Article contributed by Zoë Leonarczyk
If you are a fan of K-pop and K-dramas, then you’re going to love Shine. Jessica Jung does not stray from the harsh realities that K-pop artists face not only to debut, but to stay at the top. Yet even through the dark side of K-pop, there are comical moments riddled throughout and plenty of classic K-drama tropes to give readers of this novel a feel for the niche genre that it falls in.
I went into Shine with extremely high hopes and it delivered everything I wanted and then some. As a fan of K-dramas, I have always wanted a book that read like the ridiculously melodramatic yet comical stories that they usually have, and Shine fit the bill for me. There’s just something so refreshing and familiar when it comes to a story like this, but it also successfully has its dark moments that give the story that much more depth.
The dark side of K-pop is always up for discussion, given the things that trainees have to go through and much like many people have already stated, Shine does almost read like a memoir. Misogyny, sexism, pitting trainees against one another, and on top of that, the nearly impossible training regiments that the characters have to go through directly correlate with the rumours and information that comes out on what real life K-pop artists must go through in order to rise to fame. And given the stardom that Jessica Jung has, you can easily imagine her having to have gone through numerous similar situations.
Now, there is a high level of drama in this story, and I quite honestly live for it. Perhaps it’s in part due to my addiction to K-dramas and my familiarity with their stylisation or it may just be that I am a “messy” human being who likes to live vicariously through other’s drama, but reading all of the twists and cattiness spoke to my soul. And even with all of this high level of drama, there is still a romance featured in this story to give some relief and comical scenes because anyone who knows anything about K-dramas knows that when there is romance involved, awkwardness will soon follow.
The characters are definitely not always likeable, but it is in their terrible personalities that you seem to be drawn to them. They’re imperfectly human and trying to navigate through a cruel world, so it takes a certain level of cattiness and a façade of being impenetrable in order to survive this world. Now, this might make some people feel as if the characters are playing into their roles of being pitted up against one another, but given the circumstances that level of trainee against trainee makes sense. It is literally a dog eat dog world for these individuals and there is no fake morality behind them, they act in the worst way possible. Some might not approve of this message, but again I find a level of honesty in refusing to stray away from fake personalities to show that not everyone gets along in this industry.
All in all, Shine gave me everything I had hoped for and then some. There is drama, romance, comedy, and pain throughout and as you read it, your emotions will be all over the place. While it may be a new world to many, it hit me right in the K-pop and K-drama feels. In the long run, I hope that this story draws attention to what these artists face as well as introduces a whole new audience to the world of Korean entertainment because one thing is for certain, these artists definitely deserve an incredibly large fanbase.
Shine is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of September 29th 2020.
Will you be picking up Shine? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knock-out debut about a Korean American teen who is thrust into the competitive, technicolor world of K-pop, from Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of one of the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time, Girls Generation.
What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?
For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy right?
Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.
Get ready as Jessica Jung, K-pop legend and former lead singer of Korea’s most famous girl group, Girls Generation, takes us inside the luxe, hyper-color world of K-pop, where the stakes are high, but for one girl, the cost of success—and love—might be even higher. It’s time for the world to see: this is what it takes to SHINE.
