29 Dates

Ji-Su Kim would rather be taking pictures than focusing on getting into a great college. Worried that she isn’t driven enough, her parents enlist Seoul’s best matchmaker to set her up on dates with impressive boys, to ensure Ji-Su a great future. When Ji-Su fails an important exam and decides to skip out on her seon (an arranged date), her parents send her to school in San Francisco in hopes that she’ll stand out at a less competitive high school. In a new school halfway around the world and free from her parent’s control, Ji-Su explores her passion for photography and finds herself growing closer to two very different boys.

Diversity shines in 29 Dates. Ji-Su finds herself exposed to the full melting pot of the United States. De La Cruz touches on racism, microaggressions, and cultural differences— albeit sometimes awkwardly—in this novel. While the love story is cute, the novel focuses more on Ji-Su’s seons rather than a build-up to the ultimate love interest. 29 Dates does a great job exploring cultural differences and building a sweet love story where the female character’s ultimate ambition isn’t finding a boyfriend.