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xvicesx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Candace is somehow phenomenally talented and it gets her to the final team, but we don't really live those crazy hours that are described for the idols and trainees. Those short breaks, the constant hounding by fans, the insane schedule, the lack of sleep -- they don't come off the page to make you wonder. As a snapshot, they're well described, but you don't live them as you would expect from a book.
I wasn't convinced on the necessity of the love triangle, or the love aspect at all. It was quite shallow in the grand scheme of things and there wasn't really a lot of push and pull to justify its existence. Also, what exactly made Candace so appealing?
Finally, I didn't really get along with the way Korean language was introduced in the novel. It felt more like a show off of using the terms rather than an actual immersion in the language, which made it less impactful. The moments in English when the language of the characters was stilted because of the formality of their speech felt more realistic than the actual phrases in Korean. But that's maybe just me.
Regardless, OK, but I don't expect to continue the series.
Graphic: Body shaming
Minor: Bullying
catorureads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Fatphobia
pointeshoebookworm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
I'm also highly intrigued how this segues into the second book. Given the current ending ... it seems even more implausible.
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
doodeedoda's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
2.5
Graphic: Body shaming and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Sexism, and Stalking
Minor: Eating disorder and Death of parent
smalljoys's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
inconsistent main character, boring love triangle, repetitive statements (we get that you the mc dated your gay bff for a week! move on!). unclear motive of the main character, did she want to be an idol? or not?chloe_23's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Torture, Violence, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, and Death of parent
ellaticonstellation's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Racism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
sankta_aleena's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexism
Minor: Misogyny, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
miss__manga__'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Rating 3.75
2023 reread review: I really like the almost effortless worldbuilding, though I still wish we had seen more of the other trainees (JinJoo was just... existing...). The writing did feel a little inconsistent at times (especially when Candace was using slang like shooketh - I have no issues with slang or the words chosen, but they were very sporadic).
I would have also liked to have seen the theme of feminism being a bit more developed, same with friendly rivalries amongst the girls. I hope these are expanded on in the sequel, which I plan to read soon.
In my reading journal, I've updated this to a 4 star rating, but since it's not that different to my original rating, I'm leaving it there.
Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying
Minor: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
pvbobrien's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, and Fatphobia
Moderate: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail