Wow, this book really surprised me! I honestly wasn't expecting to like it so much, but I found this book so entertaining. A fun, fast-paced romance that I finished reading in one sitting.

I've been curious about this book ever since it was announced! Jessica Jung is a former member of an immensely popular K-pop girl group formed by one of the biggest agencies, and it's clear that she drew from her own experiences in writing Shine. Like Jung, the main character Rachel Kim is Korean-American and moves to Korea, simultaneously attending international school and training.

Shine is a quick, enjoyable read that explores the immense pressure that trainees face, the double standards for male and female stars, and feeling like you don't belong. The plot moves very quickly, and at times I would have liked more depth and reflection.

Shine highlights the strict policies of (fictional) DB Entertainment, including the constant weighing and evaluations and the no-dating rule. The most surprising and intriguing character in the book is Kang Jina, one of the biggest stars at DB, who offers Rachel a timely warning. There's constantly an immense pressure to debut, and the pressure doesn't end once you debut. The singing, dancing, and media training are rigorous, and competition between trainees is fierce. Several of the other girls bully Rachel for being American and attending school and living at home instead of training full-time. I felt like Rachel was lucky to be able to live at home instead of having to be in that toxic environment 24/7. The scenes with Rachel's mom and dad, and her younger sister Leah were some of the brightest moments in the book and Rachel recognizes how much they've sacrificed so that she can pursue her dream.

Initially, Rachel's greatest obstacle to debuting is that she freezes up in front of the camera, but about halfway through it's brushed off as something Rachel doesn't notice anymore because she's swept up by everything that happens. Rachel also becomes too busy for her close friend Akari, a fellow trainee who is bullied and also struggling with training. I don't mind that this storyline went in this direction because it felt realistic. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your own life that you forget about your friends, and when you remember them again, it's too late.

Of course, I can't not mention the romance between Rachel and K-pop star Jason Lee. The meet-cute made me laugh out loud, and I liked that his character is given substance and a backstory. Their interactions were starting to get too cheesy and cute though, so I was glad that realistic conflicts do arise between them.

Shine wraps up fairly quickly in the end so I hope there's a sequel! I’d definitely read it.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It wasn't the light and fluffy book I thought it was gong to be. Instead it was darker and showed a more realistic look at the K-pop industry and the pressure it puts on its stars. It was unsettling at times and made me think about how this industry we glamorize isn't so glamorous after all. In the end, I was left thinking that the Rachel got what she wanted to be debuted in a K-pop girl group, but was it really the right choice for her?

Let me start by saying I was obsessed with girls generation from 2007-2013. I would try to get all of my friends to love them. It didn’t work out, but my love continued.Jessica is a k-pop Queen. 

When I found out that Jessica wrote a book, I knew I had to read it. Shine is a story that follows 17year old Rachel as she moves through k-pop star in training to a full superstar. I really thought this book would be a fun and light read and show the glamour of superstardom. At times it was just that, but it also explored the negative side of with the business. The ideal body image, the overworked schedules and training regime, and sexism.

Overall, I actually enjoyed it more then I thought I would. I guess I have a negative opinion of celebrities writing books.The book offered romance, explored friendships and rivalries. You also get to see Rachel’s character develop over time from a young sky kid to a strong and confident women! I would recommend it to people who love K-pop and want to know more about the business; both the good and bad!

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This was largely a fun, enjoyable read. The characters are all pretty memorable, though mostly because there's not much nuance to most of them. Rachel, the main character, was funny, but she seemed to be an unbelievable hot mess. While the book was an interesting insight into the mysterious workings of the K-pop industry, as an American reader I got pretty lost with all the Korean-specific words and references without explanations. This seems meant for a Korean audience, not a global one. I did really like the focus on how there are double standards for girls versus boys, since that's definitely a global theme that transcends the world of K-pop.

Jessica Jung offers delicious secrets about the K-Pop world in her debut novel, SHINE.

Six years ago, Rachel Kim, a Korean-American teenager, was recruited by DB Entertainment, the top K-Pop producing company in the world. Moving from America to Korea, Rachel’s entire life is turned upside down as she becomes the outsider in this cutthroat world. But at seventeen, it’s her final chance to debut. Between her enemies, friends, family, and even love interest, Rachel stops at nothing to make sure she gets noticed by the top dogs.

