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What's Eating Jackie Oh?
A Korean American teen tries to balance her dream to become a chef with the cultural expectations of her family when she enters the competitive world of a TV cooking show. A hilarious and heartfelt YA novel from the award-winning author of Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim and Re Jane .
Jackie Oh is done being your model minority.
She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet. They would never understand her unconventional dream to become a professional chef. Just ask her brother Justin, who hasn't heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.
For now, when she isn’t avoiding studying for AP World History, Jackie is improving her French cooking techniques and working at her grandparents’ Midtown deli Melty’s.
Then the most unexpected thing Jackie gets recruited for a casting audition for the teen edition of Burn Off!, her favorite competitive cooking show. Even more unexpected, Jackie becomes a contestant.
Jackie is thrown headfirst into the cutthroat competitive TV show world filled with psych outs, picky mom critiques, and dreaded microaggressions to lean into her heritage.
All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But is her way to cook traditional French cuisine? Lean into her heritage? Or is it something more? To advance through the competition, Jackie must prove who she is on and off the plate.
Patricia Park's hilarious and stunning What’s Eating Jackie Oh? explores the delicate balance of identity, ambition, and the cultural expectations to perform.
Jackie Oh is done being your model minority.
She just hasn’t told her second-gen Korean American parents yet. They would never understand her unconventional dream to become a professional chef. Just ask her brother Justin, who hasn't heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.
For now, when she isn’t avoiding studying for AP World History, Jackie is improving her French cooking techniques and working at her grandparents’ Midtown deli Melty’s.
Then the most unexpected thing Jackie gets recruited for a casting audition for the teen edition of Burn Off!, her favorite competitive cooking show. Even more unexpected, Jackie becomes a contestant.
Jackie is thrown headfirst into the cutthroat competitive TV show world filled with psych outs, picky mom critiques, and dreaded microaggressions to lean into her heritage.
All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But is her way to cook traditional French cuisine? Lean into her heritage? Or is it something more? To advance through the competition, Jackie must prove who she is on and off the plate.
Patricia Park's hilarious and stunning What’s Eating Jackie Oh? explores the delicate balance of identity, ambition, and the cultural expectations to perform.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 30, 2024
55 people are currently reading
4040 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Park
4 books197 followers Patricia Park is the author of the award-winning novel, Re Jane, a Korean American retelling of Brontë’s Jane Eyre; and the YA novels, Imposter Syndrome & Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim, and the forthcoming, What’s Eating Jackie Oh? She is a tenured professor of creative writing at American University, a Fulbright scholar, an Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, Edith Wharton Writer-in-Residence, a Jerome Hill Artist Fellow, and other awards. She has written for The New York Times, New Yorker, Guardian, and others. She was born and raised in Queens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews
August 5, 2025
I know, I know. You see me reading YA, and you're like, "What? Why? Mai, you're such a hater!" I'm well aware. I have come to the conclusion that it is non-BIPOC YA I don't resonate with. The popular white girl that goes to all the parties? I could never. But the not-as-studious-as-her-parents-want-her-to-be Asian American? Oh, I could.
Part 1
Jackie Oh, named for Jackie O, is a New Yorker that loves food and cooking more than being studious. Her brother is in prison for armed robbery. Neither things are the Korean American Dream.
Mom is a lawyer. Dad is in finance. Both are workaholics that spend more time in their offices than the sparse condo they bought.
Jackie works part time at her grandparents' deli in midtown. I had to laugh at this, because my sister's Korean Am boyfriend also owns a deli. Cross-cultural giggles.
As such, Jackie spends more of her time with her grandparents than parents. It truly takes a village.
Jackie ends up skipping her history exam in favor of auditioning for a cooking show for teens. I don't think this is a spoiler, as the cover obviously shows her cooking. Needless to say, mom and grandma aren't pleased. As always, what really got me was the casual racism of the TV show hosts, and also, her public school teacher.
Part 2
As soon as I sat down to read this part, I flew through it. I love it. We got so much more. From the other contestants. From mom. From Jackie herself. I’m not sure which boy she’ll be romancing. Not that she needs to romance anyone.
I know it feels racist (especially from Jackie's perspective) that the judges want her to incorporate more Korean into her cooking, but fusion is one of the best things to come from colonization. Army stew is this wonderful mishmash of flavors that would've never come about had the US not involved itself in the Korean War. I'm not saying they needed to be there. I'll leave that out of today's debate.
Part 3
Jackie really comes into her own. She makes up with distant friend KT, has a reconciliation with her family, and improves her New York style cooking.
I felt like she had a few contenders for a love interest. It ended up being the most obvious one, which is fine, but I'm not sure she needed one at all. This book would've shown on its own just featuring her.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books
Part 1
Jackie Oh, named for Jackie O, is a New Yorker that loves food and cooking more than being studious. Her brother is in prison for armed robbery. Neither things are the Korean American Dream.
