Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Good Enough
    Good Enough
    Good Enough
    Ebook246 pages2 hours

    Good Enough

    By Paula Yoo

    4/5

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    Paula Yoo scores big in her hilarious debut novel about an overachiever who longs to fit in and strives to stand out. The pressure is on!

    How to make your Korean parents happy:

    1. Get a perfect score on the SATs.
    2. Get into HarvardYalePrinceton.
    3. Don't talk to boys.*

    Patti's parents expect nothing less than the best from their Korean-American daughter. Everything she does affects her chances of getting into an Ivy League school. So winning assistant concertmaster in her All-State violin competition and earning less than 2300 on her SATs is simply not good enough.

    But Patti's discovering that there's more to life than the Ivy League. To start with, there's Cute Trumpet Guy. He's funny, he's talented, and he looks exactly like the lead singer of Patti's favorite band. Then, of course, there's her love of the violin. Not to mention cool rock concerts. And anyway, what if Patti doesn't want to go to HarvardYalePrinceton after all?

    *Boys will distract you from your studies.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperTeen
    Release dateMar 10, 2009
    ISBN9780061881282
    Good Enough
    Author

    Paula Yoo

    From Paula Yoo: Okay, I admit it. Like Patti Yoon, I play the violin. Yes, I was concertmaster of my Connecticut All-State High School Orchestra. And I snuck out occasionally to see a couple of cool bands (sorry, Mom & Dad). But this novel is a work of fiction. Although I too was forced to undergo a really bad home perm, it burned my left ear, not my right. And there was a cute guy in my homeroom who played rock guitar and asked me to work on a few songs with him, but his name was not Ben Wheeler. When I'm not writing novels that allegedly have nothing to do with my personal life, I also write TV scripts. I was born in Virginia and grew up in Connecticut. I've also lived in Seoul, South Korea; New York; Seattle; and Detroit. I now live in Los Angeles with my husband, who plays guitar—and yes, we jam occasionally, just like Patti and Ben.

    Related to Good Enough

    Related ebooks

    YA School & Education For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      Rewind

      Jan 20, 2022

      Rewind
      3 min read

    • Article

      ALIVE & KICKING

      Mar 6, 2020

      ALIVE & KICKING
      8 min read

    • Article

      Q&A

      Feb 18, 2022

      Q&A
      3 min read

    • Article

      Paddy Considine

      Apr 4, 2022

      Paddy Considine
      6 min read

    • Article

      Nuno Bettencourt

      Dec 15, 2023

      2023 was an exceptional year for guitar music, with no shortage of talent old and new dazzling us with world‑conquering riffs, miraculous fretwork and life‑affirming compositions. But no one ruled the roost quite like Nuno Bettencourt, whose work on

      11 min read

    • Article

      Goods Times

      Apr 21, 2020

      Goods Times
      5 min read

    • Article

      Culture Club

      Jul 31, 2022

      Culture Club
      9 min read

    • Article

      Anne-Sophie Mutter

      May 16, 2023

      Anne-Sophie Mutter
      6 min read

    • Article

      Peak Performance

      Apr 26, 2024

      Peak Performance
      6 min read

    • Article

      Mary Spender

      Oct 18, 2019

      Mary Spender
      7 min read

    • Article

      Dom Martin

      Sep 16, 2022

      Dom Martin
      6 min read

    • Article

      Phoebe Bridgers

      Jul 3, 2020

      Phoebe Bridgers
      8 min read

    • Article

      Maximum Overdrive

      Nov 22, 2019

      Maximum Overdrive
      8 min read

    • Article

      Strings Attached

      Mar 10, 2020

      Strings Attached
      8 min read

    • Article

      A Kind of Magic

      Feb 18, 2020

      A Kind of Magic
      9 min read

    • Article

      Kate Nv

      Jan 10, 2023

      Kate Nv
      9 min read

    • Article

      You Dey Brazy?