I was super invested in the book, especially in wanting Rachel to become a K-Pop star. We get to see the secrets of the world and how rough it is to be a trainee. From mock interviews, constant dance and vocal practices, and even sabotaging from the other trainees. It’s insane to think that this is the real world, that these people get scrutinized all day every day. Even what they eat has to be cleared and their weight checked every so often to make sure they’re staying fit. One wrong move and you get cut from the program.

In the beginning, it was a bit hard to remember everyone because it seemed a bit packed. We had people from DB but because Rachel still goes to school, we had her classmates there as well. But once I got into the flow, they became easier to remember. What I enjoyed about Shine was that we see Rachel in training, but we get to meet people through her that have debuted. And that’s where it becomes interesting.

The story has tones of misogyny in the entertainment business. We get to see the difference between the male performers to the female performers. Especially in the music business, we see how the women are constantly measured to make sure they don’t gain weight, and have to order salads to make sure they’re viewed a certain way. Meanwhile a guy can walk in with a burger, shake, and fries and they think he’s a rockstar. The rules also don’t apply to the two the same. If two K-Pop stars date, the woman is the one who gets in trouble while the guy is made to seem like a saint.

It was pretty frustrating seeing the injustice in the book that mirrors and reflects the real world, and I thought it was very well done. I also enjoyed the interactions of Rachel and the people and world around her. For the people, her storyline differs with each of them as she has so much to juggle. Between the constant sabotage of her enemy, to trying to please her mother, and even to trying to keep her friendships in one piece, there’s a lot going on but done very well. It never felt too much but made to feel like an actual K-Pop drama. Especially with the juicy love interest that offers twists and turns.

It was also amazing seeing the world around her, the lavish and rich lives that many of them lead. From trips to Japan for fun, and even the tour life and getting to meet fans and haters. I can honestly say that Shine is a great novel with characters, storylines, and the world itself. I could easily see it becoming a television show or a movie on a streaming service. And honestly I hope that happens because I’m kind of obsessed. There’s just one problem.

The only reason the book isn’t getting a full five stars is because of one little problem that could’ve easily been fixed. Throughout the book we get Korean words, phrases, and even characters from the alphabet. Sometimes it’ll be a word or two scattered through out a sentence. At times, when characters are texting, they’ll send a sentence with the Korean alphabet. But at one point there was a full conversation in Korean. The problem isn’t that it happened because it added that depth to the Korean world and the culture. The problem was that there wasn’t really any context clues as to what they meant. I constantly had to stop reading and look up what the words meant. And when it got to the Korean alphabet, I had to go on Twitter and ask if anyone could translate.

I wish that the back offered a page or two with translations of what they meant so that we could fully understand. But aside from that, I think Jessica Jung debuted an amazing novel that ended in the perfect way to create excitement for a sequel.

After moving from New York to Seoul, Rachel has been training with a prestigious K-Pop record company for six years and is ready for her debut. As she trains, she competes with many other girls who want it just as badly. When she meets K-Pop Star, Jason Lee, her training gets complicated. 

This was another VH-1 behind the scenes book, like Daisy Jones and Cassidy Holmes but now we have K-Pop trainee and wanna-be Star, Rachel Kim. K-Pop is a world I hadn’t yet been introduced to, but it was so much fun in this book; glittery, clean, shiny, and full of drama. Besides the drama, this book gets into many different topics.. demands of being a celebrity and a teenager, jealously among colleagues and fans, bullying, identity, and family responsibility. Even with these topics, it stayed light-hearted and fun throughout. I definitely hope to see more of Rachel Kim. Will there be a book two? I hope so!

“All’s fair in love and K-Pop”

“This is my time to shine. And I won’t let anyone stop me.”

This book was a happy surprise for me. I knew very little of Jessica Jung when I first started listening to kpop, and I knew even less about her past history in the industry. I actually did some research before I began reading 'Shine' and after reading I find it hard to not wonder if this was her own experience as a kpop trainee up until she left SM Entertainment.

First off, Jessica Jung is a GREAT writer. It's always a hit or miss when it comes to celebrities writing books, but I have to say Jessica's writing was fabulous. She definitely doesn't hold back. She tackles a lot of the toxic aspects of the entertainment industry, kpop specifically for this book. There's the double standards, what kpop trainees must endure just to make their dreams come true, and she tackles the rumors of what companies ask of kpop trainees before they even make it to debut.

