Review by rotatinglibrary - Shine

rotatinglibrary 's review for:

Shine by Jessica Jung

3.5

challenging funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

I listened to this book on audio and found the narrator frustratingly old-sounding. The secondhand embarrassment in this book is HIGH. I was also incredibly disappointed that in Rachel's father's storyline. He just lies for 3 years about going to law school and it's cool? NAH. 

I think Jung attempted to shed some light on the negative aspects of the KPOP industry: cattiness behind the scenes, sexism, and valuing looks over talent, HOWEVER Shine spends a lot of time talking about weight, body image, disordered eating etc. As this is a YA novel, I think it's important to remember how incredibly vulnerable young people are to disordered eating and body image issues. Jung could have presented her critiques in a stronger manner, but I understand where's she's coming from, having lived through them.

CW: 
Body talk, weight talk, disordered eating, negative self talk, vomit, racial microagressions, internalized racism, drugging, profanity, teen drinking, slut shaming.

Content Warnings