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.

𝚂𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎— 𝙹𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚊 𝙹𝚞𝚗𝚐
•••
“𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝚒𝚜 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 & 𝙺-𝚙𝚘𝚙...”
•••
Thank you Simon Pulse for sending me an ARC of this book.
•••
I was so excited when I saw this book floating around on bookstagram. Especially with my love for all things K-pop!
•
And boy did it not disappoint! I felt like Jung was spilling all the Kpop tea. It is no secret that the kpop industry can be hard on the entertainers. However the things that Kpop trainee Rachel had to endure was just ridiculous.
•
From the ridiculous outfits, the weight management, hours of training, and the outrageous dating restrictions. It makes me wonder what the Kpop artists I adore so much has to endure to reach their fame.
•
It honestly makes me appreciate their talent so much more. But also makes me hope that the Kpop industry will change and treat their artists better.
•
If you love Kpop or the korean culture this book is definitely worth a read!!
•••
⭐️⭐️⭐️

Shine is amazing. I was honestly surprised by how much I enjoyed this, because again: usually, contemporaries don’t get me. But this was such a clever combination of excellently executed elements, I couldn’t help but be in love.

Every character is complex. At first, I thought “oh no, there’s going to be some Mean Girls drama and I HAVE TO DEAL WITH A WANNABE REGINA GEORGE”. However, I quickly realized that it was I who was the fool, not the book*. Rachel, our main character, isn’t perfect. Jason, our love interest, isn’t perfect. Mina, our “mean girl”, isn’t perfect. And this makes every single one of the characters realistic. This didn’t feel like a overly saturated, dramatic novel. It felt so very candid.

*clearly, i’ve been reading too much shakespeare because what the heck…?

Okay, but also??? I LOVED the Kpop aspects??? And all the Korean culture??? Jung truly made the Kpop world come to life, showcasing its joys and struggles, the dreams and hopes and suffering of the trainees. She somehow managed to capture the sparkle of Kpop that everyone loves, while also contrasting that with the dark web of gossip, secrets, and cutthroat competition that exists in Kpop. Just as much as I found myself invested in Rachel’s story, I was also totally invested in this world.

As if being entertaining wasn’t enough, I was genuinely surprised by many of the important issues brought up. Rachel and her fellow females in the Kpop world are not treated the same way as the males, who often don’t even realize their privilege. I

also absolutely adored a particular discussion between Jason and Rachel, where they’re bonding over not fitting in. Rachel is fully Korean but grew up in NYC, and Jason is Korean-Canadian. Their struggles of being either biracial or simply not being seen as “fully one race” was so real and honest. I could relate to so much at times.

ALSO THE ROMANCE. It wasn’t too much, which I appreciated??? It never took away from Rachel’s character but added another layer. It was woven into this book perfectly. It was sweet and romantic and thoughtful at times, but also heartbreakingly earnest at others.

This is more than just a “Kpop novel”. This is a story of a girl trying to chase her dreams, and the corruptness around her. This is about finding yourself, about pushing through the hardest parts of your life, about shining no matter what or who tries to dim you. This is truly one of my favorite books of the year!

I am pretty deep into Kpop, so you can imagine my excitement to not only read a book about the genre, but a book written by someone who has experienced it first hand. It's easy to see the parallels between Rachel's journey toward becoming a Kpop Idol and what Jessica Jung must have experienced as part of Girls Generation. I love the not-so-subtle shade thrown at SM Entertainment (DB Entertainment in the book), particularly about not allowing their artists to write their own lyrics and the duplicity surrounding their contracts. Also, the drink-wielding, sunglasses clad, flamboyantly dressed Mr. Noh bears a striking resemblance to a certain CEO.

I was expecting (and looking forward to) all that. What I was not expecting was the clear calling out of the rampant sexism and double standards between girl groups and boy bands. It was delightfully refreshing and something that definitely needs to be addressed. Unfortunately, it wasn't mentioned explicitly until the last quarter of the book, so I felt there wasn't enough time to fully explore the topic. Hopefully the sequel will allow Rachel to take larger strides in standing up for herself without succumbing to the same bullying and mistreatment that she experienced. I understand the vindictiveness depicted between female trainees is probably very accurate, but it's just not something I personally like to read about. Especially when the main character's solution is to almost stoop to their level just to survive or ignore it and hope for the best.

The book isn't all just back-stabbing and sabotage, though, in the same way Kpop Idols are not all stilettos and glitter. The main messages of pursuing your dreams, the weight of duty, and the struggle to find where you belong is something any reader of any age and any culture can take to heart. At one point, Rachel rejoices at how she can share her culture and her love of music through Kpop and Jessica Jung succeeds in doing the same thing through Shine.