I will say that if you're a kpop stan already, you'll either hate or love this book. If you're expecting a cute, sparkly kpop love story I have to say this is not it. Sure, there are a lot of cutesy parts to this story. And I absolutely loved the family dynamics in it, too.. BUT it really shades the entertainment industry in a light I'm not sure every kpop stan is ready to see (even if I personally think they should be aware of what kpop artists go through).

Readers who aren't kpop stans then I think they'll take this book for what it is. A fun story about a kpop star and about a young girl who falls in love but is also working hard to chase after her dreams. I think these readers will easily enjoy 'Shine'.

Overall, I enjoyed 'Shine'. I don't think I'd ever read it again but I will probably check out the next book because I want to see how it ends. If you're into kpop then I would say check it out and see if you like it. Again I think most people will either love it or hate it. It's hard to tell.. There are *a lot* of triggers, though. There's drinking, drugs, weight shaming, and talk of eating disorders just to name a few.

I’m a fan of K-pop. Granted I’m not as big a fan as most of my friends are.
My twitter timeline seems to be made up of 10% sports, 25% gamers, 25% demonry and, whatever else is left is kpop. I’m not good at math, okay? Don’t judge me.
I know about Girls Generation. Back when life was normal and we were allowed to roam freely without fear of catching the plague I would walk and dance around the park to Gee and Run Devil Run.

I'm not in the know for why Miss Jessica Jung left Girl's Generation exactly. I know that she started a very successful clothing brand that clashed with her groups' activities and was subsequently voted out. Buuut I don't have all the tea, you know? 

All the good tea. 
 I wasn't looking at Shine for a messy tell all. I'm not sure if we should take it as such either. I see it as insight into the K-Pop industry which is notorious for how strenuous, toxic, and abusive the nature and the background of it is.  It's been in the spotlight most recently due to the tragic suicides of Choi Jin-ri, aka Sulli of f(x), Goo Hara of Kara, Cha In-ha of Surprise U, and Kim Jong-hyun of Shinee. May they all rest in peace and may we try to set a better precedent for them in the future. 

The industry is brutal. From training to debut to mainstream fame. Training to debut can last YEAARS and the thing is debuting isn't concrete. It's not certain.

It's even harder when you do break out as a group. Now you must maintain perfection.

In Shine we are introduced to 17 year old Rachel Kim.  Rachel wasa recruited by DB Entertainment 6 years ago. What's DB Entertainment? Well - just one of the world's largest K-Pop labels. Their rules are simple. Train 24/7, be perfect, no social media, and no dating.

Rachel can do that...right? As the years tick by and she's yet to debut she becomes less positive. The industry's demons have more than exposed themselves to her and she's not sure if she's cut out for this. To make matters worse why now of all times did K-Pop heart throb Jason Lee have to show up just for her to grow a crush on him?

Rachel has to figure out what exactly she wants and how badly she wants it because if not all of this could be for nothing. Worse. All of this could be for failure.

I went into reading Shine expecting the average, feel good poppy chick-lit. I didn't get that. I got something much darker than that. Right away we are introduced to  Rachel who is doing idol training with a group of fellow trainees. It doesn't go well. Rachel's personality is basically dissected, eviscerated, served to us Hannibal Lecter style.

And AFTERWARDS we find out that she is not well liked or like liked at all by the co-trainees as they mock her, look down at her for being Korean American and smirk at her "overbearing" mother who doesn't let her live in the training house. Their behavior towards Rachel only gets worse and even more sadistic as the book goes on. These girls are warped.

And they're not the only ones. The executives and trainers are worse. They say it's training but it's definitely more like boot camp. The girls are weighed weekly, sometimes daily which of course forces them to starve, they wake freakishly early, there's casual flippant talk of plastic surgery, one girl is forced to sing and is hit in the stomach while doing so. It's a lot. It's eye opening and I love the fact that Jessica Jung manages to write these hard truths while still maintaining an air of bubble gum lightness. Shine is bright and fun. When the characters perform you can hear the melody, see the glittering costumes and bright eyed smiles. We've all heard that song. We know the K-pop bops.

