lyh's review against another edition
1.0
Ruim.
É uma história bem sem graça, ambientada no mundo dos idols coreanos, e mesmo gostando de k-pop eu achei bem ruim. Tanto a escrita quanto o desenvolvimento da história e principalmente os personagens, são rasos e irritantes.
A tradução também não é muito boa pois tem muitos termos e frases na língua coreana e quem não está familiarizado (não é o meu caso), vai ficar bem perdido. Enfim, descobri que tem continuação e sinceramente não precisava.
Eu li porque a Jessica quem escreveu, só que claramente essa não é a área dela.
É uma história bem sem graça, ambientada no mundo dos idols coreanos, e mesmo gostando de k-pop eu achei bem ruim. Tanto a escrita quanto o desenvolvimento da história e principalmente os personagens, são rasos e irritantes.
A tradução também não é muito boa pois tem muitos termos e frases na língua coreana e quem não está familiarizado (não é o meu caso), vai ficar bem perdido. Enfim, descobri que tem continuação e sinceramente não precisava.
Eu li porque a Jessica quem escreveu, só que claramente essa não é a área dela.
iotareads's review against another edition
4.0
It is not the tell-all book everyone desperately wants it to be. It's a YA book about the crushingly devastating life of a teenage trainee trying to navigate evil corporate and misogynistic system just to survive and live her dream. The main protagonist is a teenage girl so it's understandable that she makes the wrong choices sometimes. So is the antagonist, whose character is built from trying to survive the system as well. It's no doubt a page turner but I personally think the pace could be better and the problems could be more elaborated instead of brushed over as soon as a new problem arises. But maybe that's also a reflection of how chaotic a teenage mind is. I wish there were more of Kang Jina, her character is one of the most important ones in terms of moving the plot and having the key answers to Rachel's current dilemmas. All in all, I hope the unanswered things in this book will be elaborated in the sequel!
I've seen articles and youtube videos trying to relate the antagonist to SNSD member and paint Jessica in a vengeful light but there is no one member that you can connect with Mina, so I wish people would just actually read this book!
I've seen articles and youtube videos trying to relate the antagonist to SNSD member and paint Jessica in a vengeful light but there is no one member that you can connect with Mina, so I wish people would just actually read this book!
staarcharmed's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
4.0
"Shine" was such a wonderful debut for Jessica Jung. With the perfect writing style for YA, breezy and easy-to-follow, "Shine" follows Rachel, an Asian-American who is in training to become the next K-pop star. Rachel isn't totally relatable because but what she goes through with mean girls and relationships is definitely what can be relatable. I loved the love story, the journey that we go through with Rachel as she really does work her tail off, and battling nerves in front of a camera. This was cute, light, and the perfect read to escape the harsh realities of the world.
icednini's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- 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
3.5
LIFE AS A GIRL AND A RISING K-POP STAR
rating: ★★★.5
✩‧₊˚ background ✧.*
Rachel Kim is one of DB Entertainment’s talented trainees, on her way to become a known K-pop star. In order to fulfill her dreams, she must follow everything right: no dating, practice, showcase your skills, get to the top. She has all the support from her family and friends, but the industry is never her friend. She meets Jason Lee, a NEXT BOYZ member, as she connects with him with her heart. Rachel gets the chance to perform with Jason and others in a new song, which is a chance for her to become a star. As things become harder for her with managers wanting more from their trainees and fans hating on her for the most ridiculous reasons and making rumors about her, Rachel must find herself through the life she wants to live.
✩‧₊˚ review ✧.*
As a K-pop fan and a growing fan of Girls’ Generation, when I found out Jessica Jung had written a book, I had to check it out. The blurb of the story caught my attention, as readers can get a chance to dive into the dark world behind K-pop. I felt like Jung’s character was some kind of a self-insert probably. I knew many of the difficult things K-pop idols unfortunately go through–such as fat shaming, watching their intake, no dating, hate from fans over ridiculous things, etc–and Jung does well to associate her characters with these kinds of matters. Rachel has a lot to deal with while being a K-pop trainee, and both her life with her family and the life she has with her friends is tough for her to handle. I liked Jason at the start, but when it came to the hate Rachel was facing, he was not any help at all, and he started annoying me a bit with his actions. I felt like this book could have had more of a connected plot rather than having it jump from place to place often. At the end of the book, Rachel seemed like a changed person to me, and I wonder if the second book will have more insight on this.
✩‧₊˚ recommend? ✧.*
I recommend this book if you are a K-pop fan and are looking for a young adult book filled with scandals. On the other side, I don’t recommend it too much since the book does have a lot of cringy parts, and the overall plot isn’t that well-lined with itself. But I do suggest giving the book a chance if you like K-pop and want some insight into Korean culture.
rating: ★★★.5
✩‧₊˚ background ✧.*
Rachel Kim is one of DB Entertainment’s talented trainees, on her way to become a known K-pop star. In order to fulfill her dreams, she must follow everything right: no dating, practice, showcase your skills, get to the top. She has all the support from her family and friends, but the industry is never her friend. She meets Jason Lee, a NEXT BOYZ member, as she connects with him with her heart. Rachel gets the chance to perform with Jason and others in a new song, which is a chance for her to become a star. As things become harder for her with managers wanting more from their trainees and fans hating on her for the most ridiculous reasons and making rumors about her, Rachel must find herself through the life she wants to live.
✩‧₊˚ review ✧.*
As a K-pop fan and a growing fan of Girls’ Generation, when I found out Jessica Jung had written a book, I had to check it out. The blurb of the story caught my attention, as readers can get a chance to dive into the dark world behind K-pop. I felt like Jung’s character was some kind of a self-insert probably. I knew many of the difficult things K-pop idols unfortunately go through–such as fat shaming, watching their intake, no dating, hate from fans over ridiculous things, etc–and Jung does well to associate her characters with these kinds of matters. Rachel has a lot to deal with while being a K-pop trainee, and both her life with her family and the life she has with her friends is tough for her to handle. I liked Jason at the start, but when it came to the hate Rachel was facing, he was not any help at all, and he started annoying me a bit with his actions. I felt like this book could have had more of a connected plot rather than having it jump from place to place often. At the end of the book, Rachel seemed like a changed person to me, and I wonder if the second book will have more insight on this.
✩‧₊˚ recommend? ✧.*
I recommend this book if you are a K-pop fan and are looking for a young adult book filled with scandals. On the other side, I don’t recommend it too much since the book does have a lot of cringy parts, and the overall plot isn’t that well-lined with itself. But I do suggest giving the book a chance if you like K-pop and want some insight into Korean culture.
jeggfriedrice's review against another edition
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75