This collection of essays offered personal anecdotes from Kwon’s upbringing and her love of her favorite kpop artists. She has a unique and interesting perspectives on many aspects, from politics to lgbtq+, to the dieting culture and mental health. I’m a fan of a handful of kpop groups, so I was able to relate as a fan. A note to the author: I also miss Yoongi - thank goodness he and the rest of BTS are coming back in a couple months.

wow! what an incredible work of essays! i was honestly not expecting this to be so impactful but as a kpop girly (gen 2 & 3rd gen stan) this is just so relatable in a very niche way.

there are so many wonderful memories i have linked with being a fan girl but there is alot of things i have seen wrong with the industry as well, so when Giaae dissects misogyn, sexism, cultural appropriation, and mental health issues it was so refreshing to feel like i had someone to share these similar thoughts, or who even knew what i was talking about!

i will say there are a couple of parts (mainly towards the end of the book) where Giaee continues to talk about her religious expierence and opinions and it felt a little out of place with these essays. to an extent it correlated but then it felt like some sort of propaganda?? idk just didn't really keep my interest.

despite it, i have recommended this to many kpop fans already and will continue to! this was a very important read for the community and i truly enjoyed it.

(i will be rating this a 5 star, despite saying i wouldn't rate memoirs/non fic anymore bc this was an ARC sent to me, and this is also the authors debut novel and i truly believe the writing and subject matter was incredible. i know rating can effect authors and i want to make sure to rate this and let her have the opportunity to continue publishing!)

I’LL LOVE YOU FOREVER by Giaae Kwon is a book that is both so about me but also about the author. Is that weird to say?

Like Kwon, I was a first-gen K-pop fanatic and H.O.T. was my obsession. Having loved them from the first time I saw them perform their debut single, 전사에 후에 on a 가요 program, I was obsessed and immediately declared myself Kang-ta’s wife (the lead vocalist). Most of my friends (even the non-Korean ones) knew me by this self-proclaimed nickname. (Side note: there was a time when I covered the entire four walls of my room with their posters, categorized by album. It’s safe to say I have an addictive personality.)

But while I saw so much of myself in these pages as a K-pop fan, there was so much more I related to than fandom. With K-pop as a backdrop, Kwon shares what life was like as a Korean diaspora growing up in the 90s—trying to fit in while excelling in school and of course, going to church like the good girl we’re supposed to be. The constant comparison with my cousins to trying to mold myself to fit into different friend groups—I saw a lot of my childhood in these pages. But, there was also so much that I didn’t know, including Korean idol history to personal details about Kwon’s life.

She writes with a clarity of voice and a vulnerability that is not only relatable, but deeply likable. I know you might roll your eyes here because the author is my friend, but it’s true. I’m a senior millennial, so you must know t’s hard for me to make new friends at this age. And I pride myself on only letting people those I find genuine into my life. And that is how Kwon writes. It’s honest, vulnerable, and beautiful.

Even if don’t know who H.O.T. is or even BTS (but really, are you living under a rock?), if you’ve ever felt lost or alone or misunderstood, this book is for you. I absolutely loved it and I cannot recommend this book enough. If you want a new perspective on the Korean diaspora experience, this is it.

Sadly, I'm not the target audience of this essay collection. It's more for casual listeners who are only into BTS and Blackpink. As a die-hard Kpop stan who was and still is deep in those Twitter trenches, this book is merely rehashes of discourses I've encountered thousands of time and have no desire to revisit. I'm by no means discrediting the topics she's writing about, which are indeed complex and important. In fact, I agree with the author's perspective on almost everything. However, I've developed nuanced opinions on these topics years prior and these essays aren't offering new food for thought. To make matters worse, these essays are badly edited and has tons of repetition. The same nuggets of information keep getting brought up, which significantly lessens its impact.

This is such a lovely reflection on art and self. I enjoyed learning about K Pop but struggled to really grasp the references. The writing reads as casual which I was impressed by because that conversational tone can feel cheap in memoir, but not here. It’s very enjoyable— like a convo with a smart friend but not a pretentious one. Kwon is genuine and eager and that is nice to spend time with.

I have followed Giaae Kwon on Instagram for years and watched her share the process of writing this book, so needless to say I was very excited to read it. Unfortunately it was a bit of a letdown. Kwon has some truly beautiful insights around culture, values, and her personal history. Unfortunately these insights were mired in repetitive, redundant essays. I lost count of how many times entire sentences or paragraphs were repeated with the same sentiments.

I also could not tell who the audience is meant to be for this book. It went back and forth between over-explaining Korean culture and history for those with no prior knowledge to dropping full Korean words and phrases with no translation or explanation. I don't mind either way, I just felt like it should be one or the other.

I am a big k-pop fan and loved the idea of this book, but unfortunately the execution wasn't there.

Loved this one! Over the course of 12 full-length essays, interspersed with a couple of shorter "alt chapters," Kwon analyzes topics like fandom, feminism, and culture through the lens of K-Pop (and, in turn, examines K-Pop through the lens of all these topics).

A few of my favorite essays:

Essay 2 (H.O.T.) - discusses (from angles both personal and fictional) the conflict that can arise between being a good fan (by K-Pop standards) and a "good girl"/good daughter (by familial standards).

Essay 3 (BoA) - comparing one iconic idol's career trajectory to those of women in the author's family. How are worth and achievement tied? What does it mean to be special?

Alt chapter - K-Pop and cultural appropriation

Essay 10 (Tuxq) - the tension b/w shipping culture and anti-queer sentiment in K-Pop culture (and, more broadly, Korean culture).

Kwon does a good job of briefly covering the relevant historical and cultural contexts of the industry, and deftly weaves in her own personal narratives of family, self-worth, and self-discovery. She also reckons with a lot of the uglier, more challenging aspects of the industry, fandom, and its/their place in broader culture (Korean culture and global culture). Ultimately, though, she finishes on a note of gratitude and pride in her heritage as a Korean woman, and her experience as a K-Pop fan.

Critiques: one or two of the essays overlapped in argument/subject enough that I felt they could be combined.

Do I think this book succeeded at what it was trying to do? YES.

Did I enjoy this read? YES

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Giaae Kwon is so genuine and kind, wow wow wow I'm a fan.

All of my time spent listening felt like chatting w a new friend about their past. Not preachy, not a history lesson. Just the pertinent information to ensure you can keep up—a nice change from some of the cultural criticism that seems to try to double as a textbook. To be clear, it's not that I don't want to learn about the topic(s) more in depth. It's that I don't want to have to try to follow a memoir while also making a list of things I need to google after, or worse, have to pause in the moment to google before I can keep going. It's clear Giaae knows what she's doing <i>with</i> and wants <i>from</i> this piece, her focus is consistently maintained while still pushing you on to the next chapter. I don't know how to explain what I mean.... like, sometimes when a book is truly ONLY about one topic you're eventually burnt out on it and need a break? I'll Love You Forever I didn't need a break from, I <i>wanted</i> to hear more. And truthfully k-pop wasn't on my radar as something I'd enjoy following in the first place, so how grumpy I was to have to put this down to go contribute to society is proof of Kwon's ability to bring you on board. I'd highly higly recommend this whether you're interested in Korea or pop music or k-pop or not. Comments made on homophobia, religion, shame and family dynamics actually outshine any of the other points.

At first, I couldn't relate at all. I didn't really have a super serious boy band phase. I usually loved bands as a whole, only favoring one member if we happened to share a name or outside interests. But K-pop has SO MUCH to it that I wasn't aware of. The formulations, the strategy, the RULES! Ohhh my goodness the rules. I thought being a child star (or star in general) was bad in the US?? Nothingggg like K-pop artists have to deal with overall, from the sounds of it. Being able to see thru the band names to the strategies their managing firms use—basically product placement for humans—made me see the industry in a different light.

The other standout topic being body shaming & the beauty-industrial complex, Giaae nails it there as well. Similar to how Sable Yong was able to bring an additional dimension to Die Hot With a Vengence, Giaae brings novel concepts and theories I've never heard but are doubtlessly true to an issue we're already fairly well read on in the West. I get stuck in such an ethnocentric mind space that books like these are vital to help keep my vision from tunneling (I'm working on it, I swear).

My one fairly large complaint is how repetitive some of it was. Literally sentence for sentence sometimes, I'd have to check to make sure I didn't accidentally rewind because I was certain I'd heard her say the same words before. In my opinion, that should have been caught in editing? I get that these aren't meant to be cohesive in the way that novels are... But unless people are taking WEEKS in between chapters, I don't think all of the reiteration is needed.

Overall though, I'd say this is worth any- and everyone's time.

(Thank you bunches to Giiae Kwon, Henry Holt & Co., Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for my honest review!)

This one started out very promising. I was getting some information about the KPop industry and some bands I had not heard of. But as the book kept going, the author went into major political and religious criticisms all about her opinion on them. I understand including some of that to help shape your story, but it was ALOT and the book felt more like it was about that instead of the KPop industry. I lost interest and ended up skimming through when she began to speak of politics or religion.

Reading this book was both a glimpse into the Korean-American experience of an extreme K-pop boy band fan girl AND a better understand of the popularity of H.O.T (a 90s Korean boy-band) for the main character in Reply 1997, Shi Won. Lo and behold, as I complete chapter 1, the author mentions this exact tv show and the main character as a segue into chapter 2; this connection sealed the deal for me and I was pulled even further into Giaae Kwon's examination of the parasocial relationship between fans and their idols, and how this relationship is a defining experience in the formative years of a teen girl, but also terribly uncomfortable for the idols they covet. If you are looking for a better understanding of being a fan of Korean popular culture, particularly the music and the idols you've come to love and monitor, then pick up this book and learn more about how choosing to "stan" one group pits you against another whilst also nurturing a sense of community, isn't that beautiful?

THIS is the nonfiction book about K-pop that I have been waiting for! I learned a lot about the history of the industry and some more about Korean & Korean American culture generally. I was also quite moved by many of the sections where the author drew connections between the idols/music that she loves and her experiences struggling with religion, mental health, and body shaming. If I had one little quibble, it would be that the balance between memoir and info about K-pop skewed a little more towards memoir - but that’s fully just a matter of taste. If you have even a passing interest in K-pop, this one is worth picking up.

I have such a soft spot for nonfiction books where people use pop culture to discuss their lives and provide broader social commentary. So this book using the lens of different kpop idols to discuss topics like body image, depression, feminism, academics, plastic surgery, and so much more really appealed to me. I loved reading about Giaae Kwon’s experiences being a Korean American fan throughout different generations of kpop and seeing how she related the various topics to her own life.

This book struck a great balance between being critical and positive, it explores how it can be complicated to be a fan of idols in an industry that is so full of double standards and hazardous conditions. The author is very open and forthcoming when describing dark or difficult situations in her own life. My one negative for the book is that I felt like it got a bit repetitive at times.

I think this book will probably appeal most to kpop fans who already have their own relationships with the idols she’s discussing. But I think that the book could also appeal to non-kpop fans who are interested in getting a nuanced look into different topics related to the kpop industry.

Also, I love that the author and I share the same bias in BTS. Hi Yoongi!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I am actually very impressed with “I’ll Love You Forever”. I did not expect this title to be as thorough. Giaae Kwon manages to meld a history lesson about Korea and a memoir in this book. The writing style is great. However, I dnf at a certain portion of the book where I did not care for the commentary. Despite that I would say the pieces I read were informative. You can tell Kwon put a lot of thought and care into this work. It’s vulnerable and interesting.

In full disclosure, I do not know much about KPop. However, this book has me certainly interested. I appreciated that it allowed me to learn more while understanding the dynamics going on between the characters as well. Thank sof the opportunity to read this one!

Though the cover and tagline may lead you to believe this is a book solely about the recent (in the western world) explosion of Korean popular music since the mid-to-late 2010s, Kwon instead takes the reader on a tour from the beginnings of the genre (H.O.T., well worth a deep dive if you want to see peak 90s dance moves and outfits) through its modern explosion with the likes of BTS, Blackpink, and other global superstars. Interwoven with her own compelling personal narrative, this is a must for anyone who has ever defined pivotal moments or phases in life by the pop culture (music or otherwise) they were consuming or obsessing over at the time.

