Book Review: “The Oks Are Not OK” by Grace K. Shim
“The Oks Are Not OK” by Grace K. Shim (2026)
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Fiction
Page Length: 352 pages (hardcover edition)
Synopsis:
Seventeen-year-old Elena Ok (pronounced Oak) has mastered the art of being both a Los Angeles party girl and financially savvy influencer, but her family doesn’t see the brilliance behind her carefully curated image. Instead, they endlessly praise her older brother Gavin, whose most impressive achievement is consistently forgetting his homework. All of Elena’s hard work and social clout disintegrates when the Oks, founders of the wildly popular (and now bankrupt) fast fashion brand It’s Ok! (pronounced “OKAY”), lose their fortune overnight.
With their empire crumbling and an investigation underway, the Oks flee to Blaire, CA—a farming town that’s as glamourous as Temu. Mr. Ok, a now disgraced retail mogul, and Mrs. Ok, a now also disgraced fashion-forward matriarch, realize they’ve spent decades perfecting their public personas at the expense of actually knowing their kids. Meanwhile, Elena and Gavin are stuck in the middle of nowhere, with nothing to distract them from their family’s unraveling dynamics—or each other’s annoying habits.
But life in Blaire isn’t all bad. As the family reconnects with their Korean farming heritage, Elena discovers a hidden the Blaire Fair, the local market brimming with untapped potential. Applying her business savvy, she helps the small-town vendors thrive and sees how they put their profits back into the community. For the first time, Elena begins to question her own definition of success.
Review:
If you enjoy reading:
- fish out of water stories
- small town charm
- coming of age narratives
- feel-good reads
Then you’ll definitely want to pick up The Oks Are Not OK. I enjoyed reading Shim’s debut novel, The Noh Family, which is YA novel that explores family as our main character is on a quest to find out more about her family lineage. In some ways OK follows the same narratives except this time the story is set in rural California. It definitely mirrors Schitt’s Creek as its blurb describes since the family is forced to move to remote town, regain their barings, and try to find a way to rebuild their lives financially and emotionally.
This story reminds us that the grass is not always greener on the other side, as Oks slowly realize they have everything they wanted, but don’t have it all. Through their time in Blair, the family rediscovers (the parents) their farming roots and how that upbringing shaped their drives in life. They realize they have lost connection with one another and this life change slowly brings them together. It reminds readers that sometimes life throws us curveballs to give us a fresh start, and its up to us how we use these new opportunities to flourish.
Shim knows how to create fully fleshed characters that the reader can connect to and stories that are heartfelt. At first glace, the readers might not have anything in common with the Oks, but come to root for their comeback story. They all have lost their way and I feel like the story provides a lot of motivational themes that may help the reader in their own lives. It’s a short and funny read that will make you laugh and smile while reading along. Add this fun novel to your Spring TBR list.
Final Verdict:
FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
