Didn’t love it. I felt like the characters were 2 dimensional. There just didn’t seem to be enough building to make them feel real? Their issues just didn’t feel like I could connect and relate.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!

I mean, with a cover that gorgeous (!!), I don't know why I'm surprised. But the story within the pages was just as beautiful, magical and eye-catching as the glitter, shimmer, and, well, shine.

This book is rich with whimsy and fun, but also pulls the curtain back on some of the more problematic issues of the Kpop industry (and, to an extent, the wider entertainment industry as a whole). It's authentic -- no less in part due to the author, who was a part of Kpop group GIRLS' GENERATION herself -- and yet retains such brilliant narrative structure, weaving a tale so engaging that you can't help but be engrossed.

And the ANGST! The DRAMA! The SUPER-CUTE ROMANCE!

SHINE truly highlights the absolute best in YA literature. Dazzling both inside and out, with rich characters, compelling stories, and messages that actually make a difference, it strongly resonated with me -- and undoubtably will for you, too.

Whether you're a Kpop fan, a rom-com lover, or simply a contemporary connoisseur, make sure you snap this title up -- for it's truly one of the best titles of the year.

3.5

A fun young adult contemporary novel. Loved the diversity and insight to this Korean American teen world. Not sure if I'm just too older for YA books now, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I felt I could have.

It’s written by former K-Pop star Jessica Jung and follows Rachel who is a young Korean American girl that was recruited by DB Entertainment — one of Seoul’s largest K-Pop labels. The industry is set up school-like; attendees are required to train 24/7 and follow a set of strict rules. Rachel’s dream has always been to debut as a K-pop star before she reaches the max age but when she meets Jason Lee, she finds it difficult to follow the controlling environment she’s in. She faces many twists and turns but through it all, she keeps a brave face and is willing to do whatever it takes to shine!

My favourite things about the book:
✨Inside look of the K-Pop world from a reliable resource
✨Pinpointing the problematic issues of the industry
✨Authentic Korean experience via inclusion of language, food, and setting
✨Experience of an American transplanted in Korea
✨Teenage angst and relationships
✨Drama-filled
✨References to Canada and Tim Horton’s

Overall, I thought this was a solid Young Adult novel. I recommend picking it up for those of you with an interested in Korea and K-Pop.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was a cute YA read. Perfect for the summer.

Shine was a telling story about the sexism and racism within the K-Pop industry. Even as a fan, it's easy to tell that it's a toxic industry. Rachel begins the story very naiive, and as we move through the story she becomes more confident, but also more aware of the world around her. Moving through the story, I have to wonder how much of this was drawn from Jessica's actual experiences with SM. I wish there was a bit more about the actual experience of performing and practicing, but I loved the world and culture building. There's definitely room for a sequel and I'm excited to see if this story will continue to develop in the future. This is also very YA, which is refreshing, as more and more authors have been trying to stretch the genre's limits recently. Shine is heartwarming, frustrating, but also enlightening. Honestly, by the end, Rachel won as much as she lost, which was probably the most realistic way this story could've ended. Like I said, if there ever is a sequel, I'd be first in line to read it!

The moment I saw a kpop novel was coming out written by someone who was a member of one of the biggest girl groups of all time I knew my kpop loving ass needed to get my hands on this book immediately. It sounded like everything I would love.

Unfortunately, I didn’t love this at all. The writing was perfectly good. I have no complaints about that. I don’t know if Jessica used a ghost writer, but if she didn’t damn this girl is truly multi-talented.

I didn’t like the story. I didn’t like the characters. Everything felt so one dimensional to me. I went into this hoping for a 4/4.5 star book, but I feel like even 2 might be generous. The romance didn’t do much for me either. I thought Jason was quite boring and kind of an ass, but in an irredeemable way. And the mean girls seemed like the kind you’d find in a teen novel/film circa 2010. It completely fell flat for me. I hate that because I really did want to love this book.

The most disappointing part was the ending. Throughout the entire story Rachel is trying to fight against the mean girls and to rise above all the pettiness while doing it in order to debut with the new girl group, but in the end she just seemed to become one of them. There was not a single ounce of character development. I know there’s at least a second novel coming out so maybe Rachel and the other girls can find a heart then. Not only that, but all the events at the ending almost seemed like they negated the rest of the story. Like nothing that happened mattered.

This book was every thing I think of when it comes to k-pop. It was fun, insightful and a really enjoyable read. If you're a fan of k-pop you'll love it and if you're new to the genre it's a great introduction!

Shine follows teenage Rachel, a K-Pop trainee as she attempts to stay in the program, keep up with friends, ignore the bullies, and figure out her love life. I am not an active K-Pop fan, besides a few songs here and there, but I am not super invested in the genre or the world and don't know much about it. I have seen some reviews mention that Jessica Jung may have tried to incorporate her experiences in the K-Pop world, but like I said, not something I would really know. With that in mind, I did still enjoy the book to some extent besides some issues I had with it.

