cyrus make a good point in that respect. We love the manufactured Disney stars and watching them crash & burn. There's no way those kids aren't as groomed & coached & altered as their Korean counter parts. So attend your own house before unleashing your white outrage, m'kay?

"I admired her so much in that moment that it almost hurt."- ARC quote.

[Rowena]

This was a quick read for me and I'm glad that I read it. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did the last Goo book that I read but it was still enjoyable. I wasn't bothered by the insta-love thing going on like I thought I would be and Goo provided another light story with some depth thrown in for good measure.

[ccbookwitch]

Despite not loving Maurene Goo’s last book, THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL, as much as I loved I BELIEVE IN A THING CALLED LOVE, I was absolutely psyched for this book. It had so many tropes and things that were destined to make it a Mel book, including, but not limited to, a whirlwind over-a-few-days romance, celebrity romance (which is a thing I am a total sucker for), MUSIC and art, and set in a foreign country. I am EXTREMELY pleased to report that all these things did make it a Mel book, and I completely loved it.

My favorite thing about this book was its discussion of following your dreams and making the most of your passions. Both Lucky and Jack are somewhat struggling to follow their passions in this book. Though Lucky has technically achieved her dream of becoming a K-pop star, she’s struggling to feel the same joy she felt for it when she first started and doesn’t like all the restrictions her image brings. Jack is trying to follow his photography dreams and prove to his parents that they are worthwhile and that he can do it.This book really inspired me because its all about being true to yourself and what it means to live a “quality” life, which is something I’ve been struggling with since moving out on my own and not having time for a creative pursuit. Reading this book really made me want to pursue some of the creative ideas I’ve been having lately.

I also thought Jack and Lucky’s relationship felt really natural despite it taking place over the course of a weekend. I shipped them right away and really felt their chemistry the whole time. I liked that they had a lot in common but also had distinct differences in their philosophies on life so their connection wasn’t boring or contrived. I was also glad that there was conflict where Jack’s feelings for Lucky were concerned, because otherwise this could’ve been a boring romance. The way Maurene Goo chose to raise the stakes of their relationship with Jack’s tabloid job and using that as his motivation really amped up the conflict and suspense in their romance and added another layer to the story that really worked for me.

Additionally, I loved learning more about K-pop and that part of the music industry, and all the culture in the book in general. I don’t know basically anything about K-pop, and Goo painted a very clear and interesting picture of what it takes to be a K-pop star through Lucky’s story. Besides that, I loved learning about Hong Kong, which is a place I know pretty much nothing about. The setting was so wonderfully vivid, and there was so much FOOD, which is something I love in books in any genre. Basically, SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW was a book I really felt and saw and heard and smelled and tasted and it was amazingly detailed and vivid in all aspects.

This book was utterly delightful and I really loved it. It inspired me to pursue some of my creative ideas, had a completely shippable romance, and made me super hungry. It was fun and uplifting and just made me smile. This is definitely a book I’ll be keeping on my shelf a long time, and I can’t wait to request it for my library so I can make all my teens read it because it is SO. GOOD. If you haven’t read a Maurene Goo book yet, you should definitely start with this one!

[Sam@WLABB]

Thank you, Maurene Goo, for putting this HUGE smile on my face! Somewhere Only We Know was an absolute delight. I had previously read articles calling this "a modern-day Roman Holiday", and I must admit, Goo did a fantastic job capturing the essence of the original story, while making it modern and meaningful for the YA audience.

Lucky was a K-pop princess, and her days were filled with work, work, and more work. At the end of her tour, she escaped her security detail, and ventured out to enjoy Hong Kong on her own. Certain events bring her into the path of Jack, who happened to be moonlighting as a tabloid photographer. In an effort to get a big Lucky scoop, he offered to show her around Hong Kong, but the more time they spent together, the more their feelings became intertwined. This question if Lucky and Jack could make this feeling last for more than a night.

I instantly fell in love with Lucky, and became fiercely protective of her. She was so sweet and genuine, and I empathized with the battle she was fighting within herself. She loved having the opportunity to be a singing sensation, but she longed for more normalcy and autonomy. It was easy to see how much this one day of freedom meant, and I wanted more of that work-life balance for her.

Though I liked Jack, in general, it took me a looooong time to trust him. His motives were not pure, and his deception was something that could have ruined Lucky. It was good to see he had a conscience, and was able to see beyond the famous veneer and recognize Lucky as an actual person.

The two of them together made my heart soar. I adored their interactions, and as they grew closer and closer to one another, my heart beat faster and faster. Some may condemn this as instalove, but I DON'T CARE! It was fun. It was sweet. It was adorable and charming. It made me happy. I loved the way each of them could really "see" one another, and they were supportive and encouraging. They were a perfect coupling, and I wanted their adventure to last forever.

I had the best time frolicking in Hong Kong with these two. First of all, we ate A LOT. Goo incorporated so much food into their 24-hour adventure, and I was totally jealous...and hungry. I also loved that she brought us to so many different points of interest. I love when an author utilizes the setting of their book, and Goo practically made Hong Kong another character in this story. It was a wonderful backdrop for this whirlwind romance, and it just ratcheted up my desire to visit there someday.

But, a BIG reason for this grin on my face was that ending! My smile grew wider and wider with each sentence, and it was perfection for me. It also had me yearning for a sequel, but you know, that's me reacting to how much I loved both Lucky and Jack, and I just want more of their story.

Somewhere Only We Know was so many things. It was a love story, but it was also a story of finding oneself and their purpose, and taking the action necessary to make their wants come to fruition. This book surpassed my expectations, and obviously left me drying my happy tears.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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