A lighthearted and passionate journey, with meaningful topics at its core, of finding fulfillment in being true to yourself.
By Susan Lee ‧ RELEASE DATE: Sept. 12, 2023
Jessica and Elijah’s chance encounter on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City leads to a modern spin on The Prince and the Pauper. With the same Korean name, Yoo-Jin Lee, on their IDs, the two are accidentally assigned each other’s seats. Jessica is a hardworking student who has earned a coveted summer intern position with Korean tech company Haneul Corporation, despite her father’s misgivings about the company’s treatment of its employees. Elijah, the privileged son of Haneul’s Seoul-based CEO, is reluctantly spending the summer as an executive trainee in the New York office. When they land, the confusion continues, with Jessica being taken to a luxurious townhouse and Elijah to a cramped, shared apartment.
The two decide to continue the charade, and Jessica proves to be an excellent leader. Elijah, meanwhile, makes real friends and real choices for the first time. As they navigate their precarious arrangement and their budding romantic feelings, social class and misogyny are thoughtfully explored. The alternating first-person narrative structure works, though some dialogue contains heavy exposition, sounding unnatural.
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Overall, this story is an entertaining and thought-provoking exploration of class and gender dynamics, with a little romance thrown in.
Pub Date: Sept. 12, 2023
ISBN: 9781335457981
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Review Posted Online: June 21, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2023