Mom is a lawyer. Dad is in finance. Both are workaholics that spend more time in their offices than the sparse condo they bought.
Jackie works part time at her grandparents' deli in midtown. I had to laugh at this, because my sister's Korean Am boyfriend also owns a deli. Cross-cultural giggles.
As such, Jackie spends more of her time with her grandparents than parents. It truly takes a village.
Jackie ends up skipping her history exam in favor of auditioning for a cooking show for teens. I don't think this is a spoiler, as the cover obviously shows her cooking. Needless to say, mom and grandma aren't pleased. As always, what really got me was the casual racism of the TV show hosts, and also, her public school teacher.
Part 2
As soon as I sat down to read this part, I flew through it. I love it. We got so much more. From the other contestants. From mom. From Jackie herself. I’m not sure which boy she’ll be romancing. Not that she needs to romance anyone.
I know it feels racist (especially from Jackie's perspective) that the judges want her to incorporate more Korean into her cooking, but fusion is one of the best things to come from colonization. Army stew is this wonderful mishmash of flavors that would've never come about had the US not involved itself in the Korean War. I'm not saying they needed to be there. I'll leave that out of today's debate.
Part 3
Jackie really comes into her own. She makes up with distant friend KT, has a reconciliation with her family, and improves her New York style cooking.
I felt like she had a few contenders for a love interest. It ended up being the most obvious one, which is fine, but I'm not sure she needed one at all. This book would've shown on its own just featuring her.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Books
January 27, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
So I need to be 100% upfront here. I am such a sucker for NYC localized media. I will probably always be a little salty about not going to Townsend Harris or Brooklyn Latin, but my own school did have me on the Ivy grind with the highest GPA and endless APs and clubs and professional goals. Jackie Oh is an incredibly relatable character for any overachiving highschooler who thinks that a 92% is barely medicore. I see you, I am you, and I encourage you to sleep more than four hours a night. This book nailed the conversation about how the pandemic hit so many beloved small resturants in the city (RIP Jay & Lloyd's on Ave U), the chaos of the city, and the particularly unique fusions that come from so many people from all over the world making their homes here.
I can't talk about this book without talking about the rise in AAPI hate and racism from COVID. Ever character is touched by racial bias, from the judges always pushing Jackie to go in the expected ethnic direction with her food to her parent's challenges at work to be recognized for their sacrifice to KT trying her absolute best to distinguish herself as a college applicant in a system meant to make her outcompete her own community. Without spoilers, there is so much more that Park weaves into the narrative with finesse.
The story was well paced, with the show's confessionals and recipes adding to the reading experience intead of confusing the reader. I also loved that after a korean phrase was introduced and translated, it was able to just be on its own for future use. Park isn't excluding non-Korean readers, she is teaching us and expecting that we are smart enough to learn.
So I need to be 100% upfront here. I am such a sucker for NYC localized media. I will probably always be a little salty about not going to Townsend Harris or Brooklyn Latin, but my own school did have me on the Ivy grind with the highest GPA and endless APs and clubs and professional goals. Jackie Oh is an incredibly relatable character for any overachiving highschooler who thinks that a 92% is barely medicore. I see you, I am you, and I encourage you to sleep more than four hours a night. This book nailed the conversation about how the pandemic hit so many beloved small resturants in the city (RIP Jay & Lloyd's on Ave U), the chaos of the city, and the particularly unique fusions that come from so many people from all over the world making their homes here.
I can't talk about this book without talking about the rise in AAPI hate and racism from COVID. Ever character is touched by racial bias, from the judges always pushing Jackie to go in the expected ethnic direction with her food to her parent's challenges at work to be recognized for their sacrifice to KT trying her absolute best to distinguish herself as a college applicant in a system meant to make her outcompete her own community. Without spoilers, there is so much more that Park weaves into the narrative with finesse.
The story was well paced, with the show's confessionals and recipes adding to the reading experience intead of confusing the reader. I also loved that after a korean phrase was introduced and translated, it was able to just be on its own for future use. Park isn't excluding non-Korean readers, she is teaching us and expecting that we are smart enough to learn.
May 8, 2024
A heartfelt coming of age YA novel about a Korean American teen who loves to cook and competes in a reality tv chef competition in New York City. This book doesn't shy away from addressing contemporary issues facing Asian Americans today including the rising Anti-Asian hate crimes and all the sorts of microagressions Asian Americans are forced to endure as minorities - something that has gotten even worse post-COVID. Great on audio with an important message from the author included at the end. Highly recommended!
May 13, 2024
4.5 rounded... up? down? who knows?
This is a very informal review; I just want to express a few thoughts since I just finished the book about two minutes ago. What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park is such a good, important book that really works for me... er, mostly. See, I'm a big fan of anything related to food competitions and Park's 2023 novel Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim was one of my favorites last year, so obviously I had high expectations. I didn't quite expect what I got.
