> Skip to content

Article  •  2 October 2019

 

Real readers review: Frankly in Love

What do NZ YA fans really think of David Yoon's new book?

Frankly in Love debuted on the New York Times bestseller list, has been all over international media and film rights have already been optioned by Paramount.

Early readers here at Penguin HQ gave the book rave reviews but we were still keen to find out what the discerning NZ fans of YA thought. So we sent some copies out to the members of our YA community, Turning Pages, and asked them to send us their reviews. Here’s what they had to say!

Note: If you’d like the opportunity to receive exclusive advance copies of our YA books, win fun prizes and take part in our forums and activities, join the conversation at Turning Pages.

 

‘“The relationships felt real. There was never a moment when I felt like the relationships veered into the zone of completely unrealistic with a side order of overdramatized dialogue that some YA novels have in excess.”

– Jessi-Lee

 

 “The characters were so well written, real and flawed. The story covered so much of how our world is today, the good the bad and the ugly.”

– Allyssa

 

“Something is in the water with the Yoon family... they are henceforth the King and Queen of the brilliantly-funny-and-heartbreaking-diverse-YA-contemporary.”

– Caitlin

 

 “Frankly in Love made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel SUPER nostalgic (especially with that feeling of seeing everybody from school for the last time) and brought a lot of awareness to me. An absolutely amazing read!”

– Chloe E

 

“This book was funny and heart breaking at the same time.”

– Ellen

 

 “I fell in love with Frank’s geekiness, his ability to love and his trying to work out where he fits in life.”

– Shona

 

 “The audience sees Frank's whole heart, and all the small parts of him, the people he knows, his effect on the others around him, and his excellent development throughout the book, which all make him seem almost like a real person.”

 - Jessica Walton

 

 “‘Frankly In Love’ will leave you hanging off every page as you journey through Frank’s struggles and new experiences of his life with him.”

– Lily Pearce

 

More features

See all
Article
Poison or pasta sauce? A guide to New Zealand's edible weeds

Becky, our Penguin NZ Director, shares 5 ways to use 5 edible weeds she found in her garden with the help of Andrew Crowe's Edible Weeds Handbook!

Article
10 black cat boyfriends from must-read books

It’s official: the internet has dubbed Conrad Fisher a ‘black cat boyfriend’. Here are a few other black cat book boyfriends to keep you swooning.

Article
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori catalogue 2025

Kōrerotia te reo this Māori Language Week 2025 with our selection of Māori Language books.

Article
What we're gifting this Father's Day

For Father's Day 2025, we're celebrating how books can keep us close to our dads and dad-like figures.

Article
Romantasy Recommendations

Wanting to get into reading romantasy but not sure where to start? Read on for our top picks of the genre!

Article
QUIZ: Which Hawthorne brother is your soulmate?

Take this quiz to find out which Hawthorne brother from The Inheritance Games series would be your perfect match.

Article
The Lottie Brooks books, in order

Don’t know which order to read the Lottie Brooks books? Find out which to read first, and learn a little bit about each book.

Article
Your guide to pre-ordering Alchemised

Learn how to pre-order Alchemised by SenLin Yu and join the thousands of readers who will start reading it on 23 September 2025.

Article
Penguin Picks for July: Books we've been loving

Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!

Article
Staff recommendations: Books we've been loving

Want to know what books the Penguin NZ team have been reading and loving recently? Read on for our recommendations!

Article
5 of the hottest YA books right now (2025)

Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.

Article
Best historical fiction books to read in 2025

From tales of Ancient Greece to epics set in the Second World War, these are the historical novels at the top of our reading piles this year.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles