Gods & Comics

by Kat Cho

Seventeen-year-old junior class vice president Grace Bak has her entire future all mapped out with plans to become a doctor like her parents. But the weight of Grace’s own daunting expectations lead to debilitating panic attacks that have made her a virtual outcast at school even to her longtime friend and crush. To make matters worse, her grandmother and only real support system has just died. Halmoni was the glue that kept Grace’s little family together, especially after she and her dad lost her mother to cancer when Grace was too little to have many memories of her. To cope with the grief of another loss, Grace starts a webcomic inspired by the Korean myths her halmeoni used to tell her as a child.

In the webcomic, Sun God, Grace spins the tale of Korean god Haemosu and his love Yuhwa, but with a twist —the two gods are trapped in the bodies of teenagers and worst of all cursed to attend high school. Grace never expected her comic to go viral, but it has, and more astonishingly, the fandom has also somehow conjured the real Haemosu and now it’s up to Grace to get him back home. Except when she starts to fall for Hae, sending him home is the last thing she wants to do. More troubling, Hae isn’t the only god to suddenly reappear. Hae’s sworn enemy has also been brought to the mortal realm and is set on destroying Hae all while infecting humanity with a deadly disease. As an epic battle between gods loom, Hae is without his powers, so it may fall to Grace to fight back against a vengeful god hellbent on punishing anyone who gets in his way.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Mythology, Contemporary, Asian Literature, Comics

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 21, 2026

About the author

Kat Cho (she/her) used to hide books under the bathroom sink and then sneak in there to read after bedtime. Her parents pretended not to know. This helped when she decided to write a dinosaur time-travel novel at the tender age of nine. Sadly, that book was not published. She loves to incorporate her Korean heritage in her writing, especially if it involves describing food. She likes anything that encourages nerding out, including reading, K-dramas, K-pop and anime. She currently spends her free time trying to figure out what kind of puppy to adopt. Kat is the New York Times and international bestselling author of the YA contemporary fantasy duology Wicked Fox and Vicious Spirits (Putnam/Penguin). As well as the K-Pop webcomic, Free Hexel, and the YA romcom, Once Upon a K-Prom (Disney).

Find her online at: KatChoWrites.com

To stay up-to-date on my books and author life you can sign up for my newsletter, READICULOUS MUSINGS

***I'm not on Goodreads that much, but if you have any questions you can always reach out to me through my website***

Reviews

[mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Це книжка для дітей середнього шкільного віку і аж ніяк не YA: написана просто, сюжет не дуже закручений, якихось особливо вражаючих поворотів немає.

Ґрейс відмінниця, одна з небагатьох дітей азійського походження в своїй школі і напівсирота. Їй важко впоратися з втратою бабусі, і вона ще не пропрацювала емоції від втрати матері. А ще в неї майже відсутній (емоційно, так точно) батько. Її життя летить шкереберть, коли вона дізнається, що герої її коміксу (реальні існуючі корейські боги) починають повертатися у цей світ. І не всі з них добрі.

Основна моя претензія до самої героїні і того, як різко міняється її характер, коли вона зустрічає Хе. Як людині з синдромом відмінниці, мені важко повірити в те, що можна просто забити на школу і почати рятувати рандомного бога, особливо враховуючи те, що саме через завантаженість в школі Ґрейс намагалася втекти від своїх емоцій. Так швидко люди свої coping mechanisms не полишають. І тим паче не відмовляються від інтерв'ю на програму, задля якої працюють пів життя.

Загалом книжка непогана: вона дає змогу увіковічнити спадок корейців для етнічних корейців за кордоном. Відчувати зв'язок зі своєю культурою, коли живеш в іншому культурному просторі, доволі важливо. А ще це хороший вибір для довгої, нудної, виснажливої подорожі потягом.

[Zana]

DNF @ 30%

The very simple storyline makes this feel like it's for ages 10+ instead of 12+. I think this would be a good read for MG readers transitioning to YA or YA readers looking for an easy-to-read low fantasy novel.

While this wasn't my thing, I did love the portrayal of anxiety and anxiety attacks. It was really relatable.

Thank you to Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for this arc.

[carthi ♡]

⋆˙⟡ — 26/06/2025: ˙⊹

i know next to nothing about this book, but its written by kat cho (yesss!!!), w two worlds-esque (OMG OMG THIS IS INSANE!!), and will release next year??? so yeah im sat and no one can get me to leave unless they get me a copy asap (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ (looking at you penguin random house, prettyy please 🥺🥺)

[Andi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher.