In some ways, WEJO is an issues book. Some issues it deals with include:
- AAPI hate
- microaggressions
- the second- and third-generation immigrant experience
- playing against type as an racial minority
- fighting against parent/community expectations
- gender expectations
- the trouble with pursuing one's passion
- incarceration
- confidence issues
- the reality of reality TV and fame
Yeah, that's a lot, right? And I thought Park handled all of this quite deftly until the last chapter, when I realized that I was able to overlook the problems with the book because Jackie has such a strong voice and the story is so good. Yet the book ends very abruptly - after a major incident heavily affecting the plot occurs, it is resolved off-page, leaving us with an epilogue that takes place in posts to social media. Not only is this the first time the reader is introduced to this social media-style format, but the tone of this incident is rather discordant with much of the rest of the book. I don't necessarily think it doesn't belong (I see arguments both for and against foreshadowing this type of event), but the lack of resolution to it, and to Jackie's story as a whole, leaves me feeling a bit cold.
My dislike of the ending has me reconsidering my thoughts on the book. Now I see other weaknesses; such as, and not to spoil, the author leaving us hanging with how Jackie actually gets on the show; how little we actually see of how she is portrayed on screen (which very easily could have been tied into the social media format of the epilogue); and perhaps most notably, the fates and futures of certain relationships and Jackie and her family. I understand that real life is like this - we don't always get a conclusion or a neat and tidy end to our story - but that's not really how YA novels work. We go into them expecting a conclusion, not uncertainty, even when uncertainty is more realistic. This not-so-great ending is something I saw in Park's previous YA novel as well, which makes me think this is just a weakness of the author. Or, more likely, as she is a professor of creative writing, it's a deliberate choice that makes sense coming from a "literary fiction" perspective, but really doesn't work in the YA literary scene.
Anyways, I was planning on giving the book 5 stars and an instant path to my top 10 books of 2024, but now I have no idea how I'm going to rate it since I enjoyed everything except the epilogue, which ruined the story for me. Worth reading, and I will definitely read more books by Patricia Park, but I wish she'd get better at writing endings!
This is a very informal review; I just want to express a few thoughts since I just finished the book about two minutes ago. What's Eating Jackie Oh? by Patricia Park is such a good, important book that really works for me... er, mostly. See, I'm a big fan of anything related to food competitions and Park's 2023 novel Imposter Syndrome and Other Confessions of Alejandra Kim was one of my favorites last year, so obviously I had high expectations. I didn't quite expect what I got.
In some ways, WEJO is an issues book. Some issues it deals with include:
- AAPI hate
- microaggressions
- the second- and third-generation immigrant experience
- playing against type as an racial minority
- fighting against parent/community expectations
- gender expectations
- the trouble with pursuing one's passion
- incarceration
- confidence issues
- the reality of reality TV and fame
Yeah, that's a lot, right? And I thought Park handled all of this quite deftly until the last chapter, when I realized that I was able to overlook the problems with the book because Jackie has such a strong voice and the story is so good. Yet the book ends very abruptly - after a major incident heavily affecting the plot occurs, it is resolved off-page, leaving us with an epilogue that takes place in posts to social media. Not only is this the first time the reader is introduced to this social media-style format, but the tone of this incident is rather discordant with much of the rest of the book. I don't necessarily think it doesn't belong (I see arguments both for and against foreshadowing this type of event), but the lack of resolution to it, and to Jackie's story as a whole, leaves me feeling a bit cold.
My dislike of the ending has me reconsidering my thoughts on the book. Now I see other weaknesses; such as, and not to spoil, the author leaving us hanging with how Jackie actually gets on the show; how little we actually see of how she is portrayed on screen (which very easily could have been tied into the social media format of the epilogue); and perhaps most notably, the fates and futures of certain relationships and Jackie and her family. I understand that real life is like this - we don't always get a conclusion or a neat and tidy end to our story - but that's not really how YA novels work. We go into them expecting a conclusion, not uncertainty, even when uncertainty is more realistic. This not-so-great ending is something I saw in Park's previous YA novel as well, which makes me think this is just a weakness of the author. Or, more likely, as she is a professor of creative writing, it's a deliberate choice that makes sense coming from a "literary fiction" perspective, but really doesn't work in the YA literary scene.
Anyways, I was planning on giving the book 5 stars and an instant path to my top 10 books of 2024, but now I have no idea how I'm going to rate it since I enjoyed everything except the epilogue, which ruined the story for me. Worth reading, and I will definitely read more books by Patricia Park, but I wish she'd get better at writing endings!
