FIREWORKS

When her former childhood best friend–turned–K-pop star returns home, Lulu starts to fall for him.

Lulu Li is done with high school and can’t wait to spend the summer before entering Rutgers with her two best friends, going to Hersheypark, dining in New York City, and getting a tan at the beach. She’s ready to leave the past behind, but things change when her childhood best friend comes back from South Korea after becoming a K-pop idol four years ago. Kai Xu, who is known as Kite, returns home after his group announces he’ll be taking a break for medical reasons. When they run into each other, Lulu can’t help longing for their lost friendship. As their bond grows, Lulu finds herself falling in love with Kite. Between her growing feelings, Kite’s mysterious break from performing, and trying to keep his presence at home a secret, Lulu and Kite must learn to be honest and open with others as well as themselves in order to move forward. This cute story portrays a summer of teenage fun while also depicting the ups and downs of being an idol. Because Kite avoids public places, Lulu’s friendships and familial issues are almost as prominent as the romance. Topics such as anger toward a divorced parent, Korea’s seniority culture, social media toxicity, mental health, and privacy are addressed. Bisexual Lulu is the daughter of immigrant parents from Taiwan; Kai is Chinese American.

A sweet rom-com about connection and growth.