I did enjoy the overall plot of the novel. I liked seeing and being able to learn a little bit about the behind the scenes aspect of K-Pop. I also loved how much Shine emphasized family and putting family and friends first. I liked the travel aspects of the novel as well. I enjoyed seeing Rachel travel and especially loved the Toronto and "Brantwood" (aka Collingwood) parts. Both Rachel and Jason had strong connections to their culture and that was really lovely to see.

What I didn't enjoy was a lot to do with the characters and plots. I know this is probably partly accurate to the industry, but there was a lot of fat shaming and cattiness featured. I know it is an important issue within the industry to discuss but I can imagine for many people, reading about fat shaming and calorie counting, can be harmful and triggering. There were points where it seemed like the cattiness would subside a little but I wish it tuned down at least a bit at the end, and I was disappointed that everyone was just still catty and mean at the end. The relationship aspect in the novel was ok, nothing super special or off the charts for me.

Overall, it was ok. I did find some entertainment to the novel and did enjoy some parts of it. I wish somethings were done differently. Happy with this as a standalone so I'm unsure if I will continue

I’m still quite new to the K-pop world, and reading this book revealed some darker aspects of the idol trainee (pop stars in training) world. We follow Rachel Kim, who is American born, in her training alongside top Korean singers and dancers. It’s a cutthroat, high-stakes world - everyone wants to have a successful debut (first introduction into the mainstream market). With that, there’s strict rules trainees must follow or risk losing their place in the trainee program and a shot to stardom. For example, strong restrictions against dating, and the need to maintain a certain image/body weight.

It was really interesting to see from a K-pop star’s perspective (albeit Jessica Jung is not the character in this book) and how her own experiences have made their way into this book. Again, it is a work of fiction and parts of the book may be exaggerated, but overall, the protagonist Rachel experiences the glamorous and harsh sides of the K-pop world. I loved the fun and intense journey through the rich lifestyle that comes with becoming the next rising pop star.

My favourite character is Leah, Rachel’s little sister, who is the biggest fangirl and it’s adorable. There are elements of a meet-cute romance, which is really popular in K-dramas, and I enjoyed that storyline. The rivalry between Rachel and her biggest competition, Mina, was petty, but managed to grow into a tentative alliance for a bit of time. I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationships Rachel experienced, she recognizes how all her hard work is worth it, and that stardom may not be the only thing she values in life!

If you want a taste of a fun and competitive world of pop stars in training and Korean culture, go check out Shine!

Rachel Kim is an American Korean who was discovered at the age of 11 by DB Entertainment and since then has been in training to become one of Korea's next big K-Pop stars. Now at 17 she is afraid her time is coming to a close. But that doesn't stop her from doing everything possible to make sure it is going to happen. It should be easy though, the rules are simple, train non-stop, always be perfect and of course never date. Seems easy until Rachel starts seeing more and more of the dark side of the K-pop world. She begins to question if the life she has dreamed of having her whole life is really what she wants. To top it off matters are only complicated when she begins to have feelings for DB's biggest star and K-Pops shining boy Jason Lee. How far will Rachel go to have her dream, what is she willing to sacrifice?

I chose this book to start off my February because I wanted something a little on the lighter side and with some romance, and while it did give me those vibes it also gave me so much more. Jessica Jung showed me a much darker side to K-pop that I never thought of existing. I know we all think about the entertainment industry as having issues, and questionable intent. But this showed another side, from another culture and I was immediately sucked in. I found the characters very relatable all be it very frustrating at times (I'm looking at you Jason). I could understand why they made certain decisions, or think certain things even if I could say I wouldn't do that. It is always easy to say that when you aren't wearing those shoes living that life.

I also enjoyed that the novel took you on some adventures, while the book was mostly located in Seoul Korea, we also got to see Tokyo, Toronto and New York City high lighted. Which was fun to have little sinpits of different locations that are fairly recognizable and well known described. As personally I have only been to Toronto living near it most of my life!

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in K-Pop, other cultures, entertainment, or is just looking for a bit of a different contemporary read. While having some deeper topics it was still fun and enjoyable and fast paced.

Trigger warnings: There is talk of eating to maintain a specific weight, plastic surgery to have an ideal look, fat shaming, women being less than men.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this eArc, all opinions and reviews are my own.

The moment I found about Shine and that it was about kpop, I knew that I had to read it. Then I realized that Jessica Jung (former of Girls Generation) was the author and I might have freaked out a little bit (in a good way)! I don’t talk about this a lot, but while I’m a bit out of the loop with the kpop world now, I got into kpop around 2008. Like, I remember the release of Mirotic. Yes, when DBSK still had 5 members! According to the internet I’m a tier 2 kpop veteran?

In either case, my love for kpop and Korean culture as a whole runs deep! (Check out my travel series if you want to read about my adventures in Seoul: https://flaviathebibliophile.com/category/travel/) Back to my review for Shine though…If I haven’t made it clear through my rambles already, I was very passionate about reading this book!

Once I started reading Shine, I was immediately hooked. Having been very involved in kpop and the lives of my favourite stars for many years, I was always fascinated about what happened behind the scenes. There was so much speculation and secrecy. The fact that Jessica Jung gave us more than a glimpse into what happens behind the curtain, where the fans can’t see, was very fascinating to me. I was immediately invested in the main character, Rachel’s, well-being and success. I do wish that the book would have let us explore Seoul a little bit more, but that’s probably just me whining because I miss Seoul a lot.

