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belinda_jh27's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
nitchakarn_j's review against another edition
2.0
This book was very, very slooooow-paced with unreasonable plots, cringe characters, and unnecessary dialogues. It was the 352 pages of utmost boredom and I felt completely tortured to finish this book, but had to finish it as it costed A LOT.
I expected to read realistic insights and encounter deep, dark, thought-provoking points of KPOP industry, but turned out that all I got was a cheesy love novel for a middle grader. Absolutely a waste of time.
I expected to read realistic insights and encounter deep, dark, thought-provoking points of KPOP industry, but turned out that all I got was a cheesy love novel for a middle grader. Absolutely a waste of time.
fsophig's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
ashction's review against another edition
DNF @ 26%. What I read of it was really cliche, very insta-love, and ultimately just shaping up to not be something I'm interested in reading. I was looking for a more nuanced view into the world of K-Pop, but Jung's book focuses too heavily on the mean girls and secret romances to really make it more than a light, fluffy novel. Which is totally fine, it's just not for me.
ladygodivas's review against another edition
2.0
cannot believe i finished this in only two days. i am shocked and appalled.
i hated it lmao. i always hate when girls are being pitted against each other--come on, we live in a society.
the only thing that kept me going was my curiosity of what exactly happens in between the curtain that is the kpop world. i guess my questions finally have answers.
too bad this was just a self-insert book, i would have liked a more in-depth perspective about what it really takes to be a star.
1.5 stars from me. it was hard to read.
i hated it lmao. i always hate when girls are being pitted against each other--come on, we live in a society.
the only thing that kept me going was my curiosity of what exactly happens in between the curtain that is the kpop world. i guess my questions finally have answers.
too bad this was just a self-insert book, i would have liked a more in-depth perspective about what it really takes to be a star.
1.5 stars from me. it was hard to read.
jessicanaasc's review against another edition
3.0
Inicialmente eu gostei do livro, quis ler não somente por gostar de kpop, mas também por saber que a autora foi parte do Girls’ Generation, então imaginei que teria um pouco de verdade por trás da ficção. O que de certa forma temos se levarmos em consideração todo o treinamento da personagem e seus desafios. O livro conta a história de Rachel, uma adolescente coreana que foi criada nos EUA, até que seu talento foi descoberto e toda a sua família se muda para a Coreia para que ela possa correr atrás do seu grande sonho de virar uma idol do kpop. Como de costume temos todo o pacote completo de um treinamento muito rígido e muita rivalidade entre as meninas, até porque é um ambiente muito competitivo já que todas buscam o debut, nada fora do comum para o tipo de livro. Assim, como também não é nem um pouco fora do comum o romance proibido entre a personagem e algum rapaz, o que consequentemente se torna um dos pontos principais do livro. Eu gostei de como o romance começou e gostei do Jason, apesar de ele ser sem noção às vezes já que conhece o mundo do kpop e sabe sobre todas as regras e dificuldades (teoricamente já que mais a frente vemos que faz questão de ser ignorante quanto a isso). Porém odiei o rumo que a história levou em relação a ele e para mim esse foi só o primeiro ponto que me fez odiar o final. Também gostei das amigas e da irmã dela, porém eu senti que tudo isso ficou muito perdido no caminho e a autora se perdeu no que queria focar fazendo uma grande bagunça. Até um pouco depois da primeira metade do livro é bem legal e o livro flui muito bem, ele mostra a protagonista se esforçando para superar os seus medos em busca do que deseja, foi legal ver ela amadurecendo nesse ponto. Porém a metade final do livro foi quando eu senti tudo desandar, num geral não foi ruim mas sinto que fui com muita sede ao pote e acabei me decepcionando. Porque eu realmente esperei que fosse um romance fofo e recebi uma puxada de tapete com as coisas piorando, pra completar nem teve um final feliz assim. Senti que ficaram muitas pontas soltas no enredo, mas como eu pesquisei e vi que tem uma continuação talvez isso seja fechado aí.
dvnielletreads's review against another edition
3.0
jan 8, 2021
i have been a fan of kpop for nearly a decade now. when i happened upon my first flashy kpop video in 2011, i very quickly found a girls' generation video. jessica was one of the first kpop idols i ever laid eyes on, and it's been wild to see how things have gone for her in the last ten years.
if you've never heard of kpop a day in your life, i feel like this might be an enjoyable, flighty read. but as someone who remembers vividly jessica's departure from easily the biggest girl group at the time, you can see the parallels between her situation and what ultimately becomes rachel's. the kpop industry seems to only be growing bigger and more flashy as time goes on - with the dark side of it becoming just as more prevalent. jessica does not shy away from these topics in the slights: the toxic sexism that rages in this industry, the endless hours of training, signing your youth away and ultimately becoming what your company shapes you to be.
in a way, i'm proud of jessica for her to write this. granted, it's an entire work of fiction, but as i said, you can see the similarities with her own experiences that only she knows, and i think that makes it a bit more real. young adult contemporary is still hard for me though because the drama in this book.
i'm sure there's instances where members of groups don't get along. the evil prowess of the company's production and pr teams here was a bit out of pocket, but again, jessica knows the industry from the inside and i'm only looking in as a fan.
it's a nice read, especially if you're familiar with the industry as it is. congratulations to jessica for keeping on, too!
dec 16, 2020
it is not an unknown thing with those that know me that kpop is something i've been into for nearly a decade now. jessica is someone i have been familiar with that entire time. i remember the first time i saw an snsd video. i vividly remember her departure as well :'') but i'm super excited to see her thriving and prospering now! i'm definitely excited to be giving this a look!
i have been a fan of kpop for nearly a decade now. when i happened upon my first flashy kpop video in 2011, i very quickly found a girls' generation video. jessica was one of the first kpop idols i ever laid eyes on, and it's been wild to see how things have gone for her in the last ten years.
if you've never heard of kpop a day in your life, i feel like this might be an enjoyable, flighty read. but as someone who remembers vividly jessica's departure from easily the biggest girl group at the time, you can see the parallels between her situation and what ultimately becomes rachel's. the kpop industry seems to only be growing bigger and more flashy as time goes on - with the dark side of it becoming just as more prevalent. jessica does not shy away from these topics in the slights: the toxic sexism that rages in this industry, the endless hours of training, signing your youth away and ultimately becoming what your company shapes you to be.
in a way, i'm proud of jessica for her to write this. granted, it's an entire work of fiction, but as i said, you can see the similarities with her own experiences that only she knows, and i think that makes it a bit more real. young adult contemporary is still hard for me though because the drama in this book.
i'm sure there's instances where members of groups don't get along. the evil prowess of the company's production and pr teams here was a bit out of pocket, but again, jessica knows the industry from the inside and i'm only looking in as a fan.
it's a nice read, especially if you're familiar with the industry as it is. congratulations to jessica for keeping on, too!
dec 16, 2020
it is not an unknown thing with those that know me that kpop is something i've been into for nearly a decade now. jessica is someone i have been familiar with that entire time. i remember the first time i saw an snsd video. i vividly remember her departure as well :'') but i'm super excited to see her thriving and prospering now! i'm definitely excited to be giving this a look!
soybean's review against another edition
1.0
the venn diagram of people who enjoyed "shine" and koreaboos who read godforsaken, "bogoshipda"-filled y/n fanfiction is a perfect circle