December 1, 2024
The ending was incredibly unsatisfying and abrupt. What happened to Jackie’s brother? Why didn’t Jackie’s dad want to see him? Why did the competition end the way it did? Where did Jackie end up going to school after the competition? Did she go to college or culinary school? If so, which one and why? Did she stay in New York, or did she move somewhere else if she became a chef? Did her mom ever find another job? What happened to Melty’s? Did Jackie and KT become close friends again and hang out more? What exactly happened to Jackie’s grandfather on the train?
And what about Stephen? Did he and Jackie end up dating?
There were just too many loose ends.
This was one of the worst endings to a book I have ever read, which is disappointing because the rest of the book was great.
And what about Stephen? Did he and Jackie end up dating?
There were just too many loose ends.
This was one of the worst endings to a book I have ever read, which is disappointing because the rest of the book was great.
Want to read
July 18, 2024Adding this just cuz a 8 yr old recommended this to me
April 19, 2024
What’s Eating Jackie Oh is about a 15 year old who is expected to be an amazing student and is instead obsessed with cooking. Her grandparents are Korean immigrants.
Jackie is a protagonist in just didn’t like. She spoke in acronyms, like calling people by initials (H&H for her grandparents), which I hated. She was selfish and could only see her own life from her own shoes. Her character didn’t grow much either. She’s outwardly rude to people who are nice to her. None of it makes sense.
The author tried to fit way too many topics in this book. We should all learn about the hate and racism that so many Asian people had to endure during and after Covid because we should all be living better than that. But then the author put in so many other topics that congested the book.
Why does this author constantly say Americans prefer boring food? It’s not true. At least it isn’t where I live. Then again, I was born in Germany and love food from other places. It’s how I grew up.
The ending has no real resolution. The book just ends. I was so frustrated at that.
The writing showed promise. I just wanted to dig deeper into some of these other people. The view behind the scenes of the cooking show was cool, but bringing in people who couldn’t cook when so many can? That didn’t seem realistic.
I don’t know. This one wasn’t for me. I’d definitely try this author out again, though. I received this ARC for my honest opinion.
Jackie is a protagonist in just didn’t like. She spoke in acronyms, like calling people by initials (H&H for her grandparents), which I hated. She was selfish and could only see her own life from her own shoes. Her character didn’t grow much either. She’s outwardly rude to people who are nice to her. None of it makes sense.
The author tried to fit way too many topics in this book. We should all learn about the hate and racism that so many Asian people had to endure during and after Covid because we should all be living better than that. But then the author put in so many other topics that congested the book.
Why does this author constantly say Americans prefer boring food? It’s not true. At least it isn’t where I live. Then again, I was born in Germany and love food from other places. It’s how I grew up.
The ending has no real resolution. The book just ends. I was so frustrated at that.
The writing showed promise. I just wanted to dig deeper into some of these other people. The view behind the scenes of the cooking show was cool, but bringing in people who couldn’t cook when so many can? That didn’t seem realistic.
I don’t know. This one wasn’t for me. I’d definitely try this author out again, though. I received this ARC for my honest opinion.
April 4, 2024
I received a free review copy of this book from Netgalley.
This book was many stories in one. It was a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV, which I liked. It was a coming-of-age story that wasn’t centered around school, which is original. It had important plot lines around anti-Asian racism and the experience of families with incarcerated relatives, which I don’t read about often.
I liked Jackie, and I thought her voice was authentic. I’m just not sure which story is the main one. Is it about a girl living out her kitchen dreams against her parents’ vicarious wishes? Is it about being yourself, just a self that happens to be a girl and a chef and Asian and not interested in being a “model minority” and the family member of a person in prison and and and…?
I liked this book for what it was. I’d love to read a more focused book from this same author: the voice was great!
This book was many stories in one. It was a behind-the-scenes look at reality TV, which I liked. It was a coming-of-age story that wasn’t centered around school, which is original. It had important plot lines around anti-Asian racism and the experience of families with incarcerated relatives, which I don’t read about often.
I liked Jackie, and I thought her voice was authentic. I’m just not sure which story is the main one. Is it about a girl living out her kitchen dreams against her parents’ vicarious wishes? Is it about being yourself, just a self that happens to be a girl and a chef and Asian and not interested in being a “model minority” and the family member of a person in prison and and and…?
I liked this book for what it was. I’d love to read a more focused book from this same author: the voice was great!
July 23, 2025
The last of my school summer reads! I had very low expectations for this, and it was actually pretty good! Hit on a lot of tough subjects like Asian hate and discrimination, stereotyping, and food insecurity, but remained a fun read. 3.5
March 22, 2024
This book was everything I needed in ways that I have been asking to be seen for years. Asian people get lumped in as one, as if we should all love matcha and ube and kimchi. COVID created a much larger obstacle for us as a people as a result of that and not a single person deserved the hate we did and still do receive.