I can’t really say much else without spoiling things, but I can say that this was initially a 3-star read for me until I realized that it wasn’t a standalone but a series! Looking forward to where Rachel’s journey will take her next!

This book was very interesting for me. I know absolutely nothing about K-pop except that BTS exists and that's about it. I had no idea it was such a competitive industry. I don't know if it's inspired by true events, since the author is an international K-pop star herself, but if it is... ouch. Girls are mean, the industry is sexist like you wouldn't think it would be in 2020, boys are clueless about it all, the fans are the worst.

Nevertheless, I admired Rachel. Despite all the bullying, the mean pranks and the name-calling, she is determined to shine, to earn her place in the industry. This is a story of perseverance, of believing in yourself and pursuing your dreams, no matter what other people (in her case, other trainees, execs, or fans) say about you. You are important. You matter.

Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary e-copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really tried to like this book but I found it reminded me of another book I just read. To all the boys I loved before.

Shine is a look into the world of K-Pop and what it takes to become a pop star in South Korea. First-time author Jessica Jung uses her insider knowledge, having made it to K-Pop stardom herself, to take readers behind-the-scenes at a fictional, star-making studio. Along the way there is plenty of drama of the family, friend, and romantic variety to propel the story, with of course the big question being, will or won't protagonist Rachel make her pop star debut? A fun story that's not all fluff.

2.5 Stars (I received an e-arc from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review)

I was super excited to be approved for this arc being a big k-pop fan, particularly SNSD and interested in Jessica’s perspective and inside information on the industry. I started out reading the e-arc and struggled a bit with the writing style. Also the cattiness and girl hate are bit hard to take but I do know that the Korean entertainment industry can be really toxic and draining, so I put down the book for a little bit. I ended up finding the audio book on Scribd once it was released, which made more enjoyable but still the environment still makes me uncomfortable as someone who was harshly bullied. But I did enjoy her friendships, her sisterly bond and the male artists from what I read. I will be trying to continue the audiobook when I am in the mood for it and have less stress. It’s not bad but the writing could stronger and I am continually analyzing what Rachel’s experiences could relate to Jessica’s. Also checkout her YouTube Jessicaland which is pretty good

As someone who has never heard a single K-Pop song I can’t really comment on that aspect of the book as I have no experience and can’t/shouldn’t have an opinion on something I know nothing about. Maybe that’s why I didn’t really enjoy the book, but I digress. Now onto the review. Dang there is so much sexism and double standards in this book and I had no idea that this was so prevalent to K-Pop, and left me wondering if this was used for sensationalism, what also bothered me was the way the girls treated each other like really we need to be lifting each other up not tearing each other down. I liked Rachel our heroine enough, but I found she never really stood out to me another negative was insta-love we get subjected to which is young adult trope that can disappear forever. Overall, I found Shine to be a little bit boring filled with tropes that I found could and maybe added for the shock value and added no real plot to the story.

I’ve developed a healthy interest in K-Pop and how that industry works, in large part due to the BlackPINK documentary on Netflix, so I was definitely intrigued by this novel. The author used to be apart of a K-Pop group herself, which helps lend a ton of realism to the story as she pulls the curtain back and exposes some of the the industry’s not-so-great and downright toxic elements.

It follows Rachel, a Korean American teen who has trained at DB Entertainment for six years, hoping to one day debut and be a star. While there, she encounters Jason Lee, golden boy of DB and a K-Pop star, however, as she spends more time with him, she encounters problems with Jason, fellow trainees, the public and companies execs, all while struggling to do her best for a chance to debut and shine.

This book pulled me in immediately, as I stayed up way past my bedtime and I loved every minute of it.

Rachel Kim dreams of being in the next K-Pop girl group. She feels like there are hurdles constantly put in front of her by her family, other trainees and her lifestyle. This novel follows her as she navigates the extremely toxic environment and double standards that female K-Pop trainees seem to have to live in.

I love watching K-Dramas (Im not into K-Pop so much) so I was very excited to dive into this book. Reading it felt like a tell-all expose on the industry. I am not sure the accuracies but I am assuming they are pretty close since the author is an ex-girl group member. It made me feel like it was not as much fiction as a cathartic writing exercise from the author.

That being said – I did enjoy seeing “behind the curtain” and the overall presentation of the story – although I will be honest when I say I wish so much for a different ending. This is a must read for any K-Pop fans out there!

(3.5 stars)

I’ve been excited about the books coming out lately about k-pop.

In Shine, I loved the look into the intense, competitive world of k-pop trainees. Knowing that the author, Jessica Jung, was a member of the k-pop group Girls Generation made me believe that Rachel’s experience as a trainee was an accurate reflection of the super harsh environment and sky-high pressure and expectations put on the girls hoping to debut. And the rivalries! I liked reading about Rachel’s rivalry with Mina, another trainee, in particular.

I was more interested in Rachel’s life as a trainee than I was in the romance, and my interest waned at times when the story felt slow, but this was a fun read. Shine left just enough threads hanging to have me excited about book two already.