Very! Very! Sweet, Vol. 2 (v. 2)
Grade 7 Up–In the first book, Tsuyoshi is sent from Japan to Korea by his strict grandfather. Here, his friend Be-Ri finds herself in a number of love triangles. First, there&'s Mi-Hyuk, her longtime friend who suddenly wants more now that Be-Ri is spending so much time with Tsuyoshi–but she doesn&'t have romantic feelings for either boy. Or does she? As she spends more time helping Tsuyoshi learn to navigate the city, she learns more about the kindhearted boy she thought would be just a friend. Then, his distraught ex-girlfriend arrives unexpectedly from Japan and forces herself back into his life, and Be-Ri is riddled with jealousy. Though a typical manhwa romance, the fact that Tsuyoshi speaks very little Korean adds a unique dimension to his character–he struggles for the right words but is willing to embarrass himself if it means defending Be-Ri. Tsuyoshi is drawn to look typically Japanese (great hair, slim build, unique sense of style, etc.). Be-Ri has the Korean school-girl look down pat, while Tsuyoshi&'s ex-girlfriend would blend well with the girls over atSailor Moon. Overall, the black-and-white artwork is average and fits with other mainstream manhwa, but the mix of Japanese and Korean characters makesSweetdifferent. Young readers will appreciate the tame, slower-paced romance, while older readers may find Be-Ri&'s indecision about boys and obsession with cats somewhat frustrating. Overall,Sweetdoes not stand out from the pack and should be considered as an additional purchase.–Sarah Krygier, Solano County Library, Fairfield, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.