What's Eating Jackie Oh?

by Patricia Park

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.

"Park’s novel delivers authentic characters who will make you laugh…and cry. Not to be missed!" --Ellen Oh, author of The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee

Jackie Oh is done being your model minority.

She’s tired of perfect GPAs, PSATs, SATs, all of it. Jackie longs to become a professional chef. But her Korean American parents are Ivy League corporate workaholics who would never understand her dream. Just ask her brother, Justin, who hasn’t heard from them since he was sent to Rikers Island.

Jackie works at her grandparents’ Midtown Manhattan deli after school and practices French cooking techniques at night—when she should be studying. But the kitchen’s the only place Jackie is free from all the stresses eating at her—school, family, and the increasing violence targeting the Asian community.

Then the most unexpected thing Jackie becomes a teen contestant on her favorite cooking show, Burn Off! Soon Jackie is thrown headfirst into a cutthroat TV world filled with showboating child actors, snarky judges, and gimmicky “gotcha!” challenges.

All Jackie wants to do is cook her way. But what is her way? In a novel that will make you laugh and cry, Jackie proves who she is both 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.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of recipes from the book.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Food, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Family, Audiobook

Audible Audio

First published April 30, 2024

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Mai H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Frankie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Yusra ☾]

Adding this just cuz a 8 yr old recommended this to me

[Christel Nance · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Lindsay Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

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!

[Janet Tuttle · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Saanvi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 ⭐️

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Dramapuppy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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??

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Epitome of bitter sweet.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Zach Strassburger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rummanah (Books in the Spotlight) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patricia Park delivers a vibrant, heartfelt YA novel with What’s Eating Jackie Oh?. The story follows Jackie, a Korean American teen with a passion for cooking, as she navigates family expectations, cultural identity, and the pressure of a competitive cooking show. Jackie’s voice is witty, relatable, and full of energy, making her a protagonist you can’t help but root for.

What stands out most is how Park weaves together humor, food, and meaningful themes. The novel tackles serious topics like family pressure, racism, and the “model minority” myth without ever feeling heavy-handed. The culinary details and Jackie’s experiences on the cooking show add flavor — both literally and figuratively — and create a unique backdrop for her personal journey.

While some readers may find the ending a bit abrupt, the book shines in its character development, cultural insight, and heartfelt humor. Overall, it’s a fun, thoughtful, and engaging read that speaks to teens and adults alike who enjoy stories about food, identity, and finding your own path.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[Tish · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[jordy · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Juno Yang · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Jennifer Abella · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Enjoyed this YA meets Bakeoff and The Bear and appreciated the focus of multigenerational families and generational trauma.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great YA story of an Asian American teen-topics include cooking, game shows, complicated family dynamics, micro aggressions and obvious racism.

[ElsaMakotoRenge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was all set to give this book 5 stars…and then it just felt like it randomly ended! I feel like we should have gotten one or two more wrap-up chapters at least. 😭

[Jessi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.