I chased after this book, thinking it'd be a bit more plot-heavy, but instead, it's very simplistic. Confusing a bit, too.

Girl creates comic of God(s). God exists but is personified as her version. She is confused at first, but accepts the fact that her 'talent'? comic? can create the gods to come and exist.

I think I would have liked the story more if there was a deeper plot with the gods besides the water god wanting to kill the sun god. Like, more villains? More... something? There are also some plot lines that don't exactly get forgotten about, they just kind of exist in the background and don't really come to a conclusion (the smallpox, the racism with her 'friend' and his friends, how she can bring these gods to exist in the first place). I don't know if this is meant to be a start of a series, but it gives you thought that maybe it can be something more.

Cute, but that's all it can give.

[Shahana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was everything I needed right now. I genuinely devoured this in one sitting and immediately knew it was a 5 star read. If this is the energy 2026 releases are bringing, we are about to be FED.

I loved how the story blended grief, anxiety, and ambition with Korean mythology and fandom culture. Grace felt so real to me. Her pressure to succeed, her panic attacks, and that feeling of being completely lost in life hit harder than I expected. The webtoon element was such a clever way to explore both creativity and coping, especially with how it connects to her halmeoni and the stories she grew up with.

The mythology was one of my favorite parts. Learning about Korean gods through this story felt natural and engaging rather than info-heavy. And Hae? Absolute favorite. No notes. His dynamic with Grace was soft, emotional, and genuinely swoony in that very K-drama way. The whole book reminded me so much of dramas like W and Bride of the Water God, and I loved every second of that vibe.

Every character felt thoughtfully written, the pacing was tight, and the emotional beats really landed. This was funny, heartfelt, dramatic, and comforting all at once. Truly a chef’s kiss read, and one I already know I’ll be thinking about for a long time.

[Mella aka Maron]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this early as an eARC.

DNF at 37%.

I am SO sad that this one didn't work for me. The pacing is very slow and the writing style veers towards the younger side of YA, more towards a 12-14 age group. There is nothing wrong with that but it's not my preference. I've read over a third of the book and I feel like nothing has happened. There are many conversations that just felt unnecessary and I am just so very bored with it. The characters are also a bit mor eon the bland side for my taste. I couldn't tell you much about them except that the FMC is anxious and the MMC is a Sun God who is very direct.

And unfortunately, I don't really care where their story goes. :(

I really hope that others like this one more than I did!

(Just as a note, I did enjoy Wicked Fox and especially Vicious Spirits but Kat Cho. She has talent and a lot of interesting ideas. I just think this one didn't hit the mark for me.)

[☽｡⋆ Naidah ₊˚ෆ]

I NEED TO READ THIS!! This sounds so ‘W’ coded (it’s a kdrama)

[snazzy pen ✰]

rtc!

[Keanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was so cornball and predictable. Extra star for the nonbinary best friend.

[Sydney ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but inoffensive and a bit bland

rtc

2.5/5 stars, rounded up to 3

[Yuridia Suryadevara]

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[Fanna]

K-drama meets romantasy through a webtoon!

[Engel Dreizehn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Copy...Interesting Korean Ya Urban fantasy read and I am will there be more comic illustrations and oooh verry much westerner readers will need an author's note on the Korean mythology involved.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is so much fun

[Yari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grace Bak writes a fantasy webtoon inspired by Korean myths and popular K-Drama tropes to both commemorate her grandmother's culture and to escape her real life’s need for perfection. But soon, the comic takes on a life of its own and that is not only referencing its viral boom. Gods and monsters start prowling the streets of Orlando and Grace finds herself right in the middle of a conflict between old gods with eternal grudges.

Once again, I thank Netgalley for allowing me an early copy of this book. It was fun, silly and heartbreaking. As someone who dealt with a lot of anxiety and feelings of unworthiness during school, Grace’s struggles resounded with me. This story is about grief, suppression, abandonment and feelings of worthlessness. It’s feeling like who you are a person values nothing compared to what you can give and the world proving you right. It’s about barely holding yourself together even when cracks appear, because it’s bad to break down in front of those you love, but it’s worse to break and have no one glance at your tears. It’s about reaching rock bottom, but seeing hope, because there are people who care and love you. Because even if you are alone, you can still move forward and reach something that makes you happy.