      Mar 7, 2024

      You Dey Brazy?
      3 min read

    • Article

      Tip Sheet

      Jan 9, 2024

      Tip Sheet
      5 min read

    • Article

      Art Imitating Life

      Mar 21, 2022

      You’ll never quite remember your first time seeing Totally Unicorn live – chalk it down to intoxication, or all the crowd-surfers’ boots you’ll cop to the noggin – but there’ll always be a lingering sense that it was one of the best goddamn sets you’

      5 min read

    • Article

      5-minute Philosopher

      Jan 25, 2024

      5-minute Philosopher
      1 min read

    • Article

      Shred Alert

      Aug 2, 2019

      Shred Alert
      6 min read

    • Article

      Beast Mode

      Jul 3, 2019

      Beast Mode
      12 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Good Enough

    4/5

    87 ratings10 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      A cute Asian-American coming of age story, where the girl who thought she should aspire to be the PKD (Perfect Korean Daughter) learns that there's a lot more to life (and to the people around her) than scoring 2300 on your SATs. Loved the music jokes, the recipes, and lead character Patti's great sense of humour about her self and her life. Definitely a young adult novel I'd recommend, even if you've never been forced to be the perfect korean daughter.
    • 3/5
      Good Enough starts off with some rather hilarious band-related jokes, primarily bashing viola players (but you can probably replace it with any other instruments). I live off corny jokes, and the fact that Patti basically introduces herself with a joke really sat well with me. My favorite one from the book: From page 1 You're lost in the woods and meet a pink elephant and a good viola player. Who do you ask for directions? The pink elephant - a good viola player is just a figment of your imagination.The jokes only ran for the first few chapters, and then they fizzled out. However, Patti still managed to inject some humor every so often as she went through the trials and tribulations of being an Asian-American high school senior.The great thing about Good Enough was how realistic I found Patti to be, although I had not been musically-talented or as pressured as she had been. Based off my own experiences with Asian parents, I simply imagined Patti's experiences to be ten times more extreme. Boys were a big NO for both Patti and me, and I could relate to her pining after that cute trumpet player and hoped that he would be The One who would totally get her. I thank my parents for not pressuring me to go to HARVARDYALEPRINCETON, but still they wanted me to get a good useful education and not something that may not sustain me well.I would not go as far to say Good Enough was a "cute" book. Funny at times, but it still carried a hint of thoughtfulness as Patti tried to sort through what her parents wanted and what she may want. Good Enough was the "serious" cousin of skunk girl with less focus on boys and more focus on figuring out what one wants to do versus what one is expected to do.The ending can be seen as both satisfying and disappointing. Patti eventually makes her decision on what she wants to do, but the cute trumpet player storyline warrants more discussion. However, I suppose things all work out for Patti and the cute trumpet player - just not the way I would have assumed. Meh, I guess this is more true to what happens in real life. But it doesn't mean I have to particularly like it!
    • 4/5
      This is a very fast read, and I think most Juniors and Seniors will be able to relate to it. Senior year is stressful, and this book really let you feel it while also giving some interesting looks into what it's like to be a Korean American or to be very pressured by your parents. I wasn't a big fan of the ending where they skipped ahead several years and told you how everyone ended up... but I really enjoyed the book overall.
    • 5/5
      Patti Yoon's parents have her future mapped out for her. Have for years. The choices after high school are simple: Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Both parents came to the U.S. from Korea, and while successful in their own right, her parents have scraped and saved-- and forced Patti into countless SAT practice exams-- so Patti can have the best possible future. But-- and this is definitely a very new thought for Patti-- what if HarvardYalePrinceton is not what Patti really wants? Paula Yoo's narrative is both charming and hilarious, and proves very insightful to anyone who doesn't have a first generation Korean-American for a best friend. Need a recipe for Spam Kimshi? It's here. Need the top ten reasons why (insert countless list reasons, such as why your youth orchestra will fall apart performing the Mendelssohn concerto)? These are here as well. Many young adult readers with driven parents will undoubtedly recognize themselves in Patti, regardless of ethnic heritage, and every high school student will recognize-- and perhaps empathize-- with Patti as she develops her first major crush (and heartbreak), and questions what she really wants to do with her life. This is a 2010-2011 Missouri Gateway Readers Award nominee, and it's one of the best I've read so far. I highly recommend this book to teens!