There's romance, of course there's romance. And it's cute and a smile played on my lips the entire time. It's just too perfect. We've all been in that situation. Er - not with a super famous K-pop boy maybe. But texting someone we really like even though we know it's a bad idea. Right? RIGHT?
Although the book isn't perfect and there are more than a few loose ends that need to be tied up (SPOILER: WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO AKARI? THAT BOTHERED ME THE MOST.) , Shine surprises in subtle yet big ways. What I like most about the story is Rachel's determination to not let anything or anybody stop her from her goal. Not the gremlin girls she trained with, not her mother's lack of support, not a boy, not herself. She keeps it pushing even when she does need to stop and think of herself. That is a cautionary tale in itself.

I look forward to seeing the upcoming movie and reading the sequel. Now you may all rec me some K-pop.

Thanks very much to Netgalley and the Publisher for this copy of my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Before I start my review I have to address something. There’s lots of controversy surrounding this book and I’m not going to talk about it in my review so...if that’s what you’re here for—sorry. Another thing I have to say is that I am a fan of kpop, but I’m not biased.

On to the review then! (I think I’m finished with my disclaimers)

Rachel Kim, our protagonist, was born in NYC and moved to Korea 6 years ago to pursue her dreams of becoming a kpop star. She is a trainee at DB entertainment. Unlike other trainees, she doesn’t train 24/7 and is often called a “poor little Korean American Princess” by Mina Choo, our antagonist (most of the time). She is full Korean, a trainee at DB entertainment, and is the eldest daughter of one of Korea’s oldest Chaebol families.

Now introducing... the love interest, Jason Lee. He is DB’s newest kpop star, the golden boy, and he’s half-Korean and half-white.

The beginning of the book is solid, but near the end, it started falling apart and it felt like it was cut off so there could be a sequel. I’m pretty sure if Shine was a standalone novel it would have been much better. Nothing much happened in this book. I felt that a lot of the scenes were just fluff scenes and probably could have been cut out.

The pacing is terrible. It feels very choppy. Sometimes the chapter ends with a very climactic scene and you expect the next chapter to be a continuation of that scene but, instead, you jump to a week after. 

All the characters felt really flat and boring. I just didn’t care about them or anything that happened to them. Some characters just popped up out of nowhere and only had one purpose. Rachel and Mina were really catty, which I hate. Then, Jason is very blinded and doesn’t see through the double standards of the kpop industry. I’m sure his character was written to be charming, cute, and flirty but he just annoyed the hell out of me.

Some things in this book are very unbelievable. Yes, I’m aware that I am reading fiction but still... Of course, I have to talk about the romance. It was cringy, but I’ve read worse. I actually kind of enjoyed it in the beginning, but later on it was just annoying.

I actually do have some good things to say about this book (if you’ve made it this far). I enjoyed the bond that Rachel and her sister, Leah, had. I also enjoyed that this book mentioned fat-shaming, body-shaming, racism, and double standards of the kpop industry/society. Honestly, this is the only thing that is preventing me from giving this book a one-star rating. I just wish that this book had gone deeper into these issues and talked about them more.

To summarize all that I said above: Shine is a dramatic, boring, and cringy book. Sorry. I had high hopes for this book too. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be reading the sequel.

Thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for providing me with an eARC. All opinions are my own.

I expected to enjoy this story; I have always liked this style of novel, one where you're invited into a world that you don't know anything about - can't know anything about, honestly - by someone who does know. Getting all of the inside secrets and details is really fun to me. Shine definitely delivers on the machine of K-pop, something that I was completely clueless about.

And honestly, yikes.

I am horrified by some of the details, and unfortunately I'm sure that the ones that are the worst are completely true. (Micromanaging girls' diets, weigh-ins and the horrific comments that go along with them, manipulating these children on a global scale without their knowledge or consent, the insane expectations the way the adults speak to these kids.) It makes me feel a little bit glad that I haven't been drawn into K-pop fandom - I don't know that I could participate in that without feeling incredibly icky.

Having said all of that: This was a good, entertaining read. The authenticity lends to the horror, yes, but it also lends to the sort of dishy in-the-know vibe and atmosphere of the story. Rachel is a compelling narrator, Jason is a believable love-interest, the family feels real, the awful mean girl tone of the other trainees (Mina particularly) is genuinely upsetting without turning the girls into caricatures.