Hae was probably one of the best parts of the book. When it was revealed he was a god, I expected him to be arrogant, and he was, just not what I was expecting. Most stories would have made him as this very annoying, infuriating god who demands respect and only later on learns humility. But instead, while Hae does have a lot of pride and is peeved by being forgotten by humans, he is not overbearingly annoying about it. From the very beginning, like a rounded, complex human, like a boy stuck in a place where he doesn’t belong. It isn’t even just that he’s out of time, but also out of context. He used to have a purpose, a clear set of rules of what he should do and how to move forward, but remove that and he’s suddenly helpless.

He serves as a perfect parallel for Grace; where Hae is open of his out of context helplessness, and focuses on what he thinks is the best choice(return home), Grace doesn’t acknowledge hers. Grace thinks she knows what she wants the entire time and follows a set of guidelines strictly enforced by herself to achieve it, but it becomes clear she’s the embodiment of “Make It Till You Make It”. Except she isn’t making it. The path she’s following is tearing her to pieces, making her bleed the entire way, but she doesn’t acknowledge the pain, doesn’t even register it, because she believes once she reaches her goal, everything will naturally settle in place. It’s the lie she has repeated to herself until it became true because otherwise she knew she would break, and there’d be no one to hold her together. Until Hae.

(This part has slight spoilers, though I don’t think it’ll ruin much for you if you read them anyway.)
I don’t want to give too much away since I think everyone should experience the story for themselves and find out for themselves what they liked, but I will say that this story was pretty straightforward. Ironically, I could almost see it play out like an actual comic, with all the visuals, storybeats when flipping a page and action sequence. The only aspect of the novel I would have liked to have been expanded on more was the villain, Habaek. He was pretty single-minded, focused on taking revenge on Hae for a past incident, attacking Grace only for helping Hae and basically ignoring Yuhwa, his own daughter. Everything he did against the main characters was mainly because of Hae, and I think I would have liked more if he also had a grudge against Grace due to the hand she played in his revival, however accidental, since in a way, it’s a mortal having power over a god, or more of his dynamic with Yuhwa, since most of what’s mentioned is of their original myth, and not enough of who they are now in the present story.
That and the issues Hae had with his powers. I would have liked a bit of more exploration over how his powers and mortal body were conflicting, and why it didn’t seem like either Yuhwa or Habaek had similar issues.

This is my review! I had a lot of fun reading this story and I do not regret it! Until next time!

[Nicole Austin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

“Gods & Comics” by Kat Cho is a fast, heartfelt YA urban fantasy that combines Korean mythology, fandom culture, and the messy weight of grief into a story that feels both comforting and ambitious. Kat Cho takes a clever premise and wraps it in webtoons, gods in high school bodies, and the pressure of growing up when you’re already stretched too thin.

Seventeen-year-old Grace Bak has her life planned out: elite grades, medical school, success. But after the death of her halmeoni, who was the one person who truly supported her creative side, that plan starts to crumble under anxiety, panic attacks, and grief she refuses to confront. As an outlet, Grace creates a webtoon inspired by the Korean myths her grandmother once told her, reimagining the sun god Haemosu and his tragic love Yuhwa as modern-day teenagers. When the comic goes viral, something impossible happens: the gods come to life.

The mythology is one of the story’s biggest strengths. Cho introduces Korean gods and legends in a way that feels natural rather than heavy-handed, bringing them seamlessly into a contemporary setting. The idea that modern fandom and storytelling function as a form of worship is especially compelling, as is the notion that creativity itself holds power. Hae who is Grace’s version of the sun god is a standout character: gentle, supportive, and undeniably swoony, with a soft, K-drama–esque dynamic that makes his slow-burn romance with Grace genuinely sweet and emotionally grounding.

Emotionally, the book shines brightest in its quieter moments. Grace’s struggle with grief, anxiety, and impossible expectations feels painfully real, especially in how she bottles everything up. Her relationship with her grandmother lingers beautifully through the story, and the webtoon becomes both a coping mechanism and a bridge between past and present. The story is funny, tender, and often comforting, even when dealing with heavy themes like loss, bullying, overachieving, and casual racism.

The plot is fairly straightforward, centering on a single primary antagonist, and several intriguing threads, such as the deeper rules behind summoning gods, certain social conflicts, and some mythological backstory, are touched on but not fully explored. Some characters can feel a bit underdeveloped, and the story occasionally leans more toward vibes and emotion than complex worldbuilding. I wanted more from the worldbuilding because I thought that was the best part of the story.

