The negative aspects of the industry mostly surface during drama between her peers, which places the responsibility on individuals, rather than the industry. While the novel touches on these issues, there could have been a closer examination of how this toxicity intersects with Rachel’s mental health and performance. Jung broaches difficult topics, including the loss of identity and the feeling of displacement brought on by issues of gendered double standards, body shaming, and calorie-counting. Told through first-person narration, Shine feels very real. Unless she counts sharing french fries and singing duets with Jason Lee, the handsome heartthrob at DB Entertainment as falling slowly, and inevitably, in love. Oh, and Rachel has to kiss the idea of having a boyfriend goodbye, too. Getting a smartphone? She’d have better luck being eaten by a shark.
And while K-pop stars are seen as glamorous, perfect goddesses, the road to becoming one is mostly sweat and elbow grease.ĭB Entertainment consider many aspects of a normal teenage life to be distractions to the work of a trainee idol. Being a Korean-American makes it even harder, as her enemies frequently label her as an outsider unworthy of the rewards of her hard work. Though naturally talented and well-liked by her mentors, her teammates are not as easily won over, and she’s subject to frequent sabotages and manufactured scandals. In modern-day Seoul, 17-year-old Rachel Kim spends grueling hours studying at the prestigious K-pop training academy, DB Entertainment. In her debut novel, Shine, the former Girl’s Generation star tells a story of cutthroat competition in the music industry that’s inspired by her own life. What’s it like to be a K-pop star? Most of us will never know, but one of the world’s most famous K-pop singers, the legendary Jessica Jung, can help us imagine. “Yes,” I manage to croak out, a smile still plastered on my face.
“You’ve all been through so much together-training for six years before making it big! Has the experience been everything you hoped it would be?” He smiles, lobbing me an easy question. The camera feels like a spotlight-hot and prickly on my skin-as my mouth dries up, making it impossible to speak.įinally, the interviewer sighs and takes pity on me. My hands have gone clammy, and I can sense the other girls start to shift uncomfortably in their seats as my silence fills the room. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for. Young Adult, Contemporary Realism, Romance Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2020ģ52 pages, hardcover, $24.99 CAD, 9781534462519
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