"Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo--a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike--Caroline is flustered . . . but intrigued. Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all. A connection begins to smolder . . . but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire?" --- Summary via Goodreads
Review By: Vivian V.
5/5 Stars
This graphic novel took me a few hours to read, but it was definitely not a waste of my time. It covers many topics and themes, including mental health, Asian immigrants, the LGBTQ community, and more. The story centers around a high school sophomore named Caroline Kim, whose parents immigrated to California from Korea. Caroline faces expectations from her mother to achieve a more prosperous life than her. I am not Asian, nor are my parents immigrants, but I relate to Caroline’s feeling of not being good enough, trying and failing to meet expectations. To be honest, I categorize a piece of writing as “great” if I relate to it and it makes me feel deeply; this book reaches that criteria. A main plot point in the story is the relationship between Caroline and her tutee, this tutee is a senior named Kimberly(Kim), and the two bond over their parents both being immigrants. Kim guides Caroline through her “whatever” year of high school, and she shows her how she can take control of her life, pursuing happiness. This book made me giggle over cheesy banter, dramatically stare into space in thought, and finally look forward to my own sophomore year. I recommend it if you are craving a comfort read.