This novel is a 2023 Lone Star selection.

Hana moved to Korea with her parents four years ago to attend a special arts school in hopes of being an actress, and her dreams have come true, along with all the negatives as well. Bryan, her co-star, is a famous K-Pop singer who is expanding his resume. He's actually a good actor; he and Hana have great chemistry and the studio hopes they have a hit K-Drama. Shows are handled differently in Korea. They shoot two episodes that premier the next week; if ratings decline, the writers can make changes when they film next time. When the opening two episodes land them around eleventh place in the ratings, the studio comes up with a plan that Bryan and Hana will fake date, which does increase ratings. Any girl in Korea would want to date Bryan except Hana. She finds him annoying; although, after getting to know him, she does like him and they become friends. He's also good about demonstrating how to deal with crowds, being recognized, signing autographs, and avoiding danger.

Hana and Bryan find that other surprises exist on the horizon. I'm stopping there, worried I've already said too much. I want the story to unfold for you to enjoy it! I want to add, however, that our characters do not fall in love. Hana is bi and is interested in someone other than Bryan, which is made clear from the beginning. There are several queer characters. Korean society is more conservative than American society, which Hana struggles with, as she is Korean-American. In Korean society, K-Pop stars can't date; they are expected to be "married" (so to speak) to their fans. When people are queer, they keep this identity secret, especially famous people. If you can't date as a star, you certainly can't be queer in this society.

Our characters question if they should fight society in hopes of making it better for other queer people as they also navigate their careers. Hana's only desire is to be an actress forever. If she comes out, will it doom her future? Maybe it's time for Korean society to face truths, but what are the costs? Overall, I enjoyed the novel. I really liked the character of Bryan--he's fun. Hana's work ethic is commendable, and I really like her relationship with her parents. They genuinely like each other and want to spend time together. She doesn't pick her friends over her parents; she seeks their company. The end presents a realistic look at how life changes. It takes one to be brave to ask for change and to demand change. Both occur. The self-reflection is also realistic, as young people seek their paths in life. Last, Korean culture is very prominent. I really enjoyed learning more about this culture that I didn't know about. ( )

I received an advance reader's copy from the publisher.

Flip the Script is an adorable queer romance that will undoubtedly tick all the boxes on a certain reader's wishlist (read: mine). A fast, light yet poignant read, I devoured it in less than 24 hours, and this will definitely be one I return to when I'm feeling like I need a book palate cleanser.

I was a little apprehensive going in, as my knowledge of the worlds of K-drama and K-pop are admittedly very limited, but I didn't feel like Lee either spoke down to me or left me confused, for which I was grateful. Readers who are already K-drama fans won't need these explanations, but Lee keeps them succinct and it doesn't take you out of the story, so I don't think they are too obtrusive.

The trio of main characters are all very distinct, and while at first I couldn't quite see what made Hana fall for a certain character, as the story progressed this became more clear. All three immediately make you interested and care about them while still very much being teenagers.

If I have any suggestions, I found that sometimes I wanted more insight from Hana on various subjects. I didn't quite understand why she found Bryan so annoying at the beginning of the book, and sometimes she states how she's feeling without going into much detail as to why or what the specifics are. That being said, I don't think it detracts from the story being told, and there are definitely points where Hana's succinctness is appropriate - it might actually be difficult to walk that line had Lee tried to do so.

The ending ties everything up very neatly, and while I'd normally say that isn't a good thing, I think it works well here with these characters and this story. The story finishes off just as strongly as the rest of the book, and that's a rare find in cases like this; I didn't feel like there was a rush to get to the end nor was there an unnecessarily extended ending.

If you're interested in queer YA romance, this is a fantastic representation of that. The backdrop of Seoul and K-drama is one that makes for a unique spin, and I think it'll be right up the alley of a lot of readers. ( )