Still, the pacing is tight, the emotional beats land, and the second half raises the stakes with more action and mythological tension. It’s a book that’s easy to devour in one sitting, leaving behind warmth, a little heartbreak, and a lot of fondness for its characters.

Overall, “Gods & Comics” is a cozy, emotionally driven YA fantasy that explores Korean mythology mixed with webtoon culture and heartfelt explorations of grief and ambition. While it doesn’t dig as deeply into its world or conflicts as it could, it delivers a sincere, swoony, and comforting read; this book is perfect for fans of K-dramas, soft romances, and stories about finding yourself through creativity.

[Rynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC.

Reading the description for Gods and Comics, it gave me hope that this would be similar to dramas I greatly enjoyed that had the writer enter their make believe world. It isn't often that the characters come to life, a la Ruby Sparks, but it does lead to some moral quandaries that Kat Cho just absolutely decided not to explore.

Before I begin with my gripes for Gods and Comics, I just want to share that I really loved the representation of a character with anxiety and undergoing panic attacks. The norm is for the main character to have it all together, but Grace did not and she was being crushed by her self imposed pressure. These moments were the best in the novel as the reader could feel that Cho greatly cared for the development of Grace's personality. Overall, I felt the strongest moments were when Grace had to confront problematic teenage kid things: being the brunt of a rumor, a friend who is only using you to fulfill their selfish wants, and the microaggressions teens just love to impose on those outside their group. It was well done, and I appreciated those parts the most.

Now, Cho really dropped the ball on giving on any character the same level of depth in their characterization. Hae, our main love interest, was nothing more than a cardboard cutout. Nothing explained why he came to be in the modern world-- I am not really convinced he IS a god brought back by the fans of Grace's comic to be honest. Due to this ambiguous background, and the fact that the fantasy elements are just slapdashedly edited into the story, Hae never becomes more than a Gary Stu. If you are going to lean into the God story, MAKE the character feel like a god. For Hae's sake, a multi POV story would have greatly added to his personality and part within the plot. As it stands, he did nothing for me.

Anyone else within Grace's life felt like after thoughts. Granted, Grace spent most of the time focused on her own life that she didn't have time to MENTION anyone in any meaningful way. Even her best friend Zo just felt like the most generic friend you could have personality wise. Yeah it is what we want from our friends, but like you can breathe a little more life into the character?

The most maddening thing about Gods and Comics was the wasted potential. Concept, historical background, and myths converged together in such a unique idea that landed flat on its face. Things happened quickly with no regards to setting the stage that the villain and his henchman served little to no purpose. At the end, I was wishing for this to just be a huge metaphor for Grace learning how to let this go, but ultimately I left disappointed in the story, the execution, and the romance.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review: 3.5 stars

This is my secon book by Kat Cho and it was a solid read as I finished it in one sitting.

Grace created a webtoon, depicting Korean gods, Haemosu (Hae), the sun god and his love, the daughter of the water god, Yuhwa trapped in teen bodies and forced to attend high school as a form of dealing with her grief due to her grandmother’s passing. The webtoon went viral and somehow, the characters came to life including the baddie! Will they be able to defeat the baddie with Grace’s help?

The plot is pretty cool and unique and I was so looking forward to this one but I didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

The worldbuilding - this is portrayed in a modern world with Grace in high school but there wasn’t much history to provide on the god’s end except the occasional myths it would touch on…it felt too simplistic at times and certain plot lines that got developed were glossed over. The plot was straightforward as there was only one baddie, the water god wanting to get rid of the sun god with Grace in the middle of it.

The characters felt one dimensional at times and are going through the motions given that there is a lack of depth. Grace is depicted as this over-achiever who is organized and struggles to stick up for herself. She also deals with micro-aggressions in the form of racism from some of her classmates but is also grieving for her grandmother’s passing a couple of months ago and has bottled things up. The themes of peer pressure, bullying, grief and peer pressure were brought up but never really explored in depth which made me struggle to relate to the characters. I do love Grace’s friendship with Zoe, her best friend who is very supportive of her. Even though they are total opposites.

I did like the slow burn romance between Grace and Hae and his support throughout the book for her. It was nice to see how he understands the way she is yet never judges her for it and tries to occasionally bring it up in a thoughtful way to make her understand. Their interactions are thoughtful and sweet with some tender moments thrown in.

My other annoyance is also the relationship between Hae and Yuhwa was never really explained well…and how Yuhwa only shows up in the later half of the book and only in intersecting moments! I get it, we want more focus on Hae and Grace but it would be nice if the supporting characters had more background to them.