As a somewhat recent k-pop convert, it's both informative - especially as an American fan, discovering an entire new world running parallel to my own - and confessional, as the author and I share both the same major bias (favorite member of a given group, for those not in the know) and similar mental health struggles. You'll be firing up Spotify playlists after each chapter and maybe even hugging the pets in your life tighter afer reading this engrossing memoir and cultural history.

Thanks so much netgalley and henry holt & co for this ARC!

I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan by Giaae Kwon is a deeply insightful and emotionally resonant collection of essays that explores the intersection of K-pop culture and personal identity. Blending memoir and cultural criticism, Kwon offers a unique perspective on how the global phenomenon of K-pop has shaped her sense of self and illuminated broader social and cultural issues.
Kwon, a bilingual and bicultural Korean American, navigates the intricate world of K-pop with both adoration and critical analysis. The essays in this collection are more than just reflections on popular music; they are a meditation on how K-pop serves as a lens through which she examines larger cultural topics such as Korea’s obsession with academic success, its beauty standards, and the pervasive influence of patriarchy and sexism. Each essay is anchored by Kwon’s personal experiences, making the book a compelling blend of the critical and the intimate.
Kwon’s writing shines as she delves into the influence of various K-pop idols, from the early days of H.O.T. to the global success of BTS’s Suga. Through her personal narratives, she highlights how these artists have not only influenced her but also played a role in the evolving landscape of K-pop itself. The essays provide readers with an in-depth look at the complex machinery behind the K-pop industry while also celebrating the passion and joy that comes with being a fan.
One of the standout essays, Essay 9 - BTS, is particularly thought-provoking as it discusses the breakthrough of K-pop into Western markets, the mandatory military service required of South Korean men, and the aspirational aspects of Americanness that many K-pop idols and fans navigate. Kwon’s analysis in this essay is sharp, providing a critical look at how K-pop’s global reach has both challenged and reinforced certain cultural narratives.
While some essays meander and cover multiple themes, this reflects the complexity of the topics Kwon is addressing. The collection is not just a straightforward narrative but a tapestry of thoughts and experiences that illustrate how K-pop is more than just music—it's a cultural force that impacts identity, societal expectations, and personal growth.
I’ll Love You Forever is a must-read for fans of K-pop and anyone interested in exploring the cultural significance of popular music. Even those who may not be familiar with K-pop will find Kwon’s essays engaging and insightful, as she provides enough background to make the subject matter accessible while delving into broader social issues. Fans of books like Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong and Everything I Need I Get from You by Kaitlyn Tiffany will especially appreciate Kwon’s blend of personal narrative and cultural critique.
In conclusion, I’ll Love You Forever: Notes from a K-Pop Fan is a smart, poignant, and surprising exploration of how music shapes our lives and identities. Giaae Kwon’s thoughtful essays offer a fresh perspective on K-pop, making this book a valuable addition to the growing body of work that examines the cultural and social complexities of the global music industry. Whether you’re a K-pop superfan or simply curious about the cultural phenomenon, this book will leave you with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the impact K-pop has had on both individuals and society at large.

A collection of essays that each connect historical and cultural context, the author's personal experience, and the trajectory a k-pop idol or group to address topics such as unrealistic beauty standards, mental health, and sexism.

I'm really interested in anything related to music and fandom, but knowledge of/interest in k-pop isn't necessarily needed to enjoy this collection. There was background about the k-pop industry and the careers of specific idols, and the history of Japanese and US imperialism in Korea and how it contextualizes some of the social structures (ex. patriarchy) that persist today. Essay 9 - BTS was the most thought-provoking for me, covering the breakthrough of k-pop for white audiences, military service, and the aspiration of Americanness. Some essays felt less focused and went in a few directions, but lived experience and social issues are complicated and not always able to be distilled into one simple narrative.

For fans of: Minor Feelings, How Far the Light Reaches, Everything I Need I Get from You