This book is a love letter to the expectations our parents hold us to and the passions that we have to build ourselves around. It’s a gentle reminder that our parents are also living life for the first time. They’re parenting for the first time.
I loved the highlight on a teenager’s relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, peers, and the often random, but welcome romance with someone we’ve known for a lot time. My only gripe would be the loose end with Jackie’s older brother. I would’ve loved to see more of that familial trauma heal. And honestly, my heart goes out to Haraboji. I grew to love him and Halmoni so much and… I just wish I could’ve helped him.
Thank you Patricia Park for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a love letter to the expectations our parents hold us to and the passions that we have to build ourselves around. It’s a gentle reminder that our parents are also living life for the first time. They’re parenting for the first time.
I loved the highlight on a teenager’s relationships with parents, grandparents, friends, peers, and the often random, but welcome romance with someone we’ve known for a lot time. My only gripe would be the loose end with Jackie’s older brother. I would’ve loved to see more of that familial trauma heal. And honestly, my heart goes out to Haraboji. I grew to love him and Halmoni so much and… I just wish I could’ve helped him.
Thank you Patricia Park for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
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January 3, 2024
Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Readers for sending me an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
review coming soon
──✒ pre review initial thoughts
did this take on too much all at once? i’m still not sure
review coming soon
──✒ pre review initial thoughts
did this take on too much all at once? i’m still not sure
August 9, 2025
Was gonna be five stars until it ended without resolving anything whatsoever. It’s fine for the main character to lose the competition if she ends up with a cute romance. It’s fine for the romance to stall out if her parents make up with her brother. It’s fine for her family drama to stay messy if she gets a cash windfall for the restaurant.
But NONE of those things happened. When the book ended, none of the main character’s problems were resolved or even improved. In fact, her life got worse because one of her loved ones gets hate-crimed in the second to last chapter, and we find out he received brain damage from a depersonalized epilogue in the form of social media comments. Why??
But NONE of those things happened. When the book ended, none of the main character’s problems were resolved or even improved. In fact, her life got worse because one of her loved ones gets hate-crimed in the second to last chapter, and we find out he received brain damage from a depersonalized epilogue in the form of social media comments. Why??
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2024
I love cooking challenges and this one was very detailed (the second half of the book is completely devoted to it) so this was fun for me. I loved the creativity of the various dishes that were featured, although gastronomic experiments are not my thing (I don’t like food too pretty to eat). Jackie’s obsession with cooking challenges prior to starting the show was baffling – every show tells you to put a part of yourself on the plate and she seems to not understand this concept. But she learns how to embrace her humble beginnings and, in the process, learns how to also love herself. There is a lot about Asian hate in this one and I’ve been very lucky to have mostly avoided this most of my life * knocks on wood * but it’s important that it was highlighted in her journey.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley for an honest review.
June 17, 2024
Epitome of bitter sweet.
March 31, 2024
Thank you so much to Crown Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for my eARC. All opinions expressed are my own.
This is my second Patricia Park book and it has become quite clear that she's a new favorite for me. I saw she had What's Eating Jackie Oh? coming out and immediately requested to read it; thankfully, I was approved.
Park has such a distinct voice with her writing style and I love reading her stories. In this one we're following Jackie, a Korean American teen, as she navigates life trying to live on her own terms -- trying to become a chef -- while her parents are expecting bigger, more studious things, like the Ivy League.
I loved the idea of a teen cooking show and busting through parental and cultural expectations. The reason this only got a 4 star from me is because there was a bit of cliche moments in this; the judges responses on the cooking show, the delivery guy at the restaurant who can cook, Jackie trying to figure out who she is while cooking, etc. I liked the idea of some of these but I would have liked a little bit of a different way to show these things, maybe?
The end left me wanting more! I want to read more about Jackie, so that's how I know it was a good book. I can't wait to see what else Park puts out next!
This is my second Patricia Park book and it has become quite clear that she's a new favorite for me. I saw she had What's Eating Jackie Oh? coming out and immediately requested to read it; thankfully, I was approved.
Park has such a distinct voice with her writing style and I love reading her stories. In this one we're following Jackie, a Korean American teen, as she navigates life trying to live on her own terms -- trying to become a chef -- while her parents are expecting bigger, more studious things, like the Ivy League.
I loved the idea of a teen cooking show and busting through parental and cultural expectations. The reason this only got a 4 star from me is because there was a bit of cliche moments in this; the judges responses on the cooking show, the delivery guy at the restaurant who can cook, Jackie trying to figure out who she is while cooking, etc. I liked the idea of some of these but I would have liked a little bit of a different way to show these things, maybe?
The end left me wanting more! I want to read more about Jackie, so that's how I know it was a good book. I can't wait to see what else Park puts out next!
