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theshinyshrimp 's review for:
Shine
by Jessica Jung
Star Rating: 3.75
On the one hand, writing-wise, this is not a hard read. The voice is easy to follow and the story moves at an easily digestible pace. On the other hand, this was an incredibly difficult book for me to continue reading.
Because I am a K-Pop fan, and not just a fan, but a long-time fan, long before most of the US knew this genre existed. In fact, it really was just Korean Pop when I started listening, not the mega genre it is today. Which means I remember still when the author's girl group debuted. I remember what gossip lists and "news" and "fans" would say about her over the years and decade since. Which means while this story is fiction, I can also recognize the many realities that come from being a member of the industry and from being Jessica Jung herself.
I adore K-pop for the love of Korean language and culture and bubblegum pop music. But I know the realities of what K-Pop is as an industry and it hurt to read those realities put to the page. It is brutal and unforgiving, but it's wrapped in a shimmering bow to hide the claws and teeth and scars. If you want your fluffy K-Pop contemporary read, I highly suggest I'll Be the One first. But if what you want a K-Pop story that has everything that K-Pop actually is, then buckle up, because you'll find it here.
On the one hand, writing-wise, this is not a hard read. The voice is easy to follow and the story moves at an easily digestible pace. On the other hand, this was an incredibly difficult book for me to continue reading.
Because I am a K-Pop fan, and not just a fan, but a long-time fan, long before most of the US knew this genre existed. In fact, it really was just Korean Pop when I started listening, not the mega genre it is today. Which means I remember still when the author's girl group debuted. I remember what gossip lists and "news" and "fans" would say about her over the years and decade since. Which means while this story is fiction, I can also recognize the many realities that come from being a member of the industry and from being Jessica Jung herself.
I adore K-pop for the love of Korean language and culture and bubblegum pop music. But I know the realities of what K-Pop is as an industry and it hurt to read those realities put to the page. It is brutal and unforgiving, but it's wrapped in a shimmering bow to hide the claws and teeth and scars. If you want your fluffy K-Pop contemporary read, I highly suggest I'll Be the One first. But if what you want a K-Pop story that has everything that K-Pop actually is, then buckle up, because you'll find it here.