Strong praise for b, Book, and Me plus an interview with author Kim Sagwa

When we published South Korean author Kim Sagwa’s Mina back in 2018, we knew we’d found an author that readers would be drawn to. With her fierce, unflinching look at the lives of teenagers and her honest portrayal of the messiness and emotion of that age, Kim’s books will resonate with readers around the world.

When we heard about another Kim title, b, Book, and Me, we jumped at the chance to publish it. This book also focuses on the lives of South Korean teenagers, this time friends b and Rang, growing up in a seaside town ignored by their parents and teachers and feeling hopeless about their impending adulthood. Scenes of bullying and isolation alternate with feelings of freedom and joy as they make their way in the world.

We just released b, Book, and Me a few weeks ago and already we’re excited by the response: Rebecca Hussey at Book Riot(opens in a new tab) called it “a perfect novel for lovers of translated fiction and coming-of-age stories alike,” and Ms. Magazine(opens in a new tab) writes, “Kim Sagwa presents us with a heartfelt look into today’s adolescence, with all its awkwardness, cruelty, questioning, searching and heartbreak.”

Glamour(opens in a new tab) magazine included the book on its list of the Best Books of 2020 (so far), and the ABA Booklist(opens in a new tab) framed it as “at turns raw and piercing, dreamy and surreal, Kim’s latest import…is a pressing indictment of today’s too-often onerous transition toward uncertain adulthood.”

Hear more about the book from the author herself: Kim Sagwa was interviewed about the book on the Rich in Color blog(opens in a new tab), where she described her thinking: “Writers of teen books usually have a fixed image about teens. Happy and energetic. Positive and curious. I thought it would be a good idea to introduce some realistic teenagers who were unhappy and slow, pessimistic and dull, but still cute.”

Interested? You can pick up your own copy of the book right now.