    • 4/5
      Patti Yoon is a Korean-American and a senior in high school. Her Korean parents put a lot of pressure on her in order to make sure she gets into HarvardYalePrinceton. They also made her start playing violin when she was little so that she has a "hook" for the Ivy Leagues. But when she meets Ben Wheeler, she starts rethinking about HarvardYalePrinceton. If she gets into an Ivy League, does that mean giving up the violin, which she loves so much? Should she go against her parent's wishes and apply to Julliard? This book is about Patti finding herself, what she loves, and making decisions for herself. This book is hillarious! It sounds just like a teenager is talking and really shows the ups and downs of high school and pressure from parents. Paula Yoo is a fantastic writer.
    • 4/5
      Patti is a senior in high school. Her parents are Korean who put tons of pressure on her. All she can think about is being valedictorian, HarvardYalePrinceton (the universities her parents want her to go to), 2300 or better on the SAT, and being concertmaster of the state orchestra for the fourth year in a row. Her life turns inside out when she meets a really cute boy, Ben, at the all-state auditions. She gets to thinking about what she wants for a change rather than her parents. Patti has to choose between what her desires and her parents. I really loved this book because I could connect personally with Patti. I am also a senior going through the stress of SATs and college applications. Patti is hilarious at attempting the PKD or perfect Korean daughter. This is a really good book for senior or junior girls who are stressed out about life in general because fictional characters are going through the same things we are!
    • 5/5
      Patti's parents constantly pressure her into being a PKD- perfect Korean daughter. They won't accept anything under a 2300 on her SAT's, are disappointed if she gets anything below an A, and practically make her apply to all the Ivy League schools. Good Enough is about Patti, and how she sometimes wishes she could just do what she wants, and what makes her happy, like the violin. And she wishes Ben, a super cute trumpet player, would think of her as more than a friend.I loved Good Enough and really liked how the chapters were set up.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. At first i did not think that i would like this book. But, i did like it because it was a very fast book to read and only took a couple hours to read. I think my favorite part was the concert that she went to with Ben and the concert in April. This book, is very imagesit because I personaly can see the people in the book. So,overall it is a good book. I also, like how there are footnotes included in the book
    • 4/5
      At first I thought this book was going to be really bad because it's about the SAT and the violin and things like that that i normally wouldn't want to read about. Once I started reading it, it was actually okay. It was interesting to read about what some people go through in order to succeed and the pressures they go through from their parents.
    • 5/5
      Patti Yoon is a straight-A student, first chair violinist, and destined for HarvardYalePrinceton if she can only get her SATs up to a 2300. She's always had this dream of being accepted into an Ivy league school, going on to make something of herself (and, more importantly, escaping high school). But from the moment she sets eyes on Ben (a.k.a. Cute Trumpet Guy), things start to change. Her whole life, Patti has had to live up to her Korean parents' expectations, but now she's finally starting to figure out what will make her happy. Patti is a really likeable main character and a hilarious narrator. I couldn't put this book down and I was laughing out loud reading it. Patti's surrounded by a cast of interesting supporting characters, including the dreamy, musical Ben, her strict parents (who have their reasons for expecting so much from her) and her geeky friends from Korean church. Yes, race is an issue at times in the book, but the bigger issue is Patti standing up for herself and figuring out that "success" and "happiness" are not necessarily one and the same.

