LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT is categorized as a romantic comedy and is the debut work of Ms Park. The main character is Melody Joo, who breaks into the male-dominated field of gaming production and creation. Melody is only one of a hand full of women in the company. She develops a dislike for the new intern, who had been hired because of his family connections. In fairness, Nolan did steal her cup and this triggered a series of negative encounters in the remainder of the plot.

The action speeds up when things start to go downhill at work and Melody suffers harassment from strangers behind the screen of their computers. Probably from their mother’s basements with neglected underwear and Cheeto stains on their under shirts.

There are several underlying issues that Ms. Park addresses in the plot of the narrative. First, there are the cultural challenges Melody faces in regard to her parents and being Korean. Ms. Park clearly explains the pressure that Melody feels to find a husband and to watch her weight from her parents. It an enlightening perspective that I wasn’t fully aware of. But Ms. Park pulled it off with excellent description, action-packed plot and of course, cute interns.

To make matters worse, the new job she has started is filled with sexist pigs who only want to set her up to fail. There are characters in the story that purposefully disregards Melody’s safety in order to advance the reputation of the company as a whole.

I thought that Melody’s character could have been stronger in her interactions with Ian and Asher. They appeared to be the main contributors to the negative and sexist environment. It raises a very important topic that happens regularly within male-dominated areas of work and female-dominated areas as well.

Despite all the obstacles thrown her way, Melody continues to push hard. I felt towards the end of the book that her speech could have been stronger as it seemed to be a big moment for her character. But I expected a speech that was more assertive than what she actually provided. For me, it was as though my expectations weren’t met and I wanted to scream.

The characters were entertaining! Melody’s internal dialogue kept me captivated and the character development for Melody’s friends and parents were comical.

If you’re looking for a PG romantic comedy with a happily ever after LOATHE AT FIRST SIGHT would be the book for you. It tackles some great social ideologies and the challenges women face in the workplace all the time.  

Book Summary