April 2, 2024
I loved this! Jackie Oh is a Korean American teen who deals with pressure to succeed academically when she just wants to cook fancy French food. She fails World History but gets to be on a teen cook-off tv show. Her family life is complicated and so are her friendships. And so is she! I love her attitude, her political awareness, and her love of NYC. This is a fantastic book. I got to read an electronic advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review, but I’m planning to buy a paper copy of this for my tween when it comes out. I can’t think of any way this book could be better except to keep going—I really want to know what Jackie Oh and her family do next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
Rated 3.5 stars
This was a mix bag for me. I really liked the cooking competition, but I wanted more showing and less telling when it came to talking about the model minority myth. The book relies on the idea that you understand what the model minority is and why it's racist. If you don't fully understand how and why the myth was created, I think a lot of this book's significance will go over your head. I also wanted to know more about the side characters which weren't developed. The ending, which features an Asian Hate crime is abrupt and seems tacked on as a last minute edit. It takes away from the hopeful ending.
This was a mix bag for me. I really liked the cooking competition, but I wanted more showing and less telling when it came to talking about the model minority myth. The book relies on the idea that you understand what the model minority is and why it's racist. If you don't fully understand how and why the myth was created, I think a lot of this book's significance will go over your head. I also wanted to know more about the side characters which weren't developed. The ending, which features an Asian Hate crime is abrupt and seems tacked on as a last minute edit. It takes away from the hopeful ending.
February 29, 2024
Loved this book that features Jackie Oh, a Korean American teen chef. Loved the scenes that focused on her family as she navigated a Top Chef like food competition. Unlike her parents, Jackie and her sibling aren't the model minority and it's one of the few books that addresses the incarceration of AAPI and the family structure. Also loved how Jackie found her voice, not just within her family and friends, but through her food. I can't wait to try the recipes in the back of the book. #StopAAPIHate
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
I received an arc from the publisher but all opinions are my own.
April 2, 2024
I just didn't like Jackie's character. She was selfish and a bad friend. I have no idea why the delivery boy even liked her.
June 28, 2025
Jackie Oh doesn’t feel like she’s the perfect Asian American child that her parents wanted. She’s not great at academics. She’s not even good about concentrating on studying. She devotes every free moment to her real passion: cooking.
Jackie grew up cooking in her grandparents’ restaurant. She dreams of having her own restaurant someday but she’s 15 and knows her parents wanted her to go to an Ivy League college not a cooking school.
Then Jackie gets spotted while helping out her grandparents and gets cast in a cooking competition on tv. It’s actually a teenage spin off of her favorite cooking show. Jackie feels like she was born ready.
But when Jackie starts competing she realizes it’s hard to find her voice as a chef. The judges seem to expect her to cook Asian dishes.
I thought this was a wonderful book. It was filled with complex, flawed, yet lovable characters. Everyone was multilayered. Nobody was a throwaway side kick character.
I was also truly shocked by the ending.
This is about food, family, friendship, and figuring out who you really are. A great coming of age story.
Jackie grew up cooking in her grandparents’ restaurant. She dreams of having her own restaurant someday but she’s 15 and knows her parents wanted her to go to an Ivy League college not a cooking school.
Then Jackie gets spotted while helping out her grandparents and gets cast in a cooking competition on tv. It’s actually a teenage spin off of her favorite cooking show. Jackie feels like she was born ready.
But when Jackie starts competing she realizes it’s hard to find her voice as a chef. The judges seem to expect her to cook Asian dishes.
I thought this was a wonderful book. It was filled with complex, flawed, yet lovable characters. Everyone was multilayered. Nobody was a throwaway side kick character.
I was also truly shocked by the ending.
This is about food, family, friendship, and figuring out who you really are. A great coming of age story.
July 11, 2025
As an immigrant and the child of immigrants, I really connected with this novel. The constant pressure to be perfect and to make yourself small can feel suffocating, to say the least. I don’t usually read young adult fiction, but I’m glad I had the chance to read this and learn more about Korean-American culture. I appreciated watching the protagonist begin to stand in her power and realize that we are more alike than different, and that it is okay to take up space.
Also worth noting: I loved all the references to NYC immigrant culture. Will be looking into more Asian-American fiction!
Also worth noting: I loved all the references to NYC immigrant culture. Will be looking into more Asian-American fiction!
June 10, 2024
Enjoyable YA book about an Asian American teen who isn't falling in line with her high achieving parents' Ivy League expectations. She'd rather get creative in the kitchen. Loved the family dramas, the backstage look at a reality cooking show, the experiences of immigrants in America, etc. I would have liked a deeper dive into some aspects, but liked this funny and touching book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.
September 5, 2024
Another coming of age story. Btw this is a YA read anywho, it’s about this Korean girl who loves to cook and she’s so good that she ends up being on this reality tv cooking competition show. I enjoyed this book because it touches on the micro-aggressions Asian Americans go through. In the book it also has the recipes of the meals that were made.
