Shine

Shine
By Jessica Jung
Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2020. 346 pages. Young Adult

When Rachel Kim is recruited by one of Korea’s top K-pop labels, her family moves their lives from New York to Korea so that Rachel can become a trainee, and hopefully, debut one day in a K-pop group. Yet, due to the fierce competition and cattiness of the other female trainees, her life is more difficult than she imagined. When Rachel starts to fall for one of Korea’s top idols, the careful balance she has created in her life starts to wobble. She must decide what lengths she will go to make her dreams come true.

Rachel wants nothing more than to debut as a K-pop idol, and while she has the talent, she freezes in front of the cameras. It’s made it difficult for her to progress, and the bullying of her fellow trainees just adds to the stresses in her life. As a character I feel like Rachel is quite strong to withstand all that she does, but even she gets to a point when she’s struggling. It’s relatable for anyone who has put on a brave face while struggling. The author, Jessica Jung, went through the process of training and becoming a K-pop idol, so the peak behind the scenes of the glittery K-pop world feels authentic, and heavily influenced by her insider knowledge. This looks to be the first in a series, so I’m eager to see what happens to the characters next. Recommended for fans of K-pop, especially those who liked K-POP CONFIDENTIAL.

ACS