An NPR Book Concierge Pick of the Year“The fun of this engrossing read is that underneath the slapstick lies a finely nuanced meditation on how we perform as ourselves.” —New York Times Book Review From the New York Times bestselling author of Frankly in Love comes a moving young adult novel about friendship, identity, and acceptance. Perfect for fans of John Green and To All the Boys I’ve Love … John Green and To All the Boys I’ve Love Before.
When Sunny meets Cirrus, he can’t believe how cool and confident she is. So when Cirrus mistakenly thinks Sunny plays guitar, he accidentally winds up telling her he’s the front man of a rock band.
Before he knows it, Sunny is knee-deep in the lie: He gets his best friends to form a fake band with him and starts dressing like a rock star. But no way can he trick this amazing girl into thinking he’s cool, right?
Just when Sunny is about to come clean, Cirrus asks to see them play sometime. Gulp.
Now there’s only one thing to do: Fake it till you make it.
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I listened to David Yoon’s SUPER FAKE LOVE SONG, and it made me laugh out loud in spots. I played bass guitar in a garage band in high school and part of college, so I loved Sunny Dae and his best friends coming together to form a band. What makes this book a little different from the “I got caught up in my own lie, and it’s awesome!” trope is that Sunny and his friends are hardcore makers and D&D gamers. Though Sunny and his crush Cirrus Soh are both of Korean descent, there is a nuanced conversation about how this informs who they are but doesn’t define them. (As in, Sunny is an American with Korean immigrant parents. Meanwhile, Cirrus and her Korean parents are rolling stones moving from spot to spot all over the world.)
This book is for gamers, cosplayers, makers, musicians, world travelers, and #bandkidsforlife.
this was okay I am not a huge fan of David yoons books so I really didn’t enjoy this
4.25 stars
The feel-good novel the world needs right now! I was a fan of Yoon’s debut, Frankly in Love, so his follow-up book was among my most anticipated for 2020. While Super Fake Love Song doesn’t quite have the emotional reach of its predecessor, I still found myself smiling, enjoying the light, sweet, gooey fun Yoon delivered. As a hopeless romantic who loves music, it’s the perfect combination to keep me turning pages.
Sunny has been the recipient of years of bullying since he moved to the upscale California neighborhood of Rancho Ruby, but ever since he found his best friends, Milo and Jamal (fellow nerds), he’s been content with his nerd status. Until he meets Cirrus Soh. And when Cirrus assumes Sunny’s older (rocker) brother’s room is his—and she thinks it’s ultra cool that he’s in a band—he panics and goes along with it, setting off a series of small lies that snowball, of course.
While much of the plot is predictable, I had fun on the journey. There are lessons to be learned about being happy with yourself, but also about not putting yourself–or others–in a box. Giving yourself and your relationships permission to change and grow.
Sunny’s story is not only about his friendships, it’s also about his relationship with his brother Gray and their parents, too. Just like a lot of families, they’ve stopped really looking at each other, assuming things are fine when no one says otherwise. His parents are busy with work, trying their best to keep up with the lifestyle expected in the neighborhood. But it’s Sunny and Gray’s story that is one of my favorite sub-plots of the book, and I was happy it got the attention it deserved.
I have to mention the adorable cover (created by Timba Smits), as well as the very detailed and colorful map by David Yoon included on the front endpapers. Both are extra fun details.
David Yoon states in the acknowledgments that this was the “fun” novel he needed to write this year, and personally, I think it fulfilled its mission. Yoon has found a permanent place on my must-read authors list.
Super Fake Love Song is about Sunny Dae, a Korean American teenager who is a mega-nerd trying to survive at his wealthy, white California high school. He is introduced to Cirrus Soh, a very cool, worldly, beautiful girl. To impress her, he impulsively tells her he is the front man of a rock band. He starts wearing his rocker older brother’s clothes. He ropes his friends Milo and Jamal into forming a rock band to maintain the deception. Along the way, Sunny’s perception of himself and those around him changes. He gains confidence. His relationship with his older brother and family improves.
Super Fake Love Song is hilariously, cleverly funny. Gut busting, roll-on-the-floor funny. David Yoon definitely has a way with words. Because I am an ancient, pre-internet fossil, I was a huge fan of the John Hughes movies from the 80s. In many ways this book echoes the themes of those movies: breaking down stereotypes, dysfunctional families, being true to, and standing up for yourself. Super Fake Love Song goes further and also addresses racism and diversity. The characters were relatable. I loved Sunny’s friends Milo and Jamal. I thought they were the big heroes of the story in terms of standing by Sunny throughout all the insanity. Super Fake Love Song is a funny, fast-paced entertaining read that also makes the reader think.