December 8, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
Like Jackie’s final meal, this book was bokjapchae. But I’m not sure if it was done as well. There’s the main plot with the tv show, then theres the random romance that had like 2 interactions and no chemistry, the friend i thought we were supposed to hate but ig no, then theres the stuff with the brother and i feel like none of them got enough screentime for me to care. But i did really love the food descriptions.
Like Jackie’s final meal, this book was bokjapchae. But I’m not sure if it was done as well. There’s the main plot with the tv show, then theres the random romance that had like 2 interactions and no chemistry, the friend i thought we were supposed to hate but ig no, then theres the stuff with the brother and i feel like none of them got enough screentime for me to care. But i did really love the food descriptions.
June 20, 2024
3.5. Enjoyed this YA meets Bakeoff and The Bear and appreciated the focus of multigenerational families and generational trauma.
May 13, 2025
Great YA story of an Asian American teen-topics include cooking, game shows, complicated family dynamics, micro aggressions and obvious racism.
June 29, 2024
I enjoyed this story. I’m also a big fan of cooking competition shows so I automatically knew this would be right up my alley. The characters were cool and believable, the world building was nice and the pacing was pretty good. Now I want to go and watch The Great British Bake Off.
April 22, 2024
3 1/2
ackie Oh is obsessed with cooking and cooking shows. Her favorite thing in the world is helping out at her grandparents diner, Melty, where she thrives on the rapid pace of cooking and concocting. Jackie, however, is a high school student whose parents would rather she focuses on her grades so that she could have a solid and practical future. Cooking and owning a restaurant, while nice, isn’t solid or practical. When Jackie scores a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on a spin-off of her favorite cooking show, she learns a few things about herself and cooking in Patricia Park’s What’s Eating Jackie Oh?.
Caveat: I am not the intended audience for this novel so take my comments/review in that spirit.
I’m going to do something I normally don’t do and that is bullet-point my observations/opinions.
*Jackie’s familial situation reminded me of last year’s Throwback by Maureen Goo (see my review), right down to doting grandparents (grandmother) and antagonism between parents and child. Also reminiscent was the mother’s line (in both books) that said that KPop and KDrama were not yet cool when she was growing up so she had to be cool in other ways to fit in.
*Jackie’s self-absorption and self-centeredness grew tiresome as did her being angry so much, especially how it related to her best friend, KT, whom we see she couldn’t be bothered to learn that much about nor the vegetable delivery guy that Jackie presumed to know. While she did change, I wish it had begun earlier.
*If I know that CIA stands for Culinary Institute of America, I’m pretty sure a cooking show host would as well.
*The cooking event among the teens embraced a lot of cliché. I did like the interactions between Jackie and the teen from Chicago, Gus who seemed to be the most talented chef among them.
*The ending action/situation seemed intended to shock and felt out-of-place tonally in this YA novel. While the message is necessary, how it occurred in this novel should have been handled differently.
*I loved the relationship Jackie had with her grandparents. They all had a great time together and there was real affection and love and teasing. These were some of my favorite interactions in the novel.
All in all What’s Eating Jackie Oh? was an engrossing, mostly enjoyable, quick read that may have tried to cover a little too much ground in a short time.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.
ackie Oh is obsessed with cooking and cooking shows. Her favorite thing in the world is helping out at her grandparents diner, Melty, where she thrives on the rapid pace of cooking and concocting. Jackie, however, is a high school student whose parents would rather she focuses on her grades so that she could have a solid and practical future. Cooking and owning a restaurant, while nice, isn’t solid or practical. When Jackie scores a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be on a spin-off of her favorite cooking show, she learns a few things about herself and cooking in Patricia Park’s What’s Eating Jackie Oh?.
Caveat: I am not the intended audience for this novel so take my comments/review in that spirit.
I’m going to do something I normally don’t do and that is bullet-point my observations/opinions.
*Jackie’s familial situation reminded me of last year’s Throwback by Maureen Goo (see my review), right down to doting grandparents (grandmother) and antagonism between parents and child. Also reminiscent was the mother’s line (in both books) that said that KPop and KDrama were not yet cool when she was growing up so she had to be cool in other ways to fit in.
*Jackie’s self-absorption and self-centeredness grew tiresome as did her being angry so much, especially how it related to her best friend, KT, whom we see she couldn’t be bothered to learn that much about nor the vegetable delivery guy that Jackie presumed to know. While she did change, I wish it had begun earlier.
*If I know that CIA stands for Culinary Institute of America, I’m pretty sure a cooking show host would as well.
*The cooking event among the teens embraced a lot of cliché. I did like the interactions between Jackie and the teen from Chicago, Gus who seemed to be the most talented chef among them.
*The ending action/situation seemed intended to shock and felt out-of-place tonally in this YA novel. While the message is necessary, how it occurred in this novel should have been handled differently.
