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lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I got this book by accident while trying to check out Shine by Lauren Myracle, which was a pretty funny mistake. Still, I figured I'd read it anyways, since I like K-pop and I've heard of Jessica Jung. I thought the novelty of the author, along with the expertise she brings to the table about the industry, would make for at least an interesting read.
What I got was a book that more resembles wattpad K-pop fanfiction than a novel. I was half expecting Jackson Wang to show up any second.
The entire book is really written like fanfiction, all absurd and ridiculous. For a while, I was charmed by this, and I wasn't going to judge it very harshly. When I read teen/YA, I don't judge it based off of how much I like it as a grown woman, but how much I would have liked it as a teenager. You know, the target demographic. It's only fair. It was going to get a solid 3 stars from me as something decent enough that young me would have been giggling and kicking her feet at. But good grief, does the last third of the book nosedive quick.
In the last 40 pages or so, everybody becomes unlikeable. I was actively rooting on everybody's downfall, including the main character. Not only is everybody making the stupidest decisions possible for absolutely no reason, going against everything else they're saying and thinking, but they're being assholes about it the whole time too. It really lost me when one character basically made the argument of "how is lying to you about our entire relationship and humiliating you in front of the entire country, ruining your career...any different than you making a viral video singing with me that does absolutely no harm to me whatsoever and actually made me more famous and beloved" LIKE WHAT??
I didn't even realize going into it that it was apparently partially autobiographical. It's really impressive to make a self insert character who you're clearly trying to paint as above everyone else, more down to earth, more talented, kinder, etc, and still manage to come across as unlikeable. I will not be reading the second book and I feel bad for the other women in her girl group who were probably ripped to shreds by fans who read this and assumed it was 100% accurate and truthful.
What I got was a book that more resembles wattpad K-pop fanfiction than a novel. I was half expecting Jackson Wang to show up any second.
The entire book is really written like fanfiction, all absurd and ridiculous. For a while, I was charmed by this, and I wasn't going to judge it very harshly. When I read teen/YA, I don't judge it based off of how much I like it as a grown woman, but how much I would have liked it as a teenager. You know, the target demographic. It's only fair. It was going to get a solid 3 stars from me as something decent enough that young me would have been giggling and kicking her feet at. But good grief, does the last third of the book nosedive quick.
In the last 40 pages or so, everybody becomes unlikeable. I was actively rooting on everybody's downfall, including the main character. Not only is everybody making the stupidest decisions possible for absolutely no reason, going against everything else they're saying and thinking, but they're being assholes about it the whole time too. It really lost me when one character basically made the argument of "how is lying to you about our entire relationship and humiliating you in front of the entire country, ruining your career...any different than you making a viral video singing with me that does absolutely no harm to me whatsoever and actually made me more famous and beloved" LIKE WHAT??
I didn't even realize going into it that it was apparently partially autobiographical. It's really impressive to make a self insert character who you're clearly trying to paint as above everyone else, more down to earth, more talented, kinder, etc, and still manage to come across as unlikeable. I will not be reading the second book and I feel bad for the other women in her girl group who were probably ripped to shreds by fans who read this and assumed it was 100% accurate and truthful.