David Yoon is the author of the amazing Frankly in Love, and Super Fake Love Song is his second book and coming out in November of 2020! Throughout this book, I can honestly say that my heart was in my throat until the moment when Sunny’s secret was revealed! Sunny is such a nerd-nerd, but he thought that to be in a relationship with Cirrus, he had to be so much more. What he didn’t realize is that Cirrus liked his personality and him more than his rock star fame. The whole novel is from a male POV which we don’t come across very often in YA novels, so yay! It’s a very light novel and if you need an easy, light-hearted read, this is it, except for the suspense of Suny’s secret being kept from everyone!
This book is a wonderful book that glides through the various ideas of the stereotypes of being Asian, being unique, being yourself, and much more! It’s the perfect read for Asian teenagers who have struggled with being happy with who they are or have been afraid to let their true self show! This book is amazing and it is a must-read for those who also enjoyed Frankly in Love, which is David Yoon’s first novel! Super Fake Love Song is not just about a basic love song, but also about having the strength to love your inner self and be able to let love in from others.
This hilarious, romantic and diverse young adult contemporary read was completely endearing, and so much fun. This was one of my most anticipated reads this summer, and Super Fake Love Song definitely did not disappoint.
Sunny Dae and his friends love being complete nerds with each other until …. super cool Cirrus Soh enters into his life where all of a sudden, pretending to be his amazing Hollywood musician brother was the best thing to do to impress Cirrus. In this captivating, hilarious and charming read, you will find yourself completely immersed into these amazing characters.
The narration and writing is impeccable – witty, clever, and super fun, Yoon captures the hearts of all ages, while addressing racial stereotypes in that coming-of-age, finding your identity and your true self underneath all the expectations of wanting to be accepted and loved.
This is Perfect.
I enjoyed this one and I highly recommend!
*Bookish First Review*
This was my first time reading this author and it wasn’t a bad read, but something about this story just didn’t grab me and I couldn’t connect to the story the way I wanted. The way Sunny treated his friends after they went along with his lie when they didn’t even want to was appalling. Friends like those are rare and you treat them as such. His parents were so out of touch at times. I’m not sure what the mood of this book was supposed to be. One minute it would be light and funny and the minute it tackled some serious issues. So for me it was hard to find my groove while reading as I didn’t know what to expect. I did like that the book had a diverse group of characters. I also felt that the ending was wrapped up to nicely giving everything that happened between Sunny and Cirrus. I have heard good things about Frankly In Love by this author and hoping I have a better outcome with that book. In closing, I didn’t hate the book nor did I love it.
This was my first book to read by David Yoon and it did not disappoint! The humor, the plot, the relatable (and sometimes cringey) characters made this book a delight to read.
What stuck out to me the most about this book was the humor. This book is written as if I’m really seeing into the mind of Sunny. We see into the mind of the main characters in most books, but the way this was written helped me to understand who the character was a little better. And, I had fun while getting to know him.
I also really liked the pace of this one. We’re introduced to all the major characters pretty quickly. As well, the main plot gets moving within only a few chapters.
My only negative is that I think the romance could have been a little better. There was something missing to make me feel those warm and fuzzies I usually feel with rom-coms. I mostly enjoyed it though so I didn’t dock too many points for this.
Overall, this was a swift, sassy, and super funny book about having the courage to express yourself to those you love. And finding the courage to love in general. I will definitely be reading another David Yoon book in the future!
Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
After seeing all the love for Frankly in Love, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to read Super Fake Love Song.
Yoon does an incredible job of taking a light hearted rom-com and infusing it with deep social themes such as race, class, identity, and role expectations (parental and sibling).
17 year old Sunny Dae is a Korean American and a HUGE nerd. We are talking DnD and LARPing. Sunny’s character shows us the many struggles that teens face with balancing school, one’s identity, and relationships (familial, friends, and love).
I loved Sunny’s relationship with his two best friends Milo (Guatemalan American) and Jamal (Jamaican American). The three of them together was just a ton of fun to watch. They had amazing banter and were always there for each other through everything (even the really bad decisions).
I really appreciated the complicated family dynamics in the Dae household. Sunny’s parents want more to life than what they had, but there’s definitely a cost associated with that. And Sunny’s relationship with his brother Gray is tense to say the least, but the tension was so authentic and refreshing to see.
I do think that the romance of this story takes a bit of a back seat, not that it’s a bad thing. I actually found Cirrus’ character to be the least developed of all of the characters presented in the story, so I wasn’t that invested in her. Rather, I enjoyed Sunny’s personal growth and development as well as watching him navigate his relationship with his friends and brother. I think that ended up being more important to the story line.
Overall, I do think that this is a good story that will resonate with a specific audience. I say this with the caveat that I am not a music fan (so all of the music references went over my head) and I know nothing about gaming.
Thank you to Penguin Teen for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.