*I loved the relationship Jackie had with her grandparents. They all had a great time together and there was real affection and love and teasing. These were some of my favorite interactions in the novel.
All in all What’s Eating Jackie Oh? was an engrossing, mostly enjoyable, quick read that may have tried to cover a little too much ground in a short time.
Many thanks to the publisher for sending me a copy.
March 1, 2025
Don’t show up to Patricia Park’s What’s Eating Jackie Oh? hungry because your situation isn’t going to improve much! This novel for teens is a delicious tour de force of a wide variety of dishes I never even knew were possible. But it’s not just about the food. This book is also a tribute to identity, family, and finding yourself.
Jackie Oh has heard all of the jokes about her name, and she is not amused. In fact, nothing quite amuses her - not with the way her life has been going. She is struggling in school, and as the daughter of ambitious Type A Korean parents, Jackie is just not cutting it. But the thing is, Jackie wants to break stereotypes - she doesn’t want to be your typical A++ Asian. Her true passion is not school - it’s food - and she savors the days she spends working with her grandparents, Halmoni and Haraboji, at their NYC diner, Melty’s. It is there that she gets to explore and create new flavor combinations and dishes. Cooking is what she was born to do.
So it is no surprise that Jackie ditches school one day to audition for a new cooking reality TV show, Burn Off! High School Edition! And it is no surprise that she makes it on because our girl is talented! But so are all of these other kids, which Jackie soon realizes, much to her dismay. Does she have what it takes to win against these other young chefs who not only have a talent for cooking, but also seem to have been primed their whole lives for their moment in the spotlight, as well? Jackie, rough around the edges, but passionate about food, just wants to create dishes that make people swoon without all of the fuss. But what if Burn Off! is the only way to prove that this is what she was born to do?
What I love most about What’s Eating Jackie Oh? is that it is a YA book written for teens. This novel reads so easily without an overcomplicated plot, making it a perfect choice for reluctant readers. The cooking competition is so much fun, and I personally had a great time researching and learning about all of these dishes and ingredients I had never heard of before this book! Jackie, herself, is a tough pill to swallow - she’s not the most likable of protagonists - but many an angsty teen are likely to feel seen through her jagged barbs and inability to see the forest for the trees.
This book also touches on family issues that teens will be no stranger to, including the pressure to go to college when maybe it is not the right path for you, as well as connecting with your parents once you are an emerging adult of your own, and battling with concealing family secrets - in this case, an imprisoned older brother who has become the family’s black sheep. What’s Eating Jackie Oh? also touches on the hate crimes that affected the Asian American community after COVID-19, and while I thought that this book would have stood fine on its own without bringing in an issue-oriented focal point, it grounds this story firmly in modern times.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Jackie Oh has heard all of the jokes about her name, and she is not amused. In fact, nothing quite amuses her - not with the way her life has been going. She is struggling in school, and as the daughter of ambitious Type A Korean parents, Jackie is just not cutting it. But the thing is, Jackie wants to break stereotypes - she doesn’t want to be your typical A++ Asian. Her true passion is not school - it’s food - and she savors the days she spends working with her grandparents, Halmoni and Haraboji, at their NYC diner, Melty’s. It is there that she gets to explore and create new flavor combinations and dishes. Cooking is what she was born to do.
So it is no surprise that Jackie ditches school one day to audition for a new cooking reality TV show, Burn Off! High School Edition! And it is no surprise that she makes it on because our girl is talented! But so are all of these other kids, which Jackie soon realizes, much to her dismay. Does she have what it takes to win against these other young chefs who not only have a talent for cooking, but also seem to have been primed their whole lives for their moment in the spotlight, as well? Jackie, rough around the edges, but passionate about food, just wants to create dishes that make people swoon without all of the fuss. But what if Burn Off! is the only way to prove that this is what she was born to do?
What I love most about What’s Eating Jackie Oh? is that it is a YA book written for teens. This novel reads so easily without an overcomplicated plot, making it a perfect choice for reluctant readers. The cooking competition is so much fun, and I personally had a great time researching and learning about all of these dishes and ingredients I had never heard of before this book! Jackie, herself, is a tough pill to swallow - she’s not the most likable of protagonists - but many an angsty teen are likely to feel seen through her jagged barbs and inability to see the forest for the trees.
This book also touches on family issues that teens will be no stranger to, including the pressure to go to college when maybe it is not the right path for you, as well as connecting with your parents once you are an emerging adult of your own, and battling with concealing family secrets - in this case, an imprisoned older brother who has become the family’s black sheep. What’s Eating Jackie Oh? also touches on the hate crimes that affected the Asian American community after COVID-19, and while I thought that this book would have stood fine on its own without bringing in an issue-oriented focal point, it grounds this story firmly in modern times.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
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