    Book preview

    Good Enough - Paula Yoo

    Ζbbook_preview_excerpt.html[vGrthkF!O hH& hݕݕReafWo?їވG7{tWeFƍXٓ˿Og/Ccʽm6̏6V/S|rcGtw.3fg)CLlBȌBɳmByԕBr| Es>Ǘx5沴杯p56_^iycGh̟ z23ؚG<#sVtMjʙōq5ѻgy׬rsY'ccNڽyi3ŜmW[J>|۵2o&7ymw&͛z| 5-?[pgc{OAކ=~}}fg!W{A-ʳ>~nv ߽ϖ+kJ[a8BhGǏxYٲ# |,vz@)6O< &Ei/Յmn-GdB6R?酇uﶀaFv kRIUˠҬ]\ТB4\v<yyWU2;PＰ5T }4+C|)5njOg[!& .,Fos5z$XL7XCߤf&vuQg|]J d]õi^LgE ?YU g_Rv8r/ ~!I"91k3rhuXyr_-?@2e/(䍅%A1!԰,wSP oͭk! kqٚe 5xz)NNe+qJsTYܚr@Gey\ʦ,=`ƭD"IHȃ~/,#D8f4h=Q̣`"tb]`ݹ jՐ&2w alwb \r/ i((Ն_Lt xx0+Udc=r(m$k) k}=di Iun=ŶbL9=77<OxDAڱ$P[+r 4*0O .."DT؊te#[(خDd,j@(i:B%1tx( c R" ԺG tGY&pXZS8jwpĕm3ڼ!NK,X~m5-*  rpp+G>ZpkB!a23/Dt`w+rt2]<U!+wƎŨ[5j*GZm5䨐am}D6k􊫠-d+ЦHѲb&cXMއ(b^ssΜdpBd˄NkQF/btkb{@sB3ÒUSD4U^3Y(yh MCK]+RP iaWw o2M2ٔi1#LF9v`h iZv#F)YȳukdENO=``!m vadEΐm6>DBh⺂-7-{秧a3$9KfI"b>/ #e1]oªЂ:.ɘ ?u"XU~H<ok~ȼYݬ>L Lm dh'w /<>I5 fnX]\Mҥ3mNN8LN,vFѥtX,7{(@gVhf7,w(9WACI3:\bو;CK5 H~n %Hg&#a,S&<)HݰYk[y+4`^k<0!G>Qm2uS[UH`Fv?K*Yoh9"])@Himʤ ۪$Ns˞\{cm5J[ Uy"Y [r!ϐ+G)1gNclr̦ aS_)/ܚF<2l/Dֹ:N5Fj9+_ "8eFPR)Պ#YjVi,_܋ߌtQدQ}Eȍ R҆]VeqFM{n.tS2LKRu\s5=4K.=QW̊&t4ro6Rt?8v$*q,Lʼn}Z{ߛɂ"&߬p\#E -KGP iQFHD7f@j43? h.~uG⃍=T90%J[)y LNHSհC|aL'%>RO'E3ʮ P)e(kTY%V+ģTAX~Se,Nu_.]jYpKИ=`$8x *N6*K_.$*?V4!BFIӝd 6mT^5H-U[TQdr9@fӐOĺr3 :W⌙ֱY]JF !*iDmJiU2C{PzÜqe4pLݠ ~slVҐSރU@TP%çU)HJZJ%6[5juzB5<4~RYQum}rmWiQE(ktE!=Kfݦ^ )Ee!}_zj$UmʶW}뮒T ! `^tl$%R|PgC3jd&@fpkUmsAhJ%;25f.ni'I'ƶ%" ryEnm06d 636V'ւbR*V" 0VӻkO~vgrG&~j!݉K㔼Mj$cNqeg Bjmz;ϔYˊ\+Uګ0tzI"]'x{x4:D4m{ t7r?v&@I7B!FU13 .蒀xE|ޙGL’B#VF$?9{#e 0#MDngr>E6\nX;|;JnTf4d%xw찂HRP:={.S9hvr8ŦWtꄷxW'}؝ ea'q*}na^!#8s'~sߔ)4xdKGSj_Ah ?(|]F -IlnUIXYM pjzy@{L^ W!>=zm-َeS{HU;_ϋd B, qe8Tw4}`Ÿ,vz$޴ vݱ~dZj񷏾NIwmG%6=Ip!@TSrUWIc'RzP6S~XiL25$LP]}= 8yNlA1O5Fe@;`f!9Xl^Kq`\nJ%>h?RK ':q-fU$՝!V Eڲ҈I'ĀKTwdeoЗ̇c?tlG%d˽#$rT*9u[bJ)9}Yh7I2ۘA-K$H(u-InCm'24}ı8D:zPZZ9OPܟn @]#! N&WCCs1 \$Bzt3\u*#p𣭕3ҢIOAgHc!^WzX$vtD)G5PDDdDw7& 5Çou\Dy&Crp+\3^C*z.]>-/PM'sr \y؍љKi鞉,ԉРWFP lI8Ȥ{ s+i=\Jg '+`qqDLN}LnvY2 Α֗+H JshEaMĬvKP\L2 IԎwl k;-5g4c+`|K3~: [B4i4SF#ZmҴ̽XWIo*%Bu[<bI#JOj LЁTmd%:/)}nCbg6kdO=8iB2,8t@~8jޒ ?AyH85̷uz?NWdp!xN8,VGv02y3,vK<
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1