Review : Hello, I Love You by Katie M. Stout

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Hello, I Love You
Author : Katie M. Stout
Publication Date :  June 9th 2015
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
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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.

Personal Thoughts

One of my favorite things about books is that it allows you to travel without actually having to get on a plane. My primary reason for being attracted towards Hello, I Love You, was the interracial couple and the book being set in South Korea. Katie M. Stout's debut and I had a rough start, but by the end, I really found myself enjoying it.

Grace, the protagonist, of the novel wasn't the easiest to like. She finds herself in South Korea for her senior year, her decision by the way, knowing absolutely nothing about the culture and the lifestyle of Koreans. She grated on my nerves at the beginning of the book ... a lot. Her judgmental comments and snobby attitude were infuriating. She had so many stereotypical views about foreigners in general. It was really hard to mesh with her character because of that. But, I gave her the benefit of the doubt and continued on with the book because I wanted to see some growth from her and she was a teenager who came from a relatively sheltered background. While it did take some time to get there, Grace did mature throughout the book and by the end, she wasn't as narrow-minded as she initially was. While Grace took some time to warm up, I did love the secondary characters, especially Grace's new friend Sophie. She was an adorable and peppy character who just spread so much happiness whenever she was around. I loved Sophie's growing friendship with Grace and that was definitely one of the highlights of the book for me. Jason,  Grace's love interest and Sophie's brother, wasn't also easy to figure out at first. He was so closed off at first and came across as very cold, but once he started to open up, it was easy to see just how adorable he was.

He and Grace's relationship felt like a tug-of-war with both of them being hot and cold throughout the book. It was a little infuriating,  but as soon as they got together as a couple, my shipper heart was blooming with happiness. They were super cute together because they both pushed each other to be better people. At the same time though, I wish we had gotten to see more of them work together as a couple, going on cute dates and all. What I really enjoyed in Hello, I Love You however, was the depiction of South Korea itself. I thought Katie M. Stout did a really good job at vividly describing the lifestyle, the food, the night life and the culture of the country through the book. I felt like I was actually in South Korea alongside Grace. For those readers who are expecting Hello, I Love You to be heavy on the KPOP, lower your expectations, because the music is very much secondary to the character growth and the romance. What Katie M. Stout did depict in the book was the life of being a celebrity and the impacts that that can have on individuals.

While Hello, I Love You started off a bit shaky for me, by the end of the novel, I was very  much immersed in the book because the character growth, the swoony romance and the foreign setting were beautifully written.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 3/5

Thank you to St.Martin's Press for the ARC of Hello, I Love You.