As this is written by former Girls Generation member Jessica Jung, it provides a lot of insight into the K-pop world. All K-pop fans know the industry is pretty ruthless, but it was really interesting to see what it's like for trainees from Jung's perspective and it was even more ruthless than I expected. There's backstabbing, a toxic obsession with weight, sexist double-standards, merciless training, and that's all before even debuting.

Usually when I enjoy a book I say it was a fun story, but what Rachel goes through isn't all that fun. You root for her because there are so many obstacles in her way. So many obstacles that I would call it unrealistic if it hadn't been written by an actual K-pop star.

One of my favorite things in this book is the family dynamics. Rachel's relationship with her younger sister is really sweet. The Kim's are a flawed family who sometimes hurt each other, but ultimately love each other and I really liked how they were written.

Overall, I enjoyed the book and the insight it provided and I'll definitely be reading the sequel.

I flew through this book in a day. It is a fun, compelling read for anyone interested in K-pop and what goes on behind the scenes. Jessica Jung obviously pulls from her own experiences as a trainee and then superstar in the Korean idol industry. The picture is often deeply unpleasant, describing weekly weigh-ins for teenage girls, sleepless nights, and fierce competition between trainees. However, there is an abiding love of music and performing that drives the characters to succeed. Ultimately, you can read this book as either thinly veiled autobiography or a fictionalized account of trainee life, but either way you'll enjoy it.

This was an interesting look into the inside of the k-pop industry. It's brutal, competitive, and honestly a little bit terrifying. The author does a good job of looking at this, yet she still puts the industry on a pedestal. I was confused about what she was trying to say about the industry, and it didn't help with the mixed signals I was getting from the main character. The writing and dialogue was weak, and there was a lot of girl-on-girl hate, which isn't my favorite, even if it is realistic.

**I recieved this book in exchange for an honest review.

There were so many enjoyable parts of this book. As someone who knows quite a bit about K-Pop, it held my attention. It had many of the things that people worry about when it comes to knowing the business. Coming from Jessica Jung, a member of one of the most well known girl groups, it was enjoyable to see her fictionalized experience. I found myself interested in the animosity between Mina and Rachel. The idea of not being enough Korean or enough American was a concept that I see a lot of in our world. Shine was a quick read for me, as I was always wondering about Rachel's experience and how her life would end up. Would she achieve her dream? It was such a fun read!

Thank you to net galley and Simon and Schuster for this E-book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions on this book are my own. Shine was a fun read that I think helped me learn a lot about the world of K-pop. I think fans of K-pop will adore this book. My favorite part of the book was that it felt really descriptive and I felt like I could envision the characters and scenes in my head. I also liked how it talked about how unfair the industry is. I thought it was well written. My only complaint is that is was a bit dramatic for my personal tastes.

For fans of KPop, this will be a hit. I found it to be an interesting look inside le the world, but it fell a little flat for me. The story was good, there negativity between the characters just put me off a little. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the K-pop story that will make you see the industry in a different light. The book is fun, summery, sugar sweet goodness that reads like a K-drama with all its twists and turns, but Jung shines a light on the music industry. And it is not pretty.

I recommend this book for the entertainment value as well as learning more about K-pop behind the scenes.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the eARC.

I admit, I haven't listened to any K-pop, but my students do. This was an interesting read that (to me) showed how similar this world is to the typical teen experience. There is drama, love, adventure, unwanted advice, family epiphanies, and rivalry.

I was a little disappointed by the ending, though it struck me as more real. I'm just HEA all the way.

In the world of refreshing, but still drama and romance filled reads, this book takes the cake every time. Shine by Jessica Jung tells the story of Korean-American Rachel Kim, who dreams of being a K-pop star. So strong is her dream that her family takes the chance to move them from New York City to South Korea in order for Rachel to become a trainee and begin the lengthy and difficult process of achieving her dreams. She underestimates a little how much stress, time, and drama comes with it, however, and ends up juggling private school and her trainee schedule all at the same time. Determination is key and Rachel won't let anything or anyone stop her shine, even if means saying no to new dreams along the way.

I had been seeking a refreshing read, but I underestimated just how much I'd enjoy this book. I read 50% of it in less than an hour and sought any opportunity I could find to read the rest of it the next day. Jessica tells a story that, while it isn't difficult to read, introduces many people to an industry we know little about and exposes us to secrets that need to be let out. The K-pop industry is one that looks like sunshine and rainbows from the outside, but a deeper look showcases just how much drama, backstabbing, and almost slavery the industry participates in and endorses. Rachel's journey looks a little different than most trainees, but it is because of that she can blatantly see the issues at hand. The harrowing agenda the trainees go through weekly, including beatings, very few trips home, starvation, and so much more hits home for many females. Even if we haven't gone through all of that, we know what pressure is put on females every single day to be the best. Amplify that with stage light and publicity presence and anyone would break!