Overall, it was a quick and fun read with a unique plot but forgettable characters with a fun nod to K-Dramas!

Thank you, Penguin Teen Canada for the physical arc of this book!

[Ricarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been ages since I've last read something by Kat Cho. I apparently skipped all of her K-Pop stuff, but now she is back with Korean mythology and so I am back as well. It ended up being a perfectly fine YA urban fantasy novel, but I ultimately can't say that I have any strong feelings about this book. The idea of mixing ancient Korean mythology with a modern webtoon was pretty cool, but I think that more could have been made of that premise. And I say that with the knowledge that this book actually had a lot going on already. The story follows 17-year-old Grace Bak who recently started drawing and writing the webtoon Sun God. It's a way for her to cope with the passing of her grandmother who used to tell her myths and legends, but it also became popular very quickly. But Grace isn't only struggling with grief and the work on her webtoon, but also with school life and meeting the high expectations that she put on herself. And on top of all that the main character of her webtoon becomes real all of a sudden and now she also has to deal with the problems of the literal sun god Haemosu. Who happens to be in the form of a ridiculously handsome teenage boy, of course. I'll be honest: the high school drama was a big disconnect for me. I don't know what I did expect as this is clearly a YA novel, but there are still YA novels that hook me completely and that I love dearly, I swear. I'm sure that that whole setting will appeal more to actual teen readers and I'm glad that they will be able to read about a variety of important themes that are included in this book, from grief to bullying to performance pressure and overachieving to (casual) racism. There are no deep explorations of these themes, but it was nice that they were mentioned at all. There were even some ideas presented that I thought very interesting, like the thought that creation and creativity is basically magic or that modern fan culture isn't unlike the worship of gods. The second half of the story also picked up plot-wise for me. Grace is trying to get Haemosu back to his celestial kingdom and that part had more action and more mythology and higher stakes in general. Overall, it was a super quick read that didn't do anything wrong but that also didn't manage to win me over completely.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve been having a lot of three-star ARC reads lately, and Gods & Comics was unfortunately unable to break the pattern. While I wouldn’t say that there was anything “wrong” about it, the slightly dragging plot, unfilled plot holes, and unsatisfying conclusion left much to be desired.

I really liked the premise of this book. I have read my fair share of isekai webtoons (for those who don’t know, isekai is the genre in which a character is transported/summoned/reincarnated in a different world), and the plot reminded me a lot of that, with Haemosu (and some others) being drawn into the world. While I wouldn’t consider it a true isekai, as, according to the book, the gods have always existed and were just forgotten about, it was giving off those vibes. The idea that they’ve returned because people believe in them again was honestly pretty fun.
However, despite my enjoyment of these types of plots, it takes quite a while for anything to actually happen. I think I was 30, maybe 40 percent, of the way through the book before the plot really started moving. Was I bored up until that point? Not necessarily, but that is a long time for nothing of real significance to happen.

I mentioned plot holes, and I do think that there were quite a few, but it’s because of the conclusion that they even bothered me. I don’t need all of my questions to be answered, but if you’re going to open up all of these subplots, the least you can do is tie them in a bow at the end, even if it’s a convenient bow. Nothing besides the main antagonistic part of the plot really concludes, though, now that I’m thinking about it, I’m not even sure if that was really a conclusion. Even the epilogue opened up more questions, and while I would love to give examples, I feel like they might be spoilers since I’m talking about the ending, so I won’t. Just know that, in my eyes, there were a lot of free-floating ribbons by the end.

One thing I thought was well done, though, was the representation of Grace’s anxiety and unwillingness to confront her grief. Grace was not perfect, and while I would never wish those feelings on anyone, it was almost refreshing to have a main character who had real, human problems. That’s not to say that other main characters don’t go through things, but I do feel that a lot of those things get brushed aside in favor of moving the plot forward. Gods & Comics, however, confronted those things head-on, and I really appreciated that.

In all, Gods & Comics sits solidly at three stars for me. While the premise had me hooked and the book did, overall, keep me entertained, I was looking for a bit more.

I received an advanced copy of Gods & Comics from NetGalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[astra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A high school girl’s webtoon makes multiple Korean gods come back to life because people believe in them again, and now they’re fighting in her hometown and she’s falling in love with one of them. What can I say? It’s a great premise, and I loved this book.

Gods & Comics follows Grace Bak, a high-achieving student struggling to hold her life together after her Halmeoni’s death. Her father’s pretty absent due to his job as an ER physician, she hasn’t processed her grief and struggles with panic attacks, and her main solace comes from drawing her Sun God webtoon. Until one day, a boy shows up who looks exactly like the sun god, Haemosu, who needs her help to get back home.

Grace and Hae were both such fun characters, from her initial distrust of him to the slow build of their romance. Grace has so much on her plate, from her grief to her anxiety, from her academic pressures and familial expectations to the racism she faces at school, and watching her handle that and grow and take the first steps toward healing was so worthwhile. Hae has a lot of trauma from his time when people didn’t believe in the gods, but he’s so understanding of Grace, and watching him interact with her was sweet, as was watching him learn the modern human world.

This story also gets bonus points for having a nonbinary side character with a delightful NB/F romance subplot I could not stop cheering for. Also, bonus points for Haechi, who is not actually a dog but is still the best.

If there’s anything to quibble about in this book, it’s that the stakes of the book (which seem like they should be huge) are actually relatively small for a story involving gods, even though it’s still kind of life-and-death. There’s still a lot of momentum that makes it hard to stop reading, though, so it’s only at the end that I felt kind of underwhelmed. All of the personal stakes actually felt more compelling than the main plot. Additionally, maybe it’s just me getting older, but I found the writing a bit more juvenile than the age of the characters (Grace is interviewing for a college program).

None of this would stop me from recommending this book, though. It’s great YA fare, especially for people interested in Korean myths.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Minna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Young Readers, and Ms. Cho for the opportunity to read an ARC of this title. An honest review was requested but not required.

I would say this book read to me as a mashup of Webtoons (love them), K-Drama (네, 감사합니다) and a younger-YA romantasy (why not!). I really liked Grace, a single child who struggles to live up to her father's high standards and who struggles even more with grief following the loss of first her mom, than her Halmeoni (grandma). Grace is essentially suffering from panic attacks due to her grief all alone because her dad, a doctor, is always at work. Grace's escape from her feelings is a viral Webtoon she writes based on Korean mythology she learned from her Halmeoni. The Webtoon, based on a teenage Sun God and Water Goddess brought to life and plunked down in American high school, gives her both a break from schoolwork and a way to keep her Halmeoni's memory close at hand. Grace is struggling to keep her head above proverbial water when one day she spots a doppelgänger for Haemosu, the Sun God of her Webtoon, in the halls of her high school. It turns out to actually BE Haemosu, or Hae for short, and Grace has to figure out how to help him return home.

There were plenty of plot holes and the mythology portion felt a little shallow - I'm that nerd that loves mythology and worldbuilding and will ALWAYS ask for more, more, more - but Ms. Cho really nailed Grace's character. Grace is under SO much pressure. The pressure to excel, to ace college admissions interviews, to fulfill time demands from extracurriculars, all felt very authentic. The pressure of belonging to a marginalized minority also felt genuine, although I can't speak to any lived experience. Grace's panic attacks, lingering grief, and abandonment issues were also so well described. I really felt for her.

I WOULD have liked a little more depth to Hae's character, and more of the mythology, but overall I enjoyed this. The ending was SO K-Drama coded it brought a big smile to my face. I'd probably say this was a solid 3.5 star book for me but, between Grace and that ending, I'm happy to round up.

I only have one question: Ms. Cho, who would you cast as Hae? (I'm SO curious!). ;)

[Rachel Feeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast-paced high school drama built for webcomic fans, with ancient gods accidentally brought to life through the power of webtoons, running away from grief through over-achieving, a rebel-who-means-well bestie, bullies (sorry, popular sports kids, the stereotype persists), and fighting for college admissions while trying to help a ridiculously pretty god find his happy ending. Despite the wild fun of the premise, there's a strong spotlight on Gracie's emotional turmoil, including her drive for self perfection, facing persistent racism, and her habit of bottling up negative feelings. The direct style delivers all the tears and giggles and flushes with a brisk, matter-of-factness that adds to the humor and underlines the sinister nature of the seemingly everyday hardships that Grace faces. Dunno if I buy all of the hospital scenes, but the fangirling and hounded-by-schedule artist aspects ring true (granted, I've spent probably a combined total of two hours at the hospital in my whole life, so...*shrug*).

After the initial charm, the writing was too on the nose for me - the heroes are good, the meanies are bad, what I wouldn't give for a flowery phrase! - but I'm very much a style-first reader and it wasn't connecting with me (although I thought Once Upon a K-Prom was quite fun). Pick this up for coming-of-age drama that puts friends first, fantasy second, with a cast that makes it easy to know who to love or hate.

