ARC Review: Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.

Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing – she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that’s always made her feel like she belonged.

So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.

Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants – even if she can’t stop thinking about Robbie’s smile…right?

• Title: Once Upon a K-Prom
• Author:  Kat Cho
• Publisher: Disney
• Publication Date: May 17th, 2022
• Genre: Contemporary, Rom Com
• Source: Digital ARC obtained via NetGalley
• Targeted Age Range: Young Adult
• Content Warnings: Death of a parent (off-page, referenced), car accident (off-page, referenced), dieting (secondary character, one scene), hospital (brief)  
• Rating: ★★★★

Ever since finishing Axie Oh’s XOXO last year, I’ve been looking for something that made me just as giddy, and I was hoping that Kat Cho’s Once Upon a K-Prom would do the trick! Once Upon a K-Prom promised so many things that I loved — childhood friends to lovers, celebrity trope, second chance romance, being true to yourself & a journey of self-discovery, among so many other things. So, it’s really no surprise that I loved Once Upon a K-Prom. 

Once Upon a K-Prom follows Elena, who has always felt invisible, and overshadowed by the people in her life. Whether it’s by her twin brother Ethan, her older sisters, or her childhood best friend and ex-neighbor-turned-international-KPop-Superstar, Robbie Choi. Everyone around her knows what they want to do with their life, and seem to be more concerned with prom — aside from Elena, that is. All Elena wants to do is find enough funding to save their local community center from closing. When Robbie shows up at her front door to ask her to prom after seven years of no contact, her entire world is turned upside down. 

I wanted to give Elena the biggest hug. After being constantly compared to her siblings and her community, and feeling left behind again and again, it’s no surprise how fiercely protective she is of the local community center — the only place she’s ever felt at home. I loved how much Elena cared about her community, and really felt for her. Elena needed to learn how to let go of control, and how to communicate better, and I appreciated watching her journey unfold. 

I’m not very immersed in the world of K-Pop, but one of the standout aspects of Once Upon a K-Prom was the exploration of celebrity culture, and what it means to be an Idol. Through Robbie’s lens, we get to read about how much work and control goes into maintaining his brand and image; his label controls everything, from the color of his hair, to how he spends his day, and even who he dates. I also appreciated the commentary on celebrity culture (or rather, stan culture), and how invasive it can be. The lack of boundaries and the netizen bullying of Elena for simply being associated with an idol was reflective of stan culture. Robbie’s involvement with WDB, and his relationship with his fellow bandmates felt very realistic, and I loved reading about their dynamics as well. 

I personally struggled to connect with Robbie. While he was sweet and charming, the chapters where we get his POV took me out of the story. I found myself really wishing for more character development for him because at the end of the day, he felt a little too perfect and too manic-pixie for my liking. 
Overall, I thought Once Upon a K-Prom was fluffy, lighthearted, and adorable, and would highly recommend it.

Links for Once Upon a K-Prom: Goodreads | TheStorygraph | Bookshop | IndieBound