You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by ohtoasty
Shine by Jessica Jung
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
I'm honestly not sure if Jessica had someone ghost write this book. I would have a feeling that a ghost writer would produce something stronger than this, so I have a feeling this is mostly Jessica's writing with some editing. The books plot is predicatable enough, considering it is a light retelling of her joining SNSD but instead it is Rachel joining Girls Forever. Same American background, same 9 member girl group, same younger sister who eventually gets into K-Pop herself.
Rachel is very self-centered. She is entirely focused on herself and though she does recognize the privileges she has, going to school full time and training only on the weekends, being able to live at home, having favor with the managers, she doesn't ever seem to understand why this angers anyone else. She really struggles at reasoning with them ever. She's very focused on her own struggles of having a fear of public speaking (though she wants to be a K-Pop idol incredibly badly) and the idea of having a very famous very public boy that likes her even though they are strickly forbidden from any sort of dating. She breaks the rules and gets away with it often. It's frustrating.
The romance in this book was annoying to deal with.She's constantly back and forth about her dream, her feelings for the boy, wanting what she wants, but her dream, but the boy, but the boy was faking it, back to the dream. All of it is a bit over the top.
Jessica writing this as almost her story in her getting into K-Pop was messy. There are really serious and really unserious events that happen in this book that make the reader wonder what is true and what is not true. At one point Rachel isdrugged, trying to make her late or mess up a company evaluation, a really serious allegation against one of her future groupmates. I felt like this was very far for Jessica to go if untrue, and if true, something absolutely wild to leave up to speculation.
Overall the book goes how you would expect it, with the events that happen in real life.
Rachel is very self-centered. She is entirely focused on herself and though she does recognize the privileges she has, going to school full time and training only on the weekends, being able to live at home, having favor with the managers, she doesn't ever seem to understand why this angers anyone else. She really struggles at reasoning with them ever. She's very focused on her own struggles of having a fear of public speaking (though she wants to be a K-Pop idol incredibly badly) and the idea of having a very famous very public boy that likes her even though they are strickly forbidden from any sort of dating. She breaks the rules and gets away with it often. It's frustrating.
The romance in this book was annoying to deal with.
Jessica writing this as almost her story in her getting into K-Pop was messy. There are really serious and really unserious events that happen in this book that make the reader wonder what is true and what is not true. At one point Rachel is
Overall the book goes how you would expect it, with the events that happen in real life.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting