Movies, Shows, & Books: BLOG TOUR: XOXO by Axie Oh

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

BLOG TOUR: XOXO by Axie Oh

Welcome to the Official Blog Tour for Axie Oh's XOXO. Today, on our tour stop, we have a guest post featuring the list of one of the characters in the book. Plus, there's a tour-wide giveaway, too! And... today happens to be its book birthday! So... Be sure to check it out and grab your copy now! Follow the tour, HERE.

Genre:

Young Adult

Contemporary Romance

Publish Date:

July 13, 2021

Publisher:

HarperCollins

Synopsis:

Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.

Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.

When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.

*Uncle Jay's Playlist*

In XOXO, Jenny’s uncle own’s a Noraebang, or Karaoke bar. While Uncle Jay plays mostly current songs on the giant wall-mounted TV in the main room, occasionally he’ll put on his favorite jams—90’s K-pop. And so I present to you…

Uncle Jay’s 90’s K-Pop Playlist

Link to spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6Otx6WgVM30e0s9XgkNJVk

1. H.O.T.’s Candy

H.O.T. is arguably the most famous K-pop group of its era. In the K-drama Reply 1997, the heroine, Shi Won, idolizes this band and is often shown sneaking out to attend their concerts, with her bias (though I don’t know if that was the word used at the time) being member Tony Ahn. Today, many idol groups are inspired by H.O.T.’s unique musicality and electric stage performances.

2. S.E.S.’s Dreams Come True

S.E.S. and Fin.K.L were two of the most famous girl groups of the 90’s and early 00’s, with S.E.S’s main singer, Bada, and Fin.K.L’s main singer Ock Joo-hyun, praised for their incredible vocals. S.E.S. was a 3-member group, and one of its members, Eugene, went on to become a famous actress.

3. G.O.D.’s Road

G.O.D., which stands for Groove Over Dose, is a classic R&B group. This song, “Road,” is one of my favorite songs of all time, and is often covered by idols.

4. 1TYM’s 1TYM

Before Big Bang, there was 1TYM, a classic hiphop group from YG Entertainment. One of the members of 1TYM, rapper and singer Teddy Park, is now the producer of BLACKPINK’s albums and is featured in the documentary Blackpink: Light Up the Sky.

5. Baby V.O.X.’s Get Up

Fun story, I actually met Baby V.O.X. when I was in middle school because a family friend was their manager and set up a meeting. In a family album somewhere is a picture of me at twelve years old standing next to Yoon Eun Hye. Yes, that Yoon Eun Hye, who went on to star in the class K-dramas Goong and Coffee Prince.

6. Fin.K.L’s NOW

I consider Fin.K.L as my “intro into K-pop” group. While I listened to Korean music growing up because of my mother and older brother, it wasn’t until my uncle gave me the entirety of Fin.K.L’s discography at age eleven that I became a fan for the first time. Leader Lee Hyori went on to have a very successful solo career as a singer, actress, and television personality.

7. Shinhwa’s Perfect Man

Shinhwa was 6-member boy band that I was obsessed with in elementary and middle school. Member Lee Minwoo was my original bias.

8. BoA’s No. 1

BoA is the queen of K-Pop in my opinion. She debuted at the age of 13 in 2000 and still tops charts to this day. She released her album Better last year, which was her 10th full length album and 20th overall.

9. As One’s Day by Day

As One was a R&B duo group comprised of Korean American singers, Lee Min and Crystal. Recently, Joy from Red Velvet covered “Day by Day” on her remake album Hello.

10. H.O.T.’s We Are the Future

A true classic, “We Are the Future” has been covered by many artists, including Exo, and was the tour name of SuperM’s 2020 world tour. H.O.T., Exo, and SuperM are all artists from SM Entertainment.

Bonus: Nct’s 90’s Love

Link to music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5H8zBb3iao

Praise for XOXO

“A dreamy dose of K-pop idols and secret romances.” —Maurene Goo, author of Somewhere Only We Know

“With fun K-drama vibes, XOXO delivers a lot of heart and warmth in its protagonist who stays true to herself to the very end.” —Lyla Lee, author of I’ll Be the One

“When it was over, I immediately wanted to read it for the first time again.” —Kasie West, author of The Fill-In Boyfriend

“Simply put, this book made me happy. I guess you could say . . . I’m just a big fan.” —Emery Lord, author of The Map from Here to There

“A handwritten letter to falling in love and opening yourself up to the world. A delicious treat!” —Aminah Mae Safi, author of Tell Me How You Really Feel

“A feel-good, page-turning, swoony read!” —Gloria Chao, author of American Panda and Rent a Boyfriend

“A sparkling story of self-discovery—I was utterly charmed.” —Sarah Kuhn, author of I Love You So Mochi

“An utterly delightful love song dedicated to the intersection between dreams and romance." —Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running with Lions

“Immensely fun, funny, and romantic.” —Emma Mills, author of Lucky Caller and First & Then

"K-pop helps a cellist develop musically and emotionally in this novel filled with humor and theatrics. Themes of responsibility, regret, and reconciliation weave through the intergenerational dynamics in Jenny’s family, adding dimension and depth." —Kirkus Reviews

"Oh’s narrative reaches an enjoyable clip that is both accessible to readers unfamiliar with K-pop and pleasing for fans of K-dramas as well as anyone who enjoys a breezy contemporary romance." —Publishers Weekly

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**About the Author**

Photo Content from Axie Oh

Axie Oh is a first generation Korean American, born in NYC and raised in New Jersey. She studied Korean history and creative writing as an undergrad at the University of California – San Diego and holds an MFA from Lesley University in Writing for Young People. Her passions include K-pop, anime, stationery supplies, and milk tea. She currently resides in Las Vegas, Nevada with her puppy, Toro.

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