I can't really write a long review because this book was honestly just amazing! I can't wait for a sequel because the drama in this book kept me enthralled until the very end.

*e-ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Summary
Rachel Kim is a trainee at DB Entertainment, one of South's Korea's top k-pop entertainment companies. Ever since she moved from American to Seoul at 11 to train, she has been working non-stop to debut. When she meets Jason Lee, DB's hottest kpop idol, she finally meets someone who understands her, and just what she'll do to shine. But the kpop world is notoriously strict, and Rachel has to decide between her heart and her career.

Review
I was so incredible excited to read this book and I was sorely let down. In the end, Rachel's character just fell really flat for me and that ruined the experience.

As a fan of kpop, I know how brutal the industry can be. This book definitely read like a bit of a thinly veiled memoir. There is so much misogyny and sexism rampant in the industry, on top of the stifling and sometimes cruel training regiments that trainees go through. Shine took the time to explain what it was like to be a kpop trainee, and also what being a woman in the industry means. The treatment that Rachel got by the executives and staff compared to Jason was blatantly sexist, and there is definitely a huge double standard. This book also highlights the strict "no dating" policies that most companies have, and the pressure for female idols to be perfect at all times. It really is a tough industry and these aspects 100% deserve to be called out.

What really disheartened me about the book was how catty all of the girls were towards each other. I have no doubt that this cattiness is based in reality, but it left me feeling really negative after I put down the book. I wasn't sure what sort of message I was supposed to get. Mina is Rachel's main adversary in the book, as they are in a trio with Jason Lee for their new song. They are constantly pit against one another, and just when I thought that their friendship was moving forward and they were developing an understanding of each other, Mina would do something catty and we would be back to square one. Rachel was always painted as the victim. I also hated how she ended things with her friend Akari, who she just let fall to the wayside. After I finished the book, the only thing I got out of it is that Rachel will do whatever it takes to get ahead and I feel like her character barely developed.

The romance was cute, albeit a bit cheesy. Their relationship definitely highlighted how strict the no-dating rule can be for female idols and how controlling the companies can be of idol's personal lives. In addition, Jason was a bit oblivious of the constant double standards and sexism that Rachel faced.

It was definitely an entertaining read! And it is well written. I'm not trying to say that every book has to be positive, but I feel like there has to be more character development and an emotional arc for me to connect to the story. To me this just felt like jabs at the other members of Girl's Generation and petty vengeance.

*Sigh*

K-pop has definitely been taking over the last few years and it only grows. I really enjoyed a book based on K-pop last year and was excited to see this one on NetGalley. It has a cute cover and the blurb is what sold me. There were things that I liked about this one and overall I did like it but there were also a couple things that just weren't working for me.

Rachel has a dream and she isn't going to let anyone stand her way, including her mother. Their relationship was strained throughout the book. It's easy to relate to Rachel when it comes to this and it's hard to not get the support you truly need from the people that are closest to you. I did like the relationship between her and her younger sister. I have the same bond and it's always good to read about it.

There is definitely quite a bit of development when it comes to her career as a K-pop artist but I felt like her as a person was a bit lacking. Her feelings are very wishy-washy and that's understandable but I feel like for some things she just jumped too quickly with. She also could be self-absorbed at times and didn't even realize things were changing for her friend until it had already happened.

Two other characters in this book take up a lot of pages and they would be Jason and Mina. Jason is your typical dude who doesn't have a care in the world and does whatever because no one cares because he is a dude. He literally just flies by the seat of his pants. I didn't really have a problem with him but about halfway through the book is when my opinion of him started changing. He is super self-absorbed and will use people to further his career. He also doesn't really care/sees the difference on how young women are treated vs. himself.

Mina is your typical mean girl of the story. There were times I felt bad for her like when it came to how they acted about her weight/thighs and even how her own father treated her. She really had it out for Rachel though. I also thought at times they got past everything but you know, there has to be more drama and a second book.

The plot is definitely filled to the brim with drama but there are also a few important messages, two I've already mentioned and what it's like to not see yourself in society/having people judge you based on your looks. This is a topic that is being discussed a lot now a days and it's nice to see it included in books too.

There is also a start to a relationship that feels like insta-love. There are definitely sparks from the beginning. But, dating isn't easy in this scene. I just wasn't a fan of it. There are plot twists that happen with it, which includes poor communication and not understanding each other. It's your typical relationship. It definitely ended on some rocky terms but I am sure that it will be back for round two in book two.

Overall, it was a fine/good read but I just wish there was more from the characters and the relationship. I did very much like the setting and everything about K-pop. It's debatable whether I will pick up book two but I'll probably lean towards reading it. It's well written and a part of me does want to see what happens next even if it might have more drama than what I like.

So I mainly wanted to read this because I’m a fan of Jessica. And she didn’t disappoint! This book was really good and full of that contemporary goodness that I was craving!