It works, I liked it, I want to read the sequel. Do proceed with caution (triggers would include disordered eating and negative discussions of weight and bodies; misogyny and sexism; mistreatment of children; gross media and celebrity gossip culture). I do think this walks a good line between showing the glamour of this whole k-pop machine and laying bare its ugliness.

Gossip Girl meets Crazy Rich Asians and it’s set in the K-pop world? Get ready for plenty of drama, gossip secrets, and competition all set in the glitzy, shimmering K-pop world. The story follows seventeen year old Rachel Kim who has been training for one of the biggest K-pop labels and is getting ready to debut. There are strict rules in the industry including no dating, which won’t help matters when Rachel forms a connection with K-pop star Jason Lee. Are the restrictions and all the hard work worth the dream Rachel wants so desperately? The K-pop world the story is set in feels very authentic - probably because the author of Shine is Jessica Jung, an actual former lead singer of a huge female K-pop group. It definitely shines in her writing. The character development is outstanding. Each character truly feels like a person with all their complexities. The romance is very sweet and one readers will root for. Highly recommended!

A fun and flirty look at the world of K-pop written by someone in the know.  Fans of Jung will not be disappointed!

I was so impressed by this book! It's been a while since the last time I read a contemporary YA that I enjoyed this much. The fact that this story is about the K-pop world contributed to that, considering this scenario makes this book different from others. Rachel not only has to navigate school while dealing with her family, friends and the boy she likes, but she also has to do it while training 24/7 to be a K-pop star. And as many of you probably know, this industry is brutal. I'm a huge K-drama fan but I'm not so familiar with the music industry, so I learned a lot from this. Knowing that this was written by someone who went through all of that is a huge plus. I loved all the criticism presented in this book, such as the double standard for men and women - not surprisingly, things are more difficult for female artists -, but at the same, this is not so black-and-white. Although Rachel is aware of all the sacrifices she has to make considering DB Entertainment controls every aspect of her life, we can also see the love she feels for K-pop. Her connection is touching and a lot of people will probably relate to that. She grew up in NY, but always felt different because she was the only Korean girl in an all-white school. When she found out about K-pop, she felt proud of being Korean for the first time, and that's what made her pursue her dreams. This layer makes everything more nuanced and complex. 
Even though the book covers "the good and the bad side" of K-pop, it is a fun read. I read it superfast and really enjoyed it. I admired Rachel as a protagonist; she's so determined and inspiring, always fighting for what she wants. She has trouble finding balance between school, family, friends, and training, as she is working hard to debut and ends up pushing the people she loves aside. I just wished she'd give us more details about her training sessions so I could picture it better, such as the choreography, the lyrics, etc. Her romance with Jason was cute and I was rooting for them. Because he's a big K-pop star, they go through a lot of awkward and tense situations, especially because DB doesn't allow their stars to date. This was source for good conflict/angst, but I wanted more layers to Jason's character. Considering he's in the other spectrum of fame (he already "made it" while Rachel is still fighting to get there), his character could add a new perspective to this complicated industry. But I'm hoping the author will explore more of this in the second book. Because there's a sequel, I also wished their romance was more slow burn and didn't develop as quickly. Having said that, I'm glad this is not a standalone because Rachel's life is too complicated to be sorted out in just one book, and the ending leaves room for so much more. I'm really excited for book 2!

I am totally biased since I am a huge fan of Jessica's. That being said, I found this YA novel a typical YA book. 'Shine' has a balanced amount of youthful determination, competitiveness, familial conflicts (and resolutions), friendships, and, of course, love. It also offers a healthy, though not groundbreaking, insights into the K-pop industries.

Character development was probably the shining star of the YA novel. All characters are multi-faceted and most importantly imperfect. That makes them resilient, yet vulnerable, and ultimately relatable. You can really root for all of the characters at different points throughout the book. 

The plot was almost predictable with a small twist close to the end (with Rachel's family being now inseparably intertwined with her workplace drama) Overall, it was an easy and enjoyable read. I really liked it.

