Publishers Weekly
05/10/2021
In this lighthearted contemporary romance, a livestream baking blunder dubbed #BrownieGate and #BrowniePorn results in Korean American vlogger Sun-Hee “Sunny” Song, 17, being sent to a digital detox camp in Iowa to placate her reputation-concerned high school principal. While she initially dislikes life at Sunshine Heritage Farms, Sunny befriends mukbang livestreamer Delina, who’s Black, and entrepreneurial Theo, whose white family owns the farm; as Sunny faces her own preconceived notions of rural life, she also pursues a relationship with Theo. The two grow closer through witty banter and assisting regular visitors in a sweet romance that nails new-relationship nerves. But she must choose between stardom and finishing the camp when a social media showcase requires Sunny to make a fresh video using a smuggled cell phone. Some supporting characters are inadequately fleshed out, and a message about social media and genuine relationships being mutually exclusive feels limiting, but Park (The Perfect Escape) offers thoughtful insights about being perpetually online through Sunny’s humorous narration. Ages 14–up. Agent: Brent Taylor, Triada US. (June)
From the Publisher
"An absolute joy to read. I completely demolished it one sitting. Sunny's adventures are endlessly entertaining and full of fabulous dialogue that will keep you laughing." — NPR.org
"Suzanne Park smartly explores identity, specifically when it is intertwined with social media...an insightful, pertinent and humorous novel." — Shelf Awareness
"An easy, enjoyable, and reflective summer read... will make readers think twice about their own social media usage." — The Nerd Daily
"[Sunny’s] reasons for turning to social media will resonate with many readers, regardless of age…a sweet summer read." — Manhattan Book Review
"Sunny Song is one of the most hilarious, heart-warming, relatable teen characters I've had the pleasure of encountering. Readers will fall head over heels in love with her as she goes all the way from shining LA influencer to unwitting farmhand! A must-have for any YA shelf." — Sandhya Menon, New York Times bestselling author of When Dimple Met Rishi
"With a diverse cast, the main characters are vivid and Sunny’s arc is particularly satisfying... For collections looking to add a humorous romance." — School Library Journal
"[A] heartwarming story of a young adult trying to separate herself from her online persona...Sunny will easily endear herself to many readers." — Booklist
"Suzanne Park's charming and hilarious coming-of-age tale about a social media influencer forced to take a digital detox is a must-read for teens." — Common Sense Media
"Charming and funny, Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous is timely and completely relatable." — Olivia Haase, Medium.com
"Park smartly and honestly weaves Sunny’s nuanced experience as a Korean American into a story that is ultimately about human identity in our advanced age of social networking. " — Kirkus Reviews
"A thoroughly fun read from first page to last." — Midwest Book Review
"A true delight!" — Helen Hoang, USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient
"Sunny is absolutely the star of this narrative. She is funny and witty and the book will be very relatable to today’s adolescents." — Youth Services Book Review
School Library Journal
05/01/2021
Gr 9 Up—This is an #OwnVoices story about Sunny Song, a Korean American rising high school senior living in Los Angeles. Sunny had been known as Goggle Girl thanks to a video that her mother, who used to be a mommy blogger, posted of Sunny dancing in swim goggles and a bathrobe. Now Sunny has a YouTube channel with nearly 100,000 followers, but when her clumsiness results in her accidentally removing her top while baking during a livestream, the incident becomes known as #BrowniePorn. Sunny's parents send her to Sunshine Heritage Farms in Iowa for a digital detox session. Along with other teens there, all of whom are supposed to keep their online identities a secret, Sunny will have no access to the internet or electronic devices. Sunny's best friend Maya, who is Black, sees a contest to join Starhouse, "a collective of content creators," and volunteers to admin Sunny's channel while she's gone. Readers will chuckle as Sunny encounters rivalry and romance with the camp owner's son, all while sneakily trying to film her contest entry. With a diverse cast, the main characters are vivid and Sunny's arc is particularly satisfying. Throughout the story, Sunny navigates her Korean American identity and her online persona, as well as her relationship with her family. Park addresses casual racism when Sunny is taken off historical reenactment duty because the camp director believes having a Korean American pioneer confuses children. The subplots ultimately tie together in an ending that feels almost too neatly resolved. Brief drug and alcohol use make this story a better fit for older readers. VERDICT For collections looking to add a humorous romance.—Liz Anderson, DC P.L.
Kirkus Reviews
2021-03-31
A Los Angeles teen YouTuber is forced to disconnect from Wi-Fi but finds new connections in an unexpected place.
Sun-Hee “Sunny” Song’s parents are already on her case since her prep school headmaster met with them to address Sunny’s social media activity during school hours. So after her parents and younger sister, Chloe, walk in on her during an accidentally racy cooking livestream, later dubbed #BrownieGate and #BrowniePorn, Sunny is sent to Sunshine Heritage Farms, a digital media detox camp in Iowa where technology is banned and campers are required to attend daily group sessions and contribute to the farm’s maintenance. Sunny encounters internet socialites of all kinds, including Delina, a Black mukbang livestreamer whom she later befriends, and Wendy, a popular and intimidating White athletic influencer whose arc is never fully resolved. Desperate to stay connected, Sunny sneaks a cellphone into camp and keeps up with her best friend, Maya, who forwards updates on her status in an influencer contest. But as Sunny grows closer to sweet and hardworking Theo, a White boy whose family runs the farm, and reflects on the impact of social media on her life and future, her priorities begin to shift. Park smartly and honestly weaves Sunny’s nuanced experience as a Korean American into a story that is ultimately about human identity in our advanced age of social networking. Valuable lessons learned and a cute romance are wrapped up with a sentimental ending.
Quirky and insightful. (Fiction. 12-17)