(Of course, we love Grace and her SHINee shirt, for reasons including but not limited to her impeccable taste.)

Content corner: mild swears (wth, etc) except for one chapter where people get mad, kisses, underage drinking (I know, the scandal).

**Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC**

[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more from this book I had high expectations, but they fell through it starts out nicely Grace meeting Hae and her distrust around him until she gets swap into the plot she draws comics as a hobby and has a good following she tries to hide her identity as a comic artist, but Hae finds out the truth the two work together to find out what’s happening in the city we get introduced to many other characters the worldbuilding was lacking, and it needed more depth more about the magic Hae uses and the world of the gods it needed to feel more inmmersive the villain seemed a bit cardboard cut out we didn’t knew much about him and he just kinda sprang out of nowhere a little time developing him more would have been nice at school grace gets bullied and she has low self esteem because of it you relate to her, and her situation she gets picked on because she’s asian Grace comes to terms with herself and she learns to love, and stand up for herself I really liked that part especially her crush with Lincoln and her dislike with his friend Griffin the tension and the conflict was good it made you root for the character. The romance was cute and I liked how it progressed Hae really is a sweet character a bit unbelievable, but a nice character I feel this story was a bit predictable it got better towards the end it offered nothing new, or interesting that might’ve elevated this story it was just simple, and nice. The ending was a bit abrupt it tied things up, but it ended too quickly I think this story needed more, but it was nice to read it.


Thanks NetGalley and the Publisher for the arc.

[K. Schroeder · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book. So lets start with the "bad" and end with the good.

The "Bad"
I felt like there was a lot of emotions that were presented to us but it all felt very surface. I almost would have preferred the main character losing 1 person and combining that loss of her Halmeoni and her mother or showed us more to make the double loss make more sense. We were told that she had suffered greatly but I don't think we really saw it. Then you had the abandonment of her father which was resolved in less then 1 paragraph. Overall the emotional core of the character didn't feel like it anchored the story.

I got the feeling early on that Hae was the going to be a secret bad guy. I might be weird for that but it changed how I read the story. I was picking up on what I thought was foreshadowing to his change to evil but it never happened or came close to happening. It was hard to feel the connection between the two main characters because of this. This might 100% be a me problem but this is my review.

The Good
The plot was interesting. I thought the idea that she was bringing the gods back by getting people interested in them was thoughtful. Although her writing of the webtoon kind of disappeared after Hae shows up. New gods slowly coming back would have made more sense if she had continued to write but pacing wise having the gods show up one at a time helped.

I also enjoyed a lot of the side characters. I thought they felt well used in the story and brought a roundness to the cast.

Overall it was worth the read and I would recommend people check it out.

[Polina ♆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I guess I wasn't the intended audience for this book, and even though I usually enjoy teen stories, this one did not fully capture my interest.
My complete rating is 2.5.

It definitely had some appealing parts that I found interesting, and especially if you are a K-drama fan, you will enjoy them a lot. Besides that, I could not shake the feeling that something was missing. In particular, I would have enjoyed a deeper dive into the characters' personal problems, especially the ones of the protagonist, Grace. Her experience with grief was mentioned a couple of times; however, it seemed that it only scratched the surface of this important topic. I considered this a missed opportunity to delve deeper into the subject so that young people who decided to read this, and unfortunately, life has confronted them with such feelings, can feel understood, and in a way, as they are not alone in what they are feeling.

Also, I would have appreciated more information on how those webtoon characters get into our world. To this moment, I still don't have an explanation. Many things kept happening, and not a lot of them have been explained.

Besides this, the story is light and easy to read, especially for people who also enjoy webtoons and K-dramas. The characters are not that deep (or at least not deep enough for my preferences), but they are funny and interesting, and if this is something you aim for, you will like the book.
---
Thank you for the opportunity to have access to this advanced copy of the book.

[vanessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

the premise is what got me here tbh. i loveeee a character brought to life trope. but, at times it felt more middle grade than ya... it was a very simplistic. it threw me off when he immediately understood some new/recently(ish) lingo and concepts, but then didn't know what the name for a vending machine was. it took me out of the story because i basically had to guess what he knew and what he didn't when i kinda assumed he would be a little more clueless, considering he disappeared for so long. & some of the subplots were underdeveloped and just existing in the background a bit.

hae was so jinu coded at the end LOL i think their romance was sweet and i thought the second couple was super cute!!! hae was really so gratifying??? like when they were finally able to talk about more serious stuff, he told her to stop being so dismissive of her own issues, and she really needed to hear that.

i lowkey hated every character besides the main four and anna.. & sry but my least favorite character was her dad, and that was pretty much decided as soon as he was introduced. and that's saying a lot, considering there were other characters that were the worst to grace. his spaciness and cluelessness pushed me to the edge. like i get that you're trying to understand how to navigate both your own and your daughter's grief, but it gets to a point, and my peeves existed since before they even got together. allegedly that behavior is what drew her mom to him.... but now grace is the one who has to deal with it.

thank you nancy paulsen books for the arc (via netgalley).

[Virginia Easthome · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the perfect book for you if you love Drama + manga + adventures rooted in mythology + with a side of light romance + grief rep and struggling through the awkward high school moments of growing into the young adult finding the right paths in life. Plus a best friend who is your opposite and encourages you to embrace your strengths while not criticizing your deeply rooted people-pleasing tendencies.

Grace Bak is the overachieving 17-year old high school junior class VP straight-A student of parental dreams. She's also a secret artist/writer of a viral webtoon based on Korean tales told to her by the grandmother (who recently passed - she starts it as an homage and grief-coping-mechanism).

Then...Grace's webtoon comes to life (turns out, believing in the gods brings them back - loved this storyline so much!!), and now Grace has to figure out how to help her characters but also battle the water god and his henchmen and stop them from hurting people.

I loved how much Grace's character grows during the story - it's so perfectly fitting for junior and senior years of high school, and not only will I read this again, but I'll definitely have my tween read it too - Grace and Zoe (her NB, outspoken bestie) are friendship goals, and the character arc with other friends/acquaintances are dealt with with such sensitivity, I'll be recommending this one to all the parents and younger age set in my life.

*Opinions are my own. Many, many thanks to Kat Cho, and Penguin Young Readers Group via NetGalley for an eARC of this book.

[Kaisbooknook · Rating 3 out of 5]

CONTAINS SPOILERS

3.5 stars

This book has such a unique premise that combines cultural myths with fantasy, action, and a bit of romance. When I read the synopsis, I thought this book would be written in a confusing indirect way, but the author writes very clearly, and pulls off a plot with many moving parts very well. However, because of its simplicity, I think it's suited more for a middle grade audience as well as younger ya. The story doesn't delve into much world building, and doesn't answer many of the questions I had about the logistics of the plot. There are multiple plot holes that are never addressed such as what happened to the main male character after disappearing, how Grace brought the gods to the mortal world, the racism experienced by Grace from her peers, etc. Overall, the story is very cut and dry, so if you're expecting a very in-depth, very developed plot, this may not be for you, but if you just want to be able to turn your brain off and not need to read between the lines of a fantasy book, this may be better suited to your tastes as an easy read. On the other hand, I loved the focus on grief and emotional growth, and how the god-turned-mortal helps the main character see the flaws in her mentality. I just wish we got a more well established ending, that shows a romantic confession of some kind, or at least some more lighthearted scenes of the two main characters, to even out all of the angst. A huge thank you to Penguin Young Readers Group and Netgalley for this ARC!

[Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Teen and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A thrilling read! Grace Bak has her life all planned out, she’s going to become a doctor like her parents. But the weight of her expectations have started to cause her panic attacks and that has made her an outcast at school even to her friend and crush. And then to make it worse her grandmother, her only support system, dies. She also lost her mother when she was little and she doesn’t have much memories of her. To cope she starts a webcomic inspired by the Korean myths her halmeoni told her as a child. In her comic Sun God, which tales the story of Haemosu and his love Yuhwa but with a twist. They are trapped as teenagers and have to attend high school. Now that her comic has gone viral the fandom has somehow conjured the real Haemosu now she has to send him home. But then she starts to fall for him sending him home is the last thing she wants to do. And worse Haemosu wasn’t the only one conjured his sworn enemy was too. And is set on destroying Haemosu and infecting humanity with a deadly disease. A battle between these two gods looms and without Haemosu having his powers it will fall to Grace to fight back against a god that is set on destroying everything. Can Grace succeed? Kat Cho weaves an epic story gods and mythology that was absolutely fantastic! I couldn’t put it down! A fast paced story that is funny, heartwarming, heartbreaking, with plenty of cutesy moments!