This book was quite the surprise for me! I received a physical copy of Shine from a virtual BookCon giveaway in addition to NetGalley. Before reading, I had never heard of Jessica Jung or the K-Pop group Girls' Generation, but by the end I was eager to read about her actual life and how it influenced her writing. Jung's depiction of the challenges and discrimination faced seemed completely plausible knowing how brutal the entertainment industry is today and maybe even more so for these young Korean girls. Reading about how they were groomed to become stars and the competitive nature of their training was even more illuminating knowing it was coming from someone who had experienced it all. It was so interesting to read about her journey getting into this world and it was set up perfectly to make readers anticipate the sequel.

Jessica Jung did a great job and a wonderful debut with Shine! I can't wait to read the next book. K-pop fans will be delighted with this one.

What a wild ride! This book was fun and intense all the way through. The Kpop world is no joke! As many of you know this book is written by the iconic Jessica Jung, formerly of Girls Generation. I'm not going to lie...I had low expectations for this book. But I was pleasantly surprised! The writing isn't bad at all. You never know what you're going to get with celebrity books but this was actually written well. So let me tell you about the story.

Rachel Kim is dying to debut. She has been a trainee at DB entertainment since she was 11. Since she is now 17 her timeframe to debut is getting shorter and shorter. Not only is the training brutal but she also has to deal with her hateful fellow trainees. One day she bumps into the kpop sensation Jason Lee and her whole world changes. She wants to debut but DB has a strict no dating policy...and Jason is making that a very hard rule to follow. Will she succumb to her feelings or follow her dreams? Or perhaps do both?

This book had me laughing a lot. It also had me cringing a lot. I feel like this book is written for a younger audience but there are a surprising amount of F-bombs in here. As of writing this I am a 23-year-old law student so I can't really relate to 17-year-old Rachel's dilemmas but they sure were fun to watch play out. Oh how nice it is to be young, and in Rachel's case, famous. Like I said, this book was a lot of fun and I definitely think a lot of people will enjoy it. Especially younger teens. I recommend checking it out!

Now some critiques...

I felt like one of the main reasons it was so hard to connect with Rachel was because everyone and everything  around her was so rich and pretentious. It was like Crazy Rich Asians meets Kpop. At some points it just felt like bragging and I got sick of it real quick. I just started to ignore it after a while but it was ever present throughout the novel.

This book has A LOT of fat-shaming in it and girl hate. I'm not a fan. As someone who has struggled with her weight for most of her life I really hated seeing how toxic the Kpop industry is about the size of your body. Also the girls were so hateful towards Rachel it was actually disgusting at times. The things they did to her were horrible. I understand that this is all probably a huge part of the Kpop industry but that doesn't mean that I don't think it will be damaging to some readers. Therefore I want to leave trigger warnings.

t/w: fat shaming, being drugged, and girl on girl hate

I  feel this is definitely a debut novel written in an almost biography form. I  told my friend the premise of ghe book and who wrote it and their response was "So a fanfic of their life?" Well close but way more romance. 
There were quite a few problem points such as continuency and the "gasp" factor being abused. The character was *spoiler* practically dru*gged and this is never brought up again like that was a traumatic experience and it was just glossed over as haha kpop life is crazy right? 
The end of the book left much to be desired, I  do not feel the need to continue with this series but I  know as an asian Ownvoices author writing about her perhaps realistic experience, this book may be viewed differently by others. 

Therefore, please read another review if this isnt the review you were expecting.

Jessica Jung's debut novel Shine dazzles, giving readers an insider look into the K-pop world.

Rachel Kim is a trainee with DB Entertainment, working hard to make her big debut on the Korean music scene. She faces several challenges potentially derailing her from her goals, including backstabbing colleagues determined to thwart her, and a budding new romance which goes against the company's strict no dating policy.

I was drawn to this book as a fan of Girls' Generation in their early days, and Jung did not disappoint. The plot is well constructed and enthralling, and dives into the details of the not-so-great aspects of the K-pop trainee life, showing beyond the glitz. The characterization of Rachel was very good, and I felt like she was her own person and not just a caricature. She is full of passion for music, and I really liked her relationship with her sister. The romance came to a realistic conclusion, although there might be a sequel, I see! The tale rides the fine line between achieving your dreams and the truth about fame, thanks to the author drawing on her own experiences. Overall, I really enjoyed it.

I recommend this novel to K-Pop fans mostly, but I think it's a good read for young adults in general. 

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this copy, in exchange for a fair and honest review.