REVIEW: Good Enough - Paula Yoo

Good Enough - Paula Yoo
Pages: 336

How to make your Korean parents happy:

1. Get a perfect score on the SATs

2. Get into HarvardYalePrinceton.

3. Don't talk to boys.*

Patti's parents expect nothing less than the best from their Korean-American daughter. Everything she does affects her chances of getting into an Ivy League school. So winning assistant concertmaster in her All-State violin competition and earning less than 2300 on her SATs is simply not good enough.
But Patti's discovering that there's more to life than the Ivy League. To start with, there's Cute Trumpet Guy. He's funny, he's talented, and he looks exactly like the lead singer of Patti's favorite band. Then, of course, there's her love of the violin. Not to mention cool rock concerts. And anyway, what if Patti doesn't want to go to HarvardYalePrinceton after all?
Paula Yoo scores big in her hilarious debut novel about an overachiever who longs to fit in and strives to stand out. The pressure is on!
*Boys will distract you from your studies.

- goodreads.com

I picked this book up because Patti's life had a lot of the same pressure mine does. I'm always feeling the need to be perfect and not screw up. Granted, Patti has no social life, and I do, but I digress. :P

Patti is Korean American. Her parents are both immigrants from South Korea and are practically geniuses. On top of that, Patti's mother is beautiful, something of which she can never be.

In order not to disgrace her parents and live up to expectations, Patti spends every minute after school studying. Except, when she plays the violin.

For Patti's parents, the violin is her "hook," or what gets her in HarvardYalePrinceton. But Patti truly loves playing, and she finds herself falling for a boy in her class. Knowing that she will give up the violin eventually, and that boys are STRICTLY off-limits, Patti does a little discovering and finds out what is truly important to her.

This book is a good read for anyone who has ever felt the need to live up to expectations, and brutal ones at that. Patti's parents think the Ivy League is everything for their only child. As much as Patti wants to go, she also wants to be true to herself, even though she tries to deny it.

When she meets Ben, or "Cute Trumpet Guy," and gets to know him, he persuades her to do what she really wants.

I've always been this way. I hate disappointing people, even if its the best I could have done. Trust me, I have recently cried over grades I have received because I was afraid of the reaction of my parents. I hate that, and you always feel powerless, and in my case, pride would get in the way.

Patti is an awesome character. She is a bit "flat," i would say, but she does have her own change to go through. Ben is the catalyst for her. The violin is what she loves, but she thinks a music career is way too risky.

Ben is my favorite character. He's Patti's love interest, and he speaks his mind to her. He's the one who convinces Patti to reach for what she wants.

Even though he's a bit of a lost cause, and that really sucked, I was genuinely disappointed for Patti.

I recommend this for people who feel as if they've always been under pressure and are stressed. I think this is a way of saying, "it could be worse, so do something about it."

RATING: 8 of 10

Until Next time,

Addy