SOMEWHERE ONLY WE KNOW

A K-pop star finds love and
adventure with an aspiring photographer in this modern retelling of Roman Holiday.

Lucky, a Korean-American K-pop star
suffering an existential crisis over her career, plays hooky one night after a
big concert in Hong Kong, escaping her handlers and bodyguard in search of a
hamburger. Woozy on anti-anxiety medication and sleeping pills, she loses her
way only to be rescued by Jack, an attractive stranger and fellow Korean-American
who at first has no idea who she is and is struggling through his own personal
crisis over whether to study banking to please his parents or pursue the
photography he’s so passionate about. As Lucky and Jack adventure through Hong
Kong, they begin to fall for one another, but their budding connection is
threatened by the lies they’ve told one another: Lucky hides her real identity,
pretending to be an ordinary girl who is on tour with her church choir, while
Jack has secret plans to sell photographs of their day together to a tabloid to
help launch his career. Narrated in short chapters that alternate between
Jack’s and Lucky’s first-person perspectives, Goo (The Way You Make Me Feel, 2018, etc.) develops each character’s
voice with clarity. A quick-paced, entertaining plot, witty banter, and expert
characterization make this a light and satisfying read, and a wealth of local
details effortlessly immerse the reader in the worlds of Hong Kong and K-pop
stardom.