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 It’s time for the world to see: this is what it takes to shine.Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, September 2020ģ52 pages, hardcover, $24.99 CAD, 9781534462519

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. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. 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. 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.

What would you give for a chance to live your dreams?įor seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Crazy Rich Asians meets Gossip Girl by way of Jenny Han in this knockout 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.

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