806 reviews for:

Shine

Jessica Jung

3.17 AVERAGE


Sometimes you just want a 'no-thoughts' read and this one was it. It was light and an easy book to just space out to. It took me forever to finally start it and I can't wait for the sequel. I'm a huge Jessica fan, so obviously, I'm out here trying to read between the lines, but still not sold that 50% of this happened. I believe the way DB entertainment acts and treats their trainees is probably accurate though.

Fun and easy read, would read again. Now, Jessica get back to the studio and release another album please~

ok i'll be honest. this book was SO entertaining and i read it in one sitting (cackling in bed at 1am, it was amazing). jessica jung is my fave and of course i would have liked more tea, but there was a lot of fun YA shenanigans. it was a little sad seeing how isolated she was from the other trainees, but this was a lovely tribute to her family. i was kind of ehhhhh on the loveline, though i think it brought up good discussions about choosing idol life. i didn't realize this entire book was going to be about trainee life, so i'm expecting the next book to have more juicy bits about actually being in a group and promoting. I JUST WANT TO KNOW they were barely established in this book which i think was a total weakness. they might get ignored again in the next book, and it's possible her NDA keeps her from having characters with too many similarities...lol...but also. [eats popcorn]

DNF @ 26%. What I read of it was really cliche, very insta-love, and ultimately just shaping up to not be something I'm interested in reading. I was looking for a more nuanced view into the world of K-Pop, but Jung's book focuses too heavily on the mean girls and secret romances to really make it more than a light, fluffy novel. Which is totally fine, it's just not for me.

Advanced reader copy courtesy of NetGalley. The world can finally catch a glimpse behind the curtain of the cutthroat world of kpop.

I had high hopes for this book, that I’m kind of disappointed. In the story Rachel struggles with following her dreams in a world that doesn’t truly accept her and I think that many people will be able to relate to that. What I didn’t like about this book was the romance. It felt too fast paced, and I wish she could have written more interactions between them. I also found myself frustrated with Rachel and the choices she made throughout the book. This book left me with so many unanswered questions that I hope the next book will clear up.
emotional medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

It was fine, I wish there was more character development 
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: N/A
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No
fast-paced
slow-paced
adventurous

Fairly interesting description of the k-pop industry written by someone who has experienced it. Earns extra points for describing tidbits as a Canadian delicacy. Overall though while ìt was a fun read, it was not too memorable.
challenging hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No